Mark Rippetoe's starting strength program to maximize those newbie gains. Forget about 1 rep maxes. Once you've plateaued with those programs, you can move on to 5/3/1 or Madcow 5x5 or the Texas Method or some other program.
Even most crossfit gyms these days run a dedicated strength program (in addition to their metcons); usually some version of 5/3/1.