Originally Posted by
mcours2006
For someone just beginning to weight train it's better for him to start with body weight exercises such as push ups and pull ups.
I don't think that's something which is universally true. Free weights, or machines, offer the advantage of being able to easily adjust the level of resistance. Body weight exercises generally do not. Body weight exercises are great choices if one's body weight happens to provide a reasonable level of resistance, but that is often not the case. Push ups and pull ups may be too hard for a beginner who is heavy for instance.