level one certification - parrillo performancebefore blasting biceps or triceps. that way you...

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By Iron Vic Steele

www.parrillo.com 1-800-344-3404 Performance Press / March 2004 4

JOHN PARRILLO�S PERFORMANCE PRESS

Back in the 1970’s one of the big-gest whoppers ever foisted on thefitness public took place when itwas declared by ‘experts’ that asingle set of a single exercisedone once a week for eachmuscle was all that was requiredto maximize muscle mass. Itseems laughable nowadays butback in the 70’s legions of fitnessfollowers bought this ridiculoustheory hook, line and sinker.Younger readers won’t remem-ber all the overblown hype thatsurrounded the Nautilus ‘system’and its lame approach. Nowa-days we recognize it for the crazyidea that it was but back then itwas widely accepted as gospelby legions of wide-eyed followers.Everyone wanted desperately tobelieve that all you needed to do inorder to build arms like Arnold waswork up to single all-out set ofmachine curls or pushdowns onetime a week. It was a load of bullmanure back then and it’s a loadof bull manure now. The only dif-ference is nowadays we’ve hadyears of experience with this typeof training and time has taught usjust how ridiculous this idea reallywas. It was wishful thinkingwrapped in an economic agendathat flat out didn’t work: never didand never will. Entire gyms werebuilt around Nautilus-style trainingwith rows and rows of (then) fancymachines. Patrons would pay topdollar to join up and go from onecumbersome monstrosity to an-other, diligently performing their oneset to failure before proceedingonto the next machine. “It’s all youneed!” The proponents shoutedwith the fervor of fundamentalists,“Any more is a waste of time!”This approach was ineffective and

they’re all out of business becausethey didn’t deliver results.

The truth is and was and alwayswill be: in order to make a musclegrow you have to shock-blast ithard, heavy and often using allkinds of rep schemes, all kinds ofexercises and all kinds of attackangles. Periodically the battle planneeds to be changed in order toavoid muscular complacency; dothe same thing too long and in thesame way and the body becomesused to stress and counters the ef-fect. Nowhere is the use of mul-tiple sets and multiple sessions us-ing multiple exercises more impor-tant than in arm training. You aresadly mistaken if you think that bydoing 2-3 sets of biceps and tricepsonce a week you’ll magically growgargantuan guns. In my experiencearms need to be trained two orthree times a week using anywherefrom nine to twenty sets each forboth biceps and triceps. If you wantto push your arm size up signifi-cantly you have to do two things:

train the hell out of them and addbody weight. If you weigh 150-pounds with 15-inch arms, there isno way that you’ll blow them up to16 or 17-inches without adding 10to 20-pounds of body weight. Thisis another inconvenient fact of lifethat most trainees refuse to accept.Biceps respond best to lots of dif-ferent exercises done from lots ofdifferent angles. Triceps are amaz-ingly strong muscles and need tobe pounded with heavy poundageand then sculpted using differentexercises that hit all three tricepheads. Check out this classicalParrillo-style arm training regimen,

DAY I

Biceps: standing barbell curls,preacher curls, concentration curls,overhead cable curls

Triceps: narrow grip bench press,seated dumbbell French press,pushdowns, kickbacks

5 March 2004 / Performance Press 1-800-344-3404 www.parrillo.com

BIG ARMS

DAY II

Biceps: seated dumbbell curls, in-cline dumbbell curls, spider curls,concentration curl

Triceps: weighted dips, nose-breakers, overhead press e-z curlbar, rope pushdowns

I would suggest 3-4 sets for eachexercise. Keep reps in the 8-12 reprange, though you can go as highas 20 reps if needed, and have yourtraining partner administer someforced reps on the final set of eachexercise. Alternately, if you aretraining alone, use drop sets inplace of forced reps. The drop setprocedure is simple: if for example,you were to work up to 100-poundsfor 12 reps in the standing curl, onthe final set, set the bar down, strip10-20 pounds off the bar, standback up and rep out once again.When you can’t perform anotherrep set the bar back down, stripoff another 10-20 pounds and repout one final time for a seconddrop-set. If you are doing bicepsand triceps on the same day, trysuper setting once in a while; al-ternating back and forth betweenbiceps and triceps. Perform a setof biceps then immediately per-form a set of triceps, then rest.Back and forth, back and forth untilall arm exercises for that day arecompleted.

Placement within the overall work-out scheme is important; there isno way that you can blast your tri-ceps on Tuesday and then comein the next day and max out on anytype of pressing – regardless if youare doing flat bench press, incline

press, overhead press or press-be-hind-the-neck; if you’ve hit the tri-ceps the way you’re supposed tothe day before, your pressingpower will be shot the followingday. Triceps play a huge role inpressing of any type. From ¾’sextended to full lockout the tricepsare responsible for completing allthe various press movements. Irecommend that triceps be done on

chest day, immediately after all theflat benching is completed. Bicepsare unique in that training themdoesn’t pre-fatigue other muscles.Never ever begin a workout bytraining biceps or triceps – unlessarms are all you are doing that par-ticular day. I wish I had a nickelfor every time I’ve seen somerookie weight trainer start theirtraining session with set after setof biceps. The bicep is a smallmuscle and its dead wrong to startoff a workout by hitting smallmuscle groups. Get the legs, back,chest and shoulders out of the waybefore blasting biceps or triceps.That way you don’t expend all youravailable training energy.

As mentioned earlier, unless youadd body weight you’ll never growyour guns larger to any significantdegree. I recommend that you seekto add 1 to 1.5 pounds of bodyweight per week in conjunction withan arm specialization program. Dothis for 10-straight weeks and you’llend up 10-15 pounds heavier andpush your arm size up 1-2 inches.This approach has been used fordecades by elite bodybuilders andassuming you push your poundageand reps ever upward, and assum-ing you take in sufficient calories,this classical approach to arm train-ing will work wonders for you. Iwould suggest you supplement witha post-workout smart-bomb nutri-tional shake. The best thing you cando for muscles after a killer work-out is supply them immediately withthe nutrients they need to heal andgrow. Parrillo 50-50 Plus™ for-mulation is designed specifically toprovide the perfect post-workoutcombination of carbohydrate andprotein. Pre-mixed in perfect pro-portion, a serving or two of 50-50Plus™ takes advantage of the‘window of opportunity’ that opensat the conclusion of a workout andsnaps shut approximately one hourlater. Science has shown that nu-trients taken in when the windowis open are absorbed at twice thenormal rate. What this means is bydousing blasted muscle after a killerarm workout the biceps and tricepswill recover and grow at a radicallyaccelerated rate. If you are serousabout building big arms lets get se-rious about training, eating andsupplementation. Work them hard,heavy and often and soon you’ll bebuying new shirts to accommodateyour newly enlarged arms.

As mentioned earlier,unless you add bodyweight you’ll nevergrow your guns largerto any significantdegree. I recommendthat you seek to add 1to 1.5 pounds of bodyweight per week inconjunction with an armspecialization program.



This has been one of the coldest,most bitter winters in Boston indecades. And there are actuallyrecords to back that up. A coupleweeks ago, we had a temperatureon a specific day that hadn’t beenrecorded so low since 1875. A lotof you are familiar with ex-tremely frigid weather, butlet me enlighten those of youwho are not. In windyplaces, and Boston is actu-ally windier than Chicago(stop living a lie, Chi Town!),we have something calledthe wind chill factor. Thatmeans if the actual tempera-ture is zero degrees, withsome decent gusts it can feellike thirty below zero. Atthirty degrees below zero,your skin can freeze in lessthan five minutes of expo-sure. You could urinate andmake frozen golden archesin tribute to McDonald’s.Leave Rover out all night byaccident and you will wake up to adogsicle. In some countries, that’sconsidered a delicacy, though ittakes a while to lick off all the hairand get to the good stuff. And ifyou happen to have big Dumbo earsthat stick out, just walk around out-side without a hat on for about anhour. At that point, a buddy cansimply chip away the excess ear

tissue to give you a makeover thatdoesn’t even involve new teeth anda stylist to tell you what a bum youdress like.

When the winters are extra coldlike this, the influenza virus, more

commonly known as “that flu thingthat makes you hurl and feel liketotal crap for a couple weeks,”seems to blossom and spread likethat catchy Outkast song, “HeyYa.” I have been fortunate so farthat neither I, my wife, or my twochildren, both of whom attendthose teeming virus farms known

as public schools, has come downwith the flu. My young protégéRandy was not so lucky, as Ilearned on leg day last week.

I got to the gym a few minutes be-fore he did, as was often the case.

As such, I didn’t see himwalk in. He walked, orshould I say shuffled, intothe room with the squatracks and power cage, asI was starting to warm upon squats. Right away Isensed something wasamiss, as he usuallybounced around like a tod-dler high on Coca Colaand Rugrats fruit snacks.That manic energy wasnot with him today. Hiseyes also appeared a littlelistless and dull.

“What’s up, do you feelokay?”

“Ah, I’ll be fine, I just needto warm up and get in the groove,”he replied, gesturing as if there wasnothing to be alarmed about. I tooka step forward and put the back ofmy hand on his forehead.

“Huh!” I exclaimed. “You’re al-ready warm. Have you takenyour temperature?”

I got to the gym a few minutesbefore he did, as was often thecase. As such, I didn’t see him walkin. He walked, or should I sayshuffled, into the room with thesquat racks and power cage, as Iwas starting to warm up on squats.Right away I sensed something wasamiss, as he usually bouncedaround like a toddler high on CocaCola and Rugrats fruit snacks. Thatmanic energy was not with himtoday. His eyes also appeared alittle listless and dull.

10www.parrillo.com 1-800-344-3404 Performance Press / March 2004

A BODYBUILDER IS BORN

“Yeah,” he said, starting to load aforty-five on each side of a bar inthe free rack next to the one I wasusing. “It was like a hundred, butI took some Ibuprofen about anhour ago and it’s going down.”

“Take the weights off,” I sternlyordered him.

“What? Why?”

“I would do it myself, but I don’twant what you’ve got. I’m prettysure you have the flu, kid,” I toldhim.

He tried to argue with me on that,but quickly he realized I was prob-ably right.

“Well, if it’s just starting, I can stilltrain today before it gets reallybad.”

I shook my head at his stubborn-ness. The worst thing was that Isaw so much of myself in his cava-lier attitude. I had been there anddone that, with nasty conse-quences.

I gestured for him to sit down, thensat myself a few feet away. Ididn’t want to breathe in his peskylittle flu bug any more than Iwanted to pick it up handling thesame equipment as he did.

“I admire your dedication and re-fusal to let anything stand in yourway,” I began, which elicited aproud smile from Randy. “But inthis case, you have to do the rightthing, and that is to go home nowand rest your body instead of beat-

ing it up with the weights. I havetried to train sick many times, andit never had a positive outcome.Even when I managed to dig downdeep and pull off a good workoutdespite having a bad cold or theflu, it always made the illnessworse. That’s because your bodyis already working hard trying tofight the infection. Then, whenyou put it through a tough work-out, or even a not so tough work-out, you are doing nothing but di-verting the limited resources of

your immune system when they aremost badly needed to protect you.”

“Ron, no disrespect, but you’re nota doctor,” Randy noted.

“I know. I don’t even play one onT.V. So I invite you to get to yourphysician as soon as he or she hasan appointment, and ask them whatthey think. If they don’t say some-thing similar to what I just told you,you can come back later and I willpersonally load your weights for

Even when I managed to dig down deep and pulloff a good workout despite having a bad cold or aflu, it always made the illness worse. That’s be-cause your body is already working hard trying tofight the infection. Then, when you put it through atough workout, or even a not so tough workout,you are doing nothing but diverting the limited re-sources of your immune system when they aremost badly needed to protect you.”

A BODYBUILDER IS BORN


you. Of course, I will be wearinga surgical mask, latex gloves, andspraying you in the face with Lysolafter every set.”

Randy thought about it, his facegrim. “I just hate to miss any train-ing, you know?”

“Randy,” I laughed, “who do youthink you’re talking to? I am thetype who would be on my death-bed wondering if I could squeezein one last arm workout so my gunswould be pumped in the Afterlife!Listen, a wise warrior chooses hisbattles carefully. Rather than gofight a battle you absolutely can’twin, you are always better off stay-

ing away and living to fight anotherday. Of course, this does not ap-ply to the Lord of the Rings mov-ies, but you don’t have Gandolf torescue your ass.”

Randy put his weights away. Heclearly wasn’t happy to do this, butI knew that now he understood myreasoning. If he tried to push hisbody when it was in such a vulner-able state, the results could be di-sastrous. If instead, he stayedaway from the gym and rested,Randy would get healthy soonerand be back into the gym to con-tinue his quest for bodybuildingglory.

It’s been almost a week, and inRandy’s last e-mail he said he wasstarting to feel a lot better. To beon the safe side, he needs to wait acouple more days and then returnto the gym and gradually build backup to his normal intensity levels. Ifelt good. This was definitely oneof those “do as I say, not as I do”situations, as I found it hard to fol-low my own advice much of thetime. Now, if I happen to get sick,at least I will have Randy to nagme into keeping out of the gym.Together with my wife, that shouldrate a 7.9 on the Nagometer, andfew men can disobey admonish-ment of that magnitude.



The proof that medium-chain trig-lyceride oil (MCT oil) is an effec-tive weight-reducing agent and fatfighter is overwhelming. At Casein point: Just in 2003, several stud-ies were published that point to thefact that MCT most definitely ac-tivates fat loss in humans. Somespecifics:

MCT Oil BoostsFat Oxidation

In a study at McGill University, re-searchers found that MCT in-creased energy expenditure in 19

overweight men over 4 weeks ofsupplementation. With this boost inenergy use, more dietary fat wasshunted toward oxidation – whichmeant the subjects stored less fat fora positive weight-control effect. (1)

MCT May HelpControl CentralObesity

Where you’re overweight — tech-nically known as “fat patterning”—it influences more than just yourappearance. It directly affectsyour health. People with a type of

fat patterning known as centralobesity or upper body obesity arehigh-risk candidates for diabetes,heart disease, and certain cancers.

In another study conducted atMcGill University, men with cen-tral obesity who took MCT oil hada greater loss of this fat than sub-jects who supplemented with aconventional fat (olive oil). The re-searchers stated, “Thus, MCTsmay be considered as agents thataid in the prevention obesity or po-tentially stimulate weight loss.” (2)

By John Parrillo


CAPTRI® UPDATE

MCT OilDecreases BodyFat Weight

In a Japanese study published lastyear, researchers discovered thatadding MCT oil to a diet boostedthermogenesis (the production ofbody heat from the burning of foodfor energy) significantly, so thatsubjects lost subcutaneous (underthe skin) fat, as well as visceral (in-ternal) fat.(3)

How MCT Oil(CapTri®) Works

A key component of my nutritionprogram, MCT oil (our product isCapTri®) is refined from coconutoil through a special extraction pro-cess. Despite being a coconut oilderivative, CapTri® is cholesterolfree, without any of the adversequalities associated with tropicaloils. The molecular structure ofCapTri® is quite different fromconventional fats such as marga-rine, butter, and vegetable oils, giv-ing it some very unique properties.

Compared to conventional fats,CapTri® has a shorter molecularstructure that causes it to be me-tabolized in an entirely differentmanner than conventional fats aremetabolized. In short, CapTri® ismore rapidly oxidized, and as a re-sult, it has very little tendency tobe stored as body fat — a prop-erty that makes this supplementideal for bodybuilders, athletes, andexercisers.

CapTri® also has a “high thermiceffect of food (TEF),” meaning

that it increases thermogenesis, asone of the above studies showed.Foods with a high TEF tend to el-evate the metabolic rate more thanfoods with a lower TEF. In onestudy of the thermic effects ofMCTs and conventional fats, inges-tion of MCTs was shown to in-crease the metabolic rate 12 per-cent over six hours, compared toonly 4 percent over the same pe-riod with conventional fats.(4) The

high TEF of MCTs is an importantreason why MCT calories arerarely stored as body fat.

You can use this information in twoways. First, because your metabo-lism speeds up after each meal dueto thermogenesis, eating frequentmeals keeps your metabolic ratehigh throughout the day. Second,supplementing your diet with MCTs,with their high TEF, further in-

A key component of my nutrition program, MCToil (our product is CapTri®) is refined fromcoconut oil through a special extraction process.Despite being a coconut oil derivative, CapTri®is cholesterol free, without any of the adversequalities associated with tropical oils.


creases the metabolic rate follow-ing meals. To help build your me-tabolism, it certainly makes senseto eat five to six meals a day andsupplement with CapTri®.

There’s more: The enzymes thatmake new body fat and convertglucose into fat are less active iflipids like CapTri® are included inthe diet. The hormone insulin nor-mally stimulates these fat-storingenzymes to store any excess calo-ries as fat. The amazing thing is thatwhen lipids like CapTri® are in-cluded in the diet these fat-makingenzymes are less active - even inthe presence of insulin (5). This

suggests that CapTri® may permityou to derive the anabolic effectof insulin while avoiding its fat-pro-moting effects.

The anti-catabolic properties ofMCT oil such as CapTri® are an-other good reason to include it inyour mass-building diet. Studiesshow that MCT oil spares bodyprotein (5). MCTs improve nitro-gen balance and are believed toincrease weight by protein reten-tion, whereas conventional fatscontribute to weight gain by in-creasing body fat (5). MCT oil in-creases protein synthesis in theliver more so than conventional fatsor glucose (5).

Also, after glycogen stores havebeen depleted, the branched chainamino acids leucine, isoleucine, andvaline are oxidized as fuel in themuscles. In the liver, CapTri® isconverted into ketone bodies, whichare released into the bloodstreamand used as fuel (6). Skeletalmuscle can readily burn ketonebodies for fuel and may spare theoxidation of branched chain aminoacids and reduce skeletal muscleprotein catabolism. The sparing ofBCAAs would leave these aminoacids available to build muscles in-stead of being burned as fuel. (6)

CapTri® and theLow-Carb Strategy

These days, millions of people whowant to shed pounds have jumpedon the low-carb bandwagon – andfor good reason. The restriction ofcarbohydrates in your diet encour-ages the body to burn fat for en-ergy. In the absence of carbohy-drates, the body releases glucagon(a hormone that opposes the ac-tion of insulin) as a signal to mobi-lize body fat stores and burn themfor energy. When glycogen storeshave been depleted, the body startsburning fat for energy.

The problem with restricting car-bohydrates, the body’s preferredfuel, is the corresponding drop inenergy levels. You can, however,use the low-carb strategy to shedbody fat — but without losing en-ergy. CapTri® is a source of calo-ries your body can use for fuel asa replacement for carbohydrates.By supplementing with CapTri®,you keep your energy levels high,


You can cook with CapTri® too. Many deliciousrecipes using this supplement, from chickenratatouille to sweet potato oat bran muffins, arefeatured in our CapTri® Cookbook.

CAPTRI® UPDATE

even though you’re restricting car-bohydrate intake. At the same time,you’re creating a dietary and hor-monal milieu that is conducive tofat loss. Also, the high thermic ef-fect of CapTri® keeps the meta-bolic rate elevated.

CapTri® and YourDiet: The Key toMuscularity

Muscular gains result from the in-creased consumption of qualitycalories — from food and fromsupplements — combined with atraining program that emphasizesintense exercise, fascial stretching,and aerobics. An excellent way toincrease calories and thus promotemuscular gain is by supplementingthe diet with CapTri®, which sup-plies 114 calories per tablespoon.Providing additional calories is themost important role of CapTri® inassisting the body in buildingmuscle.

How to TakeCapTri®

As important as understanding howthis supplement works is knowinghow to take it correctly. Eventhough the supplement is a naturalproduct, CapTri® must be gradu-ally introduced into the diet as tol-erated and should always be takenwith meals. Improper introductioninto the diet can cause diarrhea andstomach cramping as a result of thesupplement’s rapid uptake by thebody.

Begin by taking one-half tablespoonwith each meal for three days.

Then increase that amount to onetablespoon for three more days.Subsequent increases should bemade in one-half tablespoon incre-ments per meal for three days.Higher usage levels depend on yourcaloric intake and tolerance forCapTri®. At 114 calories per table-spoon, if you are eating five mealsa day, CapTri® is providing 570calories to your diet. If you experi-ence cramping or diarrhea, simplydecrease your dosage temporarilyuntil your tolerance improves.

You can cook with CapTri® too.Many delicious recipes using thissupplement, from chickenratatouille to sweet potato oat branmuffins, are featured in our Cap-Tri® Cookbook.

Because CapTri® contains no es-sential fatty acids, be sure to takeEvening Primrose Oil 1000™, orup to a tablespoon of unsaturatedfat daily. And, individuals with dia-betes, acidosis, or ketosis shouldconsult their physician before us-ing any type of medium-chain fattyacid oil.

CapTri® can split or soften con-tainers and utensils composed ofcertain plastics, such aspolyethlylene and polystyrene.Therefore, this supplement comesin glass bottles and should be usedonly with glass or metal contain-ers.

By combining CapTri® with theproper diet and exercise program,you’ll maximize your results. Thisamazing lipid, which the the medi-cal world has known about foryears, is just what you need for

energy, endurance, and a leaner,more muscular body.References

1. St-Onge, M.P., et al. 2003.Greater rise in fat oxidation withmedium-chain triglyceride con-sumption relative to long-chain trig-lyceride is associated with lowerinitial body weight and great lossof subcutaneous adipose tissue.International Journal of Obesity andRelated Metabolic Disorders 27:1565-1571.

2. St-Onge, M.P., et al. 2003.Medium-chain triglycerides in-crease energy expenditure and de-crease adiposity in overweightmen. Obesity Research 11: 395-402.

3. Nosaka, N., et al. 2003. Ef-fects of margarine containing me-dium-chain triacylglycerols on bodyfat reduction in humans. Journal ofAtherosclerosis and Thrombosis10: 280-298.

4. Seaton, T. B., et al. 1986.Thermic effect of medium and longchain triglycerides in man. Ameri-can Journal of Clinical Nutrition 44:630-634.

5. Record, et al. 1986. Long chainversus medium chain length triglyc-erides - a review of metabolism andclinical use. Nutrition in ClinicalPractice1:129 -135.

6. Bach and Babayan. 1982.Medium chain triglycerides: an up-date. American Journal of ClinicalNutrition 36:950 - 962.




After people compliment you onhow terrific you look, you probablytell them you’re eating bakedchicken breasts, high-fiber veg-etables, starchy vegetables, and asupplement called CapTri®. Someof your complimenters may fireback at you: “That’s how body-builders eat!”

Exactly — that is how bodybuild-ers eat. The major reason naturalbodybuilders and fitness champslook so lean and firm is their diet!So if you want to look like that, youhave to eat like they do.

When people start sticking to JohnParrillo’s recommendations forgood eating, they realize, probablyfor the first time ever, how foodreally works. I want to review thoseprinciples here, with the hopes thatthey will further motivate you to-ward positive eating habits thisyear.

Principle #1: Lean proteinis a metabolic activator.

Protein is indispensable to life be-cause it plays a role in every partof the body and in every cell. Infact, our bodies are constructedentirely of protein. The protein weeat is broken down into nitrogen-containing chemicals called aminoacids. These are used to form

muscle; hemoglobin, which carriesoxygen to cells; enzymes and hor-mones, which regulate all body pro-cesses; and antibodies, which fightoff infection and disease. At thecellular level, amino acids formDNA and RNA, the nucleo-pro-teins inside the cell that control cel-lular growth and reproduction, thusgoverning all life.

When you exercise, your muscletissue is broken down in a processcalled catabolism and later rebuiltin a process called anabolism. Pro-tein drives these processes, knownas the catabolism/anabolism cycle.

When protein intake is increased,your body actually starts to formnew lean muscle. This occurs in theanabolic portion of the cycle. Dayafter day, this cycle repeats itself,and as long as there is sufficientprotein to repair and rebuild, thebuilding of muscle tissue continues.

After you eat a meal, your meta-bolic rate increases — a reactionpartly due to the various chemicalreactions associated with digestion,absorption, and storage of food inthe body. Another reason for theincrease is that certain amino ac-ids in food directly stimulate cellu-lar processes.

A high carbohydrate meal boosts

your metabolic rate about four per-cent, while a high protein mealraises the metabolism about 30 per-cent above normal, usually with onehour after the meal. This can lastfor as long as three to 12 hours.This effect of protein on metabolicrate is called “specific dynamicaction.”

The lean protein you eat on theParrillo Nutrition Program is highquality protein, derived from animalsources, and referred to as “com-plete protein” (that is, it supplies allthe indispensable amino acids youneed for excellent health.) Highquality protein is well utilized by thebody. For example, between 90 and95 percent of the protein from ani-mal sources is absorbed by thebody, whereas only 73 percent ofthe protein in plant sources is ab-sorbed. Good sources of lean pro-tein include white meat poultry, fish,egg whites, and protein powderssuch as Parrillo Hi-Protein Pow-der or Parrillo Whey Protein.

Principle #2: Carbohy-drates fuel your body forbody-firming exercise.

Carbohydrates are energy foods.During digestion, they are changedinto glucose (blood sugar), whichcirculates in the blood and is used


HOW FOOD REALLY WORKS

as energy for the red blood cellsand the central nervous system.Glucose not used right away isstored in the liver and muscles asglycogen. When your muscles donot have enough glycogen, you feeltired and fatigued. On the otherhand, the more well-fueled you are,the harder you can train. Intenseworkouts — both strength-trainingand aerobics — leads to a super-sculpted physique.

There are two broad classificationsof carbohydrates: simple sugarsand complex carbohydrates, eachused differently by your body.Simple sugars can convert readilyto body fat because of their mo-lecular structure and fast releaseinto the body. Because it takesmore energy to digest, absorb, andutilize complex carbohydrates, theyare less likely to turn into body fat.

Fruit and fruit juices contain thesimple sugar fructose, which ismetabolized into fat by the liver. Tomaximize fat-burning, limit yourfruit intake while you are trying toget into shape.

The Parrillo Nutrition Program fea-tures two types of complex carbo-hydrates: starchy carbohydratesand fibrous carbohydrates. Starchycarbohydrates are natural, unre-fined whole grains such as brownrice and oatmeal; beans and le-gumes such as kidney beans, len-tils, and peas; and tubers such aspotatoes and yams. As polysaccha-rides, starchy carbohydrates arechains of dozens of glucose mol-ecules linked together. Because ofthis complex molecular structure,more energy is required for starchy

carbohydrates to be digested, ab-sorbed, and utilized by the body.The glucose from starchy carbo-hydrates, therefore, enters the sys-tem much more slowly than glucosefrom simple sugars, allows minimalproduction of insulin, and providesmore sustained energy levels.

Fibrous carbs are rich in nutrients,including vitamins, minerals, andfiber. Vitamins have important dis-ease-protecting functions, and min-erals help form body structuressuch as bones, teeth, and tissuesand are involved in all the body’smetabolic processes. Fiber isneeded to maintain the health ofyour digestive system — in addi-tion to performing a number ofother important functions.

Processed carbohydrates such asbreads and pastas should be

avoided initially because they con-vert easily to sugar, and then to bodyfat.

Principle #3: Certain typesof dietary fat are essentialfor good health.

Perhaps you have been told thatdietary fats are the “bad guys”when it comes to nutrition. Not allfats are bad, however. Certain fatsare vital to health. The fats I amreferring to are essential fatty ac-ids or EFAs, which are made up ofcompounds called oleic acid, linoleicacid, linolenic acid, and arachidonicacid, all contained primarily in veg-etable oils. Omega-3 fatty acidsare another type of EFA, and theyare found in fish.

All EFAs are vitamin-like sub-stances that have a protective ef-fect on the body. The reason thesefats are called “essential” is be-cause your body cannot manufac-ture them; you must obtain themfrom the foods you eat. EFAs arethe “good guys” in the nutritionstory.

Each day, add one teaspoon of anEFA source to your diet. This willguard against an EFA deficiency.The best sources are: safflower oil,flaxseed oil, canola oil, linseed oil,Hain All-Blend, and ParrilloEvening Primrose Oil (4 to 6 cap-sules daily).

To put this all together, follow theguidelines in the Parrillo NutritionManual – and follow them to theletter. That way, you’ll betterachieve your physical potential.

Perhaps you havebeen told that dietaryfats are the “badguys” when it comesto nutrition. Not all fatsare bad, however. Cer-tain fats are vital tohealth. The fats I amreferring to are essen-tial fatty acids or EFAs,which are made up ofcompounds calledoleic acid, linoleicacid, linolenic acid,and arachidonic acid,all contained primarilyin vegetable oils.



Justin Swinney is a young manstriving to be the best that he canbe. He uses an amazing assortmentof sophisticated tools and methodsin order to maximize his physicalpotential. Justin was, until recently,one of the best teenage bodybuild-ers in the state of Alabama. Hevoluntarily curtailed his buddingbodybuilding career to concentratehis full attention on his other ath-letic love: football. Justin is twentyyears old and Parrillo-style body-building put him into the best physi-cal shape of his life. Justin intendsto ‘walk on’ at the University ofNorth Alabama this spring in hopesof securing a place on the footballteam. He has a solid football back-ground; in his hometown of Ath-

ens Alabama, he led his high schoolteam, West Limestone High, inrushing, receiving, and in tackles.He was a great punt and kickoffreturn man but put his collegiatefootball aspirations on hold in or-der to pursue bodybuilding while at-tending junior college near home.He has decided to put bodybuild-ing on the shelf for a while andpursue football. Bodybuilding puthim in great physical shape and theidea is to springboard upward,building on top of the fabulous foun-dation bodybuilding provided byadding football specific skills. Theamount of activity he has sand-wiched into his life is staggering butthe rewards far exceed the effortand hassle. Justin says, “I’m defi-

nitely improving in every area andif I continue to improve at this rateI think I have a real shot at attain-ing my goal of making the team asa walk on.”

Justin’s father is Todd Swinney, theBaltimore-based athletic supertrainer. Todd has prepared innu-merable athletes for national andinternational level competition andJustin uses the training and eatingstrategies his dad taught him. Jus-tin combines Todd’s foundationalphysical training with football-spe-cific training and blends sciencewith back-breaking application.Competition nowadays is fierce andunforgiving but Justin’s approach iscutting-edge and his discipline and

Justin is twenty years old andParrillo-style bodybuilding puthim into the best physicalshape of his life.

By Marty Gallagher


JUSTIN SWINNEY

commitment exemplary. Heweighed a lean and trim 164-pounds when he took second placeat the teen Mr. Alabama; his firstand only bodybuilder competition.Justin now weighs 185 with a 7.9%body fat percentile. By trainingsmart and hard, he’s managed toadd twenty-one pounds of puremuscle while improving both hisspeed and agility in the process.Ironically, 23-years ago Justin’sfather took an identical secondplace in the very same contest,Mr. Teenage Alabama. It was déjàvu all over again. Todd thought itodd that father and son would bothstart their bodybuilding career atthe same competition and odder yetthat both would achieve an identi-cal placing, “What are the oddsthat two Swinney men separatedby nearly a quarter century wouldboth enter the same show and bothplace the same? I laughed so hardI about fell over when I found outJustin had placed second.” Toddsaid.

We asked Justin to describe histraining philosophy and it could bestbe described as a mirror image ofthe Parrillo approach towards lift-ing, cardio and eating, “I weighttrain four or five times a week fortwo hours per session. I use all thehardcore Parrillo-style trainingmethods my father taught me. Inaddition, five times a week I workwith a speed and agility coach inorder to improve the skills neededfor football.” Conely Duncanworks mainly with college and pro-fessional athletes on improving thephysical attributes needed for aparticular sport. Football requiresbursts of pure speed, regardless ofthe position, and Justin sought out

this well known speed and agilityguru to compliment all that purepower and fantastic physical con-dition bodybuilding had provided.Speed and agility sessions are gru-eling no-nonsense workouts thatlast upwards of three hours. Thework starts off at an easy pace;the idea is to warm muscles be-fore engaging in all-out activity andthe use of systematic warm-upshelps avoid muscle pulls and tears.“Coach Conely is a great believer

in stretching and I will often stretchthree times a day. I begin my ses-sions with him by riding a bike for15-minutes followed by a stretch-ing session. We usually begin thereal work with high knee kicks andbutt-kicks, done for speed andheight. In between we’ll do ‘loos-ening-up’ drills and agility drills.”

“We work a lot on sprints: I’ll pulla weighted sled for short distancesand then we’ll sprint different dis-tances always emphasizing explo-siveness at the start. We’ll prac-tice sprinting uphill to develop

power and sprint downhill to buildspeed and lengthen the stride. I dosprints that require I pump myarms using an exaggerated range-of-motion and over time all thistranslates into faster sprint times.”‘Over-speed’ drills require the ath-lete to run downhill, forcing the run-ner to open up their normal strideand allows the athlete to actuallygo faster than possible running ona level grade. This procedure is arunning version of a forced rep.Jumping and leaping is a big part ofthe program. “Jumps for distanceand jumps for height are practicedall the time.” Justin said, “Verticaljump training requires many setsand reps; we jump upward as highas possible in quick succession andas a variation they’ll tie us downusing bungee cords and we’ll dovertical jumps with resistance. Werun backwards, we run sideways,we run on vertical slants to increaseagility and quickness from oddangles. The idea is to improve thebiomechanics of how we run.Coach Conely has proven repeat-edly that if you improve your run-ning technique you will get signifi-cantly faster.”

Justin has gotten significantly big-ger and stronger as a result of hisParrillo-style training and eatingprocedures. “I’ve added 20-poundsof solid muscle since the Teen Ala-bama contest. I eat a lot of foodbut the foods I eat are ‘clean’ andI eat this way all year round. I be-gan a serious bodybuilding diet atage fifteen and I haven’t broken itsince. In over five years I haven’thad any candy or cokes. I eat lotsof chicken and fish and steak is myfavorite food. I eat lots of sweetpotatoes, corn and greens to get my

Justin’s father is ToddSwinney, the Baltimore-based athletic supertrainer.


dietary fibers. I avoid foods thatcontain sugar and other than skimmilk and steak, I eat hardly anysaturated fat.” Justin, unlike mostcollege males, doesn’t drink alco-

hol. He will consume between6,000 and 7,000 calories each andeveryday and spreads his caloriesout over eight feedings. He lovesParrillo™ sports nutrition bars and

Parrillo protein bars™ and eats lotsof them during his hour and fifteenminute drive to and from speedschool. Bars and shakes are agreat way to obtain quality nutri-tion while on the run. “I’ve grownup taking Parrillo supplements andthey are a part of my life; I can’timagine a day passing when I don’teat Parrillo bars or drink some typeof Parrillo protein shake.”

Justin loves to make “MonsterShakes” which are huge concoc-tions drunk after monster trainingsessions. “I start with four cups ofskim milk to which I’ll add sixscoops of Parrillo Hi-Protein pow-der™, two additional scoops ofOptimized Whey™ protein powder,four or five scoops of Parrillo ProCarb™ powder and then drink itall down in one sitting...I don’t playaround.” With his naturally fastmetabolism, Justin considers him-self a ‘hard gainer.’ That’s argu-able; after all, in addition to runninga 4.7 40-yard dash, Justin benchpresses 315-pounds for 8-reps andcan do seated dumbbell presseswith a pair of 100-pound dumbbellsfor 8-reps. Plus Justin squats 400-plus pounds for high reps using asuper-deep style and has incredibleback strength: he power cleans225-pounds for 8-reps. Meldingstrength, leanness, explosive speedand agility has transformed Justinand he will undoubtedly will makea big impression on the coaches atspring football practice in May of2004. “I have a real feel for thegame of football and I love con-tact.” Asked which position he willtry out for, he expressed no super-star aspirations and displayed awillingness to go where needed. “Iwill play wherever the coaches


He weighed a lean and trim 164-pounds when hetook second place at the teen Mr. Alabama; his firstand only boybuilder competition. Justin nowweighs 185 with a 7.9% body fat percentile.

JUSTIN SWINNEY

think my talents will best help theteam.” Given his height (5-8) andsize, he’ll likely end up as a hardhitting defensive safety or atailback.

TRAINING SPLIT

Mondaypower cleans, 5 sets; squats, 8sets; leg press, 4 sets; power squat,3 sets; hack squats, 3 sets; leg ex-tensions, 3 sets; leg curls, 8 sets;stiff-legged deadlift, 4 sets; seatedcalf raises, 4 sets of 100-reps su-per-set w/calf squat

TuesdayBench press, 5 sets; bent-overrows, 5 sets; military press, 6 sets;incline barbell press, 5 sets; seatedcable row, 4 sets; seated dumb-bell press, 4 sets; cable flyes, 4sets; pull-ups, 4 sets super-set w/lateral raises; lat pulldowns, 4 setssuper-set w/upright row; straightarm pulldowns 4 sets tri set w/dumbbell front raises and pushups;abdominal 6-8 sets

Wednesdayoff

Thursdayrepeat Monday workout

Fridayrepeat Tuesday workout

SaturdayBiceps and triceps every otherweek

Sundayoff

Cardio: Justin rides the stationarybike five days a week for 30-min-

utes first thing in the morning totake advantage of low glycogenstatus coming off the sleep-fast. Inthe absence of glycogen (emulsi-fied carbohydrates) the humanbody will burn its second favoredfuel: stored body fat. By engagingin intense cardio before eating,body fat is burned to fuel cardioactivity. The metabolism stays el-evated and calories are oxidized atan accelerated rate for hours af-ter the conclusion of an intenseaerobic session.

In his spare time Justin attends col-lege and works a part-time job atGold’s Gym in Sheffield Alabama– who says the American workethic is dead? Justin’s quest for ath-

letic excellence is ongoing and hismethods are multi-leveled andmulti-dimensional. Every wakingmoment is directed towards im-proving and evolving. He wants tobecome bigger, stronger, leaner,faster, more agile andhostile…anything he can do to be-come a better football player he willdo; hard work and application areno problem for this individual. It isone thing to work hard and it’s an-other to work smart. The athleticelite work both hard and smart. IfJustin Swinney is able to hold thecourse he’s set for himself for theforeseeable future, athletic successis not a matter of if but when.

Who says the American work ethic is dead? Justin’squest for athletic excellence is ongoing and hismethods are multi-leveled and multi-dimensional.Every waking moment is directed towardsimproving and evolving.



At Parrillo Performance we usescience and experience to our ad-vantage. One particular area ofscientific interest for all seriousbodybuilders should be hormonesand how to regulate them. Com-bine serious training with regulationand manipulation of hormones andtake your bodybuilding up to thenext level. Were you aware thathormones control the amount ofbody fat we carry? When caloriesare consumed three things can hap-pen: the calories can be used im-mediately to power movement andrun bodily functions, the caloriescan be placed in storage as glyco-gen for use in the near future orthe newly-consumed calories canbe stored as body fat. Hormonesinstruct the body how to compart-mentalize calories and my nutri-tional approach teaches you howto manipulate hormones to do theright thing at the right time. By com-bining precision eating with intensephysical exercise two key hor-mones, insulin and glucagon can beregulated to our benefit. Insulin canhave a powerful anabolic effect,particularly if secreted right after

levels you determine how the bodyuses incoming calories. I call thisnutrient partitioning and the conceptis easy to understand but requiresprecision eating to realize the im-mense benefits.

Carbohydrates are converted toblood glucose after they are con-sumed. Nutrients are transported tothe liver via the portal vein and di-gested and absorbed by the smallintestine. Carbs are converted toglucose and released into the blood-stream and a rapid rise in bloodsugar triggers the release of insulinin order to facilitate glucose diffu-sion and move glucose into the cells.With the help of insulin, glucose istransported to the individual cellsand either burned for energy orstored as glycogen. If too many ofthe wrong kind of carbohydratesare consumed too quickly and re-leased into the bloodstream too rap-idly, insulin spikes. If too much in-sulin is dumped into the bloodstreamtoo quickly (all a direct result of con-suming too many of the wrong kindof carbs) carbohydrates are even-tually converted into body fat. Op-

a heavy workout. Precise use ofinsulin causes nutrients to berushed to battered muscles at justthe right time. Manipulation of glu-cagon causes the body to burnstored body fat. Glucagon is re-

leased into the system when bloodsugar is low. Glucagon causesbody fat to be summoned from fatstorage sites. Insulin and glucagonare both produced by the pancreasbut each has an exactly oppositeeffect. By controlling blood-sugar

When calories are con-sumed three things canhappen: the caloriescan be used immedi-ately to power move-ment and run bodilyfunctions, the caloriescan be placed in stor-age for use in the nearfuture or the newlyconsumed calories canbe stored as body fat.



NUTRIENT PARTITIONING

timally we want to burn carbs forenergy. As a next resort we wantexcess carbs to go into carb limboand end up stored as glycogen foruse in the near future. The verylast thing we want is for exces-sive carbohydrates to become con-verted into body fat. The classicalParrillo bodybuilding diet insists youstay away from certain foods,foods that inevitably end up com-partmentalized as body fat. Simpleor refined sugars top the avoid list:sweets, dairy products containinglactose, refined carbs like pastaand bread are foods that need beavoided altogether. Calories de-rived from simple sugars are usu-ally channeled directly to body fatstorage compartments pointing outwhy food selection is critical.

plan will eat 5 to 8 meals per dayand each meal will contain a por-tion of three key food groups:

Protein is critical for anyone whotrains intensely. Protein is composedof amino acids essential for rebuild-ing and regenerating muscle tissuetorn down by intense progressiveresistance training. Every time youconsume a meal, be sure to includea protein portion. Protein keepsmuscle tissue supplied with build-ing blocks needed to fuel growth.

Fibrous carbohydrates have adampening effect on insulin andtherefore, along with protein, areconsidered the backbone of theParrillo nutritional approach. Everytime you consume a meal, include

Are you aware that a gland, thehypothalamus, determines howmuch body fat a person shouldcarry? It is possible to reset thehypothalamus ‘set point’ by mak-ing intelligent food choices. Reset-ting the set-point is accomplishedby combining intense exercisewith specific foods taken at spe-cific times in specific amounts. Ihave arrived at a very effectivemethod for structuring meals thatcombines certain foods in order tomake optimal use of insulin andglucagon. If done correctly wecan actually reset the hypothala-mus in the process. Optimally abodybuilder eats multiple mealsspaced at equidistant intervalsthroughout the day. Elite body-builders using a Parrillo nutrition

The classical Parrillo bodybuilding diet insists you stay away from certainfoods, foods that inevitably end up compartmentalized as body fat. Simplesugars top the avoid list: sweets, dairy products containing lactose, refinedcarbs like pasta and bread are foods that need be avoided altogether. Caloriesderived from simple or refined sugars are usually channeled directly to bodyfat storage compartments pointing out why food selection is critical.



a fibrous carb to help dampen in-sulin spikes.

Starchy carbohydrates are amixed bag; I include them in mynutritional program but always com-bine their consumption with a fi-brous carb and a protein portion.During mass building phasesstarchy carbs are eaten in ampleamounts. During lean-out phases,starchy carbohydrate consumptionis systematically reduced.

Insulin and glucagon are two sidesof the same coin and work togetherto keep blood sugar levels on aneven keel. By avoiding certainfoods and making sure to take otherfoods in combination with one an-other we favorably manipulate pow-erful hormones that aid in our questto build additional muscle and stripoff excess body fat. The optimalinsulin-to-glucagon ratio is deter-

Starchy carbohydrates are the wildcard in the Parrillo nutritional phi-losophy. As I mentioned earlier,during a concentrated muscle-massbuilding phase, starchy consumptionis purposefully increased. During amass-building phase I recommendadding 1-pound of body weight per100-pounds of bodyweight perweek. Our hypothetical 200-poundathlete would seek to add 2-poundsof bodyweight per week for thelength of the mass-building phase.Since protein and fibrous carb con-sumption is kept high regardless ifthe bodybuilder is seeking to buildsize or get ripped, and since longchain saturated fat is always heldto 5% or less, adding starchy carbsduring a mass building phase is theideal way to obtain additional calo-ries needed to push the body weightever upward. On the other hand, ifthe athlete has sufficient musclemass and seeks to strip off body

mined by the ratio of carbohy-drates-to-proteins in your diet. Ina nutshell, my recommendation topeople interested in trying aParrillo-style bodybuilding diet isto start by consuming 1 to 1.5grams or more of protein per poundof body weight per day. A 200-pound man would consume 200-250 grams of protein per day. Thatsounds like a lot of protein but ifyou are hitting the weights and thecardio as hard and often and asintensely as you’re supposed to,you will need this much protein toheal and repair muscle tissue andstill have enough amino acids leftto fuel new growth. At Parrillo,long chain saturated fat is allottedno more than 5% of daily calories.A man eating 3000 calories perday would be allowed to consumeonly 150-calories worth of satu-rated fat per day; a mere 17-gramsof long chain saturated fat.

Optimally a bodybuilder eats multiple meals spaced at equidistant intervalsthroughout the day. Elite bodybuilders using a Parrillo nutrition plan will eat 5to 8 meals per day and each meal will contain a portion of three key foodgroups.


NUTRIENT PARTITIONING

fat, I recommend reducing bodyweight by – you guessed it – 1-pound per 100-pounds of bodyweight. By being methodical andprecise during the weight lossphase and by not dropping bodyweight too quickly, the bodybuilderretains hard-earned muscle masswhile systematically strippingaway body fat. The idea is to tipthe insulin/glucagon ratio one wayor the other, depending on the goal.Insulin and glucagon activate or in-hibit regulatory enzymes. The in-troduction of insulin into the sys-tem increases the number of en-zymes involved in the conversionof glucose into energy. Simulta-neously these enzymes inhibit gly-cogen synthesis and breakdown,and decrease gluconeogenesis, thesynthesis of glucose from aminoacids. Glucagon inhibits two keyenzymes that promote fat storage.Glucagon mobilizes fatty acidsfrom fat stores and transports themto muscle mitochondria. Want tobuild muscle mass? Precision useof insulin is the ticket – want toget shredded and ripped? Avoid in-sulin spikes and through strict eat-ing stimulate the release of bodyfat-mobilizing glucagon.

To be successful at building an out-standing body you have to com-bine commonsense with scienceand factor in experience. AtParrillo Performance we havetaken bodybuilding nutrition to awhole new level. While our headmay be in the clouds searching outnew and better modes and meth-ods our feet are planted on thefirm ground of real World experi-ence. We know what works andwhat doesn’t. Experience gainedover the past 30-years in prepar-

is used as a cooking agent or a foodaccent and adds back calories criti-cal for maintaining muscle masswithout spiking insulin. Strip offbody fat by using Optimized Wheyprotein™, Advanced LipotropicFormula™ and 50-50 Plus™powder for post-workout regenera-tion. Whichever way you decide tojump you need an eating plan thattips the insulin/glucagon ratio pur-posefully one direction or the other.Call us today at 1-800-344-3404 andask to speak to one of our nutri-tional experts about what specificsupplements you’ll need to aid youin your quest to be the best.

ing National and International levelbodybuilders for competition hasproven what works and whatdoesn’t. The good news is we cancontrol hormones by regulatingwhat we eat, when we eat andhow much we eat. The humanbody can only build muscle massso fast but it has a virtually unlim-ited ability and capacity to storebody fat. The Parrillo method hasfour components: weight training,cardio training, food and nutritionalsupplementation. Through the con-trolled use of Parrillo-style eating,training and supplementation wehave developed a method to man-age the insulin/glucagon ratio.Clean up your diet, eat only rec-ommended foods and avoid otherfoods altogether, engage in hardand heavy weight training andpractice intense cardio on a regu-lar basis. Finally, use nutritionalsupplementation to fill in any gaps.

Seeking to add some seriousmuscle mass? Tip the insulin/glu-cagon ratio in favor of insulin byadding more calories derived fromstarch. Make sure you haveplenty of Parrillo Pro Carb™, Hi-Protein powder™, creatinemonohydrate and boxes of ParrilloEnergy Bars™ on hand. Lookingto get shredded for summer orcompete in an upcoming body-building competition? Start now!Tip the I/G ratio in favor of gluca-gon; hit early morning cardio, cutdown on starchy carbs whilemaintaining a good intake of insu-lin-dampening protein and fibrouscarbs. Add back lost calories byusing CapTri®, the world famousParrillo product used by legions ofcompetitive bodybuilders. Cap-Tri® is a calorically dense lipid that

Add back lost caloriesby using CapTri®, theworld famous Parrilloproduct used by legionsof competitive body-builders.

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level one certification - parrillo performancebefore blasting biceps or triceps. that way you...

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