Without a proven muscle building guide to help you, the task of building lean muscle mass can be a difficult one.

It’s important to start off on the right foot to give yourself the best opportunity of achieving success.  Of course, a well thought-out course of action will also save time and effort and help increase motivation.

If you’re serious about building muscle, then take a look at this Muscle Building Guide.  It’s really handy resource, packed full of interesting and detailed information to help you get started.

Here are some important factors you should consider when putting together an effective muscle building workout.

Select Workout Frequency

The very first thing is to determine how many times a week you’re going to be exercising.  It’s important to work each muscle group at least twice a week.  So, depending on how you prefer to work, you can opt for either a full body or split body workout.There is enough time for rest and recuperation in between workouts, helping to give faster results.

For a fairly active person who enjoys other outdoor pursuits or leads a physically demanding lifestyle, the fully body workout is probably the most suitable option.  Carried out two or 3 times a week, it’s likely to give the best results.For the less active amongst us, the upper/lower split workout may be a better option.  Four workout sessions each week accommodate for the lack of other activity to give comparable results.

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Select Exercises

Another thing you need to tackle is the exercises.Exercises such as bicep curls, tricep extensions, lateral pull-downs, lateral raises, deadlifts, squats  and bench presses (compound and isolated exercises) can all form part of an excellent workout routine.

This wide variety of exercises will help target the muscles from a variety of angles, so your body never gets bored and stops responding.Variety is the determining factor in ensuring consistent and effective results as it encourages all of the muscles to be challenged.

Weight Levels

Another decision that you’ll need to make is how much weight you want to lift.  Don’t forget that the number of repetitions you’ll be able to perform will be affected by your weights.  Generally speaking, the heavier the weights, the lower the number of reps.Anyone wishing to achieve 10 reps or more must consider lifting a lighter weight to ensure that the muscles do not tire easily.

Based on your primary objective - strength or muscle size - your approach will be different.  For increasing strength, a heavier weight is preferred and a lower number of reps.  To build muscle size on the other hand, a selection of high and low weight exercises would be preferred with a varied number of reps.This will ensure sufficient muscle gain in both the short and long term.

Don’t forget to check out this great muscle building guide for ideas and advice on the best exercises, workout routines, diets and a whole lot more.

Remember to experiment and find a workout that works best for you, based on your body type and personal goals.