How to start working out with weights, balls and machines

Does your gym look like this ?

Strange machines everywhere. People doing impossible things.

Just how do you get started into an active, healthy, lifestyle ?

Would you prefer other gym members to look more like this on the right: 

or are you OK with:

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) has just opened a web site aimed right at you. It has words, pictures and videos going through exercises in an easy to understand manner. 

I'm qualified as a Personal Trainer through ACE   [and also the American Council of Sports Medicine (ACSM)]. This is me on the ACE web site.

ACE has a regular magazine aimed at Personal trainers ACE Certified News and the Dec2008-Jan2009 edition features their just launched online exercise library. 

I have started to comment on the ACE videos, which to a very great extent, I think are excellent. This page has one such comment - my pseudonym is skyblue60.