Performance Press / February 2013 - Parrillo Performance

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Nola Trimble 

Multifaceted IFBB Women’s Physique Professional 

As 

a women’s physique competitor, 

Nola Trimble is a 

consummate professional. Since 

2003 she has competed in no less 

than twenty five figure, bodybuilding 

and physique competitions. She 

is able to compete so often because 

she never allows herself to get out 

of shape. Year round Nola Trimble 

exemplifies the bodybuilding lifestyle. 

For her, the hard training, the 

clean eating and the healthy lifestyle 

choices are not depravation or even 

discipline; for Nola Trimble the fitness 

lifestyle is second nature. She 

loves what she does. “In 2000 I decided 

to become a personal trainer. 

I’d always loved sports and I have 

been a competitive athlete at a high 

level in several sports. I completed 

my ACE Personal Training Certification 

and I began working as a personal 

trainer. I met some bodybuilders 

and I went to their competitions 

to support them. The instant I saw 

the Figure girls competing on stage 

I decided that I too would compete. I 

too would mold myself into amazing 

physical condition. I competed in my 

first Figure competition in 2003 and 

I have been competing ever since.” 

By Marty Gallagher 

of a dozen mainstream muscle magazines 

and is in high demand as a fitness 

model. It also comes as no surprise 

that since becoming a fitness 

professional, she has become a successful 

personal trainer. Nola plies 

her trade out of the famous Quads 

Gym in Chicago. Quads is the training 

lair of the greatest powerlifter in 

history, Ed Coan. Ed has used Parrillo 

Products for decades and Nola has 

used Parrillo Products almost from 

the start of her competitive career. 

“I work with Todd Swinney, a bodybuilding 

preparation guru. (Todd 

is well known to the readers of the 

Nola Trimble has a name straight out 

of a Tennessee Williams play set in 

the French Quarter of New Orleans. 

Nola is an IFBB card-carrying physique 

professional that possesses a 

superb physique and cover-girl good 

looks. She has appeared on the cover 

Photo by Miguel Salazar 

Nola Trimble onstage at the August 2012 IFBB Tampa Pro, 

winning the Women’s Physique Divison 

 

February 2013 / Performance Press 1-800-344-3404 www.parrillo.com www.parrillo.com 1-800-344-3404 Performance Press / February 2013 

 

Photo by Miguel Salazar

JOHN PARRILLO’S PERFORMANCE PRESS 

Nola has been a personal trainer since 2000; 

she felt drawn, as if magnetized, towards a 

career in health and fitness. 

Parrillo Performance Press.) Todd 

championed John’s potent products 

for thirty years and I use and love 

John’s products because they are potent 

and tasty.” 

In addition to being one of the nation’s 

leading women’s physique 

competitors, Nola has an exceedingly 

interesting athletic and military 

background. Nola was good enough 

as a golfer to win a college scholarship. 

Nola recalled her formative athletic 

roots. “From a very young age, 

I have been active in sports. When 

I was five years old, I recall pestering 

my Mother to take me to the park 

after nursery school to shoot baskets 

on the basketball court. I continued 

to play basketball throughout junior 

high and high school as a point 

guard. I was fortunate to grow up adjacent 

to a golf course and my father 

taught me how to play golf when I 

was six years old. I later took lessons 

and played in many youth golf tournaments. 

When I reached 

high school, my school did 

not have a girls’ golf team 

so I played on the boys’ golf 

team and beat a lot of them. 

I also played volleyball for 

four years in high school.” 

Two weeks after graduating 

high school Nola enlisted in 

the United States Air Force. 

“For the majority of my enlistment, 

I was stationed at 

Shaw AFB in Sumter, South 

Carolina. I worked as a Surgical 

Technologist in the operating 

room. I was blessed 

to be able to work alongside 

many great physicians and 

observe a wide variety of 

surgical procedures. 

During my four year 

enlistment I played 

a lot of golf at the 

base golf course. There were 

many high caliber players at 

Shaw and I was able to further 

improve my golf game. 

Many times we would play 

from sun up to sun down on 

Saturdays and Sundays. In 

1996 I was selected to represent 

the U.S. Air Force at 

the Military Golf Training 

Camp at Davis Montham 

AFB. It was a great honor 

to be chosen for this team as 

only one female from each 

branch of service is selected 

to compete in this event. I 

also held the Women’s Base 

& Club Champion titles at 

Shaw AFB in 1995, 1996 

and 1997.” 

“After I completed my four 

year stint in the USAF, I received 

a golf scholarship to 

Coastal Carolina University 

in Conway, South Carolina. 


I studied Golf Management and competed 

on the women’s golf team. After 

two years at Coastal I transferred 

to Lynn University in Boca Raton, 

Florida. I received a golf scholarship 

at Lynn and competed on the 

women’s team for two seasons there. 

I changed my major to Business 

Management and graduated in 2001 

with a Bachelor of Science in Business 

Administration.” As you might 

well imagine, Nola has always been 

lean and always fit. “After graduating 

college I competed regularly in 

qualifying events for the FUTURE’S 

Golf Tour for the next two years. I 

worked as an assistant golf professional 

in south Florida and I was able 

to play and practice a lot. I taught individual 

and group golf lessons and I 

“It was a great honor to be chosen for this team 

as only one female from each branch of service 

is selected to compete in this event.” 

“I was determined to make it through fire school and 

then go back to Florida and win my Figure show. I did 

everything I possibly could to make that happen.” 

organized and promoted weekly golf 

tournaments.” 

In 2002 Nola decided to reenlist in the 

United States Air Force Reserves for 

a three year stint. Part of her reason 

for reenlisting was an opportunity to 

strike off in a new and exciting career 

direction. “I decided I wanted to pursue 

firefighting. I wanted to work in 

a profession that was physically challenging 

and varied. I wanted to work 

a job that would require me to use 

my body in extreme physical ways 

and the rigors of firefighting seemed 

a perfect fit for me.” Nola attended 

the Louis F. Garland Fire Academy at 

Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas 

in 2004. “I endured fourteen weeks 

of stressful, demanding firefighter 

training. Simultaneously, I was dieting 

and preparing for my second 

ever Figure competition!” While at 

firefighting school Nola lived in a 

dorm room so sparse that she had to 

prepare her meals with only a sink 

and a George Foreman grill. 

“Fire school was from 0530 

to 1500 every day in the 

100-degree Texas heat.” 

When she returned to her 

room after class Nola would 

have homework to complete 

and exams to study for. “After 

eating and studying, I 

would head to the base gym 

to train and do cardio – as 

if the fire training wasn’t 

enough.” Often Nola would 

be required to wear full 

“bunker gear” in 100 degree 

weather. “One of the hardest 

things I’ve ever done was to 

go through fire school while 

training for competition.” 

“I was determined to make 

it through fire school and 

then go back to Florida 

and win my Figure show. 

I did everything I possibly could to 

make that happen. I even kept small 

tupperware containers of egg whites 

in my firefighter pants. I would sneak 

my meals between drills and many 

times got screamed at for doing so, 

but I didn’t let them get to me. The 

firefighter instructors didn’t understand 

why I had to eat so often, but 

that didn’t matter to me. I was the 

only female in my class and I was 

awarded the Distinguished Graduate 

honor at the graduation ceremony.” 

She not only won first place at 

that Figure competition, but won the 

overall award too. Nola’s decision to 

join the Air Force Reserve as a Firefighter 

eventually led to her applying 

for a position as a Federal Firefighter/Emergency 

Medical Technician/ 

Hazardous Material Technician. She 

worked for many years as a firefighter 

– yet she felt happiest when talking 

with the other firefighters about 

fitness, nutrition and training. She 

felt drawn, as if magnetized, towards 

Nola Trimble 

a career in health and fitness. 

Nola has been relentlessly competing 

with the NPC for the past nine years. 

She started as a Figure competitor 

and in 2009 decided to crossover 

into bodybuilding. However, in 2009 

Nola was presented with a lucrative 

opportunity tinged with danger. “I 

was offered a job in Iraq to work as a 

civilian contract firefighter. I packed 

up all my belongings, put them in 

storage, spent a week with my family 

in Wisconsin then boarded a 

plane to Dubai which then took us to 

Baghdad. I spent a week in Baghdad 

for orientation before being shipped 


February 2013 / Performance Press 1-800-344-3404 www.parrillo.com www.parrillo.com 1-800-344-3404 Performance Press / February 2013


Nola Trimble 

Nola with her father at the 2012 Tampa Pro show. 

Nola says, “My Father flew all the way to Tampa to 

surprise me because he couldn’t make it to the 

Chicago show. It meant the world to me 

to win in front of him.” 

to my permanent station of Mosul, 

Iraq. This is the very northern part 

of Iraq, on the border of Syria. What 

an amazing year! I met so many 

awesome people! I was so fortunate 

to have two amazing gyms, a dining 

facility that offered damn near 

anything clean I needed to eat, and a 

hard-structure fire station with a roof 

and walls…not a tent! I really lucked 

out!” While in Iraq, Nola felt drawn 

to helping military members as well 

as firefighters with their nutrition 

and training. 

“The friends I had made in Iraq will 

remain my friends for life; such as 

my training partners, Hubert Samuels 

and Mark Howder. 

We still talk on a 

regular basis and I will 

cherish them forever. 

We experienced something 

together that not 

many people will ever 

experience.” After returning 

from Iraq in 

2010, Nola discovered 

that the NPC and IFBB 

had created a new division, 

the “women’s physique” 

division. This 

was a new competitive 

category and the judging 

criterion seemed 

suited perfectly for Nola’s 

type of physique. 

“In 2011 I competed 

in four national level 

physique shows in the 

women’s physique division, 

placing among the 

top five. Finally at the 

2011 North American 

Physique Championships 

I won my IFBB 

pro card.” 

After ten years, Nola 

eventually decided to 

walk away from the fire department. 

“My heart was simply not into it like 

my heart was into fitness. I wanted 

to wake up every day and love what I 

do. I felt I was being pulled in a different 

direction by fitness.” In February 

of 2012 Nola packed her bags 

and moved to Chicago, not knowing 

a soul. “I started my own personal 

training business called Fitness on 

Fire. I run my business out of the famous 

Quads Gym in Chicago. Quads 

is the best gym in the city and one of 

the top ten best gyms in the country.” 

Nola made her pro debut at the IFBB 

‘Wings of Strength’ contest in Chicago 

in July 2012 and won the show! 

She was naturally ecstatic. Nola 

then went on to compete in the IFBB 

Tampa Professional show in August 

of 2012 and also won this show. All 

while competing, Nola recently completed 

her Master’s degree in Homeland 

Security from American Public 

University. 

“It was gratifying and satisfying 

to be recognized and have my hard 

work validated. I have been able to 

make excellent progress on my own 

physique and feel that I still have a 

lot of room left for significant improvement. 

I am finding new ways in 

which to take my physique to the next 

level.” Nola is quick to credit those 

that have helped her. “I couldn’t have 

done it without the help of my coach, 

Todd Swinney. Todd is the master at 

making ‘in-flight’ corrections in the 

weeks leading up to a bodybuilding 

show. He has such a vast amount of 

experience working with competitive 


bodybuilders that offering the right 

advice or the right tweak in diet or 

cardio at just the right time comes as 

second nature to him. His approach 

and his advice and suggestions were 

invaluable.” 

Nola especially thanks her training 

partner, Cameron Mitchell, and all 

the folks at Quads Gym in Chicago. 

“My dream at the beginning of this 

competing journey has been for my 

parents to see me on stage performing 

my routine. My Mom was able to 

see me win in Chicago and my Dad 

surprised me in Tampa by flying all 

the way to Florida to be there for me 

and see me win in person. These two 

days are probably the most memorable 

of my life because I was able 

to share these amazing experiences 

with the two people that mean the 

most to me in my life. Without them 

I wouldn’t be who I am today. My 

Dad has always been ‘My biggest 

inspiration!’” 

Nola is currently on a roll and is 

looking forward to fulfilling a longtime 

dream. “I have always wanted 

to compete in the Ms. Olympia. 

I have already begun my 

preparation for the 2013 season 

with my immediate goal 

to qualify for the first-ever 

Women’s Physique Olympia to 

be held in 2013. I would love to 

become the first-ever Women’s 

Physique Ms. Olympia. What 

a truly amazing honor that 

would be!” Nola is honed in 

like a heat-seeking missile and 

we will keep you apprised of 

her progress. You can check 

out her website at www.nolajtrimble.com 

for updates on 

her competitions and more. 

Nola Trimble’s 

Weekly Training Split 

Monday: Shoulders, Glutes 

Tuesday: Arms, Calves, Abs 

Wednesday: Quads 

Thursday: Chest, Calves, Abs, 

Glutes 

Friday: Back 

Saturday: Hams 

Daily Meal Schedule 

Meal 1: 1/2 cup of oatmeal with 

two whole eggs & 1 scoop Parrillo 

Optimized Whey Protein powder 

Meal 2: 6 ounces of lean protein, 1 

cup of green vegetables 

Meal 3: 40 gram Parrillo Optimized 

Whey protein shake 



Meal 5: 40 gram Parrillo Optimized 

Whey Protein shake 



“I will typically eat a slight bit more 

carbs on the days I train larger body 

parts, such as legs or back. I find the 

extra carbs give me extra energy I 

need to get through the heavy, intense 

training. On those days I will 

add 3-5 ounces of yam or 1/2 cup of 

brown rice to my meal just before 

training. On each of my meals I drizzle 

1 tablespoon of butter-flavored 

CapTri ® . 

Nola and Parrillo 

“I use CapTri ® on a daily basis. I love 

butter-flavored CapTri ® , especially 

during the contest dieting period. I 

find CapTri ® gives my food taste and 

makes it almost feel as if I am not 

dieting at all. I actually look forward 

to my meals when they have CapTri ® 

on them. Between meals I have a 

Parrillo Optimized Whey Protein 

shake. I also use Parrillo’s Evening 

Primrose Oil for healthy skin and 

hair. I like the Parrillo Brownies 

and Parrillo Contest Cookie Mix . 

These are both awesome products 

that allow me to eat a dessert without 

guilt. My coach, Todd Swinney, 

tells me that these delicious Parrillo 

treats are allowable, right up to the 

competition.” 

February 2013 / Performance Press 1-800-344-3404 www.parrillo.com www.parrillo.com 1-800-344-3404 Performance Press / February 2013


I 

have been going to commercial 

gyms for over 

25 years now, and there 

is one phenomenon that 

I found to be universal. 

Aside from those in the 

beginning stages of training, 

the vast majority of people in 

gyms look the same month 

after month, year after year. 

Rarely do you see people who 

need to drop fat actually do it. 

And those who you see working 

out every day who are theoretically 

attempting to add 

muscle and sculpt their bodies 

into something special continue 

to be perfectly average and 

unremarkable. In other words, 

they look no better than pretty 

much anyone who trains. You 

can certainly tell they work 

out, but that’s about it. 

To be sure, there are a few 

explanations. One that I will 

give the benefit of the doubt 

applies to many is that they 

are either satisfied with the 

way they look, or they recognize 

that improving would require 

more effort than they are 

willing to give. They can live 

with the fact that they are essentially 

spinning their wheels to 

maintain a modest level of fitness 

and appearance that is at least 

marginally superior to sedentary 

types who don’t exercise at all. 

But I am also sure that many others 

are trying to get leaner, build 

more muscle, or both; yet they are 

“Do you train just to keep 

looking the same?” 

going about things incorrectly out 

of ignorance. With those masses 

in mind, here are some of the most 

common reasons men and women 

in the gym fail to ever look any 

different over time. 

Lifting weights, not 

training muscles 

Most of the people I see training 

in gyms are weightlifters, 

even if they consider 

themselves ‘bodybuilders’ 

to a greater or lesser degree. 

There is a tremendous difference 

between moving a 

weight from point A to point 

B that most simply do not 

comprehend. I speak of the 

fabled ‘mind-muscle connection,’ 

which sounds like New 

Age mysticism but is really a 

term to describe consciously 

feeling the muscle contract 

and stretch with each rep. 

With the exception of just a 

couple compound movements 

like squats and deadlifts, every 

exercise should be considered 

flexing a muscle against 

resistance. A curl is really just 

flexing your biceps against 

the resistance provided by the 

barbell or dumbbells in your 

hand. A barbell row is nothing 

more than flexing your 

lats with a weight in your 

hands to increase the load. If you 

aren’t feeling the target muscle 

work, and work hard, during 

your sets; guess what? You’re a 

A BODYBUILDER IS BORN: Generations 

weightlifter. You never provide 

the muscle with enough continuous 

tension to stimulate growth. 

So it shouldn’t be such a shock 

or a cause for frustration when 

you have so very little to show 

for all the time you spend in the 

gym. Often the culprit is using 

too much weight 

and sloppy form, but 

many times it’s simply 

not being aware 

that there is anything 

more to training than 

lifting the weight. 

Avoiding 

the most 

productive 

exercises 

Another reason more 

people don’t see better 

results from training 

is that they aren’t 

doing the exercises 

that would benefit 

them the most. Machines 

and cables 

and isolation exercises 

all have their 

place, but the foundation 

should always 

be the free weight 

basics. Unless you 

genuinely have an 

injury that prevents 

safe performance, 

you should be doing 

squats, deadlifts, 

bench presses, overhead 

presses, dips, 

chins, and barbell 

rows. One excuse 

I hear for not doing those is that 

they are for ‘beginners,’ and advanced 

trainers don’t need them 

anymore. What a load of bull! 

The basics aren’t meant to be an 

introductory routine. They’re 

tough and require not only grand 

effort, but coordination and time 

to master. Take them out of your 

workouts, and you’re removing 

the best components. Making 

progress with your physique without 

the basics is a shaky proposition 

at best. 

“A rare few bodybuilders continue 

making progress as years go by.” 

Doing the same sh*t, 

all the time 

The definition of insanity has been 

said to be doing the same thing every 

time, yet expecting different 

results. If that’s true, there sure 

are a lot of crazy people in gyms! 

The human body is a remarkably 

adaptive organism. It is the body’s 

struggle to adapt to the shock of 

weight training that causes such 

rapid gains in the early stages of 

working out. But as time goes by, 

we need to use heavier 

weights to provide 

that stimulus. There 

comes a time when 

we will all max out 

on strength, though 

it could be anywhere 

from 5-20 years depending 

on the person 

and how quickly 

they gain in strength. 

So what you see is 

people doing the 

same exercises, with 

the same weights, 

for the same amount 

of reps, in the same 

sequence. The outside 

observer would 

easily understand 

why no changes are 

forthcoming to the 

physique under these 

circumstances, yet 

the person is typically 

at a loss and 

simply assumes they 

have reached their ultimate 

genetic potential. 

What they need 

to do is switch up 

variables: different 

exercises, rep ranges, 

rep tempo, rest periods 

between sets, sequence 

and bodypart 

grouping, etc. Theoretically, there 

are so many variables involved 

that you would never have to duplicate 

the same workouts, ever - 

but few ever seem to arrive at this 

solution to their lack of progress. 

10 February 2013 / Performance Press 1-800-344-3404 www.parrillo.com www.parrillo.com 1-800-344-3404 Performance Press / February 2013 

11


Failing to provide 

nutritional 

support 

I harp on this all the time and I 

will continue to do so until the 

time comes when everyone is eating 

properly - which means 

I’ll be at this for the rest of 

my life. Plenty of people 

work hard enough in the 

gym that they should be 

seeing ongoing results, yet 

they don’t because they fail 

to invest the time and effort 

to consume enough of 

the proper building blocks 

to synthesize new muscle 

tissue. Look, it’s really not 

that complicated. You need 

1.5 to 2 grams of protein per 

pound of bodyweight a day, 

and generally speaking, 

about twice that amount of 

complex carbs as well as 

healthy fats. If you can’t 

get it all from food, drink 

shakes made from Parrillo 

Hi-Protein , Optimized 

Whey , and Pro-Carb between 

solid meals. The bars 

are another very easy and 

portable way to make sure 

you take in the nutrients 

you need. You should never 

go more than three waking 

hours without either a 

meal or a shake. Is it a lot 

of work? Sure, until you get into 

a routine and it just becomes second 

nature as it is to all successful 

bodybuilders. But like I say, 

if you aren’t going to eat right, 

don’t even bother training and 

expecting results. 

Low expectations 

Finally, I talk to a lot of men and 

women who just don’t expect 

enough from themselves. They 

have every excuse imaginable 

for why they ‘can’t’ look any better 

than they do. Common ones 

include bad genetics, age, a history 

of injuries or illness, or not 

being on steroids. Sorry to break 

“In the end, the choice is 

yours - change or stay 

the same!” 

the harsh reality to them, but I 

have met many men and women 

who have managed to build pretty 

damn good physiques despite 

having one of these ‘conditions,’ 

if not all of them! In life, you can 

either be your own best friend 

or your own worst enemy. If you 

choose to settle for mediocrity 

and soothe yourself with all kinds 

of excuses for why you can’t look 

better, make more money, have 

the relationship you want, that’s 

going to be your reality. If you 

choose to ignore excuses, selfdoubt, 

and naysayers, you can 

be and do things you never even 

thought possible. I don’t care what 

you look like now. You can look 

better if you really want to 

and accept no alternatives. 

Once you decide it’s possible, 

you will do the things 

you need to do to achieve 

your goals. 

If you recognized yourself 

in one or more of the 

above scenarios, you know 

what you must do. Unless 

you’re 100% satisfied with 

what you see in the mirror, 

it’s time to make some 

changes now. You can be 

like the legions of people in 

gyms all over the world going 

through the motions and 

looking exactly the same (or 

maybe worse over time), or 

you can take your destiny 

in your hands right now and 

start getting results! 

Ron 

Harris 

is the 

author of 

Real Bodybuilding, 

available at 

www.ronharrismuscle.com 

12 February 2013 / Performance Press 1-800-344-3404 www.parrillo.com 

www.parrillo.com 1-800-344-3404 Performance Press / February 2013 13

Parrillo 

mass-buildiNg nutrition + 

deep squats = 

monster thighs! 

Radically increase your THIGH SIZE by radically increasing your SQUAT STRENGTH 

The Parrillo 12 week highintensity 

squat specialization 

program: Here is 

a Parrillo truism about legs and 

leg training and how best to build 

massive thighs, “Men that consistently 

squat heavy poundage 

deep and low while maintaining 

an upright posture build gigantic 

thighs.” There is an irrefutable 

relationship between deep squats 

(done properly and consistently) 

and big thighs. Bodybuilders want 

leg size and big squatting builds 

big legs. If you want to take your 

thigh development to the next level, 

we suggest you try our 12 week 

thigh specialization program. The 

entire program consists of a lone 

thigh exercise, the barbell back 

squat, done once a week. No thigh 

exercises other than squats for 12 

straight weeks. We concentrate all 

our efforts towards improving our 

poundage-handling ability in the 

heavy back squat. We would advise 

throwing in some calf work 

and hamstring exercises to round 

out this squat/thigh specialization 

program. When you embark on the 

squat specialization program, you 

simultaneously embark on a threemonth 

Parrillo “mass building” nutritional 

diet. This is a high calorie 

diet designed for the athlete seeking 

to add lean muscle mass and is 

the perfect nutritional compliment 

for our squat program. We combine 

big squatting with big eating to 

In our 12 week squat 

specialization program, we 

concentrate all our efforts 

towards improving our 

poundage-handling ability 

in the heavy back squat. 

build big legs. Here are four aspects 

of the Parrillo squat specialization 

program you need to remember… 

1.) Develop perfect squat technique 

– this is the foundation. 

2.) Learn how to squat deep and 

upright, use pristine technique on 

every rep. 

By Andre Newcomb 

3.) Each successive week relentlessly 

drive the squat poundage upward. 

4.) Combine the squat specialization 

program with a Parrillo Mass 

Building diet. 

Squat till you drop: For three 

straight months concentrate all 

your thigh efforts towards the attainment 

of one goal: successfully 

pushing the back squat poundage 

upward each week for 12 straight 

weeks. We are looking to add 100 

to 200 pounds (or more) to the 

poundage you use to repetition 

back squat. We also look to add 

one to three pounds of bodyweight 

per week each week for 12 straight 

weeks. At the end of the 12 week 

cycle expect to add 1 to 3 inches to 

your thigh size. This is a size and 

power routine for a serious man 

serious about taking his thigh development 

to the next level. No sissies 

need apply. The good news is 

you only have to train squats once 

a week; the bad news is you will 

have to use an excruciatingly difficult 

squat technique and come hell 

or high water, each week you must 

add weight to the squat bar. What 

the Parrillo elite understand is that 

by dramatically changing how we 

squat and by dramatically increasing 

the exercise poundage used, 

the legs have no choice but to grow. 

We create rep and poundage goals 

for each successive week and each 

week we hit the target poundage 

for the week and take a step closer 

towards our final squat poundage 

goal. Start off light and precise; 

repetitions are relatively high initially. 

Every 2 to 4 weeks the reps 

are lowered. Be patient. 

Establish a sound technical base: 

squat deep and squat upright: If 

you are seeking to increase thigh 

size, improve thigh shape and amplify 

thigh power, then you need to 

get really good at deep squatting. 

Start off light; learn how to squat 

deep while staying upright. Go all 

the way down, “ass-on-heels” as 

the squat pros say. Over time, as 

we master the technique, build up 

the poundage. Over a three month 

period, drive the exercise poundage 

(and your bodyweight) upward. 

Watch as your thighs morph from 

poor to good by the end of month 

one, then from good into really 

good by the end of month two; and 

finally, from really good into outstanding 

by the end of month three. 

Increasing thigh size is directly proportional 

to increasing squatting 

power. Establish a perfect technical 

squat style, one that stimulates 

the maximum number of thigh fibers. 

Over time increase the squat 

poundage. The good news is that if 

you have never done deep squats 

consistently, by starting now and 

doing them right, over the next 90 

days you will experience the best 

leg gains of your entire life. The 

good news gets better: you only 

have to train thighs once a week. 

The bad news is the effort exerted 

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effort you have ever put forth on 

any progressive resistance exercise 

in your entire life. 

Increase strength and create 

new muscle: There is an intrinsic 

relationship between strength and 

size. Increased strength creates additional 

muscle size and size always 

follows strength. Champion powerlifters 

and power bodybuilders, 

men like Tom Platz, Dorian Yates 

and Ron Coleman, all leg giants, 

all understood the need to get truly 

strong in order to build truly huge 

Weeks 1 thru 4 

Weeks 5 thru 8 

Weeks 9 and 10 

Weeks 11 and 12 

Week 13 

HOW TO BUILD MONSTER THIGHS 

muscles. Power trainers worship at 

the altar of intensity…maximum 

weight done for low reps. 

How the squatting elite roll: The 

powerlifting elite will work up to 

one all-out top squat set. That is it. 

They will use massive ball-breaking 

poundage for a single top set 

of 1 to 5 reps. That’s it! One top 

set and the squat session is over: 

no leg extensions, no leg press, no 

hack squats, no lunges, nothing 

more for thighs. So the procedure 

is this: work up to a single, all-out, 

ball-busting top set of squats for a 

single set of 1 to 8 reps. That is it 

for the thighs for the week! Sounds 

good so far, but the tradeoff is the 

lifter must adhere to a rigid periodization 

schedule that calls for 

relentless weekly poundage increases. 

The once-a-week, single, 

all-out top set of squats must be 

driven ever upward each successive 

week. The top set poundage is increased 

by 10-25 pounds per week. 

The elite lifter has predetermined 

weekly target poundage they need 

to achieve. This target poundage is 

always heavier than the previous 

week and lighter than the following 

week. A 12-week squat specialization 

periodized cycle might look 

like this… 

Work up to one all out set 

of squats for 


of squats for 


of squats for 


of squats for 

Competition 

8 reps 

5 reps 

3 reps 

1 rep 


15


HOW TO BUILD MONSTER THIGHS 

Squat right! There are valuable 

lessons to be learned from elite 

powerlifters and power bodybuilders. 

Here is one: “If you want to 

grow big legs, squat big poundage 

DEEP!” The surest way to grow 

big legs is to obtain a monstrous 

(relatively speaking) back squat. 

In order to take your leg development 

to the next level, you need 

Deep squats, 

deep and heavy 

squats, need to 

be done with an 

upright torso 

and a minimum 

of forward lean. 

Depth is critical. 

to increase, extend and elongate 

the squat ROM, the squat rangeof-motion, 

the depth. Deep squats, 

deep and heavy squats, need to be 

done with an upright torso and a 

minimum of forward lean. Depth 

is critical. One recurrent mistake 

novice and intermediate weight 

trainers and bodybuilders make is 

they squat shallow. They fudge on 

the depth and depth is everything 

when it comes to productive squatting. 

Typically the novice squatter 

backs up from the squat racks 

with poundage way too heavy and 

then proceed to bang out ten reps, 

barely breaking their knees. These 

“nosebleed” squatters squat down 

perhaps one foot before they arise. 

A purposefully shortened rep 

stroke, regardless the progressive 

resistance exercise, allows the 

trainee to handle a lot more poundage. 

The macho ego prefers big 

weight, as in, “HEY! Look at ME! 

I can squat 405 for ten reps!” If the 

405 x 10 nose-bleed squatter were 

forced to go down to ass-on-heels 

depth, this macho man would be 

hard pressed to do 185 x 5. Ironically 

that 185 x 5 would provide 

him far superior strength building/ 

muscle building results compared 

to results delivered by his shallow, 

worthless 405 pound squats. 

Squat technical analysis: The elite 

all agree that a properly performed 

super deep squat is the finest thigh 

developer known to man. The question 

becomes – how best do we do 

them? 

• Squat all the way down, ass-onheels 

• Inhale mightily on the descent 

• Synchronize slow exhalation with 

coming erect 

• Maintain a vertical (or at least 

static) spine throughout 

• Little if any forward lean while 

descending 

• The barbell stays over, or behind, 

the knees; never let the bar get in 

front of the knees 

• The lifter goes all the way down 

– they bottom out 

• Stay tight – don’t relax your muscles 

at the bottom of the squat 

• Come erect to a full and complete 

lockout 

• Start super light, ingrain proper 

technique 

• Slowly increase poundage over 

time 

• Never allow technique to disintegrate 

Most elite squatters squat once a 

week: if a man is training his deadlift 

heavy and his squat heavy, you 

work many of the same muscles; 

hips, erectors, thighs and hamstrings. 

The key to making oncea-week 

squatting (and deadlifting) 

work is continually and consistently 

making progress. We define 

progress as improved poundage 

handling ability. This results in 

an increase in lean muscle mass. 

Strength gains beget muscle gains. 

The key is being disciplined and 

determined enough to stick to 

the plan. 

• It is optimal to combine thigh/ 

squat specialization with a Parrillo 

mass building regimen. 

• Success in squatting is all about 

being able to master ultra-deep 

barbell squats. 

• Poundage and muscle size will 

come with time. 

• Full ROM is performed while 

maintaining an upright torso. 

• This ensures that 100% of the 

muscular stress is centered on the 

thighs. 

Avoid bending forward: Perhaps 

the worst technical mistake 

in squatting is to bend forward at 

the hips when descending; this dilutes 

muscular focus on the thighs. 

When we lean forward we redistribute 

and reapportion muscle 

stresses. We purposefully call upon 

the lower back and the hip-hinge to 

come to the aid of the maximally 

taxed thighs. When leg power alone 

is insufficient, the legs call for help. 

World record holders squat with 

an upright torso. With 800, 900 or 

1,000 pounds draped across your 

shoulders, and assuming you go 

below parallel, you can’t bend forward 

or the ponderous poundage 

will slam your torso to the floor. 

Staying upright and avoiding the 

temptation to lean forward makes 

squatting all about thigh power. 

Complement squats with Parrillo 

Mass-building nutrition: 

To maximize muscular results, the 

elite bodybuilder engaging in our 

thigh specialization program pushes 

their bodyweight upward each successive 

week for twelve consecutive 

weeks. Look to add 1-3 pounds 

of bodyweight per week, 

depending on the physical 

size of the trainee. At 

the end of the 12-week 

squat specialization program, 

the trainee ends up 

heavier, thicker, stronger 

and just as muscular 

with dramatically larger 

thighs. This squat specialization 

program never 

misses – the only time 

it falls short is when the 

trainee slacks off in their 

execution of some critical 

aspect of this multilayered 

and multidimensional 

leg specialization 

program. If you embark 

on this program and under-eat, 

or eat the wrong 

foods at the wrong times, 

results will be subpar: to optimize 

results, consume a steady stream 

of “clean” calories over the course 

of the day; eat multiple meals and 

at each meal eat a portion of lean 

protein, a portion of insulin-dampening 

fiber carbs and a portion of 

starch carbs. Food meals are supplemented 

and augmented by the 

expert use of powerful and potent 

Parrillo nutritional supplements. 

Blasting legs and using Parrillo 

nutrition to amplify results: If 

you under-eat, you will ruin any 

chance of success. To grow muscle 

the body needs an excess of protein 

and carbs, to varying degrees. 

Anabolism is induced by the expert 

use of regular food. Potent 

Parrillo supplements further amp 

up results. You have to have your 

nutrition squared away. Before 

embarking on this 12-week thigh 

blitzkrieg, stockpile a bare minimum 

of Parrillo supplements… 

If you embark on this high intensity squat specialization 

program and under-eat, or eat the wrong foods at 

the wrong times, results will be subpar. 

• Hi-Protein or Optimized Whey 

Protein powder: supplemental 

protein provides building blocks 

needed to construct new muscle. 

• CapTri ® : ingest clean calories 

and fuel growth; CapTri ® calories 

cannot be converted into body fat; 

they are used to construct muscle 

or burned to fuel activity. 

• Parrillo Bars: sort through the 

various types and flavors to find 

a bar that appeals to your taste 

buds: pick amongst the Energy 

Bar , Protein Bar , or Hi Protein 

Low Net Carb Bar . 

• 50/50 Plus : Post workout supplement 

designed to provide the 

body, traumatized by the just 

completed workout, with exactly 

the nutrients needed to fuel recovery 

and growth. 

• Muscle Amino Formula : 

branched-chain amino 

acids “spare” muscle protein 

during the workout 

and replenish decimated 

muscle tissue after the 

workout. 

Let us recapitulate: the 

strongest guys have the 

biggest legs; the best 

thighs belong to the men 

that squat the lowest with 

the most poundage. Emulate 

them. We can get 

away with squatting once 

a week if we’re smart 

about it. Do it right! Squat 

super deep, use pristine 

technique. You need only 

squat (and deadlift) once 

a week if your efforts are 

sufficiently intense and 

heavy. Eat big, eat clean, eat often, 

supplement with Parrillo and 

settle in for three months. We use 

power squatting to blast our thighs 

out of whatever growth rut they are 

currently in. Nutrition is used to 

aid healing, recovery and muscle 

growth. That this program works is 

beyond dispute – whether you have 

the stones to pull it off, to adhere to 

its rigid tenants and strict rules for 

the requisite 90 days is an entirely 

different story. Well do you? 


17

tips 

RECIPE 

spotlight 

Corn Chips 

1/2 cup boiling water 

2 tbsp. CapTri ® 

125 g. corn meal 

Training Tip 

of the month: 

Pec/Shoulder Stretch 

Start: Seated on a bench, clasp your hands behind 

your neck. Point your elbows slightly upward 

toward the ceiling, 

as illustrated. From a 

standing position, your 

partner presses his 

stomach against your 

back. 

Stretch: Holding your 

elbows, your partner 

stretches your upper 

arms up and back. The 

stretched position is 

held for ten seconds. 

chili powder to taste (no more 

than 1/4 tsp. recommended!) 

popcorn salt 

Preheat oven to 350°. Pour water over CapTri ® , corn meal 

and chili powder. Mix well with fork until dough balls itself 

together. Shape into small 3/4 to I inch balls and place far 

enough apart on nonstick cookie sheet so that they do 

not touch when pressed flat. Press balls as flat and thin as 

you can, shaping them however you want (triangles, oval, 

rectangles, etc.). Sprinkle lightly with pinches of popcorn 

salt and bake about 30 minutes until edges just start to 

brown. Chips should be thin and crisp, but firm so that 

they can be used to scoop Mexican Bean Dip (see pg. 89 in 

CapTri ® Cookbook) or any other you may want to try. 

Variations: add 1 tsp. jalapeno juice or other spices to give 

your chips some zip. 

& tidbits 

Nutritional Information for 100g, raw root: 

Calories 30 

Protein 1g 

Fat .2g 

Total Carbs 6.6g 

of the month 

Food 

of the month: 

Turnip Root and Greens 

• Turnips are often overlooked, but they are good for 

you and easy to cook! The turnip root is high in vitamin 

C, and turnip’s greens are a good source of vitamins 

A, C, and K, as well as folate, calcium and lutein. 

•Turnips can be eaten raw, baked, boiled, sautéed or 

steamed. Try them mashed right along with potatoes. 

• Turnips are best during their peak season: Oct.- Mar. 

Fiber .9g 

Calcium 39mg 

Phosphorus 30mg 

Iron .5mg 

Sodium 49mg 

Potassium 268mg 

Vitamin A Trace 

Try these great recipe ideas using turnip roots & greens: 

• Cut raw turnips into sticks and eat with your favorite 

healthy dip. You can also grate them and use in 

salads or cole slaws. 

• Make mashed turnips and Yukon Gold potatoes, 

and stir in steamed (2-4 minutes,) finely chopped 

turnip greens while still hot. 

nutrition Tip 

of the month: 

Helpful quick tips for your diet issues: 

• If you’re stuck at a plateau, try Hi-Protein 

and Pro-Carb. That combination alone will usually add 

several pounds of muscle in a month or two. 

• If you need more energy to train, try Liver-Amino. 

This should be considered an essential supplement for 

serious endurance athletes. 

• If you’re having trouble eating all of your scheduled 

meals or getting in your required amount of calories, 

Parrillo bars are a great answer. 

• If you’re trying to lose fat and have hit a fat-loss plateau, 

cut back on 100 grams of starchy carbohydrates a 

day (400 calories worth) and use one-half to one tablespoon 

of CapTri® at each meal. This will get your fat loss 

going again. To get in contest shape you may have to 

cut back on carbs further, increase CapTri®, and increase 

aerobics to an hour a day. I have yet to meet a person 

who could not get exceptionally lean by following this 

News & Discoveries 

In Fitness & Nutrition 

Omega-3 Supplements May Slow A Biological 

Effect of Aging 

Taking enough omega-3 fatty acid supplements to change 

the balance of oils in the diet could slow a key biological 

process linked to aging, new research suggests. The study 

showed that most overweight but healthy middle-aged 

and older adults who took omega-3 supplements for four 

months altered a ratio of their fatty acid consumption in 

a way that helped preserve tiny segments of DNA in their 

white blood cells. These segments, called telomeres, are 

known to shorten over time in many types of cells as a consequence 

of aging. In the study, lengthening of telomeres 

in immune system cells was more prevalent in people who 

substantially improved the ratio of omega-3s to other fatty 

acids in their diet. 

Omega-3 supplementation also reduced oxidative stress, 

caused by excessive free radicals in the blood, by about 15 

percent compared to effects seen in the placebo group. “The 

telomere finding is provocative in that it suggests the possibility 

that a nutritional supplement might actually make 

a difference in aging,” said Jan Kiecolt-Glaser, professor of 

psychiatry and psychology at Ohio State and lead author of 

the study. 

In another recent publication from this study, Kiecolt-Glaser 

and colleagues reported that omega-3 fatty acid supplements 

lowered inflammation in this same group of adults. 

“Inflammation in particular is at the heart of so many health 

problems. Anything that reduces inflammation has a lot of 

potentially good spinoffs among older adults,” she said. 

- Ohio State University, October 1, 2012 (edited for length) 

Interesting 

Article Fact: 

It has been proven that glutamine administered 

orally can increase growth hormone release; most 

interesting was that the effective dose was only two 

grams. Read more in John’s article on page 20. 

Dominique’s 

Time Cruncher 

Question 

of the month: 

Quick Tip 

of the month: 

• Helps retain muscle during dieting 

Protein is the nutrient most responsible for the creation of 

new muscle tissue. Without an adequate supply of protein, 

no muscular growth is possible. If you lack protein, you radically 

increase the risk of overtraining. Training hard, while 

in a protein deficient state, has a disastrous effect on progress. 

Science has shown that protein consumption after hard 

training speeds recovery. Parrillo Optimized Whey provides 

33g of potent and clean whey protein isolate, in 3 great fla- 

When you’re cooking with bell peppers and you want 

them to retain their fresh crispness, be sure to completely 

remove the peppers’ inner “ribs,” the white 

membrane-like sections holding the seeds. You can use 

protocol. The exact details of how to structure your diet 

a paring knife to trim the ribs away smoothly. 

vors: Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry. 

18 February 2013 / Performance Press are in 1-800-344-3404 the Parrillo Nutrition Manual. www.parrillo.com www.parrillo.com 1-800-344-3404 Performance Press / February 2013 19 

18 

19 

? 

Question: I’m a beginning bodybuilder and want 

to know if it’s OK to occasionally add fruit to my 

diet. I know there’s a concern about fructose for 

bodybuilders, but fruit has so many vitamins, 

minerals and other benefits. 

Answer: Can you eat some fruit 

now and then and still have a 

good physique? Sure you can. But 

the athletes I work with want the 

best results possible. Professional 

bodybuilders don’t want good 

physiques - they want perfect physiques. Of course, 

fruit is generally a healthy food - high in fiber, vitamins, 

and minerals, and low in fat. But try to think of 

fruit as nature’s candy, because that’s exactly what 

it is. If your goal is to build lean and muscular physique, 

then you don’t want to eat candy. Sugar and 

fat are natural, but that doesn’t mean they’ll make 

you lean and muscular. I hate to see people work 

hard in the gym just to have their results ruined by 

eating the wrong thing. 

Keeping cooked quinoa on hand in the refrigerator 

makes for handy side dishes: Make up a batch of quinoa 

and let cool, then transfer to a sealed container and 

promptly put into the fridge. You can scoop out a serving 

and heat it up each time you are ready to eat. Cooked 

quinoa is also great to have on hand for packing lunches. 

You can add steamed vegetables, rinsed canned beans, 

and spices for a nutritious and easy side dish. Cooked 

quinoa should last up to five days in the refrigerator. 

Supplement 

of the month: 

Optimized Whey Protein Powder 

• Indispensable for building muscle 

• Speeds recovery time between training sessions


PARRILLO PRE-WORKOUT POWER 

If you want more oomph in your 

workouts, then make sure you’re 

powering up properly with preworkout 

supplements – a regimen 

that will help boost your strength, 

increase your focus, and give you 

a turbo-surge of energy. Here’s a 

protocol I recommend: 

CREATINE 

One of the most amazing and effective 

bodybuilding supplements 

ever has to be creatine monohydrate. 

Creatine is actually an energy 

supplement first and foremost, 

providing high energy phosphate 

groups to replenish the ATP which 

is consumed during muscular contractions. 

Creatine is nontoxic even 

in large amounts, is well-absorbed 

orally, and is readily taken up by 

muscles. There it is converted into 

creatine phosphate, which then 

serves as a donor of phosphate 

groups to ADP to re-generate ATP. 

ATP, as you know, is the immediate 

energy source used by muscles. 

So if we increase creatine levels inside 

muscles this will increase energy 

production, which translates 

into longer and harder workouts. 

Athletes using creatine report a 

significant increase in strength. It 

is not unusual for an experienced 

lifter to improve his or her maximum 

lift by 5-15% or to notice an 

increase of 2 or 3 more reps with 

a 10 rep-maximum load after creatine 

supplementation. This places 

a more severe stress on the muscle 

which ultimately stimulates 

greater hypertrophy. This has been 

confirmed by numerous research 

studies. 

The standard protocol for using 

creatine is to “load” the muscles 

for 5-7 days with 20 grams per day, 

taken as four servings of 5 grams 

It turns out that 

the amino acid 

profile of whey 

protein is very 

well suited to the 

needs of growing 

muscles. 

each. This saturates the muscles 

with as much creatine as they can 

hold. This is followed by the “maintenance” 

phase, which usually consists 

of 5 grams per day, although 

some of our larger bodybuilders 

use 10 grams per day. 

WHEY AND GLUTAMINE 

I have found the combination of 

Optimized Whey Protein and creatine 

to be a very powerful supplement 

tool. This is probably a more 

effective supplement combination 

than anything that was available 

even just a few years ago. To understand 

why, it is important to 

know a few things about whey protein 

and amino acid metabolism. It 

turns out that the amino acid profile 

of whey protein is very well suited 

to the needs of growing muscles. 

For one thing, whey is loaded with 

glutamine, an amino acid that occupies 

a central position in amino 

acid metabolism, since it is able to 

donate an amino group to a variety 

of keto-acids to form other amino 

acids. 

Glutamine also plays a pivotal role 

in energy metabolism, believe it or 

not. Glutamine serves as the preferred 

fuel source for several cell 

types including immune cells and 

cells lining the intestines. During 

injury, burns, illness or other 

severe stresses (such as surgery), 

sometimes the body has to rob 

muscle tissue of its glutamine to 

serve as fuel for the intestine and 

the immune system. This depletes 

the body’s glutamine reserve which 

can ultimately compromise immune 

function. This is one of the 

reasons why these conditions are 

highly catabolic and are associated 

with rapid loss of lean body mass. 

The fascinating thing is that this 

parallels in many respects what we 

see in the over-training syndrome. 

If this isn’t enough to stimulate 

your interest in glutamine, it has 

also been proven that glutamine 

administered orally can increase 

growth hormone release. Most 

interesting was that the effective 

dose was only two grams. The real 

bottom line is that glutamine increases 

skeletal muscle protein 

synthesis, making it the single 

most important amino acid in 

supporting muscular growth. It 

not only helps block catabolism 

of muscle tissue during stress 

but also provides an important 

anabolic stimulus for muscle 

growth. 

To use this information, I suggest 

that you take an Optimized 

Whey shake with your 

creatine dose one hour prior to 

your workout. 

BCAAs 

The scientific understanding 

of muscle metabolism and exercise 

performance is probably 

the richest when it comes to the 

BCAAs - the branched chain 

amino acids. These are the essential 

amino acids leucine, isoleucine, 

and valine. While glutamine is the 

most abundant amino acid in the 

bloodstream and free inside muscle 

cells, the BCAAs are the most 

abundant amino acids incorporated 

into muscle proteins. 

For pre-workout power, 

take an Optimized Whey 

Protein shake with your 

creatine dose one hour 

prior to your workout. 

The branched chains have been a 

favorite supplement of hard core 

bodybuilders for years. And finally 

science is ready to agree. For decades, 

and still even today, many 

people think of muscle as a structural 

- functional type of tissue with 

really no role in energy production. 

Well, I have news for you. During 

times of stress, including severe exercise, 

muscle tissue can be broken 

down to serve as a fuel substrate, 

just like any other tissue of the body. 

Hopefully you will burn mostly fat 

as fuel, but you must also rely on 

glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrate. 

Eventually your body 

will also turn to protein, particularly 

the BCAAs, as a fuel source (the 

good, the bad, and the ugly). The 

muscle proteins are a rich source of 

branched chain amino acids. The 

problem is that muscles can actually 

use the BCAAs directly as fuel, 

so in a pinch they will cannibalize 

themselves and oxidize their own 

proteins as a fuel source. 

Take 2 Muscle Amino Formula 

capsules with every meal, and 

take 3-5 or more capsules particularly 

before a muscle blasting, iron 

pumping workout or a high intensity 

aerobic session. 

MAX ENDURANCE 

FORMULA 

Certain supplemental nutrients, in 

combination, can boost your endurance, 

mood, and mental acuity. 

This means you’ll be more alert 

and focused during your workouts. 

The combo I’m talking 

about is: 

• Inosine, which improves oxygen 

utilization 

• DL-Phenylalanine, which improves 

mental acuity and pain 

tolerance 

• Ferulic Acid, which stimulates 

endrocine function 

• Potassium and Magnesium 

Aspartate, which helps clear 

ammonia, an endurance robbing 

waste product of intense 

training is quickly turned to 

uric acid and filtered out of 

the blood supply. 

Take 5-10 capsules before training. 

FINAL WORD 

Of course, beyond supplementation 

is nutrition, which for athletes and 

active people can be the difference 

between success and failure, health 

or injury. To have energy for your 

workouts, you need to consume 

energy in the form of a balanced 

diet – which is the basic tenet of the 

Parrillo Nutrition program. Taking 

in adequate calories, and increasing 

them from the right foods, will 

keep your strength and energy levels 

up. So eat well, train hard and 

supplement smart! 


21


Chocolate syrup on a strict diet? That’s right! 

Chocolate 

HIGH FIBER 

Just add 

water! 

Mix 

• Only 20 Calories 

• 0g Fat and Sugar 

• 12g of Prebiotic Fiber 

Yes, you can have Chocolate 

Syrup even if you’re on a 

strict diet! With Parrillo’s High 

Fiber Chocolate Syrup Mix, you 

won’t blow your diet because one 

serving is only 20 Calories, has no 

fat or sugar, plus you’ll be getting 

12g of prebiotic fiber. It’s delicious 

on Parrillo Ice Kreem, Cakes, 

and Brownies! For an extra special 

treat, how about this: a Contest 

Brownie or slice of Hi-Protein 

Cake, topped with a scoop of Parrillo 

Protein Ice Kreem and drizzled 

with Chocolate Syrup! Now 

that’s the way to diet. 

To order, call Parrillo at 1-800-344-3404 

Order online at www.parrillo.com 

Parrillo walks the walk…Insulin management…How to 

add 1-2 inches to your calves…Twist off oblique fat?... 

Pro-Carb : why and when? 

Greetings elder statesman, 

Anything new at Parrillo HQ? 

Smitty, York 

Check out these photos (on page 24) 

we pulled off an ancient video we 

found of John Parrillo winning the 

1986 Ohio state powerlifting championships. 

In the photo John weighs 

180 pounds and at the competition 

he squatted 640, bench pressed 390 

and deadlifted 635 to secure the 

state title in the toughest power state 

in the nation at the time. Parrillo 

seemed poised to launch his national 

level power career as his performance 

at this competition qualified 

him to lift at the national championships. 

He fully intended to compete 

at the nationals when fate, circumstance 

and life intervened and John 

never did compete and never did 

fulfill what promised to be a terrific 

career as a national-level powerlifter. 

In the photo Parrillo sports a pair 

of 19 inch arms. He was already 

experimenting on himself using the 

unique and unusual training and 

nutritional tactics that would later 

form the foundation for the Parrillo 

System as we know it today. 

When I saw this video, I insisted we 

publish these photographs in order 

to show the wider fitness world that 

John Parrillo not only talks the talk, 

he walked the walk. In this day and 

age, every single day, some new nutritional 

or training expert arises or 

emerges. The first question out of 

my mouth is, ‘What has this expert 

done? What has this newest expert 

accomplished, insofar as their own 

body: do they, the expert, possess an 

outstanding physique? Do they have 

any outstanding athletic accomplishments?’ 

Now while there is a truism 

that ‘rarely does a great athlete make 

a great coach,’ there are exceptions 

and Parrillo was and is an exception 

to the rule. John was an outstanding 

strength athlete: his lifts, done 

nearly thirty years ago, would rank 

high in today’s ‘raw’ powerlifting 

ranking charts. Think about this: 

Parrillo posted an official 650 squat, 

400 pound raw bench press and 650 

deadlift, all done while weighing 

a diminutive 180 pounds – yet, incongruously, 

Parrillo sported a pair 

of 19 inch guns. Prematurely grey 

even at age 39, the video snippets 

of Parrillo lifting at this competition 

depict a calm, focused, low-key 

lifter going about his business in a 

deliberate and methodical fashion – 


23


his professionalism was a dramatic 

contrast to the ammonia-snorting, 

face-slapping, professional wrestlerinspired 

antics used by the other top 

lifters of that day. The 1980s were 

a wild era and even then Parrillo 

was the epitome of the quiet pro going 

about his business as a real pro 

does. Check out the video, just You- 

Tube ‘Parrillo Wins.’ 

Greetings! 

What’s the Parrillo approach 

towards insulin management? 

All of the smart nutritional types 

that write these best-selling diet 

books are highlighting the ill-effects 

of too much insulin. Insulin 

in excess has a detrimental 

effect on the human body. Most 

agree that insulin can be managed 

by what we eat and what 

we drink. Their best-selling diet 

books usually damn some sort 

of food or food type or nutrient 

while championing another. I 

know Parrillo has been pointing 

out the facts about insulin 

since the 1980s. Science and the 

diet book experts are just now 

catching up. What’s your take 

on insulin? How does Parrillo 

suggest we manage insulin and 

use this potent hormone to our 

advantage? 

Frankie, Baltimore 

John Parrillo powerlifting 

all the way back in 1986 

Good question: since the 1980s John 

Parrillo has been writing about the 

double-edged sword that is insulin. 

Insulin can be both good and bad. 

In small amounts and introduced 

into the bloodstream at critical 

times, insulin is a powerful anabolic 

agent that accelerates the construction 

of new muscle. The other edge 

of the insulin sword makes insulin 

our worst enemy. Too much insulin 

causes obesity and diabetes and 

brings about all sorts of weakening, 

estrogenic-related maladies and diseases. 

A proper amount of insulin 

released into a pure bloodstream, 

particularly after a savage lifting 

session, is an anabolic event. If insulin 

is secreted in the right amount 

after a hardcore training session, 

results from the session will be amplified. 

By eating certain foods in 

certain amounts at certain times 

we control insulin. Be aware that a 

“window of opportunity” exists after 

a workout. The window will stay 

open for about 60 minutes after the 

end of the training session. While in 

this endorphin-drenched, muscleblasted, 

post-workout state-of-being, 

if you intake insulin-producing 

food or drink, science says you can 

triple the results obtained from the 

just-completed workout. 

Now that’s one hell of a thing when 

you think about it: triple training results 

by causing the right amount of 

insulin to enter into the bloodstream 

after a hardcore lifting session. Insulin 

is an anabolic hormone that 

sparks muscle growth. It needs to be 

activated after an intense weight 

workout. The entire Parrillo nutritional 

system is designed with 

one eye always on insulin management. 

Generally speaking, 

we want insulin circulating in 

the bloodstream is after a workout. 

The worst time for insulin to 

appear is at night, after a huge, 

insulin-producing meal, a meal 

loaded with easy-to-digest, insulin-producing 

foods and drinks: 

Parrillo avoids sugar and grains, 

alcohol and refined foods, sodas 

and manmade foods; even fruit 

causes insulin to spike. Too 

much insulin basically corrodes 

the body’s internal plumbing and 

gums up function. Too much 

insulin causes obesity and way 

too much insulin way too often 

causes diabetes. The Parrillo approach 

towards insulin is commonsense... 

• Protein does not spike insulin 

• Fibrous carbohydrates do not 

spike insulin 

• Medium-chain triglyceride (fat) 

does not spike insulin 

• Protein, fiber and MCT all dampen 

insulin secretions from other foods 

This last bullet point is critical: Protein, 

fiber and MCTs do not cause 

insulin to secret and further, when 

these foods are taken together as a 

meal they combine to have a dampening 

effect on the insulin secretions 

from starch food. The classical 

IRON VIC SPEAKS By IRON VIC STEELE 

Parrillo Meal consists of a serving 

of lean protein, a serving (or two) of 

fibrous carbs, a drizzle of CapTri ® , 

Parrillo’s patented MCT oil, and a 

serving of starch carbs is eaten as 

well. However, because the starch 

is purposefully ingested with these 

other insulin-dampening foods and 

liquids, the insulin from the rice 

or potato is essentially neutralized. 

Were the potato or rice to be eaten 

alone, the glycemic index number 

would be sky high; eating starch 

alone creates an insulin deluge. 

When the same starch is eaten in the 

same amount along with a portion 

of protein, fiber and MCT, the Glycemic 

Index rating associated with 

the starch plummets, is cut 

in half and the net insulin 

effect is anabolic and not fat 

producing. 

Anyone following the Parrillo 

nutritional system will 

have clean and functioning 

insulin receptor sites. 

Clogged insulin receptor 

sites are problematic and are 

a direct result of continual 

insulin overload. Parrillo 

eating eliminates 90% of 

all insulin secretions. The 

Parrillo approach to insulin 

control could be summarized 

as follows: first step, 

stop consuming refined 

foods, grains, pastries and 

sweets; next, delete insulinspiking 

sodas, beer, chips, fruit and 

fast food. Void these foods and you 

will detoxify. Cut spikes in insulin 

and clogged insulin receptor sites 

unclog. Parrillo will purposefully 

cause an insulin secretion after an 

intense workout. This is done by 

consuming a patented 50/50 Plus 

post-workout smart bomb carb/protein 

shake. That’s the lowdown on 

insulin. Use the Parrillo nutritional 

strategy and turn the use of insulin 

to your complete advantage. 

Victor, 

So is it possible to build gargantuan 

calves? We all know all the Arnold 

stories about his lousy calves, blah, 

blah, blah, etc. etc., however out 

here in “real-ville” and having to 

work a real job – is there any way 

to put on some real calf size? Or is 

calf training basically a waste of 

time and genetically you are pretty 

much born with good calves or born 

with bad calves. Is there calf-building 

hope? 

Reg, Manchester 

Add inches to your hard-to-build calves 

with Vic’s weekly workout, which 

includes Seated Calf Raises 

I would say that it is possible to build 

up your calves and build them to a 

significant degree. However if you 

think that doing three sets of calves 

per week is going to build the type of 

size you are alluding to and seeking, 

you are sadly mistaken. Calves and 

forearms have cellular density that 

requires these muscles to be worked 

using a radically different training 

protocol. Calves and forearms require 

high rep sets and they need 

more sets and more training volume. 

Sorry – wish it weren’t so, but calves 

and forearms are used so often during 

our lives that they develop dense 

muscle tissue that only responds to 

high reps and lots of sets. Calves 

need to be taken to failure and beyond. 

The more calf exercises and 

the more calf work you can do the 

likelier you are to add the 1-2 full 

inches needed to make an appreciable 

difference in the size of your 

calves. Kicking a pair of pathetic 15 

inch calves up to a more respectable 

17 inches is tough but doable 

– expanding a decent pair of 17 inch 

calves into a sensational 

pair of 19 inch calves is doable 

but difficult. Again, it 

is hip and deserved to bash 

Arnold, however his calf 

strategy was genius. If you 

want to add 2 full inches to 

your calves, be prepared to 

work hard for six months. 

That’s no typo; six months 

is needed to improve hardto-build 

calves… 

Day one: standing calf raise 

– heavy weight; seated calf 

raise – lighter weight, 6 sets 

each 

Day two: between other 

exercises – perform a set 

of seated or standing calf 

raises, 10 sets 

Day three: off 

Day four: single-leg calf raises, 

seated calf raises, donkey calf raises, 

6 sets each 

Day five: between other exercises 

– perform a set of seated or standing 

calf raises, 10 sets 

Day six: off 

Day seven: off 


25


Using this protocol you are blasting 

calves in some manner or fashion 

four times per week and performing 

50 cumulative sets of calves 

every seven days. Be sure and take 

top sets to failure on a regular basis. 

Going to failure on calf raises is 

relatively safe. Calf work is all about 

expanding and extending pain tolerance. 

Stick with this routine for six 

months and net substantive calf improvement. 

I guarantee it. 

Hello Vic, 

What’s the best way to shed oblique 

fat? Can we exercise it off? I have 

done thousands of reps in the seated 

and standing broom windmill twist 

exercise over the years and honestly 

don’t have jack to show for it. So is 

spot reducing a myth? Is there any 

point in doing a certain exercise designed 

to melt fat off a certain body 

part? Or is spot reducing complete 

BS? 

Branch, Odessa 

Indeed the idea that twists will melt 

fat off oblique muscles is as ridiculous 

as thinking that crunches will 

melt off stomach fat. We all have 

fat depots. These fat storage tanks 

are placed at strategic locations on 

our body. These fat deposits are of 

varying sizes, depending on your 

genetics, your lifestyle and your 

exercise and nutrition habits. Typically 

the body will “draw down” 

body fat as needed when the body 

decides to use stored fat to power 

movement and activity. Generally 

speaking, in men, if you are burning 

fat (congratulations!) the body preferentially 

burns fat off the limbs, off 

the arms and legs first. Only after 

having exhausted fat stores located 

on the limbs will the body start to 

draw down fat from fat storage depots 

located on the torso and back. 

The last depots to shrink are the 

lower pecs, frontal abs, sub-abdominal 

fat, external obliques and lower 

back. Each of us will have a single 

fat depot larger than all the other 

fat storage depots. This will be the 

LAST fat depot the body will draw 

What’s the best 

way to shed 

oblique fat? 

down upon. Only after all the other 

fat has been vacuumed out will the 

body begin drawing down from the 

last and largest. There is no twisting 

off oblique fat. The last fat to go always 

comes from the largest depot 

– that’s how it got that way. 

Hello Sir! 

Does anyone really use straight 

carb powder? I am trying to think 

of a single instance when I would 

have need for extra carbs in powder 

form. I suppose there are situations 

that require supplemental carbohydrates; 

I just can’t imagine not being 

able to simply eat those extra 

carbs. 

James, Torrance 

When it comes to building muscle 

and not fat, there are good carbs and 

there are bad carbs. The foremost 

reason for using Pro-Carb , Parrillo’s 

patented low DE maltodextrin 

carb powder, is for amping up a 

mass-building cycle. One IFBB professional 

used to order Pro-Carb 

by the case so we asked him if all the 

Pro-Carb he ordered was for him 

alone – he answered, “Oh absolutely; 

coming off a show, say the Night 

of Champions or the Arnold, I look 

to ‘swell up’ by reintroducing lots of 

carbohydrates into my diet. If I am 

smart enough and patient enough 

and disciplined enough, I can add 

almost thirty pounds of muscle inside 

of six months – without ever exceeding 

a 10% body fat percentile. 

I love the taste of Pro-Carb and I 

love the preciseness with which I 

can monitor weight gain when using 

Pro-Carb . The idea is to keep 

adding bodyweight, slowly, like a 

pound or two per week, consistently 

for 6-8-10-12 weeks. I go as long 

as I can before ‘spill-over’ occurs. 

Spillover is when I start adding an 

unacceptable amount of body fat. 

When spill-over occurs, time to 

tighten up and solidify gains to that 

point. Pro-Carb is the ideal supplement 

for strict, bodybuilding dieters 

to use to add size. I love to consume 

a triple serving of Pro-Carb after 

a hardcore power workout – I go 

from carb-depleted to super-compensation 

and swell up.” Pro-Carb 

is also used to “carb load” immediately 

prior to a workout, a competition 

or a contest; fill your glycogen 

stores before intense athletic activity 

and perform that activity better! 

Use Pro-Carb for the acquisition 

of lean muscle mass and use Pro- 

Carb prior to training or competing 

for energy and improved performance. 

Ideally Pro-Carb shakes 

are consumed twice daily; upon 

arising and a second before or after 

training. 

26 February 2013 / Performance Press 1-800-344-3404 www.parrillo.com 

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