To ask you to tell me, like I am an idiot, where to start with weight training?

[WhiskyintheJarr]

I’m 42, overweight, unhealthy. I need to start somewhere but i have no idea where.

A friendly bodypump class will take you through all the lifts, teach you good technique and get you into the habit of doing them regularly.

It will feel awkward for a week or two, but it's cheap, you get told exactly what to do, there's good music and you can build what you lift at your own pace. Just aim to build a habit!

If you can also afford a personal trainer, they should be able to talk nutrition and build a more personal gym program.

I've had a gym habit for 6 years now and between PT, group exercises classes, I have had the best results from turning up and doing exactly what I'm told. No creativity or self scheduling.

Good luck and enjoy yourself!

If you’re not brave enough for a class you could start with “body weight” exercises - lunges and squats, with or without hand weights. There will be plenty of YouTube videos to follow.

If you want to do more, I would highly recommend at least a few sessions with a personal trainer to show you proper technique and set up a programme for you, if you can possibly stretch to it.

If you're overweight, you start with your diet.

There's no exercise that exists that can fix a bad diet/too many calories going in.

I would recommend seeing a pt. When I first started I saw a pt for an hour a month. She would give me a three session plan and make sure I was doing the exercises correctly and safely.

I would agree with this. If you’ve never done anything before a oersonal trainer will be best for you. There are a few working at my gym, all very nice and all very knowledgeable. Don’t diet before going, they’ll help with that too, if you ask.