I am entirely against the use of weights or machines at all. All that should be used is the human body and its weight. Go to the sand park or beach with a bar somewhere and that's all you need. Once you can pull/push your own weight enough then you can move on to weights. I don't think its safe to just walk into a gym and start using weights. It's not natural and people can get injured and it doesn't promote good etiquette. Start by doing static chin ups, push ups, ab work, dips, etc.. Once you have been able to consistently move your own weight. Transitioning into weights will allow your body time to adjust and actually benefit from the activities.