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Anabolic Freak of the Month:
Name: Todd Jewell
Age: 27
Height: 5' 11-1/2"
Weight: (offseason) 285 (pre-contest) 260
Contest Highlights:
2008 NPC Jr Nationals-- 3rd Place Super-heavyweight
2007 NPC USA Championships-- 7th Place Super-heavyweight
2007 NPC Emerald Cup-- 1st Place Super-heavyweight
Current Job: Independent Consultant for the Twinlab Corporation, Personal Trainer, Property
Manager
27-year old Todd Jewell is the man I refer to as the “bank robber bully”. Back in 2007, the 6’0”
280lb Jewel and his wife were on line at a bank in Yakima, WA when a robbery suddenly took
place. Not one to sit back and watch his destiny unfold, Jewell took action and subdued the
robber with some serious physical punishment. Boy did that guy pick the wrong bank to rob!
But way before all the bank heroics, a 14-year old Todd Jewell was first introduced to the iron
game when he started lifting his father's dumbbells in an effort to look like his movie star idol,
Arnold Schwarzenegger. Todd admits, “I thought if I did dumbbell curls all day long, my arms
would someday resemble Arnold's”. Despite less than spectacular results, Jewell continued his
curling routine until he got into a full-blown weight training program as a freshman in high
school. Incredibly, by the end of his freshman year he was already bench-pressing 246. When
the football coaches got wind of this, he convinced the 6 ft., 180-pounder, to play ball as a
sophomore.
Jewell was a natural when it came to football. In fact, the very first down he ever played he
sacked the quarterback. After that, he fell in love with the game and played for the remainder of
his high school days. Even more impressive, before he graduated, Todd was benching 335 and
squatting 405 at a bodyweight of 210.
In March 2002, Todd met his ex-training partner Matt while working as a personal trainer at a
local Gold’s Gym. Matt convinced Todd to start competing and he helped structure a diet,
supplement plan, and taught Todd how to pose. Two weeks prior to the show, Todd backed out
due to lack of money and stage fright. He spent three solid days eating pizza, hamburgers and
everything else he could get his hands on. Shortly after the food orgy was over, Todd found a
few guys to sponsor him and 3 weeks later he took first in his weight class at 5'111/2" 1973/4 lbs.
Todd competed a few times in 2003, placing well; but decided to take a 4 year off-season from
competition to concentrate on heavy lifting, adding more size, and focusing on other areas of his
life.
In May 2006 he entered the 2007 NPC Emerald Cup and placed 1st in the super heavyweight
class. Then, twelve weeks later, he followed that up with a 7th place finish at the NPC USA in
rough heavyweight class.
That brings us to 2008 where 3 weeks prior to the NPC Jr Nationals, Todd called me and enlisted
my help. His incredible do-not-say-die work ethic enabled him, at the very last moment, to nail
his conditioning and place 3rd in an extremely competitive super heavyweight class comprised of
Big Sean Allan and Keith Williams.
Jewell now has his sights set on the NPC USA where he’ll try to beat the best the sport has to
offer in an effort to win his IFBB Pro card. When asked about his chances at the USA, Todd’s
answer was pretty matter-of-fact, “With Dave’s advice and Twinlab’s products and sponsorship,
I know I’ll be my best. The goal is to win my pro card. If it doesn’t happen here, the North
American’s my next stop.” If Todd handles the competition the way he handles bank robbers, by
the time you read this article, he’ll surely be a pro!
QUESTION:
Dave, at the end of the day, does it matter what carbohydrate replacement you use post workout?
I‘ve been using your Carbolyze product and I love the banana flavor. But I was thinking, does
the source of the carbohydrates really matter? I mean, the only thing they’re really doing is
replacing lost glycogen, right? Isn’t dextrose sufficient?
ANSWER:
I’ve discussed this before in earlier columns but I think it’s worth repeating again. Waxy maize,
because of the sheer size of the molecule, draws more amino acids, glucose, and other nutrients
into the muscle cells, and it does it at a greatly accelerated rate. Also, because it empties from the
stomach so quickly, you never feel bloated and you're ready to eat 45 minutes after consuming
your post workout shake. Nothing works as fast and as efficiently as this stuff. If I thought sugar
worked as well, I would’ve put it in Carbolyze. After all, sugar is a lot cheaper! To purchase the
Species line of products, check out the website at www.speciesnutrition.com.
QUESTION:
If I’m taking roids’ can my girlfriend grow more body hair? I’m taking 250mg test every
other day and having sex like least once a day with my girlfriend. My girlfriend also really likes
oral sex and she almost always swallows my cum. I’ve noticed lately that she’s getting acne and
she also has more body hair. She’s also a bit stronger than usual at the gym. Can this have
something to do with our sex life?
ANSWER:
Unless you’re rubbing testosterone cream on your skin and then it's coming off on her
while you’re having sex, it's pretty much impossible for a woman to absorb "injected"
testosterone from a guy. When a man ejaculates, a combination of sperm, prostatic fluid and
seminal fluid is released. Testosterone is not present in the ejaculate; it flows through the
bloodstream and bathes the internal tissues of the man’s body. Perhaps she’s dipping into your
hidden stash of steroids?
QUESTION:
I’ve been following your ketogenic diet principles religiously. When I hit 6 weeks out, I added
in no-fat days (protein/vegetables only) as you suggested in your Q&A thread to maximize fat
losses. Ever since I started these protein/veggie days, I’ve noticed that my body loves it. I’m
fuller now than ever before. Can you explain to me what’s going on? Am I really feeling what I
think or is it all in my head?
ANSWER:
You are correct, I do switch clients to protein/veggie (no fat) days to help expedite fat losses in
the last several weeks of the diet. While these protein/veggie days have much less calories, they
have slightly more carbohydrates (from the vegetables) than the typical protein/fat days. Since
fats are stored for up to several days, when you initially start the protein/veggie days, you feel
fuller (and you are). This is only a temporary state. Once you’ve done 4 protein/veggie days in
a row, you’ll certainly flatten out and feel like crap (due to the extremely low calories) and you’ll
certainly wanna kill me for changing up the diet. However, this temporary discomfort is often
necessary to ensure that we strip the last remnants of stubborn stored body fat.
QUESTION:
Dave, can you give me an short explanation why when I eat let’s say 500g carbs and then
do 1 hour of cardio I don’t lose weight; but when I consume the same amount of calories with
half coming from fat and half carbs, I lose bodyfat? How can the same amount of energy
(calories) in one case result in maintenance and in another case result in fat loss?
ANSWER:
The phenomenon is known as “nutrient partitioning”. Certain macronutrients (fats, carbs,
proteins) influence how the body handles the calories contained within them. For instance,
positive partitioning foods such as lean protein and good fats cause your body to build muscle
and use stored bodyfat as fuel. Negative partitioning foods such as simple sugars, carbs, and
saturated fats tell the body to store calories as fat. The truth is that food is the most powerful
drug you can consume. Dr. Scott Connelly first popularized this nutrient partitioning effect of
food back in the early 90's when he created the original Met-Rx.
QUESTION:
I have a few boxes of Nolotil. I hear the stuff works like synthol except that it’s instantaneous.
How would you administer the injection before a show? Should I start a few days before, or just
the night before and day of the show? Would you inject directly down into muscle or hit it from
the side? Also, would you want to do multiple small shots covering the muscle? What muscles
should I inject?
ANSWER:
Nolotil (Metamizol) is a non-narcotic pain reliever that works by inhibiting prostaglandin
synthesis. From the information I've gathered from several different Nolotil-using bodybuilders,
injecting 1.25-2.50mL into each head of the biceps (into the peak of the muscle) and 2.5mL into
the fat head (the part that hangs the lowest when hitting a double biceps pose) of the triceps
results in a muscle-swelling effect very similar to the anabolic steroid, Esiclene (formebolone).
Most users report optimal results when Nolotil is injected every other day (EOD) starting 2
weeks out from a competition. Similar to synthol, only small, round-shaped, muscles-- biceps,
triceps, and calves-- should be injected. Abuse of Nolotil can surely result in lumpy-looking
muscles that’ll be marked down on the judge’s scorecards. Remember, less is always better with
regard to site injections.
Why an analgesic painkiller such as Nolotil (especially one that inhibits prostaglandins)
has an inflaming effect in muscle is a bit of a mystery; however, it’s use has become a lot more
common ever since the judges haves started cracking down on obvious synthol abuse.
Interesting, its pain killing effects might make it an appealing drug to combine with site injection
oils such as Chris Clark's Synthessize or Zoe Lab’s Esik-Clean. While those oils are extremely
effective at augmenting the size of muscle, they do leave the user extremely sore.
QUESTION:
Dave, why do you recommend a single cheat meal instead of a full day of carb-loading?
Some argue that a single meal is not enough to stimulate the thyroid gland.
ANSWER:
I incorporate “cheat meals” into my ketogenic diet program for 2 specific reasons. First,
when starting a 16-week pre-contest diet, it’s a daunting concept to have to diet for 4 straight
months without ever eating something enjoyable. So, in that sense, the weekly cheat meal is
something to look forward to. Plus, the ensuing guilt that occurs after the meal is over is enough
to keep any neurotic bodybuilder dieting for the next 6 days. Secondly, from a metabolic
standpoint, when dieting on a very low carb diet, the body produces very little insulin. Low
insulin is a great environment for fat burning to occur; however, in the absence of insulin, T4
(inactive thyroid hormone) has less conversion to T3 (active thyroid hormone). By spiking
insulin levels once a week with a high carb meal, T4 to T3 conversion is maintained at optimal
levels. All day “cheating” will, unfortunately, result in too much carbohydrate consumption and
thus too much insulin release. This can cause fat storage and can potentially create a major
setback in the dieting program. One carbohydrate meal per week is more than sufficient to
maximize active thyroid hormone levels. Remember, enjoy yourself but don’t eat like it’s your
last meal on Earth!
QUESTION:
Dave, can you explain the damaging use of stimulants with regard to cortisol production
and how to reduce excessive cortisol?
ANSWER:
Let’s face it, while most people in today’s society take stimulants to help them function
with some degree of efficiency, it doesn’t mean it’s good for them. Likewise, caffeine and other
stimulants do possess metabolism-boosting effects that help expedite the burning of stored
bodyfat. Having said that, it’s also important to realize that the more we “stimulate” the adrenal
glands to produce epinephrine and norepinephrine (the fat mobilizing neurotransmitters), the
more cortisol that’s released as well. Since cortisol is a catabolic hormone that breaks down lean
muscle, suppresses the immune system, and causes abdominal fat deposition, it’s not a hormone
that you want in excessive amounts.
The best way to reduce adrenal cortisol production is to ditch all the stimulants in your
body, get at least 6-8 hours sleep every night, don’t over train, and try to minimize the stress in
your life.
QUESTION:
Dave, I am getting ready for a show and using clenbuterol. I’m hesitant to use Cytomel
(T3). I’ve heard so many different things about the potential harm of the drug that I’ve been
afraid to use it. I’ve also considered using Armour thyroid which I understand is safer. Can you
please explain why (or why not) this drug is safe and effective?
ANSWER:
Assuming you know what you’re doing, T3 (Cytomel) is one of the most effective and
safe fat burning drugs available. Taken in conjunction with clenbuterol, these two drugs are the
most potent fat burning tandem available. T3 can be run safely for 15-20 weeks as long as you
start with a low dose and gradually increase it over the course of several weeks. I usually start
competitors off with 25mcg Cytomel per day and increase by 12.5mcg every few weeks until a
maximum dose of 75-100mcg is reached. By the time you reach 50mcg per day, it’s more than
likely that some shut down of natural thyroid production will occur. It’s important to note,
however, that natural endogenous thyroid levels will return to normal within 2 weeks of ceasing
the use of this exogenous source.
Remember, never stop T3 cold turkey! Following your competition, reduce Cytomel
gradually. This will allow natural endogenous production to begin while the synthetic drug is
still in the system.
WEEK # POST CONTEST
CYTOMEL (mcg/day)
CLENBUTEROL (mcg/day)
1
25
40
2
12.5
20
3
0
0
As for the Armour thyroid, this is a useless for precontest purposes. Armour is a T3/T4
blend designed to mimic the natural ratio occurring in the human body. Given that T3 is the only
active thyroid hormone in the body, and the fact that T4 ultimately must convert to T3, there’s no
reason to use anything other than T3. When using a thyroid blend, you never know exactly how
much of T4 converts to T3 (if any); therefore it’s impossible to tell exactly how much active
thyroid is actually being supplied. Take home message: Stick with Cytomel (T3) for precise,
predictable, results.
QUESTION:
I am getting ready for a figure show and I am not sure how to “carb up” during the final
week?
ANSWER:
The correct answer is that you shouldn’t carb up. I’ve found that most women are so carb
sensitive that even a small amount can cause water retention and the dreaded “spill-over” on
contest day. In order to fill out the muscles from the many weeks of dieting, I add fat back into
the diet. This provides just enough “fullness” to the muscles while eliminating any spill-over
from carb manipulation. Also, consider that the typical figure competitor doesn’t
(proportionally) carry the muscle that a bodybuilder does and doesn’t have the capacity to handle
the carb-loading you would commonly read about for a bodybuilder. After a long and difficult
diet it’s not worth the risk of ruining your condition with carbohydrates.
I realize that the current trend in Figure is a “softer”, less extreme, look; however, we
must remember that a watery, bloated, look is certainly not what the judges are looking for. In a
woman’s body, consumption of extra oils will serve to fill up depleted intramuscular fat stores
and will, ultimately, reduce the harsh look of lean, striated, muscle. These extra fats will also
serve to fill out the gaunt-looking faces of ultra-lean competitors. Stay away from carbohydrates
that merely “pump” up the muscles and create excessive water-retention.
QUESTION:
I'm sure you know who Vince Gironda is. One of the things Vince has said about
nutrition is that you shouldn't mix carbohydrates and protein together because they digest at
different pH (e.g. protein-- acidic medium and carbohydrates- - alkaline medium). In other
words, combining a baked potato with a steak would cause the carb portion (potato) to be
partially digested and the protein to be partially digested which would lead to the food being
fermented in the gut and toxins created. What do you think about this, Dave? Have you ever
noticed an unsettling feeling after a protein/carb meal?
ANSWER:
The human body is a lot smarter than you think. It does a fine job sorting all the various
foods we eat. Carbohydrate digestion is initiated by the saliva of the mouth. Protein digestion
starts next in the stomach. Finally, carbohydrate, protein, and fat digestion is finished in the
small intestines. Separating your foods is idiotic, especially since carbs stimulate insulin which
ultimately facilitates the absorption of amino acids (protein)!
Reminders:
My Personal Training Certification Course, S.M.A.R.T., is now available online at
www.smarttrainingonline.com. Become a certified personal trainer from the convenience of
your own home. I, personally, wrote the information-packed 100-page manual and I guarantee
it’s the most comprehensive diet, supplement, and training manual available. By popular
demand, a paper copy version is now also available for $39.99. Check out the web address
above.
Prison Bodies:
30 year-old Matalito Bass sent me a letter from the Federal Correctional Institution in
Yazoo City, MS where there’s no weight training equipment allowed, whatsoever. He built his
incredible physique exclusively with pushups, pull-ups, and dips. Not only that, Matalito doesn’t
eat meat. His diet is comprised exclusively of soy products, peanuts, fruit, and soups that he gets
through the “main-line” food services at his facility.
He credits his great physique to hard work and studying the pages of his favorite
magazine, Muscular Development. At 6’0”, 170lbs, Matalito is a testament to the fact that
anything is possible given passion, desire and a great vision!
Any prison inmates (state or federal) who think they’re worthy of appearing in MD, send
your photos and story to:
Dave Palumbo
P.O. Box 1122
Seaford, NY 11783
To purchase my book, Perfect Prison Physique, please send a $25 money order to the
above address or order online at www.davepalumbo.com