[KenPainter]

IMHO nothing comes close to finding a power lifting gym and lifting with them. The overall mood is usually helpful, encouraging, friendly and energetic. It is a high concentration of deep barbell experience. On the down side they focus exclusively on the competitive lifts so you have to be aware of that bias. You won't get much help on the standing press.

You'll be learning form the rest of your life. I've been at it 12 years and I still make adjustments.

Both Starting Strength and the website stronglifts.com will give you more information than you can handle. It can take years to really appreciate what they are telling you. So the three things are practice, practice and practice.

Some observer is crucial. I had a coach for a year but he missed a lot that I figured out later. Any training partner of any experience is better than none. They watch you and you watch them and you teach each other.

But the most important thing for a beginner is to begin. An untrained individual cannot move enough weight to hurt themselves fast (that comes later lol). Good luck and enjoy that sweet feeling!