Bob Cicherillo: One word says it all: Phenomenal!

The hottest phenomenon in bodybuilding right now is 6’1 ” heavyweight named Bob Cicherillo from Rochester, New York. What makes him so phenomenal is that he’s in demand for magazine photo shoots, guest appearances, and seminars all over the country – even though he has yet to win such coveted titles as the USA or the Nationals. But he’s well on his way to those victories.

With the help of mentor John Parrillo, Bob is using the Parrillo Performance Nutrition Program to get even thicker and leaner and the Parrillo Performance Training Program for greater muscular definition. Bob has incorporated John’s fascial stretching into every workout, and his progress in separating the muscle groups has been “remarkable” as a result.

“John put me on his programs last year, and they really work.”

Bob’s training partner is Brian Reagan, a top national competitor in the 1980′s who is now on the comeback trail after a near-fatal fall off a skyscraper. “Brian has been a tremendous help and inspiration,” Bob says.

A successful competitive bodybuilder since age 14 (he’s now 25), Bob is so busy that he calls home “U.S. Air.” “I’ve been commuting from New York to California this year. I like the intense training atmosphere you find in L.A. Plus, I get more exposure.

That exposure has led to at least three to four assignments each month, and so Bob has been able to make his living from bodybuilding. That in itself is phenomenal, especially for an amateur bodybuilder.

There’s more: Bob is even coming out with his own line of clothing called Spantastik and marketed under his company name B. Chic. “It’s totally unique from anything on the market.”

Weight training for jumping sports…Competitive running and Max Endurance Formula™…A Fiber list…Lame shoulders

Full and Happy

When we think about being hungry, we think about our stomach, especially if it’s growling and rumbling. But that’s not where we actually register hunger. We register it in our heads. The link between the stomach and the brain is called the hypothalamus, a small extension of the brain just above the brain stem.

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Turbo-Charging Your Metabolism

Dieters often lament that a slow metabolism keeps them from losing weight. Marketers of weight-loss products capitalize on this belief by offering ways to boost metabolism and “melt away” unwanted pounds. Is a faster metabolism really the key to weight loss? And can you really speed up your metabolism?

In this column, I’ll examine the factors that affect metabolism and weight loss and weigh in on safe ways to build your metabolism.

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Tips and Tidbits – August, 2011

nutrition Tip of the month:

Most people have some type of food al­lergies. However, unless the allergy causes a strong reaction (hives, nausea, throat constriction, etc.) they often go unnoticed. Less severe reactions such as water reten­tion, eye puffiness, and skin discoloration are also signs of a food allergy. Food allergies can be devastating to competitive bodybuilders. If they only knew about their allergies, they could avoid those foods which cause water retention and puffiness, especially before a contest. Eliminate one food from your diet for three days. Start with a food that is known for causing allergic reactions, such as dairy products, corn, shellfish, rice or whole wheat. Keep the rest of your diet exactly the same! After three days, put the food back into your diet and see how your body reacts. If you lose water when the food is eliminated and retain water when it is reintroduced, you are probably allergic. Once you find your food allergies, avoid these foods, especially the last few weeks before a competition.

Training Tip of the month:

Training Legs: Leg Curls

With the leg curl it is important to press your hips into the pad and keep your toes pointed throughout this movement. At the top of the movement, do not raise your glutes up. Be sure to do this exercise strictly, without jerking the weight. Lower your legs with the strength of your quads. Stay tight and strict throughout the range of motion.

Question of the month:

Question: What advice do you have for “hardgainers”? I can’t seem to pack on enough muscle!

Answer: If you’re a “hardgainer”, then you’re simply not eating properly or taking the right supple­ments. Nutrition is the key. It sets the limits of your growth and recovery potential. To extend that potential, you must train your body to process more nutrients by gradually increasing your caloric intake. That way, you develop all the systems in your body, including the endocrine system, metabolic pathways and digestive sys­tem so that your body starts building muscles and burning fat more efficiently than ever. Use supplements such as CapTri® and Pro-Carb™ to increase your caloric intake. “Hardgainers” try to pack on muscle by follow­ing killer workouts. That’s fine as long as you are taking in enough quality nutrients and calories. But if proper nutrition isn’t there to help you recover, those workouts won’t do any good.

News & Discoveries In Fitness & Nutrition

Blueberries Help Lab Rats Build Strong Bones

Compounds in blueberries might turn out to have a powerful effect on formation of strong, healthy bones, if results from studies with laboratory rats turn out to hold true for humans. Jin-Ran Chen and his colleagues are exploring this idea in research funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Chen specializes in research on how what we eat during infancy, childhood and early adulthood affects growth and development of bones and the risk of developing osteoporosis or other degenerative bone diseases in later years.

Chen’s studies with young, rapidly growing laboratory rats suggest that polyphenols, the compounds that give blueberries their blue, purple, and red coloration, might aid in building strong bones. The work has paved the way for new research that might reveal whether blueberries could be used in the future in treatments to boost development of bone mass and to help prevent osteoporosis. Published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research in 2010, the investigation showed that animals fed rations that contained 10 percent freeze-dried blueberry powder had significantly more bone mass than their counterparts whose rations were blueberry-free.

When the researchers exposed laboratory cultures of bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) to blood (serum) from the animals, the scientists found that serum from the blueberry-fed rats was associated with an increase in development of osteoblasts into mature, functional bone cells. Serum in the blueberry-fed rats was high in phenolic acids, derived from the color-impacting polyphenols. The research suggests that the phenolic acids may have had bone-building effects in the rats. Studies are needed to determine whether these benefits occur in humans, Chen noted.

Quick Tip of the month:

White Bean Dip: Whip up a quick wholesome snack that’s similar to hummus. Just put 1 can of drained and rinsed white beans like great northern beans or cannellini beans in your food processor, add some fresh herbs such as parsley or rosemary, 1 tsp. ground cumin, lemon juice, and a garlic clove. As you process, add 1 to 2 TBS. CapTri® MCT oil until smooth and creamy. Enjoy with fresh vegetables!

- By Marcia Wood, June 21, 2011, Agricultural Research Service, USDA

Dominique’s Time Cruncher

Don’t throw away those broccoli stalks! Make a quick broccoli slaw using the stalks after cutting off the florets. Just peel off the outer skin and put the stalks in your food processor using the shredding or grating disc. You can also add some grated carrots. Make your slaw creamy using the CapTri® Mayonnaise recipe on page 80 in the CapTri® Cookbook.

Calories Count! Counting calories can be cumbersome – but necessary

By Andre Newcomb

John Parrillo once said, “Calorie counting, in its own way, is as important as knowing how much weight you have on the barbell during a set. Counting calories is a definitive nutritional benchmark and an important guide for the serious bodybuilder. Caloric miscalculation is probably the single most common nutritional mistake that people make.” In Parrillo World, the biggest sin is eating the wrong food and the second biggest sin is not eating enough of the right food. Being “underfed” is a classical bodybuilder mistake: food has anabolic properties and those that adhere to the savage Parrillo weight training and cardio training strategies need to take full advantage of the healing properties associated with eating right and eating lots of nutritious bodybuilder food.

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Be Your Own Guru

This has become a standard question posed to any bodybuilder preparing for a competition over the last few years. The assumption is that most now enlist the services of a nutrition coach, also known in our little world as a ‘guru,’ which may give some of these people a bit more credence than they warrant.

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Gerry Bernabe – Multidimensional Bodybuilder/Athlete

Nutritional Hype…Stacking supplements…Exercise machines… Advanced Lipotropic Formula™…Why Romanian Deadlifts suck!

Iron Vic Steele,

I recently got turned on to your column and was struck by the fact that a lot of what you say really goes against what is being said in the big wide world of bodybuilding. For example – the Parrillo Products generally seem a little bit antiquated. If you look at any muscle magazine you see a lot of really exciting products that do a lot of cool stuff. By comparison, Parrillo claims seem to be pretty tame. Are you guys purposefully stuck in the 1970s? How come you don’t have these modern products that provide really rad results? Is your stuff mainly for old people? 

                          Todd, San Francisco

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Parrillo Belly Fat Busters

You’ve probably heard a lot in the news about foods that may have the potential to decrease tummy flab for reasons ranging from how they might change the way your body processes sugar to the effect they have on fat storage. And maybe you’ve wondered if any foods on the Parrillo Nutrition Program can burn belly fat. Well, the answer is “yes.” Take a look.

Scientific evidence suggests these Parrillo Nutrition foods will help beat belly fat.

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