I am a novice also and had to search the forums to find this part. At the end of the chapter in SS on how to squat, Mark tells you how to determine what weight you should be starting at. This is applicable for all lifts. Look for the paragraph that starts "The general plan is to do a couple more sets of five reps with an empty bar..."
Go to Chapter 8 and he outlines a M,W,F training plan for novices.
watch the technique videos on this site and start reading the chapters on the lifts for clarity.