A good novice program would be to choose a weight that you can do for 8 reps, but that 8th rep is difficult. Once you can do 10 reps, add 10 lbs to the bar. Concentrate on compound movements like bench press, military press, deadlifts, bent over rows, dips and squats.
Start out slow with a minimum of exercises, and hit each bodypart twice a week (yes twice). Something like this:
Monday - Chest (2-3 sets bench press), Shoulders (2-3 sets military press), Triceps (2-3 sets lying tricep extensions)
Tuesday - Back (2-3 sets bent over rows), and (2-3 sets of front pulldowns), Biceps (2-3 sets barbell curls), Legs (3-4 sets squats)
Wednesday - off
Thursday & Friday (repeat Monday/Tuesday)
Saturday/Sunday - off
Only spend about 45 minutes for each workout. Eat a good quality diet with at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. Follow this regiman, and I guarantee you will see results in 8-12 weeks.
Good Luck!