Beginners course = 18# wooden thing.
Was told that eventually I'd want to be shooting about 38#, so when I went and bought a bow I got 38# limbs. The fact that I had a 31" draw and was drawing to about 44# kinda got forgotten...
Haven't gone below that since, currently shooting 47ish# G3s and loving them (apart from the fact they're so quick my arrows no longer spine properly...
)