Q: i am 39 years old and i am very over weight i am fixing to join a gym what is the best equipment to use . for weight loss i dont want to look like a bodybuilder thank you

A: Ultimately, freeweights (dumbbells and barbells) are the most effective equipment to both burn fat and build muscle. The two things -- burning fat and building muscle -- are actually very connected because muscle is your best fat-burner and exercising all your muscles burns a lot of fat, as I describe in my fat loss article. So please don't avoid freeweights just because you don't want to get too muscular -- as long as you are losing weight you will not get very muscular at all but will simply get all the fat-burning benefits of freeweights. It's very simple: lift weights and eat a lot and you'll build muscle; lift weights and eat less and you'll burn fat. You would be doing the latter.

But if you are a complete begginer to weight training you may well feel uncomfortable with many freeweight exercises (especially complex ones like squat and deadlift) -- in this case machines may be a good starting point for you. They will still give you most of the same benefits but reduce the risk of injury and may be somewhat less intimidating. Take time to build up your comfort level in the gym and learn the proper form of all exercises before starting to lift really heavy. And make sure to read the article I linked above to understand why weight training is so beneficial for fat loss. Good luck!