Direct Answers to your questions...

Hey all- Im a newbie.. i need some help -- lol . .
Ive been lifting for years- i used to be more into cardio but now more into training.. I like to be thin, not big- but toned and hard..

I wouldnt worry about getting "big." This means don't hold back. I know a lot of women at the gym doing 10 reps of curls with 5 lb weights because they don't want to get "big". If you do that, nothing will happen...period. You are wasting your time. If you want to move to lifting weights you are looking to put a few pounds of muscle on (which is fine!). Test your body and see what weight u can bang out 12-15 steady, slow reps. When you are on your 12th to 15th rep, you should not be struggling but your muscles should feel tight and hard within the skin with each rep. It should feel good, not like a struggle. Do a few sets like this then change excersizes. This is a good way to start up and get more in touch with your body.

Ive tried changing my routines-- but I am always stiff, tight etc- esp my shoulders/upperback and legs..
I dont know if I am overtraining-- [bc i am admittedly a stubborn psycho] - ;'} -
or am I training too heavily??
What is better? heavier and less reps? lighter and more reps??

As I said in mypost above, you must stretch. I am a BIG advocate of stretching and I can help you out a lot. Send me a PM and I can get more in depth on types of stretches and how they can help you.

Being stiff is good but your body SHOULD not be stiff/sore all the time. It should adjust. Try testing your strength first as I stated above. Also, part of training is learning how to listen to your body. When you have an urge or a pain, analyze it. If you feel a pain in your legs, ask why your legs feel that way. What did you do to cause it and when you were doing that action did it feel too strenuous? Were you only able to do 3 reps on an excersize? Keep your reps above 8, especially if you are trying to get lean and cut. I highly suggest 12-15, as stated above.

Does anyone know of any proven routines?

Before I was involved in bodybuilding and before I did a lot of research, I asked the same question.....to every one. Listen, because if you don't, you will just hear this again ;)......Every body is different Notice i said EVERY BODY not EVERYBODY. Your body is different than my sister's and her body is different than my mother's. You need to learn to listen to your body, find out what it wants, and why it's in pain, and how to fix it. You need to listen to what your body tells u to build muscle/lose fat/gain definiton. Sounds corny, but its how it works.

also I posted another question on using Stack to get harder. . does anyone hve any comments on this?[/QUOTE]

No Comment. I highly discourage people who are still trying to find their way into using suppliments. I didn't start to use suppliments until I did ample research into why I needed them and what they would provide for me. I know nothing about the suppliment you mentioned, but i would discourage it until you learned how to listen to your body and address it's individual needs. You are the only one who will use your body, you might as well as learn to work it on your own!

Hope I helped some! If anyone would like to correct me, please feel free, but I think what I have said is accurate