help a lifting newbie with home dumbbell use

[wezvidz]

I'm 5'11" and weigh near 175lbs (don't own/use scales).

Looking to add some lifting to my workout routine which I do at home. My current means of exercise is 30-40 min of cardio 4x a week playing Dance Dance Revolution. I try to use a rough form of the HIIT method by alternating my super intense songs with less intense.

Anyway, I've never touched a weight in my life, as I didn't play any sports in school or have any reason to lift. I think I would benefit though, and had a few questions.

1) Can you get a good home lifting workout with just dumbbells? Or should I invest in a bench? I'm just looking to lift enough to get more toned and stronger, but I'm not looking to be ripped by any means.

2) What should I be looking for in terms of equipment & add-on weights? I don't even know what I could lift weight-wise right now, so I have no idea what I should be looking to buy. Anyone know of a specific good brand or anything or does it not matter?

3) Any good ideas for like a 3x/week routine? Should I be targeting different groups each session? I think that's the standard method but again, I'm a newb. I've found lots of dumbbell exercises to do but I'm unsure how best to consolidate them into an effective routine.

Thanks for any additional input.