If you want to build muscle, you need to know how. There is a sea of information online which is difficult to navigate for even an expert, so how are you supposed to find the best information available? You can start with this article as it is full of advice which is time-tested and accurate, so keep reading and learn as much as you can!

Make time to workout at least three times weekly. If you are just starting out, you should limit yourself to three times, but as your muscles become more conditioned, you should try to get to the gym more often than that. As you become more experienced, you can increase your workouts to be more than once daily, several times a week.

Limit yourself to four workouts per week. Doing five or more can cause recovery issues that limit or even hinder your progress. Having three days off a week also allows for mental recovery as well as physical. You will be more enthusiastic about going to the gym on your four days.

The key to having the body you want is to overcome your mental barriers. When exercising, it is very easy to stop before you are truly done. If you do not feel the burn, do not stop. The last few reps are crucial. If you are not struggling with the last weight lifts, you are not trying hard enough.

Find a good workout partner. Ideally, you should find a partner that is as motivated as you are, or even more so. You can motivate each other. It is also advisable to pick a partner with roughly the same strength as you. If you pick stronger or more experienced than you are, you may find yourself getting frustrated.

Many people who wish to build muscle use protein shakes and meal replacements. It is important to note however that there is a distinction between the two. It can be dangerous to your health to use protein shakes frequently as a meal replacement. A full meal contains many essential nutrients that are not included in protein shakes. In addition, living off protein shakes can leave your muscles soft which negates your muscle building efforts.

Having a spotter when lifting weights is important. You want to be able to lift the weights until your body physically cannot lift them anymore. A spotter will be able to help you lift the weight the final lift and put it back on the rack with you rather than you trying to do it yourself.

Make sure that you are eating healthy foods every 3 hours. Figure out how many calories you will need to consume every day, and then divide that by six. The number that you get will tell you how many calories you will need to consume while you are eating your meals.

When you are starting your workout, make sure that you set reasonable goals. If your goals are unreachable, you are setting yourself up to fall short of the accomplishments that you desire, which can be devastating. Analyze what you can and cannot do and leverage off of this information before you set your goals.

If you are not seeing a difference after a few weeks of intense training, measure your body fat. Perhaps your fat is slowly transforming into muscles, and you are not seeing a difference in your weight. This is a good thing: once your body fat is reduced, you will be able to build muscles.

Mental preparedness is important when trying to build muscle. Before you begin any workout, it is important for you to be sure you are in the proper mental state to be able to workout. Injuries occur when someone is not focusing on the workout they are doing. Focus is crucial when working out.

Now that you've read this article, you have had a primer on what it takes to build muscle safely and effectively. Take this knowledge and seek even more education online, as you'll now be able to tell what is true and what is fantasy. Don't forget to start putting it to use in your work-outs as well!