Ah, see, there’s a more complicated question. I’m not sure what you’re looking to accomplish, but I’m guessing toning and endurance. Since this is your first go, I’d say two days a week of all-body workouts until you start figuring out what you like. Try this out for starters, when you start getting to know more about what you want, you can change it up:
3 x 12 reps each of:
Squats or Leg Presses
Rows
Dumbbell or Chest Presses
Crunches
Bicep Curls
Tricep Extensions
That should keep you busy for 45 minutes or so, and they’re mostly compound excercises, so you’re working multiple muscle groups. Start out with light weights, better to underdo it than overdo it. A cadence of 1-1-1 is good (1 second of lift, 1 second of hold, 1 second of return). Pay attention to form! I know a lot of women are worried about appearing too muscular – don’t. You’ll get some ripples and a little extra bulk, but not much more than that – it takes a lot of work to get the “big gunsâ€, trust me, I’ve been trying to!
And have fun feeling your biceps after you get going!
One more thought, it might be worth hiring a trainer for one session, or at least making friends with a gym rat (or ratette) to give you some pointers, preferably one who doesn't socialize too much. Nice to have someone who can watch and give a critique.
