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Eight Weeks … And Counting

May 26, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

As I write this column, there are now only eight weeks to go to the Nationals. If you’re keeping track of my contest preparations from reading the last issue. I want to give you an update. The following changes have occurred over the last four weeks: My weight is now at 237 (down five pounds from a beginning weight of 242), and my body fat is roughly 7 percent.
My caloric intake is still hovering around the 7,000 mark. You’re probably wondering how I dropped five pounds while keeping my calories so high. Of course, I can only divulge so much information without giving away the “secret,” but I can tell you this much: My protein intake is sky high, and my complex carbs are at a relatively low number (under 200, honest!).
Seems extreme, doesn’t it? But after all, isn’t bodybuilding made up of extremes?
I’ve increased my biking and treadmill work to 45 minutes, twice a day, just like John Parrillo advises in his manuals, I will also start to cycle my calories and carb intake to keep my metabolic rate as high as possible to burn fat.
I will be changing my training routine during the next six weeks to a split six day straight regimen (three-on, one off, three-on in which every bodypart gets trained twice a week). I’ve increased my rep work to 10 to 12 on most bodyparts, with more reps on abs and calves.
I’m also a firm believer in increasing the intensity of my workout through decreasing amount of time spent in the gym,. An average workout takes me no more than 1 1/2 hours.
I’ve started working on my posing routine as well. The song I’m posing to is a secret. But anyone who has ever seen me pose will automatically know it will be something powerful and of a classical nature.
Thanks to everyone who has sent in for a poster. I appreciate all the response and want to say “thanks” for all your encouragement. If you’re still thinking about ordering , please do so quickly while I still have some left.
See you at the four-week article!

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RAZZA-MA-TAZZIE!

May 26, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

At Uptown Health Club in New Orleans, people are begging to be trained by bodybuilding’s newest pro Tazzie Columb. In fact, there’s a waiting list.
Why? Because she get results. A case in point is the 65-year-old woman who is in such great shape that she can now wear a thong bikini, thanks to one of Tazzie’s bun busting routines. (Incidentally, those routines are gaining such popularity that many of Tazzie’s clients are sporting her new “Tush By Taz” tee-shirts. See below for a copy of one of Tazzie’s glute routines.)
“I work my client’s hard. Most of them are women, and they love the results,” says Tazzie, a self-professed workaholic who spends up to 72 hours each week working as a personal trainer.
Where her own training is concerned, Tazzie is equally as dedicated, putting in as many as four hours a day of weight training and aerobics. And, unlike most pros, Tazzie trains right up to show time during contests preparation.
Tazzie adds that she’s ’100 percent Parrillo.” “I use all of John’s products, and I recommend them to my clients.” She also trains the Parrillo way by performing fascial stretching between sets and pre-breakfast aerobics to burn bodyfat.
From the moment she picked up her first barbell eight years ago at age 17, Tazzie was determined to become a professional bodybuilder. That dream came true on June 27th when she won the prestigious USA Championships in Los Angeles. Helping her make that dream come true was her boyfriend, Carl Panebiango, now her manager, and her father who also happens to be her biggest fan.
“Turning pro was the major goal in my life,” she says. “I put a lot of effort into achieving tha tgoal, and I enjoyed every minute of it.”

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Pro Bodybuilding’s Sensation: Sharon Bruneau

May 26, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Nine years ago, a dark-haired Canadian Beauty named Sharon Bruneau made a fortuitous transition from athletes and dance to bodybuilding. Introduced to the sport by her husband Colin, she spent two years training and honoring her naturally muscular physique, and in 1987, she began her competitive climb, placing either first or second in a series if prestigious Canadian contests.
After her second place showing in the Canadian Nationals in 1989, Sharon was ready to conquer American competition, She almost did not go through with it, however.
“My husband talked me into entering the North American in 1991,” she says. “At the time, I was ready to get out of the sport. But we made a bet: If I won, I’d continue to compete. If not, then I’d so something else.”
To the delight of the fans, Sharon won the North American, and bodybuilding gained its newest and most exciting pro.
Her next stop was the Ms. International at the 1992 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic, held in Columbus, where Sharon wowed the audience with a sizzling routine superbly choreographed by Colin, a former dancer. She placed fourth, putting her right in line for October’s Ms. Olympia.
If you’ve seen Sharon in person or in the magazines, you know she’s got what it takes to be Ms. Olympia: perfect symmetry, the right amount of muscle, knock-em dead posing, an engaging personality, and enchanting good looks. But Sharon says that her goal right now is not to be Ms. Olympia. “For the time being, I want to stay in the top five while I continue to fine-tune my physique.”
It’s hard to believe that a physique like Sharon’s would need too much fine-tuning. But the mark if a true professional is the constant striving toward perfection, and Sharon is doing just that. Part of her help is coming from John Parrillo, whom she met several years ago after the Canadian Nationals. “I knew I’d learn a lot from John, and I have,”  she says.
In May, Sharon visited the Parrillo complex in Cincinnnati where John showed her some of his specifically designed training techniques – techniques that can chisel the slightest flaws out of even the most champion-caliber physiques. Under John’s direction, Sharon worked on her calves, lower lats and glutes. She’ll incorporate his techniques into her six-day-per-week twice-a-day training routine.
With her soaring popularity, Sharon is in great demand for guest appearances around the world. If you would like to book her , you can contact Sharon at Physique Technologies, P.O. Box 736, 810 West Broadway, Vancouver, British Columbus, V5Z4C9
And, starting next month, you’ll be able to read more about Sharon – from Sharon herself – when she begins writing a monthly column in the Parrillo Performance Press. Look for it!
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Russ Testo

May 18, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Bodybuilding fans around the world know Russ Testo, Physique Artist Extraordinaire, the bodybuilding/performer who entertains audiences with routines that combine mime, robotics dance, and muscle-flexing. Since coming on the scene in 1981, Russ has elevated bodybuilding posing into its very own art form. No one before – or since –  has been able to replicate his unique talent as a physique entertainer.
PP: You’re as busy as any top pro bodybuilder. Are you working on any new projects?
RT: Yes, I’ve just finished producing a 90-minute video called “Posing The Extraordinary Way.” It’s actually a posing seminar on video in which I demonstrate how to properly perform quarter turns, mandatory poses, and the posing routine. By viewing these tips on video, a bodybuilder should be able to better learn and practice correct posing techniques. The video will be available January 1st and can be ordered by contacting me.  I’ve also produced two other videos: one for children at church that emphasizes the importance of choosing to love God and another from steroids, and practicing proper nutrition. Along with these videos, I’m now writing a monthly column in Ironman Magazine on posing. And as far as guest appearances are concerned, I’ve been invited to perform at the Ironman Pro Investigational on February 23, 1993, and at the Arnold Classic on March 6, 1993.
PP: Not only are you extraordinary in the creativity you’ve brought to bodybuilding, you’re also extraordinary in your ability to keep in great shape all year round. How do you manage it?
RT: I perform between 20 and 30 or more shows a year, so I have to stay lean and muscular. I train five days a week, Monday through Friday, leaving the weekends open for traveling to shows and for my rehearsals once I get there. Each workout, I train two body parts and usually split my routines into chest and back, shoulders and arms, and legs and abs. I do 12 to 15 sets per large body part and 8 to 12 sets for smaller muscle groups. And, I’ve incorporated many of John Parrillo’s techniques into my training.
PP: What about nutrition?
RT: I stay consistent with my diet throughout the year. Again, John has been helpful here too. Where once I used to eat a lot of pasta, I now follow John’s program of combining lean protein fibrous vegetables, and starchy carbohydrates. Since following this nutritional programs, I’ve felt better and I’m definitely leaner.
PP: How do you go about creating your remarkable routines?
RT: It can take about 27 hours to choreograph a new routine and another 12 hours to refine it. Right now, I have a storehouse of about 23 different routines from which to draw, and I still perform my very first routine – the one I used at the 1981 Mr. Olympia, promoted by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Most of my routines are performed to top 40 hits. Take Michael Jackson music, for example. To create a routine from that, I start by imagining how Michael would perform if he were a bodybuilder. I always make sure that I show my muscularity in the routine, so that dance does not dominate.

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Dennis Newman

May 18, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Dennis Newman burst onto the bodybuilding scene after winning the San Jose Superbowl and then the first MUSCLEMANIA, sponsored by American Sports Network, In., in 1991. At only age 22, Dennis is fast becoming a big name in the sport and already, he is in world-wide demand for guest appearances and magazines covers. In fact, Dennis is one of the principal models in John Parrillo’s new book High Performance Bodybuilding, to be released in January 1993.
PP: What has happened to you since winning the first MUSCLEMANIA?
DN: I went on to win the California in May 1992. That was an important contest because it opened up even more doors for me.
PP: What new opportunities have come your way?
DN: In addition to guest posing at all of this year’s MUSCLEMANIAs, I’ve been guest posing around the world, including Japan, London, Alaska, and Hawaii. The opportunity to see the world has been exciting, At present, I’m also evaluating several endorsement offers from fitness-related companies.
PP: What do your parents think of your success?
DN: My father is really proud of me and tells all his friends about my bodybuilding career. At first, my mother didn’t understand my devotion to bodybuilding. She would have preferred that I go to college. But that’s not for everyone. Now that she sees what I’ve accomplished so far, she’s supportive.
PP: How do you train and eat?
DN: I’m now in off-season training , and I work out every day for about two  hours, and that include aerobics. During the off-season, I train one body-part a week, going as heavy as I can to build mass. I eat seven to eight meals a day, and each meal consists of plenty of lean protein and complex carbohydrates. I don’t really count calories, preferring instead to rely on my energy levels to tell me whether I need more food. I supplement my diet with multi-vitamins and minerals, free form amino acids, branched chain amino, an a protein powder.
PP: Do you have a training partner?
DN: No. I’m one of those bodybuilders who likes to train alone, and that works best for me, I train at World’s Gym in Lake Forest, California. It has a serious atmosphere; in other words, no one bothers me when I train. All the members respect each others’ need to concentrate on their workouts.
PP: Where are you headed in bodybuilding?
DN: Hopefully, toward winning the USA in June 1993. All of my mental and physical energies are channeled toward a victory there and that will mean wining my pro card – my most important goal right now. Long-term, I want to make a respectable living as a bodybuilder and earn enough money to make some smart investments that will afford me with future security.

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Debbie Kruck

May 18, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

This issue, we feature Debbie Kruck, one of the best known and most popular fitness competitors in the United States. Debbie has won many prestigious titles, including South Florida’s Most Physically Fit Female, the first ever Fitness USA (held in 1990), Ms. Global Physique (1992), and most recently, the Cincinnati Regional Fitness America, sponsored by American Sports Network, Inc.
PP: How did you get involved in physical fitness?
DK: In high school, I was a size 14 and a “skinny fat” as a result of going on a lot of diets. I decided to take up weight training to get in better shape. There wasn’t anyone to help me, so I taught myself how to work out with weights and I took college courses in nutrition.
PP: How did you decide to enter the field of fitness competitions?
DK: I like what these competitions stand for. They’re based not only on muscle but rather on the total individuals, from her physical appearance to her intelligence.
PP: What does it take to prepare for a fitness contests?
DK: It takes a lot of hard work, and most people don’t realize this. Of course, you must be in great shape and like a bodybuilding contest, you have to diet and train for the competition. But you also have to practice walking and public speaking and select a gown and swimsuit that best flatter your figure. The most challenging part of the preparation is choreographing the fitness routine, which can encompass dance, gymnastics, and aerobics.
PP: What’s the future of fitness contests?
DK: They will only continue to grow, as long as athletics are not overly emphasized. For many women, especially those who train with weights, fitness contests represent a more achievable type of competition, They’re fun and a great way to express yourself. In addition, I feel that fitness contests, as they continue to grow, will motivate more women to start working out with weights.
PP: How often do you train?
DK: Five times a day, starting a with a 40-minute, 10 to 15 – mile bike ride outdoors in the morning. My next four training sessions include a 40-minute weight training workout, in which I train a single body part: a 40-minute routine that involves stretching and dance; either with weights or aerobics. When weight training, I do fascial stretching and that has made a big difference in my progress.
PP: What about your diet?
DK: I’ve recently started working with John Parrillo. He advised me to cut out fruit, and doing so has made me much leaner. Plus, I take the Parrillo Performance supplements. And those chocolate Parrillo bars! I love those and I don’t know what I’d do without them.

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Sandra Blackie! Perseverance Rally Does Pay Off

May 18, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

It was July 25, 1992 – the day that Sandra Blackie’s perseverance in bodybuilding finally paid off. She captured a well deserved Fourth Place in the 5th Annual Jan Tana Classic Pro Show, a qualifier for the Ms. Olympia. It was the first time Sandra had cracked the top ten, even though she has been bodybuilding since 1983 (professionally since 19870 and competing in IFBB pro shows for more than five years. Throughout her professional career, Sandra has never refused to give up. Drive and perseverance have always been her strong suits, yet at one time, her all-encompassing desire to make it to the top was sometimes destructive. ” My obsession with the sport of bodybuilding affected my career as a professional bodybuilder and my life. I wasn’t leading a balanced life,” she recalls.
In 1992, Sandra changed all that. It all started when she secured trainer Phil Goglia.  ”Phil taught e a very sensible methodology, which included diet, supplementation, training – as well as help with my psychological well-being.”
One of the areas Sandra and Phil focused on was her pre-contest diet. As an experienced personal trainer, she knew the correct and healthy way to prepare for a contest, but she often failed to apply it to her own training.
For example, she used to consume less than the optimal number of calories (approximately 1600 calories a day) for her body to achieve her true potential. As a result, she felt fatigued in jeopardy of losing some of her hard-earned muscle. “I was over-dieting and falling short of my contest goals. I didn’t look full and hard on stage,” Sandra says.
During this time, she reflected on the 1990 Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio, where she met John Parrillo. “I found him to be extremely intelligent, and I was impressed with his knowledge. We talked about pre-contest dieting and the fact that you don’t have to starve to prepare for a contest. The way to simultaneously lose fat and gain muscle, while maintaining optimal health and energy, is to increase your metabolic rate by gradually increasing your calories with the proper food choices. I have altered my eating habits  and now consume up to 4000 calories a day when getting ready for competition. I prepare the smart and healthy way and compete at my true potential.” Sandra also obtained the Parrillo Performance Nutritional and Training Manual which “have been great tools for my own training and for training my clients.
With Phil Goglia as her teacher and John Parrillo as her reinforce, all coupled with her own experience and knowledge, Sandra feels she can’t go wrong.
From better nutrition, Sandra began working on balancing her life and strengthening her inner self.

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Mo Muscle For Monica (“Mo”) Switzer

May 12, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Monica (“MO”) Switzer has been  competing in both bodybuilding and fitness competitions since 1989 when she won the 1989 Hawaiian Classic. MO was encouraged to compete by her friend Sue Lovell, owner of the Big Island Gym in Hawaii, who also urged her to enter her first fitness competition, the 1989 Ms. National Fitness in which she placed sixth.
With this notable start, Mo forged ahead in bodybuilding. In 1990, she heard about John Parrillo and his programs. “I immediately became a fan and started using his full line of products, as well as his nutrition and training techniques,” she says. That year, MO won the 1990 Ms. Fitness Hawaii and the Middleweight Division in the Big Island Bodybuilding Classic. Plus, she took sixth place in the Ms. National Fitness and eighth in the Ms. Fitness USA.
Mo grew increasingly uncomfortable with some of the judging criteria of the early fitness shows, however. So she turned all her energies into bodybuilding competition. “I love shaping my body, and I’m proud to show that a female bodybuilder can be muscular and stay attractive and feminine,” she emphasizes.
Last year, Mo captured a first place victory in the Middleweight Division in the 1992 Tournament of Champions, a highly respected national qualifier. Under the guidance of trainer Phil Goglia, Mo competed at just six percent bodyfat. “I was ripped!” she says.
MO’s next competition, the North American, was a personal disappointment, however. “Not because of my placing,” she explains. “It was because I felt that the other competitors were excessively muscular. This opened my eyes and made me realize that I might not be able to compete at that level unless I add more muscle to my frame. My future in the sport depends on what directions women’s bodybuilding will take – hopefully toward a more feminine look.
“I love competing, though, and have a great support system in my husband Jonathan. We live in Venice, California, where I’m a  personal trainer at Gold’s Gym, and Jonathon is a Neuromuscular Therapist (soon to be Doctor of Natural Medicine. So I’m back to training, Who knows … maybe I’ll show up at the 1993 Jr. Nationals!
(Be sure to catch Monica Switzer as the co-start in Marjo Selin’s training video “Savage Grace Workout” as well as in Muscle Mag Video Magazaine.)

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Julio Noguero

May 12, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Julio Noguero, winner of the 1992 Milwaukee MUSCLEMANIA, is regularly featured on American Muscle on ESPN, and he is someone you’ll be hearing more about. Born in Ecuador and raised in Chicago, Julio has a degree in accounting and speaks fluent Spanish and English. He is truly dedicated to bodybuilding and already has quite a string of victories to his name, Look for him more in the future.
Q: You’re one of today’s rising top competitors. Tell us more about your background.
A: I started bodybuilding when I was 14 after seeing the results my oldest brother from training. Two years later, I entered my first contest – the Teenage Chicagoland, in which I placed second in my class.
Q: You’ve had a lot of wins since then. Give us your competitive history.
A: The second time I entered the Teenage Chicagoland, I won it. As a teenage competitor, I also won my class in the Teenage Midwest, and I placed third in the Teen Illinois. After taking two years off, I entered the Men’s Open in 1989 Upper Midwest, and I won the Overall title. Since then, I’ve competed in the Jr. Nationals once as a Light Heavyweight, in which I placed in the top 10, and once as a Middleweight. Competing as a Middleweight wasn’t a good strategy, however. I lost too much muscle by lowering my weight. After winning the Milwaukee Muscle Mania, I entered the North American and placed sixth.
Q: Last year, you decided to uproot yourself from Chicago and move to California. How do you like it?
A: I love it! Everyone out here is lean – and in great shape. I made the move out here to focus more on bodybuilding, so I’m pursuing the sport full time for the most part. I have a job at night, and I train during the day. During the week, I train at Gold’s Gym in Redondo Beach. On the weekends, I head for Gold’s Gym in Venice.
Q: What’s a typical training routine for you?
A: I believe in training basic, heavy, and always intensely. Right now, I train seven days a week, working one body part a day. I train twice a day, performing my body part workout in the morning and aerobics, calves and abs later in the day. Interestingly enough, I haven’t seen anyone out her who trains very intensely. My training partner is bodybuilder Dave Fischer. He has taught me a lot about nutrition and training, but I’ve taught him a lot about intensity.
Q: How do you plan your menus?
A: Right now, I’m eating between 5,000 and 5,500 calories a day. The majority of my diet consists of lean proteins. In fact, about 80 percent of my daily intake is protein; the rest, carbohydrates. One of my favorite Parrillo Performance products is the Ultimate Amino Formula. I get an excellent response from this supplement.
Q: What’s ahead for you?
A: I’m concentrating on the Nationals, which will be held in October. I’ll compete either as a Light Heavyweight or as a Heavyweight. Right now, I weigh 230 lbs., but I may squeeze down to a Light Heavyweight.

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Sherilyn Godreau

May 12, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Meet Sherilyn Godreau, one of America’s top fitness competitors and a former competitive bodybuilder. Sherilyn lives  in St. Petersburg, Florida, and is in constant demand for modeling assignments, magazine covers, and other fitness projects. Sherilyn recently modeled for Ironman’s clothing line, Hotskins clothing, and the cover of Muscular Development. At the recent Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic in Columbus, Ohio, she modeled the new Bun Burner exercise equipment displayed at the World Gym Expo.
PP: How did you get interested in fitness competitions?
SG: I was a competitive bodybuilder for eight years and in fact qualified for the Nationals. Although I’m quite muscular, I could never attaint eh level of muscularity to win any major contests. It was frustrating, so I pursued other interests. Competing in the fitness shows has given me more exposure in the past six months than I received in the entire eight years as a competitive bodybuilder.
PP: What are some of the fitness shows you’ve entered?
SG: Last summer, I came in fifth in the Ms. Global Fitness, which had 25 contestants, a lot of them veteran fitness competitors. From there, I was invited to compete in the Strong and Shapely Fitness Extravaganza in New Jersey, in which I placed fourth. I went on to compete in the Regional Fitness America Pageant held in Miami. I won that, and my good friend Patty Sanchez came in second. Those placings qualified us for the National Fitness America Pageant held  in California last year. There were 48 women in that competition. I was extremely pleased to placed fifth. My next contest was George Snyder’s Ms. Galaxy, in which the contestants are judged not only on beauty and poise but also on athletic ability. We’re put through a physically grueling obstacle course, and it’s tough. I placed sixth in the Ms. Galaxy.  This year, I’m going to enter that contest again, as well as the Strong and Shapely contest, and I’m determined to place ever higher.
PP: How do you stay in shape for this competition schedule?
SG: I stick to a healthy diet all year around, so I’m very consistent when it comes to nutrition. As a contest gets closer, I increase my aerobics, like John Parrillo recommends in his Training Manual. In fact, the week prior to the contests, I’ll do aerobics for two hours each day. I recently modified my training schedule too. My goal is to look longer and leaner, so I’m not doing a lot of heavy work. I’ve already built enough mass over the years. I’ve lowered my poundage, and I’m doing more reps. With leg extensions, for example, I typically do two sets of 30 repetitions. This approach is helping me keep my body fat low, plus it’s still pretty intense. I train only one bodypart a week, and I’m in the gym four to five times a week.
PP: What are your plans for the future – besides fitness competitions?
SG: I’ve talked to the television show Knights and Warriors, as well as some other companies about projects. And I’ve done several photo shoots in California. I think there are a lot of opportunities for me out there. Regardless of what happens, I’ll always be involved in fitness.

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