John Pizarro THE TRAINER'S PAGE making lemonade out of Do ... · TWO ESSENTIAL FAT-BURNERS The...

THE TRAINER'S PAGEDo you have carb-phobia?

IRON VIC SPEAKS!Becoming a stronger wrestler

TWO ESSENTIAL FAT-BURNERSThe science behind our Advanced Lipotropic Formula™

THE PARRILLO PRINIPLESAb training: fact and fiction

MUSCLE MEETS MEDICINEHow can we fight

inflammation - part two

John Pizarromaking lemonade out of life's lemons

10 – MUSCLE MEETS MEDICINE

STAFF

PublisherJohn Parrillo

Editor At LargeMarty Gallagher

Design DirectorMarcus McCuiston

John Parrillo’s Performance Press is published monthly. The subscription rate of one year (12) issues is $29.95 ©2018 by John Parrillo. All Rights Reserved. For information, Please contact Parrillo Performance at (513) 874-3305 or e-mail to [email protected]

4 – John Pizarro8 - THE TRAINER'S PAGE

18 - TIPS AND TIDBITS

February 2018PERFORMANCE PRESSJOHN PARRILLO’S

14 – THE PARRILLO PRINCIPLES

20 - TWO ESSENTIAL FAT-BURNERS

23 – IRON VIC SPEAKS!

ContributingWritersJohn ParrilloMarty GallagherDr. Jeremy GirmannScott CanatseyDuke NukemIron Vic Steele

Contributing PhotographersJohn ParrilloDominique ParrilloMarcus McCuistonAngie Arms

Part two of Dr. Jeremy Girmann's article on how to fight inflammation.

Parrillo Performance Lead Trainer Scott Canatsey explains why avoiding carbs is not the way to maintain your health and vitality.

Ab training fact and fiction. Getting ripped abs is not about how many crunches you do.

Check out the health benefits of salmon as well as this month's edition of "question and answer."

John Parrillo explains the science behind our Advanced Lipotropic Formula™

Music pros and cons, becoming a stronger wrestler, calf conundrum and more!

February 2018February 20184 51-800-344-3404 www.parrilloperformance.com

Bodybuilding can be addicting, in the best possible way. For

some, particularly men that start at a young age, weight training and by extension, bodybuilding, can become part of a person’s lifestyle, something they do as regularly as brushing their teeth or eating. Some people naturally take to training and come to love it and for many training is the only constant in their lives. As one great bodybuilder related to me over lunch, “Women, jobs, good luck, bad luck, this stuff comes and goes…for the hardcore athlete training, intense and serious, is the only constant in their lives – excepting pets and kids.” Wise words from one of the self-described “afflicted, addicted” (to training.) John Pizzaro is such a man. John earned his hardcore credentials competing in bodybuilding shows. John started pumping iron as a 12-year old. “I’d

John Pizarro and the "bodybuilding constant"

wear puffy jackets when each month I self consciously purchased the monthly muscle magazines. I was so underconfident and shy that I didn’t want anyone to know I trained. As if anyone cared.” The underconfident shy kid stayed with training for the next two decades. It became part of his DNA. “I competed in 2010 and got 4th in the open light-heavyweight class at the Washington State Championships.” This high placing in the state championships was a result of immersion in the “bodybuilding lifestyle. Coming off that competition he decided that at his height, 5’11” he was too skinny competing weighing 180. In the years since John has added twenty pounds of muscle, much of it a result of Parrillo nutritional supplementation, which makes adding

clean calories needed to trigger muscle growth so much easier. Clean calories (and lots of cardio) ensure any weight gain is lean muscle. “I first became aware of John Parrillo when I saw him featured in televised episode of American Muscle Magazine. This was around 1989. In this segment, they showcased John, showed him working with pro athletes. He was on the cutting-edge of performance nutrition. Parrillo’s training methods were just as revolutionary and different. One thing that stood out was when he discussed the benefits of stretching fascia tissue to allow more growth. Mind blowing stuff; he showed some unique training tips and methods. That’s when I first learned about Captri®.” Since then, a week did not go by that John did not use Parrillo products.

John lives in Renton, Washington and is a 4th grade teacher. “Being an elementary school teacher who happens to be a bodybuilder has some really nice benefits. People always say, ‘I bet your students listen to you’ because of my muscular appearance. I always laugh because that’s so far from the truth. I’m considered the softy of the teachers. They’re more afraid of the 5’ tall kindergarten teacher down the hall.” John has a gift for connecting with young children, particularly at-risk boys. “I connect with those children that struggle academically. So many kids arrive at a point where they give up on learning. I connect with such students. I started a lunchtime boys club where I would educate them on the importance nutrition, rest, and training to build a foundation of strength and power. I’ve learned that those two words, strength and power, really resonate with kids of that age, just as it did with me. Building enthusiasm for reading is one of the most important skills a teacher must introduce in the classroom environment. I began to see this with those students.” At age 43, John has worked out since age 13. That is a lot of years and a lot of workout. “As a kid I was always intrigued by powerful and explosive athletes who also looked imposing. I was skinny and under-confident, a kid who would wear a puffy jacket (because I didn’t look like I worked out) to the store at the beginning of each month to buy muscle magazines.” As one might imagine, 30 years of bodybuilding changes a person’s perspective. John lives his version of the bodybuilding lifestyle. “The bodybuilding seeps into a little bit of everything I do. My eating habits as a bodybuilder sometimes means I must separate myself from other ‘normal’ people. In addition to the eating habits, as a serious bodybuilder, I would avoid going out at night and partying because it would negatively affect my workout the next

day. Occasional partying is fine. I myself really never engage in the party lifestyle, nor do I desire to do those things.” Likely these good habits were deeply ingrained by his early start in life. “I love to train. I train almost every day. And when I need to train twice a day to reach a goal, I like it. Some people would say it’s too much, but if you enjoy doing something and it is healthy and good for you – then why not do it? I don’t like taking time off from training. I will periodically lay off training if I feel over-trained. If I feel worn out, tired and exhausted, this is my body’s way of saying, ‘I need a break from the pounding.’ I’m even happy when I train while on vacation. People tell me, ‘that takes a lot of dedication’ and they are dead wrong:

I train a lot because I love training. It improves my body. Training makes me fitter and more resistant to disease and heath maladies. Training relaxes me.” Training also allowed John to maintain some sense of equilibrium during life’s rough patches. Over the past three years John has had to deal with a series of back to back crisis situations. Through it all, his training remained the constant. “Life has taken me through a lot of twists and turns and presented me with some challenging obstacles. I rediscovered the bodybuilding lifestyle and it has strengthened me as a person. I went through some major life changes. I suppressed many emotions that later resurfaced in a big way.” Intense training is the absolute best stress relief on the face of the planet. “My

and the "bodybuilding constant"

Making lemonade out of life's lemons

By Marty Gallgher

“Life has taken me through a lot of twists and turns and presented me with some challenging obstacles. I rediscovered the bodybuilding lifestyle and it has strengthened me as a person."


John Parrillo's Performance PressJohn Pizarro and the "bodybuilding constant"

dad died, my dog died, I got a divorce and it seemed as if everything in my life was flipped upside down. Working out was my main outlet and main source of stabilization. Training helped tremendously, as it always had. It was the other basic elements of bodybuilding that were missing. My nutrition was completely off, and my mental state was beaten down, and I allowed too many outside influences to take control when I should have been the one in control.” In addition, John encountered some serious health problems. “In 2015, while having a cracked molar removed, I was diagnosed with a benign tumor on my lower jaw. What was supposed to be a surgery equivalent to having a wisdom tooth removed ended up with me having three surgeries and several visits to the Emergency Room. A bone fragment left behind in one of the

for energy. I’ve learned to appreciate MCT fat as a smooth and even energy source - which is why CapTri® is invaluable. MCTs help me with appetite control. When I used carbohydrates as my primary energy source, my blood sugar levels would dip, I would periodically feel light-headed and lethargic. Since shifting to lipids for energy, I don’t have the problems with rising and falling of blood sugar levels I used to have. The light-headedness and lethargic feelings have been eliminated.” John knew his new approach was working on a variety of levels. “I was getting really good pumps in the gym. Fewer carbs meant I didn’t get the bloated feeling or hold excess water. I did not get that flat look I’d get when I restricted carbs while dieting. I notice that my vascularity is more prominent. I got leaner while putting on muscle.” Asked what Parrillo supplements he used, John related a long list. “I drink Parrillo Hi-Protein™ shakes and I love the Parrillo foods, the Contest Cookies, the brownies, and other dessert-like healthy alternatives to junk food. Captri® reduced my carb cravings. I don’t get the major cravings for carbohydrates that made it hard to eat clean. Parrillo’s products improve the quality of my life.”

surgeries was causing infection. I had a fractured jaw. They sliced an opening through my neck that looked like someone tried to slit my throat. They went in and screwed a titanium plate to my lower jaw. This left me with my mouth wired shut for a month. I couldn’t eat anything that couldn’t be sucked through my clenched teeth. I lost pounds during that time.” Through all the travails bodybuilding seemed to offer hope. “Even when I was unable to train, I would think about training and how once I was able, through training and perfect eating I would not only regain everything I had lost, I would improve upon the best I’d ever been.” Now, in 2018, John has essentially done the impossible, bounced back from adversity and serious health issues to the point that he is considering competing. John indicated he could see himself striding back

onstage at some point in the not-too-distant future. “I really like the new Classic Physique bodybuilding class. I can relate to the physiques that are winning. I’ve found new inspiration in the creation of that class. My short-term goal is to achieve a more ‘classic’ look. These new judging standards are fantastic because I can now put to rest the never-ending goal of getting bigger.” With the Classic Physique judging standards, outsized muscle size is marked down. John is also drawing inspiration from bodybuilders over age 50 and age 60 that still look incredible. “I am inspired by the older bodybuilders that are making comebacks. Men like Flex Wheeler and Kevin Levrone.” “I recently had breakfast with a close bodybuilding friend Rashadd Mayes. I haven’t seen him in a long while. I used to train with him. He taught me a lot. He competed over the years, winning local shows and he competed nationally as well. Rashadd happens to be in his sixties now. He was dieting for a family reunion and his shoulders seemed as wide as the table we sat at. He was lean, vascular, and loaded with dense muscularity. The kind of mature muscle that can only be achieved through years of bodybuilding. Seeing how good he looked, twenty years older than myself - was inspiring and motivating. It showed me that I’m still young and have many years of progress to look forward to.” John Pizzaro used bodybuilding to pull him through some tough times. “Bodybuilding has always been there for me and always has and will be a passion of mine. It’s gotten me through the worst of times. Bodybuilding gave me confidence, hope, and a healthy lifestyle. There’s no denying that bodybuilding changed my life and saved my life.” As you might expect, John’s nutrition is “pure Parrillo” and has been for a decade. “My nutrition has changed dramatically over the last few years. I now rely more on healthy fats, lipids,

Weekly training split Monday back, triceps, calves Tuesday chest, shoulders, biceps, abs Wednesday quads, hamstrings, calves Thursday back, triceps, abs Friday chest, shoulder, biceps, calves Saturday quads, hams, abs Sunday off I’ve changed my training split over the years to incorporate more frequency. I also try to keep the training volume relatively high. I still use lower reps at times, but because my body is getting a bit older and more prone to injury, I incorporate slightly different intensity techniques. Form is always strict; if I can’t control the weight slowly in the decent, hold, pause, and accelerate the positive, the weight is too heavy. I’m all for making the most of a lighter weight, rather than thrashing around heavy weight like in my 20s. Daily meal schedule Meal 1 6am Coffee, Captri® Meal 2 10am whole eggs with cheese/low carb wrap or rice, Captri® Meal 3 1pm Parrillo Hi Protein™ shake, Captri® Meal 4 6pm lean meat (beef, chicken or fish) avocado, vegetables, Captri® Meal 5 10pm Captri®, Hi Protein™ shake with peanut butter I have a bit of a sweet tooth. Parrillo cookies, brownies and dessert-flavored protein shakes help a lot in satisfying my desire for sweets. I do a periodic carb “re-feed” when I feel my body is beat up and I am dragging with no energy. Parrillo Energy bars are delicious and come in handy when I have a sweet tooth craving. Parrillo engineered foods are the best way I know to increase clean carbs.

"Bodybuilding gave me confidence, hope, and a healthy lifestyle. There’s no denying that bodybuilding changed my life and saved my life.”

Now, in 2018, John has essentially done the impossible, bounced back from adversity and serious health issues to the point that he is considering competing.


Do you have carb-phobia?

Turn on the television or radio and in a very short period of

time, you will hear advertising for “Low Carb” or “no carb” foods that we are told will help us to lose weight and get the body we dream of. It makes us think of carbs as a bad thing and something to avoid. This sentiment could not be farther from the truth. Let’s break down the reality of having carbs in your daily diet. I hope to quell some fears.

The reality is that your body generally runs on glucose, which comes primarily from the complex carbs that you eat. Rice, oats and potatoes are great sources of complex carbs and should be eaten with each meal. A well rounded diet with lean protein, natural sources of complex carbs and quality fat sources is key to being healthy and vital. Yes, I said, “complex carbohydrates!” They are necessary for those seeking to be full of energy and have muscle that

is at full operating capacity for sports performance. I am not implying that Keto diets do not work. But, they do not promote muscular growth and repair very well, as there is little to no Insulin present in that diet strategy. It can be good for the casual gym goer who is merely hoping to see the scale drop.

Incorporating carbs into to the meal schematic is best done, typically by adding about 1 cup (or 100 grams) to the meal. One or two sources of carbs is a great way to go. Vegetables are also a carbohydrate source, but are considered Fibrous carbs. Having a cup of vegetables in each meal ensures plenty of fiber in the meal to slow down the processing of the carbs, and to dampen the insulin response slightly. This helps to avoid fat being deposited in fat cells, by keeping blood sugar from rising too quickly and causing a huge response from the Pancreas. This is very important. Complex Carbs do not make you fat. The fat you eat makes you fat. Sugar and other short chain carbs cause a big spike in Insulin and creates an environment in your body by ingesting it that suddenly becomes an urgency to bring blood sugar back to normal. When this happens, the body tends to put the calories in whichever cells are fastest and easiest to go to. This scenario is when it is optimal for body to store fat.

This diet strategy will most certainly allow you more energy for work and recovery. It will also keep your muscles storing glycogen and keep the muscle full with water and more energy is produced. This is a great situation for anyone trying to be in great shape and have strong health and vitality. If, it were just about being a certain weight, then eating less and dropping carbs would be a decent strategy. But, the scale is certainly not the best way to measure health.

If this is a new strategy to you, let me give a sample of how this diet is

generally constructed.

Meal 1:• ¼ cup oats (dry measure)• 6 egg whites of Parillo Hi-Protein™

drink• CapTri® (optional)

Meal 2:• 4-5 oz. turkey or chicken breast

grilled or baked• ½ cup brown rice (cooked measure)• 1 cup green vegetables steamed• CapTri®

Meal 3:• 6 oz. baked fish of choice

½ cup of red potatoes (50 grams) • 1 cup green vegetables• CapTri®

The Trainer's Page

By Scott Canatsey – Lead trainer at the Parrillo Performance training facility

Do you have carb-phobia?

Meal 4:• 4-5 oz. turkey or chicken breast

grilled or baked• ½ cup brown rice (cooked measure)• 1 cup green vegetables steamed• CapTri®

Meal 5:• 1 Parrillo Protein bar• 1 Parrillo Hi-Protein™ shake

• Try to get approximately a gallon of water in daily.

• You can increase the calories with Parrillo Performance CapTri® and spare more protein and carbs.

This protocol is not difficult to follow,but it takes discipline to stayt with it.

Keep your goal squarely in mind, and be conscious of your choices of food every time that choice confronts you. It is up to you to make this happen. You must make the time to prepare the food and pack it. Then make sure you follow the eating schedule. Approximately every three hours you want to get a meal. (If you go longer, your metabolism will slow and you will not be burning as many calories in a resting state.) Now get to the store and get what you need. I would love to hear any stories of how you did with this strategy. It works if you really work it! Until next month!


In Part One, we considered several things that we can

do to control chronic, systemic inflammation. Let’s review:

• Improve body composition• Exercise regularly • Get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep• Watch our intake of “vegetable”

oil and boost omega-3 fatty acid consumption

• Avoid trans fats• Decrease refined carbohydrates• Consume at least 30 grams of

dietary fiber per day

In Part Two, we’ll add to the list.

Diet (continued…)Though the previous article was brought to an end on the topic of diet, we’ll resume on the same to emphasize the facta that it is probably the most powerful and pliable tool that we have to modulate chronic inflammation and enhance health.

We should boost our veggie intake.Increased consumption of vegetables and particular fruits is inversely associated with inflammation. In other words, studies have shown that people who eat more foods such as spinach, broccoli, onions, and berries demonstrate decreased levels of inflammatory molecules. Much of this relates to the fact that many plants are rich in compounds called

polyphenols. Flavonoids, the most common subclass of polyphenols, are usually concentrated in the skins and peels and are responsible for the deep color of fruits and vegetables. In the August 2017 article titled Five Food Hacks, we examined the importance of eating foods with a variety of vibrant colors. The polyphenolic compounds provide antioxidant properties and protect the plant from pathogens, ultraviolet light, and other stress. In our bodies, these chemicals protect our cells by modulating the activity of a wide range of enzymes and cell receptors, many of which help to control inflammation.

Another reason to boost veggie intake is that vegetables are high in fiber. As mentioned in Part One, fiber can blunt rises in blood sugar and slow the release of insulin, which is critically important for controlling inflammation.

Microbiota Humans are colonized by trillions of microorganisms – bacteria, fungi, viruses, protists, and archaea – that live on our skin and in our bodies. Studies indicate that these microorganisms likely outnumber our own cells by at least 3 to 1. While there is still much that we do not know about the human microbiota, we do know that many of the microorganisms work with our own cells in a synergistic fashion. We depend on them and they depend on us for normal physiologic function and optimal health. This symbiotic relationship developed as we co-evolved over millennia.

There have been particularly robust research efforts in recent years focused on better understanding the varieties and influences of intestinal microorganisms. Indeed,

By Dr. Jeremy Girmann

MEETS

How Can We Fight Inflammation? – Part Twothe gut microbiota has the potential to greatly influence both local and systemic inflammation. When an imbalance in microorganisms, known as dysbiosis, is present, inflammation might increase through a number of complex mechanisms. One mechanism relates to the process of endotoxemia. When dysbiosis occurs due to an increase in bacteria that produce lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and/or a decrease in LPS-suppressing bacteria, intestinal barrier integrity is often compromised. In this situation, LPS (aka endotoxin) can cross the gastrointestinal mucosa and reach systemic circulation. Once in circulation, the LPS can infiltrate various tissues (e.g. liver, adipose, brain, etc.) and activate CD14 proteins, which lead to the eventual expression of multiple inflammatory molecules such as nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and activator protein 1 (AP-1).Said more simply, an imbalance in our gut microorganisms can allow potentially harmful molecules to pass through the gut and wreak havoc on the rest of our body systems. Dysbiosis may arise from infections, immune defects, metabolic alterations, dietary changes, or antibiotic treatments.

So what do we do about it?

Optimization of gut microbiota is a hot topic. While there is much that we do not yet know, there is one thing about which we can be certain - diversity is very important. The microorganismal community functions best when its

population is diverse. Early evidence suggested that the gut microbiota is comprised of 500-1000 species of microbes while more recent estimates have proposed a much larger number, some even as high as 35,000 different species. Though understanding the composition and function of a microbiota with such diverse species is a formidable task, large-scale efforts including the Meta-HIT and the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) have made great strides in recent years.

The large diversity of microorganisms within our guts offers greater protection against pathogens, like soldiers armed with a variety of weapons. The different microbes also help to extract different nutrients from our diets. Additionally, the various species secrete unique chemicals, which modulate our immune systems in important ways.

When certain species become dominate and crowd others out, dysfunction and disease may arise.

We should strive for dietary diversity. One of the best ways to maintain microbial diversity is by eating a diverse diet. Just as we prefer different foods, so do our microbes. Do you eat too many of the same foods? Not to worry. Though it was previously thought that it might take weeks to years to change microbes in the

gut, recent studies indicate that such changes begin to take place within hours and after three to four days, there can be a large shift in microbial poopulations in response to dietary modifications.

Nutritional Supplements In addition to omega-3 fatty acids, which were mentioned in Part One, several other dietary supplements may have a place in modulating inflammation. While the list is long, some of my favorites include turmeric/curcumin, ginger, evening primrose oil, Boswellia Serrata, and melatonin. I have observed symptom improvement and reduction of inflammatory markers in a large number of patients with these supplements.

Let’s summarize Part Two. What are some additional things that we can do to help control chronic, systemic inflammation?• Boost our intake of vegetables • Support our microbiota by eating a

diverse diet • Consider dietary supplementation

As our understanding of health and disease continues to expand, it becomes ever clearer that we should do what we can to control chronic inflammation. The strategies outlined in this two-part series provide an excellent framework to facilitate our ability to do so.

Follow Dr. Girmann on Instagram@JeremyGirmann

How Can We Fight Inflammation – Part Two

studies have shown that people who eat more foods such as spinach, broccoli, onions, and berries demonstrate decreased levels of inflammatory molecules.

February 2018 13www.parrilloperformance.com

The Parrillo Training Manual is designed to help you:• Learn specific exercises that have proven effective for some of the nation’s top

competitive athletes.• Determine the optimum rep/set scheme you need to maximize muscular density,

cardiovascular density and muscular endurance.• Increase your mental acuity, perfect your form and intensify your workouts.

Information included:• Individual chapters for each muscle group, featuring sample workouts used by John

Parrillo with some of the top professional and amateur bodybuilders in the world.• Illustrated movements to show you the proper form for that particular exercise.• The importance of aerobic training and how it can help improve your physique.• Chapters on fascial stretching, a revolutionary way to stretch your muscles for

maximum growth.• A chapter on proper posing.Including all of the mandatory poses for most

bodybuilding organizations.

order today!

PEAK CURLS

PERFORMANCE POINTS

My version of barbell and dumbbell curls is called the “peak curl.” In this exercise, you slide the weight up the front of your body just to your lower pec line. Farther up than that, your elbows come forward and you start working your front delt rather than your biceps.

As you begin, thrust your chest forward slightly and your shoulders down. Lift the weight slowly, keeping your upper arms close to your body. At the top in the contracted position, drop your shoulders and press your elbows even tighter against the sides of your body. You’ll feel total isolation and pressure on the biceps. On the lowering portion of your exercise, let your opposing muscle group—your triceps—do the work. That is, force your triceps to pull the weight back down to the starting position. Keep every muscle tight throughout the exercise. With curls, never swing the weight upward.

A biceps peak is one of the most desirable physique traits a competitive bodybuilder can possess. To build that peak, you have to stress the outer head of your biceps. Curl upward, using a hammer curl in which the palms of your hands face upward at a 30 degree angle. On the upward arc of the movement, drop your shoulders and kick your elbows out slightly. You’ll feel deep isolation on that outer head.

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• Slide the weight up your body just to your lower pec line

• Thrust your chest forward and your shoulders down

• At the top, drop your shoulders and press your elbows tightly against your body.


Ab Training: Fact and Fiction

Getting ripped abs is not about how many crunches you do

The modern bodybuilder is highly sophisticated, compared

to the bodybuilders of the past. The difference is access to information. For example, back in Arnold’s era, very few bodybuilders had access to information as to how to shed body fat. The only source of information regarding bodybuilding in Arnold’s day were the bodybuilding magazines. Every bodybuilding magazine of the day sold their own line of products and it was not in their best economic interest to run articles on dieting and reducing body fat. It was in the magazine’s best interest to run articles on “bulking up” and “becoming more muscular.” The size and strength articles pumped up product sales. The supplements of the day were uniformly terrible: anemic soy was used in protein powders, the mega-mass crash weight gain formula products tasted great because they were 50% sugar. These products were cheap to produce and for a long time extremely popular and profitable. The phrase of the day was, “The end of the skinny body!”

Nowadays everyone everywhere has access to the latest cutting-

Abdominal fiction: what is the Parrillo strategy for obtaining a ripped set of abs? How does a serious individual obtain a defined set of abs, the proverbial six pack? Parrillo-influenced bodybuilders are sophisticated and understand that ripped abs are a symptom of low overall body fat. Understand that spot reducing is a myth. The spot-reducing myth proclaims that by doing exercises for the abdominal region, body fat will be exclusively melted off the abdominal muscles. The mistaken belief is that all those hundreds of reps of crunches, broom-handle twists and sit-ups preferentially burn body fat off the waistline. If doing hundreds and hundreds of ab exercise reps melts the fat that lays atop the abs, then why not do hundreds of reps of triceps pushdowns to melt off the fat prevalent on the backs of some women’s arms? Why not hundreds of reps in the lying leg curls to melt the fat off a saddle bag butt?” It is a physiological impossibility to force the body to burn off fat from a specific region. In the Parrillo approach, fat burning is promoted by instituting and adhering to a series of interrelated diet and exercise procedures. While the Parrillo procedures promote overall fat burning, there is no conscious control over where the body draws its fat-fuel from first. In the Parrillo approach, the body is maneuvered into using body fat as fuel for activity.

Abdominal facts: How does the conscientious bodybuilder obtain ripped abs? The Parrillo approach stresses the skillful blending of intense weight training with intense aerobic training. The exercise is supported with a highly specific Parrillo nutritional approach that is augmented with a sophisticated supplementation program. The Parrillo Training Manual has a large section devoted to abdominal exercises and within the Parrillo progressive resistance regimen ab work is done on a regular and reoccurring basis.

a perfect balance between exercise and nutrition is attained, the body is forced to burn body fat.

Square up the eating: no one gets ripped without a tight and disciplined approach towards diet. You do not casually get shredded. It takes methodical application, intense exercise and disciplined eating. There are no breaks or days off using the Parrillo approach. Obtaining ripped abs requires reducing overall body fat percentile. The “bodybuilder look” begins to occur (in males) when a 10% or less body fat percentile is achieved. Upon attaining 10%, the pecs become clearly defined, there is no fat in the armpit, the split between pecs and delts is visible, the tear drop on the thigh appears…and six-pack abs emerge. Very few men walk around with 10% body fat percentiles, it takes a sustained and concentrated effort for most men to be able to reduce to 10%. The Parrillo nutritional approach is foundationally built on the expert use of regular food. The classical bodybuilding template has the athlete consuming 4-6 meals (or supplement meals) each day. The first step to ripped abs is the institution of a classical multiple-meal eating regimen. Most bodybuilders intent on getting ripped will eat three food meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner,

The muscles of the abdominal region should receive their fair share of training, just as all other muscles can and do. Parrillo ab training breaks the ab region down into sections: upper abs, lower abs, external oblique muscles and the muscles of the arm pit. Each ab region has exercises that isolate and build and strengthen the targeted ab muscles. In the Parrillo approach, the first step in getting defined abs is setting up a cardiovascular exercise program. Aerobic exercise is done every day, preferably before breakfast. In some instances, a second cardio session is performed later in the day. The aerobic exercise is combined with a comprehensive progressive resistance training program. On average, Parrillo bodybuilders weight train four times a week for 60-minutes. On average Parrillo bodybuilders perform aerobic exercise every morning and four weeks prior to a competition will add a second cardio session later that same day. This is a lot of exercising, particularly when the cardio is intense. The Parrillo approach towards cardio is lung-bursting and sweaty; the Parrillo approach to weight training is heavy and hardcore. Nutrition underpins all the exercise. This is a tricky proposition: Parrillo labels the attainment of ideal fat-burning zone “the metabolic sweet spot.” When

Ab Training – Fact and Fiction

By Duke Nukem

edge bodybuilding information. If you can formulate an intelligent bodybuilding question Google will provide an answer. There are no more secrets. Having the knowledge is one thing, implementing the acquired wisdom with the requisite intensity and tenacity (necessary for bodybuilding success) is something entirely different. How do we define bodybuilding success? Success in bodybuilding is achieved by attaining two things: successfully adding a significant amount of lean muscle

mass and, successfully losing a significant amount of body fat. Without lean muscle mass there is no bodybuilding. Without defined muscle there is no bodybuilding. Delineation without size defines scrawny. Who cares about seeing a shredded 14-inch arm or a defined 22-inch thigh? Size without delineation is not bodybuilding. Big muscles covered with a thick layer of body fat is an unacceptable situation for any self-respecting bodybuilder.


ups & SB crunches Lower ab region: hanging leg raises, hanging frog kicks, bench knee-ins, hanging flutter kicksExternal oblique regions: crunches or sit-ups with a twist, twisting leg raises, Russian twists Intercoastal and serratus arm pit muscles: rope handle crunches with a twist, hanging bar twists

Things to avoid: forget about performing super-high rep sets of any ab exercise. Slow down your rep speed, become concentrated and go to failure on each ab exercise (why not?) Make every ab rep extra difficult by performing each rep with great concentration and a full range of motion. No slop, no speedy half reps. Most all elite trainers have pretty much dropped the sit-up as there is too much friction on the tailbone - and besides, there are better ab contractions to be had using other ab exercises. Weighted side bends are to be avoided, why bulk the obliques? Broomstick twists, (other than as light warm-up exercise) are ineffectual and a complete waste of time. Be done with these two love-handle exercises. Slow down all your ab rep speeds and concentrate on full and complete reps. If done slow and concentrated,

and add “supplement meals” mid-morning and mid-afternoon. A final supplement meal can be consumed before bed. By intaking clean quality calories every 2-3 waking hours, the bodybuilder creates the optimal conditions for fat burning.

Sensible ab work, not too much, not too little: few fitness concepts have gotten the traction that “core training” has in the past decade. There is no better way to perfect the core than to combine hardcore ab training with Parrillo-style low back training. Back exercises for the core should include deadlifts, power cleans and prone hyper-extensions. Please avoid doing hundreds of reps for the abs; instead, select exercises that target and isolate each individual ab region. Optimally, a comprehensive ab routine is done not less than twice and not more than three times a week. An ab routine should not take more than 15 minutes - however at the end of that 15-minutes each muscle of the ab region has been taxed maximally. Here are ab exercises grouped by the area they isolate and work.

Upper ab region: crunches, kneeling rope crunches, sit-ups, slant board sit-

The Parrillo Principles

positive failure will likely be reached in less than 20-reps on the ab exercises recommended. John Parrillo favors a Giant Set approach where 4-6 exercises are strung together, sequentially, done one after the other in non-stop fashion…

Parrillo Six Exercise Ab Giant Set

Hanging frog kicks• knees to chest, 20-reps Lying crunches• slo-mo 20-reps Kneeling rope handle side twists• crunch hard to one side at the

bottom, 20-repsLying leg raises off a bench• straight legs, touch heels to floor,

20-repsMachine crunches• slo-mo 20-reps Hanging knee-up with twists• while strapped in, 20-reps

Each of these six exercises are done back-to-back, without pause. 120-cumulaitve ab reps done non-stop. That six-exercise cycle would constitute one giant set. Beginners might start with one Giant set. For more advanced trainees John might recommend 2 or 3 giant sets, allowing for a few brief minutes rest between each six-exercise cycle.

Supplementation for ripped abs: to obtain a crisp set of six pack abs, the best possible thing a bodybuilder or athlete can do is get onboard with a serious bodybuilder diet. The necessary precursor for obtaining distinctive and visible abs is lowered body fat. This is accomplished by combining cardio with high intensity weight training and not missing workouts. Stay consistently on task, no false starts, no back sliding or falling off the wagon. There are no mulligans in Parrillo-style bodybuilding nutrition. You need be perfect on each consecutive day for the length of the fat-burning cycle, usually 8-12 weeks in length. Those that are strong willed and adhere

to the eating and the exercise as required, routinely lose 20+ pounds of body fat over a 10-week period while adding 5-10 pounds of lean muscle. The bodybuilder need be perfect, but the payoff is huge: that payoff being added muscle and a dramatic decrease in body fat. Nutritional supplementation, expertly used, is the final piece to the ripped-ab puzzle. What supplements are recommended to “support” an ab specialization program?

Supplemental Protein: Hi-Protein™, Optimized Whey™, All-Protein™; powders are fundamental supplements. Bodybuilders and athletes that train as hard as the Parrillo approach requires need ample protein to cope with the continual pounding. John Parrillo prepared hundreds of bodybuilders for competition and his empirical data has proved to be a goldmine. Beginner level trainees need at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. Intermediates require at least 1.5 grams of protein per pound bodyweight per day. Advanced bodybuilders upwards of 2-grams

of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. The Parrillo protein powders provide 30-34 grams of protein per serving.

Parrillo Bars: elite athletes worldwide love Parrillo bars. UFC fighters, the world’s best golfers, pro ball players, Olympia winners, hall-of-fame powerlifters, all know and love Parrillo bars. There are four major types of Parrillo bar, each distinctively formulated to serve a specific purpose. The Parrillo Protein bars are a meal in a wrapper. With a perfect 60-40 balance of carbs to protein, this bar makes for an ideal post-workout replenishment meal. The Parrillo Energy bar provides 14-grams of protein and a steady source of slow-release carbs. The Parrillo Soft Chew™ bars have astounding statistics: 22 grams of protein, 17 grams of fiber carbs, no fat or sugar and only 120 calories. The Parrillo Protein Chew™ bar chews like taffy and contains 20 grams of protein and only 180 calories which fills the needs of those who require a smaller caloric intake per meal. Each bar type has a multitude of flavor choices. Switch out sweets,

chips and junk food for a Parrillo bar type and flavor of your choice.

Commit to the process: the defined waistline is the hallmark of fitness, the benchmark every bodybuilder seeks. To attain the lean physique, exercise and diet need be combined and coordinated. You can do crunches and sit-ups until the cows come home, but if your diet is not synchronized with the exercise, nothing will happen. Endless ab exercise will build and strengthen ab muscles no one will ever see - because they will remain hidden beneath a thick layer of body fat. Establish a Parrillo-style multiple meal eating plan and targeted nutritional supplementation. Perfect eating “under-pins” the herculean effort being expended in the gym, both in resistance training and cardio. Ab training is a proportional part of resistance training: neither ignored or overemphasized. Abs are trained as any other muscle. Successfully maneuver down to a sub-10% body fat percentile and voila! Abs appear! Trust us. We know of what we speak.

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John Parrillo's Performance Press


Shula Kalambar200 g. brown lentils 450 g. spinach 1/2 tsp. ground coriander 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1 clove garlic salt and pepper to taste 3 tbsp. CapTri®

Cook lentils in water for an hour or until soft. Drain and add to rinsed spinach. Heat CapTri® and add spices. Pour CapTri®-spice mixture over. Toss thoroughly. Serves four.

Salmon• The unusual concentration of omega-3 fatty

acid in salmon helps explain the research-documented benefits of salmon and omega-3 fish intake for thinking and the decreased risk of certain brain-related problems.

• Intake of fish rich in omega-3 fat is also associated with decreased risk for several types of cancer. These cancer types include colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer.

• Salmon is sold in many different forms. Fresh salmon is available whole or in steak or fillet form. Salmon is also available frozen, canned, dried or smoked.

Nutritional Information for: Salmon, wild Coho, 4.00oz (113.40 grams).

Calories: 157.62gProtein: 26.59gFat: 4.88gTotal Carbs: 0.00g

Fiber: 0.00gSodium: 65.77mgPotassium: 492.15mgCalcium: 51.03mg

Iron: 0.69mgPhosphorous: 365.14mgVitamin A: 191.64 IUVitamin C: 1.59mg

High-intensity exercise boosts memory, new research suggests

The health advantages of high-intensity exercise are widely known but new research from McMaster University points to another major benefit: better memory.

The findings could have implications for an aging population which is grappling with the growing problem of catastrophic diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's.

Scientists have found that six weeks of intense exercise -- short bouts of interval training over the course of 20 minutes -- showed significant improvements in what is known as high-interference memory, which, for example, allows us to distinguish our car from another of the same make and model.

The study is published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.

The findings are important because memory performance of the study participants, who were all healthy young adults, increased over a relatively short period of time, say researchers.

They also found that participants who experienced greater fitness gains also experienced greater increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth, function and survival of brain cells.

"Improvements in this type of memory from exercise might help to explain the previously established link between aerobic exercise and better academic performance," says Jennifer Heisz, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster and lead author of the study.

"At the other end of our lifespan, as we reach our senior years, we might expect to see even greater benefits in individuals with memory impairment brought on by conditions such as dementia," she says.

For the study, 95 participants completed six weeks of exercise training, combined exercise and cognitive training or no training (the control group which did neither and remained sedentary). Both the exercise and combined training groups improved performance on a high-interference memory task, while the control group did not.

Researchers measured changes in aerobic fitness, memory and neurotrophic factor, before and after the study protocol.

The results reveal a potential mechanism for how exercise and cognitive training may be changing the brain to support cognition, suggesting that the two work together through complementary pathways of the brain to improve high-interference memory.

Researchers have begun to examine older adults to determine if they will experience the same positive results with the combination of exercise and cognitive training.

Question: Would CapTri® be a good option for me when I’m on a lower carb diet? I want to lose fat, but I don’t want to always feel carb-starved!

Answer: Using CapTri® in your diet allows you to reduce carbs without cutting calories, which would slow our metabolism and cause muscle loss. Many people find they don’t need to reduce caloric intake below maintenance while using this regimen since the thermogenic effect of CapTri® provides a “built in” energy deficit (more of the dietary energy contained in CapTri® is lost as body heat than for regular foods.) This approach allows you to reduce carbs without having to use regular dietary fat as an energy source. I have a problem with you going as low in carbs as the other diets recommend. I think you should eat some carbs so you can continue to perform intense training while you diet. Plus, if you’ve ever tried the near-zero-carb diet you know that it makes you feel like death. By reducing carbs and always combining your starches with protein, vegetables, and CapTri® at each meal, you will dramatically reduce insulin levels and maximize fat loss. Unlike conventional fats, CapTri® also works well during weight gain because it doesn’t contribute to fat stores.

Max Endurance Formula™

"One hypothesis is that we will see greater benefits for older adults given that this type of memory declines with age," says Heisz. "However, the availability of neurotrophic factors also declines with age and this may mean that we do not get the synergistic effects."

McMaster University. "High-intensity exercise boosts memory, new research suggests." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 22 November 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171122103555.htm>.

Recipe Spotlight

Question & Answer

Food of the Month

News & Discoveries in Fitness and NutritionTips andTidbits

Endurance is critical in athletic training and bodybuilding. Can a person increase their endurance through the use of nutritional supplementation? Science says yes. Endurance can be improved, regardless the degree of fitness, if the ability to clear waste products from the bloodstream is improved. Parrillo Performance combed the available scientific research and determined that a specific combination of:

• Inosine-which improves oxygen utilization.• DL-Phenylalanine-which improves mental acuity

and pain toleranc• Ferulic Acid-which stimulates endrocine function.• Potassium and Magnesium Aspartate-which helps

clear ammonia, an endurance robbing waste product of intense training that is quickly turned to uric acid and filtered out of the blood supply

Go faster, longer and burn more bodyfat at an accelerated rate with Parrillo’s Max Endurance Formula™. Take 5-10 capsules before training.

Supplement of the Month


There are two “lipotropics” that I want to camp on in this

column: choline and inositol. Both are B vitamins that help you utilize stored fat for energy and spare glycogen; and both are part of our Parrillo Advanced Lipotropic Formula™, may help. New research supports their fat-burning power. Let’s take a closer look.

Choline and Body CompositionThis B vitamin is a “first string” player among lipotropics. Its most vital function is regulating the amount of fat that accumulates in the liver, which is one of the body’s storage sites for excess fat.

Choline is an essential nutrient that your body requires but doesn’t produce in adequate amounts, therefore making supplementation important. If you don’t get enough choline, you could be headed for health trouble: kidney and liver problems, poor production of red blood cells high blood pressure – and overweight or obesity.

In a 2016 study of 3214 adults, researchers looked at levels of dietary choline and betaine (another lipotropic in our Parrillo Advanced Lipotropic Formula™) in obese, overweight, and normal-weight men and women. The obese segment


Two Essential Fat-Burners

By John Parrillo

of the study participants had the lowest levels of choline and betaine in their systems; the overweight segment had moderately low levels; and the normal-weight segment had normal levels of both nutrients. Also, the lower the levels of choline and betaine, the heavier the subjects were in weight and waist circumference. The findings indicate clearly that sub-part levels of these nutrients interfere with fat-burning (especially around the belly) and the maintenance of normal weight. (1)

Another benefit of choline is that it helps emulsify cholesterol, preventing it from building up in artery walls or gallbladder. Also, choline works to rid the body of toxins, poisons, and any drug residues. This is important because toxins can impede fat-burning.

Endurance athletes can benefit from supplementing with choline. Studies have found that choline helps your muscles function optimally during long, intense exercise. This nutrient has also been found to improve long-distance run time.

Inositol – An Insulin Regulator

Closely associated with choline is the B vitamin inositol. This nutrient stimulates the body’s production of lecithin, a lipid-based component in the body that transports fats from the liver to the cells for energy. Inositol is thus an important regulator of fat metabolism and can pull fat from storage. It also helps reduce cholesterol by preventing the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries that lead to their narrowing.

Inositol also has the power to help regulate insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas that helps cells receive and use glucose for energy. Inositol has been studied quite a bit for its ability to help the body use insulin in situations where blood sugar control is out of whack. Case in point: When obese women become pregnant, they

are at risk for gestational diabetes – which leads to babies born at a very high birth weight and the greater risk of the mother in becoming diabetic later. An Italian study found that supplementation with inositol prevented gestational diabetes in expectant obese mothers. (2)

The reason for this benefit is that inositol reduces “insulin resistance” - a metabolic problem in which the body cannot properly utilize the hormone insulin. Insulin then builds up in the body, setting the stage for diabetes and weight gain.

Other Advanced Lipotropics The other lipotropics you’ll find in our formula include:

Biotin. A B-vitamin, biotin activates genes involved in regulating insulin and blood sugar. Biotin is required to make four key enzymes called carboxylases. These enzymes are involved in the metabolism of fats, and the conversion of protein and fat to glucose. Without biotin, the body cannot adequately metabolize fat. Biotin is also essential for the utilization of other B vitamins (particularly folic acid, pantothenic acid and vitamin B12.

L-carnitine. Another key lipotropic is carnitine, a protein-like nutrient made by the body but also found in foods. Its main function is to assist the body in burning fat. In studies, carnitine appears to emulsify fat build-up in the arteries and internal organs. Carnitine also stimulates the adrenal glands, which help the body in using its fat reserves as fuel.

Not only is carnitine a fat burner, it has other attributes that make it attractive to anyone trying to get in shape. For one thing, it plays a role in the storage of carbohydrates – a critical issue to bodybuilders and strength athletes because muscle glycogen (stored carbs) is the main fuel used to life weights. Carnitine

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Two Essential Fat-Burners

The disproportional bottom-heavy blues

Music pros and cons

Leg press done right or not at all

Becoming a stronger wrestler

Beef liver

Calf conundrum

Ammonia and sweat

BY IRON VIC STEELE

Happy 2018,

I am bottom-heavy. I am in good shape. I weight train four times a week and I eat very clean. My training and dieting are right in line with the Parrillo precepts. I would guestimate my body fat to be right around 12%. When I began using the Parrillo approach a few years back I weighed 225 pounds (I am 5-10) and was flabby and overweight with a 40-inch waistline. I am now 200 and look and feel so much better. My problem is genetics. My butt, thighs and calves are HUGE compared to my smallish upper body. Also, I have long legs and a short torso which accents my disproportionality. I would love to ‘bring up’ my upper body and at least become more proportional. Any suggestions?

Lou, Virginia Beach

You need to reapportion your training time. I would dedicate 3/4s of my training time towards upper body exercises. I have witnessed dozens of assessments where John Parrillo would meet with bodybuilders that came to Parrillo HQ in Cincinnati seeking assessments. John would invariably tell the advice-seeking bodybuilder, “forget about your strongpoints – they will take care of themselves; concentrate on your

puts more muscle fuel in the tanks, so to speak, providing a lot more energy for future workouts, and more intense workouts.

Carnitine has been well-studied in athletes. Supplementers report enhanced energy levels, less fatigue, and greater overall athletic performance. This certainly makes sense, since carnitine boosts energy production from fat-burning and boosting glycogen storage.

What’s more, carnitine supplementation has been shown to buffer acid levels in athletes’ muscles, thereby stalling the fatigue that this normally causes during exercise. Pump up the carnitine in your muscles, and you’re less likely to tire out early in your workout, compromising your progress.

There’s more. Carnitine has anabolic properties. It enhances blood flow to muscles, which means your muscles get more nutrients, oxygen, and

hormones to accentuate growth. Further, we know that carnitine is a great recovery supplement because it helps muscles repair and replenish following workouts.

Betaine. This nutrient is a substance from which choline is formed and has similar functions. Betaine can help with joint and liver repair and muscle recovery, as well as reduce inflammation and the risk of heart disease. A big use of betaine is to help keep the liver healthy following alcohol or drug abuse. This nutrient is an all-around great protector and detoxifier of the liver, the body’s main organ of metabolism.

Not only does it protect the liver, it may also help the heart. Betaine helps to prevent the production of homocysteine, a dangerous amino acid that is associated with a greater risk of heart disease.

You can also take betaine to help with joint repair and boost recovery after

workouts. It is an all-around effective nutrient, as well as fat-burner.

Chromium picolinate. This mineral has been shown to increase glucose tolerance (to help get carbohydrates into your cells to be used for energy rather than stored as body fat) and stabilize blood sugar levels (to avoid low-energy periods).

Research also hints that chromium picolinate may reduce the desire to binge on carbs you shouldn’t be eating. In other words, it appears to zap cravings for carb comfort foods. Taming carb cravings is a good thing, since it can keep you from devouring junk food that will ruin your physique and pack on pounds. (3)

Clearly there are a lot of benefits from taking this lipotropic formula. When supplementing, take one or two capsules of Parrillo Advanced Lipotropic Formula™ with each meal.

References

Gao, X., et al. 2016. Higher Dietary Choline and Betaine Intakes Are Associated with Better Body Composition in the Adult Population of Newfoundland, Canada. PLoS One: 11: e0155403. D’ Anna, R., et al. 2015. Myo-inositol Supplementation for Prevention of Gestational Diabetes in Obese Pregnant Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Obstetrics and Gynecology 126: 310-315. Docherty, J.P., et al. 2005. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, exploratory trial of chromium picolinate in atypical depression: effect on carbohydrate craving. Journal of Psychiatric Practice 11: 302-314.

Carnitine puts more muscle fuel in the tanks, so to speak, providing a lot more energy for future workouts, and more intense workouts.



weak points.” This was a hard pill for most bodybuilders to swallow. All bodybuilders have strengths and weakness insofar as strong body parts and lagging ones. Naturally we all love certain exercises and don’t like performing others. It is hardly coincidental that guys who love to bench press and hate training legs have great upper bodies and terribly neglected legs. You mention you weight train four times a week. Here is how I would set up an upper body specialization program….

Day 1bench press, dumbbell bench press, flyes, curls, tricepsDay 2squat, leg press, leg extension, T-bar row, pulldowns, deadliftDay 3barbell press, seated dumbbell presses, lateral raises – front, side, rear Day 4incline barbell press, incline dumbbell presses, pec dec, biceps and triceps

Pecs and arms on Monday; train legs on Tuesday; rest on Wednesday; hit shoulders on Thursday; rest Friday and hit inclines on Saturday. Using this spacing you will be fresh for each upper-body workout. Also: you need to up your clean calorie intake and hit cardio hard every morning before breakfast. I would supplement with CapTri® at every meal and take two Parrillo protein shakes per day, one upon arising and another before bed. After every workout drink a serving or two of 50-50 Plus™. Look to add bodyweight by upping the protein and increasing calories. Intense cardio and clean eating ensures any weight gain is lean muscle mass. Stick with this approach for 12-weeks and you will add considerable mass to your lagging upper body.

Hello from New Orleans,

I recently moved to the Big Easy from New England and the heat and

humidity is causing me to sweat like I have never sweated before. I run for my cardio exercise and come back from my daily three mile runs exhausted and drenched in sweat. Though my times are slower – compared to when I ran in New England – it seems like I am working WAY harder. I never sweated like this. Often my sweat reeks of ammonia. I read in the PPP that smelling ammonia is indicative of a problem. Do I need to do something different?

Ross the Boss

There is good news and bad news. The good news is, the more you sweat the better. In the Parrillo lexicon sweat is the benchmark indicator that our cardio efforts are successful. Conversely, those that perform aerobic exercise and do not work hard enough to break a sweat are essentially wasting their time. Too much sweat can lead to the creation of toxic ammonia. When ammonia is present (as evidenced by the ammonia smell you detect in your sweat-soaked clothes) no fat burning is possible. Ureic acid prevents the mobilization and oxidation of body fat. Ammonia must be cleared from the system. To that end, John Parrillo created Max Endurance Formula™. Twenty years ago, John Parrillo was working with elite cyclists intend on improving performance. The ammonia syndrome was a common problem

for these aerobic athletes and led Parrillo to formulate Max Endurance Formula™. This amazing supplement is taken 30-minutes before an aerobic session and defuses ammonia before it has a chance to reach toxicity. Take 5-8 Max Endurance Formula™ capsules before cardio and eliminate the ammonia that is preventing you from burning body fat.

Vic,

Some idiots at the gym I train at insist on playing music I detest at ear-shattering volume. I like the gym, I hate the music. Should I move on?

Sal, NYC

I always wear my headphones and listen to my own music when I train. This has a double purpose. I love music and have always trained with it. The right music at the right tune helps me focus and helps me get my psyche on for the top sets of every exercise. The second purpose for wearing headphones is it discourages conversation. I don’t want to engage in chit-chat while training. I will talk before and after the workout - but never during. Even in the spaces between sets, I want to maintain my focus. I would suggest you hook your phone up with earphones and use your own music to drown out the offending tunes. If their music is so loud that you can hear it when

wearing your earphones, find a new place to train.

Yo!

Is there a right and wrong way to leg press?

Val, Jackson Hole

Indeed. Partial leg presses are worthless. Anyone that has spent a lot of time at commercial gyms has seen the local goons load ten 45-pound plates on each side and then proceed to push the sled maybe a foot in each direction. At best, all this does is strengthen tendons and ligaments. There is insufficient range of motion to stimulate the thigh muscles. These guys would be unable to move 400-pounds, assuming the leg press was lowered all the way down. How far down? As far as possible. For a great leg press tutorial pull up Dorian Yates’ Blood and Guts training video and watch him rep 1200 pounds for 13 reps, each rep lowered as far as possible. The greater the range of motion the greater the muscular stimulation. Partial reps equate to partial results. Do not lower so far that your tailbone lifts off the seat as this is potentially injurious. Start light, lose your ego, become used to the extended ROM, make haste slowly. Do not shorten the leg press rep stroke as you get heavier as that dilutes results.

Season’s Greetings!

I am a collegiate wrestler. I am a great technician, but I tend to get muscled around by stronger wrestlers. I find that the guys I dread to wrestle the most are those really strong guys that can powe out of situations that weaker wrestlers cannot. I would like to add strength to my superior technique. Once I am stronger, I know my ranking will improve. Any ideas as to how to get a wrestler stronger? We have a weight program connected to the wrestling program, but it is half-ass stuff mostly done on

machines. Thoughts?

Dan, Idaho

The reason they have weight classes (in sport) is to even out strength disparities. You could be the number 1 ranked 120-pound wrestler in the nation and you will get destroyed by a 4th string 240-pound heavyweight wrestler - because the 120-pound champion will simply be manhandled by the 240-pound wrestler. Often the reason cited for weight classes is size – but that 120-pound wrestler would easily defeat a 240-pound civilian in a match. While the 120-pound champ can overcome the size of a larger, weak opponent, the combination of size and strength (and some skill) cannot be overcome. I would concentrate on the ultra-basic barbell/dumbbell exercises: bench press, overhead press, deadlift, row, power clean, squats. Keep the reps in the 3-5 rep range and really pound the iron in the off-season. With concentrated effort, ten weeks of concentrated

effort will make you 25% stronger. I would weight train three days a week, one day, legs; one day, upper body and one day reserved for back training. Supplement with 50-50 Plus™ after each weight workout. For the weight training to be effective, do not put it at the ass-end of an exhausting wrestling workout. Weight train when fresh and post-workout replenish with a double serving of 50-50 Plus™.

Salutations!

I have heard you say repeatedly that Arnold loved beef liver tabs and took 100 a day at his peak – why? What did he see in liver tabs that made him such a devoted fan? Parrillo’s Liver Amino Formula™ has been a regular part of my supplementation program since I read this. I am only taking five tablets per day – something tells me I should increase this.

Matt, Westminster

Iron Vic Speaks!

February 201826 1-800-344-3404

nice calf maintenance program. If you had a nice pair of 18-inch calves, 20 sets a week would be perfect for retaining and maintaining what you’ve built. Calves (and forearms) are different from all other muscles due to their unique tissue density. Because we use calves to walk and run, because we use our forearms for everything, these muscles need to be treated differently to make them grow. First off, calves respond best to working them often. A serious calf specialization routine will require 4-5 sessions per week, double what you are doing. Also, change up the exercises, change up the reps and change up the techniques. I would suggest toe-presses on the leg press machine and single leg calf raises done hold a light dumbbell. Standing and seated calf raises are fine, but they need to be done differently. The bottom stretch needs to be emphasized: the more the stretch the greater the beneficial effect. Go all the way up on the toes and hold the top position for a full second before lowering. Slash the standing and seated poundage, use the extended range of motion and kick the reps up to 15-20 reps per set. I would do calves every day I was in the gym. Work them before or after the regular workout. This approach, calf specialization, will shock your complacent calves out of their current rut.

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High Powered Nutrition

Chews Like Taffy

Our Newest Bar! Soft and Chewy Texture

Protein Packed Peanut Flavored SpreadHigh in Protein, Low in Carbs

Great Taste, Guilt Free

Great for Strict Diets

Delicious with the Parrillo Cakes and CupcakesMake Protein Ice Kreem™ in your ice cream maker

Try this on Parrillo Ice Kreem™ or Brownies!

32 oz32 oz150 capsules150 capsules150 capsules90 tablets90 tablets90 capsules400 tablets150 tablets150 capsules150 capsules150 tablets300 grams150 capsules90 gelcaps90 gelcaps35 oz

32 oz

20 pouches

28 oz

28 oz

20 pouches

32 oz

32 oz

12 / box

12 / box

12 / box

12 / box

16 oz16 oz

24 oz

24 oz

21.2 oz

32 oz

25.4 oz

22.3 oz16 oz

$40.00$40.00$32.00$38.00$30.00$19.95$9.95$8.95$49.95$14.00$34.00$36.00$18.00$29.00$15.95$24.95$16.95$25.00

$42.95

$48.95

$47.95

$47.95

$53.95

$38.00

$49.95

$32.00

$28.00

$32.00

$36.00

$21.95$28.95

$21.95

$21.95

$36.95

$52.95

$26.50

$34.95$21.95$49.95

$49.95

$39.95

$79.95

$129.95

$9.95

$29.95

Iron Vic Speaks!

One of the best books on bodybuilding ever written was Three More Reps by Rick Wayne. In this two-book series, Rick spotlighted twelve of the world’s best bodybuilders. The first volume was published in 1978 and featured Robby Robinson, Ed Corney, Mike Mentzer, Frank Zane, Franco and Arnold. That’s a pretty damned good lineup. The format was the same for every featured bodybuilder: a biographic sketch followed by their exact training routine. Nutrition was discussed in some detail. In the Arnold section, John Balick, Arnold’s diet guru, described why beef liver was important…

“Liver tablets have become a panacea among bodybuilders. Seemingly miraculous results {from taking liver tabs} are regularly reported by elite bodybuilders. Liver tablets taken in large amounts are used to break through stagnation plateaus. Liver tablets are a great contributor to energy flow. Liver tablets are effective because they are loaded with B-complex vitamins and minerals and loaded with protein. Liver is a great ‘blood builder,’ better blood means better pumps in training. Liver is a terrific supplement. We recommend 3-5 tablets per feeding {meals} based on six feedings per day. If possible, obtain Argentine beef liver tablets as they are not loaded with pollutant hormones prevalent in American

cattle. If you follow the recommended regimen you will be taking 18-30 liver tabs per day. Be aware that both Frank Zane and Arnold {and Franco Columbo} take 100 liver tablets per day leading up to a major competition.”

Now that is a rock-solid rationale for taking beef liver tablets. Be aware that the modern Parrillo beef liver tablet is even more potent than those consumed back in Arnold’s day. Each Parrillo Liver Amino Formula™ tablet contains 1.5 grams of high biologic-value protein and is loaded with blood-enriching, pump-expanding heme iron. This oldie is still a goodie.

Hey!

What’s the best way to build calves? My calves are disproportionally small, 15-inches supporting 26-inch thighs. I could use some calf implants. I train my calves twice a week after thighs. The usual stuff: five sets of standing calf raises and five sets of seated, usually in the 8-10 rep range. Despite working them twice a week for years, no growth occurs. What am I doing wrong?

Jesse, Austin

You do 20 sets of calves per week using the same exercises in the same way – and likely using the same reps and poundage. Jesse, you have a very

Kelsey SchottmillerJanuary 2018

Featured Athlete

Kelsey SchottmillerJanuary 2018

Featured Athlete

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