I shoot very little now, tendinitis comes back quickly in both elbows if I do.
Recurves are easy to shoot compared to long bows-normally.
I do have a compound, shooting fingers, no sights, which I went to after the tendenitis kept me out of shooting for 2 years.
When I started with the Compound, I went full hog - sights, 2X magnifier in the front sight lens, long stab, trigger release - tried 3 or 4 different mechanical releases.
Quickly got to the point where I could only fire 1 arrow at each target - went to a 3-spot at the club due to losing too many arrows with "Robin-Hoods". That isn't bragging, most compound shooters using releases and target settups do it for the same reason - every night, you'd go through 6 arrows. the one that got split and since you never take a Robin-Hood apart, the one that's stuck inside. With Carbon's that would be dangerous- carbon splinters flying all over the place.

I tired of that game and tool off the long stab, going to a short one, and pin sights, shooting fingers. Wasn't long before I was using a 3-spot again.

Took off the sights and shot "HTBB" - Heavy Tackle Bare Bow - now they call it "Bow Hunter Unsighted", I think.

Shooting 3 fingers under (the nock) and canted to the right like a recurve or longbow, I found this almost as accurate shooting sighted - at the club, I even used to use a 3-spot just to piss off the HTBB and some of the Unlimited shooters. 3-spots only score 7,8,9,10, on per bullseye - might have been a green 6-ring in there- long time ago, can't remember.

Anyway - Mike - I suggest you 'learn' to shoot with a recurve in a club - learn to draw and shoot first before even contemplating a compound. If you go straight to a compound, you'll really never learn to shoot properly, nor will you learn the dynamics of shooting - using your eyes, your mind to aim. Compounds are machines, not bows - and are dirt simple to shoot accurately, in my most humble opinion, of course. I'm a lousy shot with a long bow - HA! It is something one must practice - regularly. My Brother is a or THE BC Champion & held that moniker for 30years - up until last year, I think he lost out with a 2nd. He's an incredible long bow shot, his best was a 282/300 with a longbow. His average is 245/300.
I only shot the event a couple times with my bare-bow compound before losing interest. It was a LOT more fun with the longbow, but of course I did not win anything with it - I sucked.

As far as weights go, I'd start with a 45-50 pound for a man. 30-40 for a woman.