Ryan Stanton - Parrillo Performance€¦ · flavored protein powders. John’s Protein bar has the right nutrients needed to accelerate post-workout recovery. I have used CapTri®

THETRAINER'S PAGEExpect the unexpected

IRON VIC SPEAKS!Swimming for cardio

A BODYBUILDER IS BORNCreating a killer v-taper!

THE PARRILLO PRINCIPLESMuscle up in

ten weeks

MUSCLE MEETS MEDICINE

Tendons: what you need to know

RyanStantonHow to not lose your passion

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 ©2017 by John Parrillo. All Rights Re-served. For information, Please contact Parrillo Performance at (513) 874-3305 or e-mail to [email protected]

4 – Ryan Stanton

8 - THE TRAINER'S PAGE

18 - TIPS AND TIDBITS

October 2017PERFORMANCE PRESSJOHN PARRILLO’S

14 – THE PARRILLO PRINCIPLES

20 - A BODYBUILDER IS BORN

23 – IRON VIC SPEAKS

ContributingWritersJohn ParrilloMarty GallagherRon HarrisDr. Jeremy GirmannScott CanatseyDuke NukemIron Vic Steele

Contributing PhotographersJohn ParrilloDominique ParrilloMarcus McCuistonJason EllisAsun CapalunganSalvitore BrancifortChris Foss

This month, Dr. Jeremy Girmann discusses what you need to know about tendons in this part 1 of 2 articles.

Fresh off his 4th place finish at the 2017 NPC Masters National Championships, Scott Canatsey shares why you should expect the unexpected.

It's time to get serious about adding lean muscle mass. Duke Nukem lays out a 10 week plan.

A recipe for biscuits straight from the CapTri® Cookbook as well as a few other tips and tidbits.

Ron Harris wants to help you create a killer v-taper. His latest article will lay out how to accomplish this feat.

Is losing 20 pounds in three months realistic? Iron Vic Steel will answer this question and more!

Parrillo Performance6200 Union Centre Blvd

Fairfield, OH 45014

Order: (800)344-3404Info: (513)874-3305

Web: www.parrilloperformance.com

Also Available in Butter Flavor

• Concentrated calorie source for gaining muscle mass.

• Energy source for dieters intent on losing fat while retaining muscle.

• A cooking agent for frying foods healthfully.

photo by Asun Capalungan

October 2017October 20174 51-800-344-3404 www.parrilloperformance.com

ryan stanton's continuum: a lifetime of fitness

Ryan Stanton is 43 years old and the owner of True Physique

Personal and Online Training. He has been athletic his entire life and quite naturally he gravitated towards becoming a fitness professional as an adult. Ryan works with a wide variety of clients. He uses a blend of Old School training tactics with expert nutrition and the latest science and technology to generate consistent results for all types and kinds of students and clients. Ryan works with high school athletes seeking

to improve performance, retirees seeking to regain lost function, housewives seeking to lose 30-pounds before a class reunion, physique contestants seeking nutritional counseling – there is not a situation or circumstance that Ryan cannot or has not successfully dealt with. “I’m a full time Personal Trainer and Fitness Professional. I’ve been running my own business, True Physique, for almost 20 years. I’m very fortunate to be able to make a living by doing something I’m very passionate

about: helping people reach their physique goals and learn how to live a healthier lifestyle. My work is very gratifying. I train all ages and levels of fitness, from performance athletes to physique athletes to those simply interested in general fitness.” Ryan is a Parrillo-influenced trainer that has decades of experience as a high-level athlete and trainer whose livelihood depends on getting results for all types and kinds. While the specifics vary person to person, the overall strategy stays constant: combine serious lifting with intense cardio and “underpin” the tough training with bodybuilding-style nutrition.

Ryan Stanton was a high school football star and a track star. After a stellar high school career, Ryan went on to become a four-year starting defensive back (strong safety) at the University of Indianapolis. Like many high-level athletes, Ryan redirected his energy towards bodybuilding when his team sport career was over. Bodybuilding is a terrific way for the team sport athlete to continue with fitness. Bodybuilding has much to offer the ex-athlete: the weight training and cardio are a continuation of sport training and the bodybuilding nutritional approach is easily adopted by a disciplined athlete. Ryan began his athletic journey at a very early age and displayed tenacity rare in youngsters. “For some reason, I was tremendously taken by the physique and exploits of football player Hershel Walker. I first got into fitness at around the age of ten when I became intrigued with Walker’s fitness routine: he performed a cumulative of 1000 pushups and 1000 sit-ups each and every day. I decided to start my own ten-year old version of this program. I was a football player and I admired his physique – so why not imitate his program that required no special equipment?” Ryan picked a good role model: Hershel Walker was a bona fide genetic marvel. He stood 5’11” and weighed a beefy-and-thick

ryan stanton

235-pounds. His explosive power was such that he high jumped 6-8 in high school (with terrible technique) and at one time held the world indoor record in the 60-yard sprint. Walker purposefully never touched a weight and many speculated that had he commenced weight training after college, he might have had a pro career that matched his unrivaled collegiate football career.

Ryan didn’t make Walker’s mistake and after a few years of push-ups and pull-ups Ryan shifted from free-hand to free-weights. “At age of 14, I really got into lifting weights; both for my athletic career and for building my physique.” Ryan took his weight training cues from the bodybuilding greats of the era. “I have always trained like a bodybuilder.” He related: classic stuff, multiple exercises for a body part, lots of sets, varied reps, lots of volume and intensity-enhancing tactics designed to take a muscle past failure. Ryan used all

the classic Old School training tactics: forced reps, drop sets, negative reps and high-rep intensity sets. He never shied away from hard training and as a result maintained a tight, lean physique his entire life. Lifelong athletes make the best bodybuilders. As a highly functional athlete, Ryan was not interested in attaining the gargantuan muscle mass needed to compete in this day and age at a high level in bodybuilding. Frank Zane couldn’t win the Ms. Olympia in this day and age. “I have never wanted or sought to build the gigantic muscle size that it takes to become a pro bodybuilder.” The mind-numbing muscle size displayed by the modern 2017 pro bodybuilder is off-putting to a wide swath of people. Arnold at his peak could run, jump and swim, he maintained athletic function. The modern pro bodybuilder is so massive that many cannot reach behind their back to grab their opposite wrist in the side tricep shot. Don’t ask them to touch their toes or scratch their

back. When relaxed, their massive, distended bubble-guts protrude and are bloated and distended. This is hardly inspirational for those seeking to retain some semblance of function and health.

Ryan had no competitive bodybuilding aspirations until the NPC began adding new divisions that deemphasized bulk and put the focus back on proportional symmetry. “I first started competing when the NPC/IFBB introduced the Men’s Physique division. This appealed to me. They were looking for a more aesthetic and athletic physique.” Apparently, Ryan had what they were looking for when they launched this new format. “I first took the stage in June 2012 and won. After placing first in a few more local competitions, I made the big leap and started to compete on the national level.” Again, Ryan and his rugged physique were well received. “I won my IFBB Pro Card in September 2013 at North

By Marty Gallagher

photos by Asun Capalungan


ryan stanton john parrillo's performance press

American championships in Pittsburg.” Pretty amazing stuff. This was major competitive success in a very short timeframe. “I have competed in five IFBB shows as a professional. I have placed in the top ten in open competition. I have a second-place finish in the Masters (over 40 years of age) division.” For Ryan, bodybuilding is a lifestyle; this is a man that is never really out-of-shape. Even in the off season he is never more than ten pounds away from striding onstage. He has lived the bodybuilding lifestyle for so long that it is effortless.The biggest factor in never being out of shape is adherence to a nutritional game plan. “I love the training; the strictness of the eating, the nutrition, is the hardest part for me.”

Ryan, being a classical bodybuilder, uses a classical bodybuilding approach: multiple meals are spaced equidistant, only “clean” foods are consumed, attention is paid to micro-nutrient content and anabolism is

will continue to use Parrillo Products and methodologies. “John Parrillo is a legend in the bodybuilding industry. I agree with how he approaches nutrition and how he approaches training. I use his philosophies training myself and training my clients. I apply the Parrillo approach as I lead my healthy lifestyle. I’ve been using Parrillo products since the gym I trained at, Iron Pit Gym, started selling them back in the early 2000s. I’ve have used virtually all his products at one time or another. My “go-to” products are the many great Parrillo flavored protein powders. John’s Protein bar has the right nutrients needed to accelerate post-workout recovery. I have used CapTri® for years.”

While judging tastes might not be working in Ryan’s favor, the public and the commercial world love Ryan’s physique. “Currently I’m sponsored by four companies: King Cal Kitchen is a healthy meal prepping company. Another of my sponsors is First Callouts, a fitness apparel firm. Nutrition Headquarters is a supplement distributor (not a supplement brand) and Elevated Citizen is a men’s fashion wear company.” The commercial enthusiasm for Ryan’s rugged look has resulted in him working with some of the best photographers on the planet. “I have had the opportunity to be photographed by some of the best photographers in the world: Jason Ellis took many of the pictures featured in this article.” Those that are lucky enough to be trained by Ryan always make gains. “I love doing hands-on training with individuals. I also really enjoy group training. I will be expanding my online business. I will offer training and nutrition plans online, starting this fall. I will online coach both general fitness and the prepping of physique athletes. I love to help others transform their body and in doing so transform their lives. I never get tired of helping others help themselves.” Ryan wanted to thank

induced through the expert use of regular food. Anabolism creates conditions fertile for muscle growth and anabolism accelerates recovery. The final piece to the nutritional puzzle is supplementation. Ryan loves and uses Parrillo products. “I started using Parrillo products when The Iron Pit started selling them. Parrillo supplements are maximally potent and taste fantastic. My favorite Parrillo products are butter-flavored Cap Tri®, the Soft Chew bar™, Hi-Protein Powder™ (I love chocolate) and Parrillo Essential Vitamin Formula.” CapTri® is a remarkably versatile supplement: those seeking to add lean muscle mass use it as a clean-calorie supplement; those seeking to get ripped in the leadup to a competition use CapTri® to replace starch calories as they are pulled out the diet to maximize fat loss. The Parrillo Soft Chew bar™ is a nutritional powerhouse: 22 grams of protein, 17 fiber carbs, no fat, no sugar and only 120 calories. Best of

all, they taste incredible.

Ryan’s future competitive plans are a mixed bag: while he sees himself competing in the short term, his long-term competitive plans are less clear. Being a lifelong athlete where the yardstick was performance, he finds himself competing in a subjective arena where opinion, not performance, is the yardstick. “I plan on competing in two shows this year. I plan on taking it one year at a time, as far as competing goes. I am currently prepping for two shows this October. The first show is on the 21st in Culver City, California, and the second show is the Kentucky Muscle extravaganza one week later. How I do in those shows will determine my enthusiasm. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be competing. I’ve been an athlete my entire life and frankly, if I can’t compete at an elite level, then I’ll hang up my board shorts.” Regardless if he continues to compete or decides to take a time out, Ryan will continue to train hard, heavy and often. He

those that have supported him. “I would like to thank my beautiful wife, Tiffany. This sport can be selfish, so it’s good to have a partner that’s supportive and understanding. I wouldn’t be where I’m at without her. I’d also like to thank my parents, Raymond and Ginger Stanton, both have passed away. The little kid in me still wants to make them proud.” Fitting final words.

Training Split

Day 1 chest and bicepsDay 2 shoulders and tricepsDay 3 backDay 4 legsDay 5 restDay 6 repeat day 1Day 7 repeat day 2

Multiple-meal eating schedule

Meal 1 6-8 egg whites, spinach, sweet potatoMeal 2 Parrillo Hi-Protein powder™ mixed with oatmeal or Soft Chew bar™Meal 3 lean beef, jasmine rice, broccoliMeal 4 Parrillo Hi-Protein powder™ mixed with oatmealMeal 5 tilapia, jasmine rice, asparagusMeal 6 tilapia and asparagus

Quantities will depend on my current goals and nearness of any competition.

photo by Jason Ellisphotos by Jason Ellis


expect the unexpectedthe trainer's page

The Trainer's PageBy Scott Canatsey – Lead trainer at the Parrillo Performance training facility

Expect the Unexpected

Have you ever prepared for something really important and difficult and considered every possible problem that could occur to impede your best showing or performance and still some unknown variable surfaces and just frustrates the entire presentation? I think most of us have experienced this on some level. Even if you are a 30 year veteran of competitive bodybuilding, things like this can occur. No one is exempt from experiencing unexpected pitfalls. In preparation for the 2017 NPC Masters National Championships, I very meticulously lined out a plan with my coach and mentor, John Parrillo. I was sure that if I just stuck with the plan and did all that John asked of me, that I had a good shot at winning the Welterweight title. Being 12 weeks out and sitting at 8% body fat, I was ready to bring a package that no one had seen me bring to stage before. With my confidence sky high and my training very calculated, all out and brutal, and getting superior

nutrition daily, I was on the track necessary to meet my lofty goal. Over the 12 weeks we increased my calories by 300 a week, on average. That measure allowed my body to learn to use the calories effectively and got it burning a little “hotter” each week. By 6 weeks out from the show, I was sweating so hard from eating, that sweat would be dripping off of my nose and ears while I sat and ate! Food is an amazing thermogenic agent. Coupled with the CapTri®, I was always running hot and burning calories all through the night. My sheets and pillow soaked to the point of wringing them out. We had to find a solution for that. I have never sweated this much in my life!

I was actually gaining lean mass as I got my body fat down under 5%. The first time I made weight (164.25 lbs.) was actually on the scale at the NPC Masters Nationals. I knew I would only have to miss a meal and wait a couple of hours and I would be there. And as

anticipated, that is exactly what I did. I arrived a quarter pound over. I literally waited 15 minutes and got back on and made weight. Just like clockwork!

I was losing weight at the rate of 1 pound per hour. This made it highly necessary for me to eat every 120 minutes or less. I was barely keeping up with my metabolic rate with 7,000 calories at the end of prep. I would begin to flatten out about 90 minutes after each meal. It was hard to believe. It seemed like I was eating a mountain of food each day. But, I was eating super clean. Clean food burns up like rice paper and transports nutrients very quickly. This is why clean food works best. Just to be clear, this contest prep work is done with no Thyroid medication or clenbuterol. We “rev” the metabolism with proper food and incredibly intense work. Our bodies produce all of the hormones and chemicals necessary to make it happen. (Side note: I am often asked by competitors if it is a good idea to use thyroid medications for fat loss, my standard response is, “Did you lose your Thyroid somewhere?” Your body is capable of producing these hormones, chemicals and neurotransmitters all on its own, if you create the necessary environment through proper food intake and timing, as well as exercise done with

the proper timing and method. It is science. Haphazard work creates haphazard results. And use of outside agents to illicit responses from your body is just being lazy. Especially, when you know that there is a better and healthier way.)

This is when the first unforeseen issue arose. I had trouble getting my weight back up after going several hours without food. I fell into a caloric deficit that I could not pull out of in 40 hours. I was able to get up to 166 by Friday afternoon, but struggled to get any higher that day. I ate a really big meal late on Friday and ate in the night, but still got no higher than 166.5 lbs. by Saturday morning. I was still looking flat. Shredded, but depleted looking. But, still looking very good, I started my usual routine of eating up and pumping backstage. I had about 3 hours before stage to try to eat up a bit more and fill out. Especially, with a good pump, I figured, it should all be fine. Then, unexpected pitfall number 2 arose. As I began to eat and pump, I also began to sweat profusely. (Just like I normally do when I eat). If, I had tanned the “old school” way, (a few coats of “Dyoderm” each day, over 3-4 days with a rinse every morning), there would not have been a problem. But, I went with the tan company provided. I was unaware that they were using a non acetone base spray. It was water base. That does not hold up in an unyielding, hard sweat. It ran like a river.

I had to stand in front of a huge fan, and have one of the tan people use the roller on me every 5 minutes for damage control. In order to slow down the sweat, I had to stop eating, and stop pumping. This was not to my advantage. I flatten out quickly without food, so 2 hours of no food and pumping, left me around 165.5 lbs and hardly any vascularity. But, I had to choose between tan product

streaking down my body or be flat and depleted with a decent looking tan. I chose to keep the tan, as it was going to look ridiculous if I opted the other way.

There was a Light-heavyweight competitor who followed the Parrillo protocols for eating, and he was running into the same thing. Sweat was destroying his tan. We were standing in front of the big fan together, lamenting that we did not do our own tan. We were “old school”. We had both done it ourselves probably 25 or 30 times. This will not happen to me again. (Samir Bannout, who was helping me with my posing, actually warned me that this may happen. I was sure it would not. He

was right.)

At the end of the day, when the dust settled, I was given 4th place in the over 50 division in the Welterweights. I got the hardware I was after. All things considered, it was a fun run, I learned a lot about how to incorporate this new strategy into my overall plan for next time. I will never worry about my weight class. I will weigh in where I look and feel good and go for it. That may be Light Heavyweight next time I see the stage, since John and I are working on getting me to 200 pounds lean before I go at it again. The experiment continues.

Until next Month!


Tendons. When they’re injured, they hurt, and when they hurt,

function can be significantly impaired. Treatment of tendon disorders constitutes a significant portion of my medical practice. While we still have much to learn about tendon physiology and repair mechanisms,

recent research has provided better understanding of tendon disorders and offers new insights into potential treatment options.

In this month’s column we will consider the anatomy and physiology of tendons so that we can more

completely understand available tendon treatments, which will be reviewed in the column to follow.

Tendons are robust bands of connective tissue that connect muscle to bone or muscle to muscle (whereas ligaments connect one bone to another). They’re comprised of densely packed collagen fibers, approximately 98% of which are type I collagen.

Tendons demonstrate a highly organized hierarchical structure, as pictured to the left, which contributes to their high tensile strength. This can be likened to a woven wire rope.

In addition to collagen, tendons contain proteoglycans and glycoproteins – molecules that contribute to collagen fibril formation and to the mechanical properties of tendons.

Living within tendons are cells called tenocytes. These spindle-shaped cells, located along collagen fibers, are primarily responsible for maintaining tendon homeostasis by communicating with each other via channels known as gap junctions, and modifying tendon structure in response to various chemical and mechanical changes in the environment. This communication

By Dr. Jeremy Girmann

MEETS

muscle meets medicine

Tendons: What you need to know

is often quite complex and involves a number of molecular signals and cellular receptors. When a tendon is placed under load, the tenocytes send signals to each other in order to encourage collagen formation and fortification of the tendon matrix. Some of these signals include transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), connective tissue growth factor, and interleuken-6 (IL-6).

Traditionally, tendons have been considered mere connections between muscles and bones, passively conducting forces during normal movement. Over the past few decades, however, a significant amount of research has focused on the dynamic and elastic properties of tendons and their ability to function as springs. Whereas some tendons predominantly function to position limbs (think of tendons in the fingers), others act as energy storing springs to make movement more efficient (think Achilles tendons). Interestingly, it has been shown that people with higher calves, and therefore longer Achilles tendons, are often better at running and jumping than those with shorter tendons since the longer tendon length contributes to greater elastic recoil and more mechanically/energetically efficient movement. Tendon length is also a discerning factor in muscle size and shape, where individuals with shorter tendons generally have a greater potential for muscle mass.

While regular application of tension is essential for the fortification of tendon structures, excess and abnormal mechanical load can override the capacity of the tendons and associated tenocytes to maintain homeostasis, therefore contributing tendinopathy – disease of a tendon. Generally, tendon injuries can be categorized as chronic degenerative tendinopathies or acute ruptures. Even in the majority of acute rupture cases, chronic degenerative changes

are thought to precede rupture.

When tendons become diseased, there is a loss of normal tendon architecture and often death of tenocytes. For some time it was believed that tendons are largely incapable of architectural and tenocyte repair. While this has since been shown to be incorrect, the natural healing process of tendons is rather slow, which is largely due to the relatively low cellularity and vascularity of tendon tissue.

The normal healing process occurs in three main stages: inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. In the first stage, which typically occurs during the first week following an injury, inflammatory cells including neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes migrate to the site of tendon damage where they begin to clean up dead tissue and cellular debris. Throughout approximately four weeks, a host of chemical signals are released, causing tenocytes to proliferate and move into the injured

area in order to begin synthesizing type III collagen and other proteins. This is the second stage of healing. During the final phase, the tendon components are remodeled through collagen turnover, realignment, and formation of collagen cross-links in order to create a more organized and strong architecture.

While the natural healing process can repair tendon defects, studies have shown that the resultant tendon scar is often insufficient and the biomechanical properties of the new tissue seldom match pre-injury properties. This is likely the result of a number of factors including disorganized collagen alignment and thinner collagen fiber formation, which makes the healed tissue persistently vulnerable to future injury. Because of this, there has been much interest in treatments that may encourage more rapid and robust healing of tendon injuries. These will be reviewed in next month’s column.

Stay tuned!

Follow Dr. Girmann on Instagram @JeremyGirmann

tendons: what you need to know

An ultrasound image of a rotator cuff tear in a weight training athlete

October 2017 13www.parrilloperformance.com

• Always push your hips forward and straighten your back—as soon as you begin your ascent from the bottom of the movement.

• For better teardrop separation, point toes forward. Press up from your heels. Descend past parallel.

• To build your outer thigh sweep, angle your toes out. Press up from your heels. Descend past parallel.

• Upon ascending, force your knees out and come up under the weight. Never bounce in the descended position.

• Always pull yourself to the bottom of the squat by using your opposing muscles and not the momentum of the weight.

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!

SQUATS

PERFORMANCE POINTS

On any squat movement, to keep from straining your lower back, you must push your hips forward and straighten your back as soon as you begin your ascent from the bottom of the movement. The moment your rear end goes up and back, stress is placed on your lower back.

Squats can be performed in two ways, depending on which area of your thighs you want to work. To emphasize frontal thigh development, for instance, stand with your toes pointed forward. Descend slowly while keeping your knees forward. Press up, using the balls of your feet. To build an impressive sweep on your outer thighs, take a wider stance with your toes angled out. Descend slowly to a deep position—past the point at which your thighs are parallel to the floor. Then press up from your heels and drive your hips forward and your knees out. When descending, always sit back. Upon arising, force your knees out and come up under the weight. Use your opposing muscles to pull yourself to the bottom of the position.

No matter what area you work, frontal thigh or outer sweep, you must stay tight and practice slow, strict form throughout the exercise. Many bodybuilders make the mistake of relaxing at the bottom of the movement and then bouncing off the bottom of their calves. Such action can injure the ligaments in your knees.

If you’re training for bodybuilding competition, eliminate heavy squatting one to two weeks before the contest. This is so your legs will reduce slightly in size, giving more area under the fascia tissue for separations and actually making your legs look bigger.

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Muscle Up in Ten WeeksTime to get serious about adding lean muscle mass

Bodybuilding has two goals that are at odds with each other. The

first goal of bodybuilding is to present a fat-free physique. The second goal is to build large shapely muscles. These two goals are complete opposites and each requires a separate and distinct game plan. We’ll start with leanness because without leanness, without muscular definition and delineation, there is no bodybuilding. Let’s break it down: to obtain the “bodybuilder look” a body fat percentile of 10% or less is required. When a bodybuilder whittles down to 10%, six-pack abs appear, the separation between deltoids and pecs becomes visible, thigh separation is apparent, love handles melt away and back muscles become separate and distinct. The great bodybuilders of the 1950s and 1960s, men like Marvin Eder, Reg Park and Bill Pearl were examples of 10% body fat percentiles. Arnold and Franco got down to about 8%, while Robbie Robinson, Frank Zane and Sergio pushed downward to 7%. Nowadays IFBB pros routinely present 2-3% body fat percentiles. A bodybuilder without a lean, defined look is no bodybuilder at all.

The other goal of bodybuilding is

muscles and showcases those large muscles with a low (10% or less) body fat percentile.

Pick a direction: The Parrillo approach towards muscle-building and fat-burning takes a commonsense approach: concentrate 100% of one’s efforts towards one goal or the other. While on a mass-building regimen the trick is to not add and unacceptable amount of body fat. Conversely, during a lean out phase the trick is to not lose hard-earned muscle mass. The rookie, the novice, those not in the know, naively think they can add muscle and lose fat simultaneously. Ironically, at the very tiptop levels, this is possible - however the degree of precision required is beyond the neophyte’s capabilities. Losing fat while adding muscle requires a sophisticated knowledge of training and nutrition; it also requires unwavering discipline. Each week the elite bodybuilder takes a BodyStat body composition reading. BodyStat provides the bodybuilder with a report card for the previous week’s efforts: has the bodybuilder added muscle? Have they lost body fat? Have they stayed the same? BodyStat dictates when changes are needed. The most effective approach is to swing back and forth between the twin goals: devote weeks on end to (exclusively) pursuing one goal then the other. After concentrating and staying completely focused on (either) adding muscle or shedding fat, switch directions and head the opposite direction for an equal length of time. These “cycles” usually last 8-12 weeks and create a natural ebb-and-flow, a physiologic pendulum that swings equally distance in both directions. Just about the time the athlete gets sick and tired of mass-building, power training and power eating, they get to swing back the other direction and launch into a new phase using completely different eating and training modes. Cycling back and forth keeps things fresh, interesting and

of purposefully trying to eat more food, consume more calories to grow bigger muscles scares 90% of trainees new to Parrillo. The difference is when Parrillo says, “muscle mass” he always uses the qualifier, lean muscle mass, not mass laden with fat. The way to add lean muscle mass is to increase calories but be disciplined about it: only ingest “clean” calories. Clean eating is augmented with potent Parrillo supplements. The classical Parrillo prescription for building lean muscle is to combine hardcore weight training with high intensity cardio and “underpin” the training with a high protein/high calorie/clean calorie nutritional approach. The combination is magical.

Sweat and strain to keep muscle gains lean: When embarking on a mass-building regimen perhaps the most egregious mistake a trainee can make is to stop doing cardio. This bad move is based on an erroneous conclusion

vital. Cycling keeps you energetic and keeps progress moving ahead.

Mass attack! It is no accident that John Parrillo recommends that those new to the Parrillo approach begin with a mass-building phase. His rationale is logical. “Let us build some muscle before we worry about defining muscle.” A serious, full-on Parrillo mass-building regimen will “raise the trainee’s caloric ceiling” and “build the metabolism.” The bodybuilder “teaches” his body how to consume more calories without adding body fat. Coming off a well-orchestrated mass-building phase, the bodybuilder will have an elevated caloric ceiling. A high caloric intake is the perfect jumping off point for a lean out phase: calories are then reduced systematically for a protracted period, each successive week the bodybuilder becomes lighter and leaner. A successful mass cycle makes leaning out so much easier. The idea

the parrillo principles muscle up in ten weeks

By Duke Nukem

to build lean muscle mass. As John Parrillo wryly points out, “Who cares about seeing a ripped 14-inch arm?” Or, we would add, who cares about a shredded 42-inch chest or scrawny 22-inch chicken thighs? Without muscle size, there is no true bodybuilding. These two goals require distinctly different strategies. Each approach is the training and nutritional opposite of its counterpart: to grow muscle requires a surplus of calories while losing body fat requires that we operate at a caloric deficit. How do we square the circle? How does a

man serious about bodybuilding train heavy enough and hard enough (and eat big enough) to grow some serious muscle? How does a man intent on leaning out create the sustained caloric deficit needed to mobilize and oxidize stored body fat on a continual and ongoing basis? And finally, once the serious bodybuilder figures out how to effectively build muscle and how to effectively burn off body fat, how then are these two contradictory systems combined to produce the complete bodybuilder? The ultimate bodybuilder builds large symmetrical

photo by Chris Foss/Foss Imagery

has the bodybuilder added muscle? Have they lost body fat? Have they stayed the same? BodyStat dictates when changes are needed.


effectiveness. Don’t drop cardio, do it harder, not necessarily more often, but harder. Optimally get cardio out of the way, first thing in the morning and make sure that you exert the greatest possible effort.

Mass Nutrition is counterintuitive: As it relates to mass-building, the Parrillo approach could be summed up as, eat big – but eat “clean.” Eat lots of calories - but only consume clean calories, i.e. calories that low in saturated fat and contain no sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Do not eat foods that are refined or contain chemical trans-fats. Another definition of a clean calorie is a calorie that does not spike insulin, or spikes insulin minimally. Clean calories are derived from approved bodybuilding foods. The key nutrient in any mass-building regimen is lean protein. While a portion of prime rib might derive 50% of its calories from saturated fat, a beef filet or flank steak might only derive 10% of its calories from fat. Fish and shellfish are preferable over pork, lean chicken breast is preferable over higher fat dark meat and chicken skin. Dietary protein provides the building blocks

that cardio “tears muscle down” and prevents muscle building. Based on false assumptions, the trainee quits cardio altogether. The way to keep weight gains lean is to not quit cardio, on the contrary, continue cardio and do so with superhuman intensity. While on a mass-building regimen it is recommended that the trainee perform 30-45 minutes of extremely intense cardio, preferably first thing in the morning, immediately upon waking, coming off the sleep fast. John Parrillo discovered decades ago that an intense cardio session done before breakfast burns off body fat at an accelerated rate. This incredibly effective exercise protocol is done first thing in the morning. The weight training sessions can take place in the evenings, or in the afternoons on the weekends. This provides ample time for legs and lungs to recover completely from morning cardio and be fresh and rested for resistance training later in the day. Intense cardio is always the preferred Parrillo cardio mode. Regardless the aerobic machine, tool or mode, sweat and effort are the most highly desired cardio qualities and provide the report card on the cardio session’s

the parrillo principles

needed to construct new muscle and without a surplus of protein no new muscle tissue can be constructed. The Parrillo nutritional approach advises trainees to ingest one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day – and that is entry level. Hard training intermediate bodybuilders and athletes are advised to take in 1.5 grams of protein per pound bodyweight per day. Pro bodybuilders will consume 2-3 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. In the Parrillo approach, copious amounts of fibrous carbs are eaten in conjunction with eating copious amounts of protein: fiber sources include green beans, salad greens, onions, kale, spinach, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, etc. Fiber carbs do n ot spike insulin and are calorically insignificant. They slow down digestion and cannot end up stored as body fat. Starch carb intake is the wild card: starch intake is modulated to nudge lean bodyweight upwards each successive week for the life of the mass-building cycle.

Mass Supplementation: To grow new muscle, the body needs a surplus of calories. To grow muscle, the body needs to engage

in high intensity weight training. Ample amounts of rest, both deep sleep and naps, are highly beneficial and recommended. Cardio is not neglected, it is intensified. The final piece to the mass-building puzzle is nutritional supplementation. Parrillo supplementation has several goals: Parrillo Products provide a surplus of clean calories and the many protein supplements make attaining daily protein goals easy. Finally, post-workout supplementation accelerates recovery, enabling the bodybuilder to train harder and more often. When it comes to clean calories, the ultimate supplement is CapTri®. This incredible product provides 120 clean calories in every tablespoon. Because it is a medium-chain triglyceride, CapTri® calories cannot end up as body fat. Parrillo has an armada of protein supplements with a mind-boggling number of flavor varieties: there are no less than four protein powders to pick from. In addition, there are four Parrillo bar formulations and the

various Parrillo high protein foods: pudding, pancakes, muffins, cake, cupcakes, frosting, Ice Kreem™, syrup and contest cookies. Recovering from high intensity weight training is a huge issue and by supplementing with 50-50 Plus™ (half protein powder, half slow-release carb powder) immediately after a hardcore training session recovery is dramatically accelerated. Parrillo supplements are the mass-builder’s best friend.

The Game Plan: If a trainee is serious about adding lean muscle mass, a multi-level plan of attack, a game plan, is required. First and foremost, “square up the nutrition” to use a Parrillo phrase. Implement a multiple meal eating schedule and stick to it; get rid of fast foods, sodas, sugar and refined foods that spike insulin. Add in the Parrillo high protein and clean calorie supplements. If possible engage in an intense cardio session first thing in the morning when glycogen stores

are at the low point coming off the sleep fast. Really push during cardio: at minimum three to four intense cardio sessions per week will keep the bodybuilder fit and lean as they add muscle. The weight training is critical. Without a herculean gym effort, nothing of any real consequence is going to occur. Each successive week for ten weeks look to add a pound of bodyweight. Adding at a faster rate risks adding body fat. Adding less than a pound of bodyweight per week is hardly worth the effort. If a man adds a pound of bodyweight per week for ten consecutive weeks, this results in a ten-pound weight gain – a nice increase, particularly if it is 90% pure muscle. If you skimp or skip a part of the Parrillo agenda you don’t like or care for, expect substandard results. The Parrillo approach requires nutrition and training be tightly coordinated: lock it down for 8-12 weeks without falling off the proverbial wagon and you will reap the greatest muscle size gains of your life.

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muscle up in ten weeks

While on a mass-building regimen it is recommended that the trainee perform 30-45 minutes of extremely intense cardio, preferably first thing in the morning, immediately upon waking, coming off the sleep fast.


w

Biscuits100 g. oatmeal flour100 g. oatmeal5 tbsp. CapTri®50 g. oat bran2 1/2 tsp. baking powder3/4 cup watersubstitute salt (optional)

Preheat oven at 475 degrees. Mix together oatmeal flour, oatmeal, oat bran, baking powder andsubstitute salt. Add CapTri®. Stir with fork until moist and crumbly. Add water and mix well untildough pulls away from bowl. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead 30 seconds.Roll dough out 3/4 inch thick and use biscuit pattern or medium sized glass to cut out. Biscuitsshould be placed on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with PAM. Turn oven back to 350 degrees andbake 10-12 minutes.

Foodof the month

Question &Answer

Cauliflower• When purchasing cauliflower, look for a clean, creamy white,

compact curd in which the bud clusters are not separated. Spotted or dull-colored cauliflower should be avoided, as well as those in which small flowers appear.

• Puree cooked cauliflower, add fennel seeds and your other favorite herbs and spices and serve as soup.

• Studies show strong nutrient richness in both raw and cooked cauliflower.

Nutritional Information for: Cauliflower, cooked, 1 cup (124.00 grams).

Calories: 28.52gProtein: 2.28gFat: 0.56gTotal Carbs: 5.10g

Fiber: 2.68gSodium: 18.60mgPotassium: 176.08mgCalcium: 19.84mg

Iron: 0.40mgPhosphorous: 39.68mgVitamin A: 14.88 IUVitamin C: 54.93mg

It's been well established that obesity is a contributor to cancer risk, but how it actually causes cancer is still a question that hasn't been fully explained.

A new Michigan State University study now offers new details showing that a certain protein released from fat in the body can cause a non-cancerous cell to turn into a cancerous one. The federally funded research also found that a lower layer of abdominal fat, when compared to fat just under the skin, is the more likely culprit, releasing even more of this protein and encouraging tumor growth.

"While there have been several advances in treating cancer and improving the quality of life of patients, the number of new cases continues to surge," said Jamie Bernard, lead author and an assistant professor in pharmacology and toxicology.

"It's important to understand the cause so we can do a better job at reducing the number of cancer cases using dietary modifications or therapeutic interventions."

It's estimated that more than one-third of the population is obese. Obesity has been linked to several types of cancers including breast, colon, prostate, uterine and kidney, but Bernard indicated that just being overweight isn't necessarily the best way to determine risk.

"Our study suggests that body mass index, or BMI, may not be the best indicator," Bernard said. "It's abdominal obesity, and even more specifically, levels of a protein called fibroblast growth factor-2 that may be a better indicator of the risk of cells becoming cancerous."

There are two layers of belly fat. The top layer, known as subcutaneous fat, lies right under the skin. The layer under that, called visceral fat, is the one she found to be more harmful.

Bernard and her co-author Debrup Chakraborty, a postdoctoral student in her lab, studied mice that were fed a high-fat diet and discovered that this higher-risk layer of fat produced larger amounts of the fibroblast growth factor-2, or FGF2, protein when compared to the subcutaneous fat. They found that FGF2 stimulated certain cells that were already vulnerable to the protein and caused them to grow into tumors.

She also collected visceral fat tissue from women undergoing hysterectomies and found that when the fat secretions had more of the FGF2 protein, more of the cells formed cancerous tumors when transferred into mice.

Question: I have tried and tried cutting back on my food intake, but still can’t make any progress losing weight. What should I do?

Answer: We deal with a lot of clients who try tostarve themselves thin, yet they cannot lose weightno matter how little they eat. I will say, almost without exception, that these people are eating too little and not exercising enough. Exercise increases your muscle mass, which in turn increases your metabolic rate and helps you burn fat. Eating more and exercising helps people build muscle. Muscle is the engine that burns fat. When we encounter

Muscle Amino Formula™• Research grade branched-chain amino acid formulation • Repairs exercise-induced muscle trauma• BCAA supplementation increases power and strength

Professional bodybuilders and world champion powerlifters have known for many years that concentrated doses of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) will result in significant muscle growth. Iron Curtain sports medicine doctors were the first to recognize the benefits of isolating BCAAs to aid athletic performance. Following hard and heavy weight training, a big dose of BCAAs will immediately set-about repairing damaged muscle tissue, thereby speeding the recovery process and providing the traumatized muscle with the micronutrients needed to heal and then grow. Parrillo Performance uses research-grade amino acids in all of its formulations and Muscle Amino Formula™ is a particular favorite of some of the most prolific bodybuilders of all time that use or have used our products. Take 2 Muscle Amino Formula™ capsules with every meal, and take 3-5 capsules particularly before or after muscle blasting, iron pumping workout or a high intensity aerobic session.

Supplementof the month

News & DiscoveriesIn Fitness & Nutrition

This is how belly fat could increase your cancer risk

"This would indicate that fat from both mice and humans can make a non-tumorigenic cell malignantly transform into a tumorigenic cell," Bernard said.

She added that there are several other factors released from fat, including the hormone estrogen, that could influence cancer risk, but many of those studies have only been able to show an association and not a direct cause of cancer. She also said genetics plays a role.

"There's always an element of chance in whether a person will get cancer or not," Bernard said. "But by making smarter choices when it comes to diet and exercise and avoiding harmful habits like smoking, people can always help skew the odds in their favor."

Michigan State University. "This is how belly fat could increase your cancer risk." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 August 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170824101756.htm>.(edited for length).

someone who has been on a low calorie diet for a long time and just can’t lose weight (and we see this situation practically every day) we will have them increase calories and exercise. We actually ask them to gain a pound a week for the first four weeks following our diet parameters. Chronic caloric deprivation lowers the metabolic rate as your body adapts to the reduced energy intake by reducing energy expenditure. After just one month on this program, these individuals find the fat melts off.

RecipeSpotlight



bar overhead with as wide a grip as you can, then pull it down. Where did your hands end up? That will vary depending on arm length, but I bet it was no lower than your mouth. You may also have noticed that you felt your rear delts working more than your back. Now, do it again spacing your hands just a bit wider than your shoulders. That time, you should have been able to get your hands down around your upper chest. And your lats should have also felt far more involved. Still not convinced? Dorian Yates had one of the widest wingspans of any bodybuilder in history. Dorian never did any vertical pulling movements with a wide grip, ever. I suggest you don’t either. An easy gauge for most trainers is to never place the hands any wider than the points where the standard lat pulldown bar or chinning bar bends. Now, to better target the upper back, maintain an arched back and a high chest as you chin or pull down, and actively attempt to thrust your upper chest upward to meet the bar. Squeeze the shoulder blades together and contract the entire musculature of the upper back at the end of each rep for a full second. Stretch the back between sets by pulling on both horizontal and vertical machine frames. Rows To emphasize the upper back, all rowing movements should feature your hands pulling to a point no lower than your top row of abs (if you can see your abs, that is). The guidelines for hand width are identical to those for vertical pulling. My favorite upper-back-accentuated rows are done with a barbell, machines, or a seated cable with a longer bar attachment rather than the close-grip handles. Several companies manufacture machines with handles that are close to motorcycle handlebars in design. For these, set the seat a little lower than usual and blast away at your upper back.

this description, it may seem as if only those born with the right configuration of bones can ever hope to have a dynamic V-taper. Certainly, it will be easiest for them, but what is life without challenges? Any of us can improve our overall shape with concentrated efforts in three key areas: widening the back, building broad shoulders, and minimizing the size of our waists. Let’s tackle each of these areas one by one. Wide back For many years various champion bodybuilding and writers for bodybuilding magazines have propagated what I consider an irresponsible myth; that certain exercises for the back are specifically geared for “width,” while others are for “thickness.” Usually chinning and pulldown movements are credited with this magical ability build width. The truth is, as the upper back accumulates more muscle mass, it becomes wider simply because it is expanding away from the spine. Both vertical and horizontal pulling movements contribute to this phenomenon, so one should not rely on either at the expense of the other. That being said, there are ways to more selectively target the upper back in the general area surrounding the scapulae or shoulder blades, which is the most critical region for creating the illusion of superior width. Let’s look at these now. Chin-ups The one thing I want to get out of everyone’s heads is the absurd notion that super-wide chin-ups or pulldowns will give you extraordinary back width. I see so many trainers taking a very wide grip, near or at the very ends of the bar and way past shoulder width, and the only thing they’re getting is a truncated range of motion. Do this right now to see what I’m talking about. Grab an imaginary lat pulldown

Episode 127: Creating a Killer V-Taper!

What is the most glaring visual signal that identifies a

bodybuilder to a distant observer? You could say it’s simply the sheer size and thickness of his or her muscles relative to the average man, but from far away it’s nearly impossible to distinguish between muscular bulk and just plain fat. Bodybuilders have a specific shape that marks them as part of an elite group, and that shape is what’s known as a “V-Taper.” The phrase derives its origin from the inverted pyramid form of the letter V itself; wide on top and narrowing to a tiny point. On a human body, this translates into wide lats and shoulders tapering down to a small waist. It’s a look that’s highly sought-after, and with good reason. Many of the most aesthetically stunning bodybuilders of all time have had exaggerated V-tapers: Sergio Oliva, Brian Buchanon, Francis Benfatto, Thierry Pastel, Serge Nubret, Lee Labrada, Flex Wheeler circa 1993 (which many believe was his best ever), Paul Dillett, and Lee Haney. More recent examples are Cedric McMillan, Dennis Wolf, and all the Classic Physique IFBB Pros. A trend toward mass at any cost has given birth (pun intended) to giant, protruding bellies, which has disgusted a large percentage of

bodybuilding fans who place a high value on shape and proportion. In fact, if you showed a series of pictures of bodybuilders to the average hard-training gym member and asked them which physiques they aspired to look like, the ones with the killer V-tapers would be chosen 99 times out of 100. The role of genetics Obviously, some men and women are gifted with a natural V-shape before they ever touch a weight. This is almost entirely due to their skeletal structure, which features wide clavicles and narrow hips. Building on this framework with additional muscle mass in the back and shoulders, their taper only becomes more dramatic. Typically this category is the domain of mesomorphs (naturally athletic build), though many ectomorphs (naturally slender build) fall into this group as well. Endomorphs, who tend to be naturally stocky and are prone to obesity, almost always have wider waists and very little taper. You could say that the skeletal torso shapes of mesormorphs generally resemble inverted triangles, an ectomorph’s would look like an elongated rectangle, and an endomorph would be a square, or in the worst-case scenario, a rhomboid with the narrow end on top (pear-shape body). From

Pullovers An often-neglected exercise for building the upper back is pullovers, either with a dedicated machine, standing and using a cable attachment, or lying across a bench with a dumbbell or barbell. Pullovers allow you an excellent stretch that I believe over time does in fact widen the back through a combination of stretching the shoulder blades and breaking up some of the tough muscle fascia that inhibits growth. And, it’s also the only back exercise where the biceps are not a weak link and the lats work directly against resistance. Use it as a way to pre-exhaust the lats before chins or rows, put it in between them to give the biceps a chance to recover, or finish off your back workout with a dose of pure isolation. Wide shoulders Big shoulders and wide shoulders are not the same thing. A lot of men who

episode 127: creating a killer v-taper!

By Ron Harris

have focused on heavy bench pressing and overhead pressing develop tremendous mass in the front delts, but don’t always pay equal attention to their side heads and thus lack width in the shoulders. Lateral raises must have an important role in all your shoulder workouts. Side laterals Side raises can be done with dumbbells, cables, or specific machines. None is really any better than another, but good form is paramount. The movement must be controlled, with an effort made to feel the lateral deltoids working. Always try to “catch” the rep for a pause at the top and lower for a slow negative, around 2-3 seconds. It’s okay to loosen up the form after you have already done 6-8 good reps and give the side heads a final burn. Don’t try to go too heavy on these, or chances are other muscles will be doing most of the work.

a bodybuilder is born


Small town bodybuilding thrives

Swimming for cardio

Is losing 20-pounds in three months realistic?

Strength benchmarks

At Parrillo Performance, taste is obtained the hard way

iron vic speaks

BY IRON VIC STEELE

Vic,

I live in a very small town. But believe it or not, there are quite a few serious bodybuilders out here in the middle of nowhere. Our training group consists of five beginner-to-intermediate level men, all looking to take their bodybuilding progress to the next level. We use Parrillo Products and Parrillo training methods including fascia stretching, forced reps, high intensity cardio, etc. We live in rural Kansas and we are on our own; we don’t have access to a lot of things taken for granted in the cities. Still, we are making really good progress as a group – any suggestions for taking our collective bodybuilding efforts to the next level?

Paul, Freemont

You guys are the heart and soul of true bodybuilding, real men gathering together to collectively pump iron and better themselves. That is the very personification of old school. You

guys should consider purchasing a BodyStat kit and start administering body composition tests to each other. What is the goal of bodybuilding? To add muscle and melt off body fat. BodyStat is the device that tells you what is actually happening, otherwise you are just guessing. There are a wide variety of weekly possibilities, insofar as possible changes in body composition. You can…

• Add muscle, add fat• Lose muscle, lose fat• Stay the same• Lose muscle, add fat• Add muscle, lose fat

The goal of bodybuilding is #5, add muscle/lose fat. One key to successfully using BodyStat is to have the same competent person administer the test each week as this ensures week-to-week consistency. You guys are like cloistered bodybuilding monks: use it to your advantage. BodyStat

gives you the cold truth. Under the Parrillo system, each week a BodyStat reading would be taken and changes in diet and exercise made based on what BodyStat tells you. BodyStat uses a 9-point skin-fold pinch test to determine body composition. Regardless if the bodybuilder is seeking to add mass or strip off fat, BodyStat becomes the reality check: if you are building mass, it needs to be lean mass, not marbled with an unacceptable amount of fat. If you are looking to lose body fat, BodyStat tells you if the nutrition and cardio are working. I think that the addition of BodyStat, administered and logged weekly, would lift everyone’s physique to the next level.

Hello Sir.

What are good benchmarks for strength in the various lifts? Is there a gold standard? What is a good squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press for a 180-pound intermediate bodybuilder like myself?

Jensen, Frisco

Strength should always be considered in relation to bodyweight. The idea is to use progressive resistance training to improve your power-to-weight ratio. It is no good to add 50 pounds to

Upright rows Upright rows have a deserved reputation as being potentially dangerous to the rotator cuff structure, but this is something you probably would know about by now if it applied to you. Many trainers have done the exercise for many years with no negative issues. Upright rows are also a good adjunct to side raises in developing fuller, rounder side deltoids. Take a grip on a bar about shoulder width, and try to pull the bar over your shoulders. It should wind up at the level of your collarbone. Overhead presses Overhead presses will always have a vital role in overall mass acquisition. One way to be sure your front delts aren’t being overly stimulated is to do your presses after your side raises and upright rows. By pre-exhausting them in this manner, you will be assured that the front delts will not be at an advantage and hog all the stress that you want to go to the side heads. If you can press behind the neck with no problems, do so. Otherwise, I advise seated presses with dumbbells, where your hands are directly in line with your head as you press up and down. Of the machines, my personal favorite is the Hammer Strength behind-neck press, which provides the benefits of a barbell behind-neck press yet without putting the shoulder joints under load in a position of external rotation. Small waist The third and final component in the making of a V-taper is having a small waist. Most writers will not be as blunt as I am about to be, but I feel it is my duty. Once the fat is stripped away, the width of your waist is what it is. Some men and women are blessed with very narrow hips, others are not. For those of us who are not, the best we can do is to minimize the amount of fat we carry around our

midsections. Anyone who tries to tell you that you can continue to reduce your waist beyond this point is either trying to sell you something or just plain ignorant. Cardio Simply put, you must do cardio on a regular basis to get lean and stay lean. The only other option is to perpetually

crap will make you fat. Junk foods are an obvious no-no, but so are such seemingly innocuous items as white bread, white pasta, fruit juice, dairy products, and muffins. Be careful never to combine fatty foods like pork, red meat, or peanut butter with carbs. Also, don’t eat complex carbs with every meal. Your body needs a little in the morning for normal brain function, then some before and after weight training. Giving your body more carbs than it needs will result in the excess being stored as bodyfat. Supplements Diet and cardio are always going to be the major factors, but supplements can also help you reach your goals to get lean and stay lean. Advanced Lipotropic Formula™ will allow your body to mobilize more fat stores rather than store more bodyfat. Take one with each meal. Max Endurance Formula™ is also useful before weights or cardio to let you train harder and increase your VO2 max. Now it’s up to you. Do you want that awesome V-shape, or will you be comfortable looking more like a mailbox? If you want that coveted taper, you have the tools at your disposal. The ultimate V-taper can be yours if you follow these guidelines and stay the course. It won’t appear overnight, but your hard work will eventually pay off. And then, whether you’re standing right in front of someone or fifty yards away, they will instantly recognize you as a true bodybuilder.

a bodybuilder is born

eat below your maintenance level of calories and remain on a totally strict diet at all times. In that case, you would be forever hungry, grouchy, and gaining muscle would be biologically impossible. How appealing! How much and how intense your cardio needs to be is an individual matter that you need to experiment with to determine for yourself. Some guys can get by with two or three easy twenty-minute sessions a week, but these tend to be naturally lean people with high metabolisms. Others may need to do an hour of intense cardio a day, six days a week. This also has a lot to do with how much fat you need to lose. Diet This is a subject for an entire article (or book), but suffice to say that eating clean will make you lean, eating

Facebook: Ron Harris Writer Twitter: @RonHarrisMuscle Instagram: ronharrismuscle YouTube: RonHarrisMuscle


iron vic speaks john parrillo’s performance press

the bench press if you simultaneously add 25 pounds of body fat. The idea is to get maximally strong in order to create lean muscle mass. There is a relationship between size and strength: if you want to get seriously more muscular get seriously stronger. We have provided some rudimentary strength guidelines, ratios that classify three different strength levels. A word about the lifts themselves: the lifts need to be legit – no supportive gear, deep squats, paused bench presses, locked out deadlifts and locked out overhead presses…

the acquisition of more muscle mass. A serious intermediate bodybuilder increases lean muscle mass by upping strength levels. It might take the elite bodybuilder five years to achieve Level III power. Any 180-pound bodybuilder capable of a 450-pound super-deep raw squat, a 360-paused bench press and a 540-pound deadlift is packing some serious muscle mass. There is a Level IV reserved for high level bodybuilders: a triple bodyweight raw squat, a double-bodyweight bench press and a 3.5 times bodyweight deadlift.

The effectiveness of swimming as cardio exercise is determined by how strong a swimmer you are. If you are a good swimmer, fluid and strong, you will be able to swim fast enough to elevate the heart rate. The goal of all cardio, regardless the mode, is to dramatically raise the heart rate. If you are a poor swimmer or even an average swimmer, it is highly unlikely you will be able to propel yourself fast enough to accelerate the heart rate to any significant degree. One swimming advantage for the strong swimmer is a disadvantage for the normal swimmer: water keeps the body cool as it exercises; for a strong swimmer, this is a huge plus, a cooled body allows the elite swimmer to go further. A cooled body, for the average swimmer, just makes it that much harder to jack up the heart rate. Swimming is the least stressful form of cardio, no pavement pounding, no high impact stresses with swimming. If I were a strong enough swimmer (I am not) and if I had access, I would make swimming my number 1 cardio mode of choice. The variety of strokes is nearly limitless and this ensures variety and variety keeps cardio fresh. The strong swimmer could alternate the American crawl with the

backstroke; segue into a side-stroke before doing a lap with legs only, followed by a lap of arms only. This ability to alter the exercise format during the workout is ideal: swimming enables muscular stresses in all the limbs and allows mitochondria to be constructed all throughout the body, not just in the legs. Swim if you’re fast enough, otherwise do it for fun.

Help!

I need to shed twenty pounds in three months – is that possible? I have a high school reunion coming up and I want to impress. I am a serious lifter but not so much a serious dieter. I weigh a pudgy 225 standing 5-7. I want to trade-in the dumpy look for a muscular look. I got muscles, they are just hidden under a bunch of fat. Is three months enough time to hit my goal? My eating is completely out of bounds. I am thinking that if I suddenly tighten up and get rid of the sodas, pie, pork chops, McDonald’s, pizza and ice cream, that I could make progress fast – but I got to stay on the wagon. Lay it on me. I am ready to diet!

Jackson, Jacksonville

You know what to do: stop eating trash. Replace the nasty foods with lean protein, lots of fiber and modest amounts of starch. Supplement the food meals with some high octane Parrillo supplements – which I assume you already use. CapTri® is a must; most bodybuilders think of CapTri® as a mass-building supplement, which it is. Competitive bodybuilders use CapTri® in the final weeks leading up to a show as a calorie-replacement for the starch carb calories that need be extracted to achieve maximum muscularity. By ‘switching out’ CapTri® calories for starch calories, no muscle mass is lost (or any loss is minimalized) while attaining single-digit body fat percentiles. You should sprinkle a tablespoon or two

of CapTri® over every food meal. I use it to sauté eggs, vegetables and chicken fingers. Clean up the eating, no fumbles or bobbles and no false starts; you don’t have time. You are right: if you manage 12 weeks of clean eating you will drop twenty for sure. Also, start doing 30-minutes of sweaty cardio 4-5 times a week. Write back if successful. If you fall off the wagon, don’t bother.

Greeting Mr. Vic!

I have serious food allergies that make it critical that I eat clean. If I eat right – like a bodybuilder – I feel great. If I eat impure supplements loaded with sugar and chemicals, I get sick. My problem is deceptive advertising used by supplement makers. My solution has been to switch to Parrillo. The problem is finding supplements that are potent and sugar-free. I have had some really bad allergic reactions after consuming supplements (protein powders, sports nutrition bars) that should have caused no reaction. These supplements obviously do not contain the ingredients listed on the label. Obviously, there is a lot of mislabeling going on out here. I was introduced to Parrillo Products about three months ago by a highly successful local bodybuilder. I use Parrillo Optimized Whey™ protein and the delicious Soft Chew™ bars. I just discovered the Graham Cracker flavored Energy bar. I use 50-50 Plus™ after every workout and guess what? No allergic reactions! Thank you for producing potent products that contain what is claimed. I need purity and potency and Parrillo has provided that for me. Bill, Wheaton

Nutritional supplements used with great expertise will have a profoundly positive effect on any physique. This assumes the supplements are potent and pure. Potency and purity are valued above all other supplemental

Level 1 Level II Level III Squat 1.5 x bwt.(270) double bwt.(360) 2.5 x bwt.(450) bench press 1.25 x bwt.(225) 1.5 x bwt.(270) 1.75 x bwt.(315)deadlift double bwt.(360) 2.5 x bwt.(450) Triple bwt.(540) overhead press .80 x bwt.(145) bodyweight 1.2 x bwt.(215)

I have put the actual poundage needed for a 180-pound lifter to hit these benchmarks in brackets. The bracketed poundage numbers are single repetition maximum efforts. This chart offers a very accurate depiction of the strength needed to grow championship muscle mass. Level I strength is what the serious novice bodybuilder should strive for. The strength needed to perform level II lifts would require

Happy Fall!

I like to swim – is swimming good cardio? Could I swim instead of riding an exercise bike? I have access to an indoor pool (at the Y) and I could swim every day if I wanted to. Plus, I am bored out of my skull riding the different aerobic machines.

Selena, Taos

Order yours today and find out what everyone is

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Swimming is the least stressful form of cardio, no pavement pounding, no high impact stresses with swimming.

October 201726 1-800-344-3404

PRODUCT PRICELISTCapTri® Butter Flavor CapTri®Max Endurance Formula™Enhanced GH Formula™Advanced Lipotropic Formula™Joint Formula™Bio-C™Natural-E Plus™Liver Amino Formula™Mineral-Electrolyte Formula™Muscle Amino Formula™Ultimate Amino Formula™Essential Vitamin Formula™Creatine Monohydrate Formula™Calcium PyruvateEvening Primrose Oil 1000™Fish Oil DHA 800 EPA 200™Pro-Carb Powder™

Vanilla, Chocolate, and StrawberryHi-Protein Powder™

Vanilla, Chocolate, Peach, Strawberry, and BananaHi-Protein™ Single Serving Pouches

Vanilla and ChocolateAll-Protein Powder™

Milk FlavorOptimized Whey Protein™

Vanilla Malt, Chocolate Malt, and Strawberry MaltOptimized Whey™ Single Serving Pouches

Chocolate Malt and Vanilla Malt50/50 Plus Powder ™

Vanilla, Chocolate, Milk, and Orange CreamChocolate Fix Protein Powder

Chocolate Almond Coconut

Parrillo Protein Bars™Vanilla Créme, Fudge Brownie,Strawberry Shortcake and Peanut Butter Delight.

Parrillo Energy Bars™French Vanilla, Peanut Butter Supreme, Chocolate Almond Coconut, Chocolate Cherry Cordial and Graham Cracker.

Parrillo Protein Chew Bars™Vanilla and Chocolate Graham Cracker

Parrillo High Protein High Fiber Soft Chew Bars™Chocolate, Pecan Praline, Toffee, and Peanut Butter

PB for MCTInstant Hi-Protein Low Carb Pudding™

Chocolate and VanillaHi-Protein Pancake & Muffin Mix™

Maple and BananaHi-Protein Cake & Cupcake Mix™

Chocolate, Vanilla, and Spice CakeProtein Frosting Mix™

Vanilla, Chocolate, Peanut Butter (Allergen-Free), and Cream CheeseProtein Ice Kreem™

Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, and PeachContest Cookie Mix™

Plain, Chocolate and Butter Flavored ShortbreadContest Brownie Mix™ (Chocolate)High Fiber Chocolate Syrup Mix™

Nutrition ProgramNutrition Manual, Food Composition Guide, 30 Diet Trac SheetsCapTri® Manual, CapTri® Cookbook, Supplement Guide, and 450g Deluxe Food ScaleTraining ManualProper Exercise Techniques, Special Fascial Stretching and High Intensity RoutinesBodyStat KitBodyStat Manual, 12 BodyStat Sheets, and Skinfold CalipersPerformance PackageNutrition Program with BodyStat KitTotal Performance PackageTraining Manual, Nutrition Program, & BodyStat Kit CapTri® CookbookStrict recipes using CapTri® to make your food taste greatJohn Parrillo’s Performance Press™12 Monthly informational-packed issues (US)

High Thermogenic Energy SourceHigh Thermogenic Energy SourceNutrients for Hard TrainingNutrients for Endocrine FunctionNutrients for Fat MetabolismNutrients for Healthy JointsVitamin-C with Bioflavonoids100% Natural Vitamin-EPower Packed Protein with Heme IronNutrients for Electrolyte BalanceNutrients for Muscle GrowthNutrients for Hard DietingNutrients for VitalityBoosts Muscular Energy StoresCalcium SupplementEssential Fatty AcidsEssential Fatty AcidsClean Carbohydrate Energy Source

Outstanding Functional Protein

Outstanding Functional Protein

High Efficiency Protein Dietary Supplement

High Biological Value Protein

High Biological Value Protein

Protein and Carbohydrates for Workout RecoveryProtein drink for chocolate lovers

Portable 60/40 Nutrition

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

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12 / box

16 oz16 oz

24 oz

24 oz

21.2 oz

32 oz

25.4 oz

22.3 oz16 oz

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iron vic speaks

attributes. The dilemma for honest supplement makers has been how to find a way to combine potent raw ingredients to create a final finished product that taste good – but (and this is a big but) without resorting to sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Potency and purity are valueless if the final product tastes awful. The struggle is to find a way to combine potency and taste without resorting to sugar. Parrillo Performance Products has long led the industry in fusing uncompromising potency with incredible taste without using sugar or high fructose corn syrup. For years the dirty little secret in the supplement industry haws been the widespread use of sugar to make ingredients palatable.

High fructose corn syrup started appearing everywhere and in everything in the 1990s. John Parrillo was one of the first to point out that

this substance is inappropriate for human consumption. He refused to use it in any Parrillo Product. Meanwhile, the rest of the world was hailing HFCS as the “healthy” alternative to sugar. High Fructose Corn Syrup spikes insulin through the roof. Supplement makers were slyly classifying HFCS as a carbohydrate instead of a sugar, enabling them to shift grams of sugar into the carb column when listing the product’s nutritional profile. Parrillo Performance Products made a commitment to create nutritional supplements that were maximally potent and maximally flavorful – without succumbing to lure of sugar or high fructose corn syrup. This is the great dilemma for the scrupulous supplement maker: can you replicate real sugar taste without resorting to sugar? Many have tried and 99.9% have been pathetic failures. The Parrillo test kitchen created flavor

breakthroughs using exotic substances to create the flavor and sweetness without spiking insulin. At Parrillo Performance, quality and taste are achieved without nutritional compromise.

Parrillo Performance Products has long led the industry in fusing uncompromising potency with incredible taste without using sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

Michelle KurzbanSeptember 2017

Featured Athlete

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Send usyour storySend usyour story

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6200 Union Centre Blvd. Fairfield, OH 450141-800-344-3404

www.ParrilloPerformance.com

photo by Salvitore Brancifort

Documents

Ryan Stanton - Parrillo Performance€¦ · flavored protein powders. John’s Protein bar has the right nutrients needed to accelerate post-workout recovery. I have used CapTri®