Anonymous wrote:OP I just put your stats into a BMR calculator and you are burning between 1900-2000 cals a day with your current activity levels. You are undereating by quite a bit! I would up your calories to your maintenance of 2000 for a couple weeks and see how you feel. Just adding an avocado and a can of lentil soup would get you there, maybe as a post workout meal. Your energy levels should skyrocket.
I honestly would do 10 minutes of light walking and some stretching to warm up the muscles before weights. You never want to deplete yourself before strength training, the goal should be just to increase blood flow to the muscles. I would do longer, more targeted cardio sessions on the off days.
As you age, bone, joint, and core strengthening are really what you're trying to obtain from weights, and machines isolate the muscles too much to truly get you there. YouTube videos and a mirror are all you need to learn proper form. If you start light you will not injure yourself! I would go a bit lighter with weights than whatever you're pushing on the machines so your core and stabilizers have a chance to strengthen and catch up. You can also start with resistance bands if you're squeamish. Just look up the exercises with the word 'banded' in front to see them modified.
I started as a 126 lb weakling who could only handle 3lb dumbbells, and now I can bicep curl 40 lbs with ease. Have the weights light enough for you to do 3 sets of 8 reps per exercise, no more than 2-3 exercises per session. The weights should always feel easy and comfortable to move. No straining or struggling should ever be involved. When you can breezily do 10 reps at that weight, then add 5 lbs to the bar, or however much you can tolerate while being able to again do 8 reps easily and comfortably. Repeat until you reach your goals.
40lbs per arm?  I've been lifting heavy for over a decade and can bench close to 200lbs and Deadlift 300 and did not manage to get up to 40lbs for bicep curls. That is pretty damn phenonmenal!
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