What is an MRP and should I be taking it twice a day?
Part 6 of a 10-part series on beginning bodybuilding
There's something else you need to know now that you understand the importance of tracking your workouts and that overtraining is the number one killer of any gains you might otherwise see.
What is the additional information that you need to know? You need to realize that over 90% of beginners forget to bother with the nutrition aspect of fitness and those same 90% take months to figure out what program to use. They are already frustrated by this time. Now enter the supplement monster!
What does this mean to you? You thought you were confused until you saw all the cool ads for several different products. "You could see gains overnight with less work!" I have to admit, it's pretty neat to read those ads. My body wants to break plateaus with a pill as well.
The key is to know how much supplements play a role in fitness and bodybuilding. It's been said by a very wise, very lean and muscular natural athlete:
"97% of your gains come from nutrition. Supplements are just that extra 3%"
(And once you know that you can concentrate again on the aspects of this sport that have been proven to work for you. You don't need an extra job to pay for all the supplements you think you are going to need to obtain your dream body!)
***** Because nutrition is so important, it's vital that you understand the nutritional basics. Once you know these things, you will understand how your eating affects your goals. You'll be able to eat anywhere, anytime and instantly realize how that affects your bottom line (no pun intended).
You have the chance to look over my shoulder as I tell you everything I've learned over the course of 16 years since I picked up my first weigh't set at Sears.
(Yes... that's 16 years of experience put down in an easy to read format! Imagine how much more progress you'll make if you can just avoid all the mistakes I did during my 16 year journey!)
So go to http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com to discover all these secrets right away. *****
Let's talk about MRP supplements for a second. MRPs are Meal Replacements. They are usually a shake, mixed with water, that has more protein, carbs, and calories then a regular protein shake. It is loaded with vitamins and other ingredients. It's meant to be a meal replacement for when you simply can't eat a meal, but you know that skipping a meal is a big no-no.
Frankly, an MRP is a great idea. If you don't have the time, you should try and do whatever it takes to get that meal in and keep your metabolism high. But the problem that most people face is...
They would rather digest one, two and sometimes three of these a day rather then eat real foods. Not gonna work. Sorry. Bad idea. By doing this you just went from a convenient method to an "ah I am too lazy to plan a meal so I'll just mix this up" habit.
You'll end up with a slower metabolism, more calories you didn't need and other factors you can't control. Your body doesn't have to work as hard to break down a MRP as real foods. Essentially, by having an MRP many times a day, you are slowing down your metabolism.
On the other hand, if you know the inside secrets of nutrition, you can use an MRP to your advantage. MRPs are great when you need to whip up quick and easy meals as you rush out the door. In addition, they will fit into any soft carry cooler.
There are many popular tools for completing calorie calculations, supplement research, and planning. Planning how to prepare meals, along with what to buy when you head off to the grocery store, are included. I will give you all the details you will ever need. (http://www.beginning- bodybuilding.com).
However, my system for fitness and bodybuilding goes beyond just the basics. There are resources for further information and a bonus item that will help you prepare for a bodybuilding competition. This is written by Layne Norton, an expert on the subject of contest preparation.
One of my favorites is www.JustAskMarc.com I put together a health and fitness website that will take you a step further to becoming an expert yourself after reading my book.
If you don't know the very basics, it's hard to read a bunch of articles on fitness and bodybuilding and understand what the heck anybody is talking about. Once you do, you can focus on good information that is worth more research and alternatively weed out the hype by clicking the big X button in your browser.
I highly suggest you chec'k it out and type in some of your question's and see what comes up. You might be surprised at what you find.
That's just one little site that I recommend. There are about a million sites on fitness and bodybuilding and every day there's 10 more. I will show you some of the best sites. You'll create a folder and add to your favorites list every time you need some answers. It's like having top quality resources at your finger tips.
(For example, the bonus Bodybuilding FAQ has so much information on abs and creatine you'll neve'r need to ask another question and you'll become an expert on this subject in about 50 pages!)
So if you're really serious about getting fit, building muscle or losing fat, I strongly recommend that you chec'k out my Beginner's Guide at http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com I guarantee it will shave years off your learning curve and accelerate your gains.
Regards,
Marc David
