Check out bodyforlife.com. Simple and effective basic stuff.

If you can afford it use a personal trainer to get the basics down. Form and intensity are the most important factors you (or anyone for that matter) need concern themselves with in the gym. Train yourself early that its not the amount of weight, but your control of it through the entire range of motion that is your goal. If you cant control it, dont pick it up, PERIOD.

Give your connective tissue time to adapt to the weights. Couple of weeks should give them some time to adapt and give you a chance to develop some stability during the excercises. Most importantly, give yourself AT LEAST 48 hours between workouts on the same body part. Just like cycling rest and recovery is where all gains are made.