Jade Parnell Profile Interview

“I am going to compete on “Ultimate Tag” which airs May 20th on Fox! “

Jade Parnell flexes a bicep at the Big Back Booth Muscle Beach Venice

BIG BACK GRIPS USER PROFILE: Jade Parnell

Jade Parnell’s Instagram page lists him as a “SAG Actor, Bodybuilder, Print Model, Athlete and a Special Needs Father. To which Big Back Grips would add “Total Gentleman and All-Around Nice Guy.” We first met Jade in 2018 when he came to Muscle Beach Venice to take part in the Big Back Pulldown Contest as part of the Muscle Beach Annual Christmas Toy Drive. We quickly dubbed him, “The only contestant to bring a toy for the kids  ̶  ever!” In truth, we never ask competitors to donate toys, but that did not stop Jade. We were super excited when Jade agreed to join us at the Big Back Booth for Memorial Day the next year.

Currently based in the Los Angeles area, Jade is originally from Wisconsin, where he was an All-State and All-Conference athlete in several sports. His resume now includes features in fitness magazines, TV commercials and major league infomercials and packaging gigs. Anything else you want to know, let’s hear it right from Jade.

The Interview

BBG: So Jade, can you update us on life these days? Where are you living, what have you been up to? No doubt the quarantine has had some impacts…

Jade: Life has been challenging being forced out of work and bills still due. I live in Pasadena and I’ve been doing lots of research along with having a few auditions.

BBG: Can you share your current physique stats? Or what they are generally, the lockdown aside?

Jade: I am 5’8 180lbs. I have never really measured my body parts, but I stay pretty consistent with keeping size and shape.

BBG: What part of Wisconsin are you from? Big city? Small town? And we’re curious about the sports you pursued and what sports you’re involved in now.

Jade: I grew up in a small town called Somerset which is about 45 minutes from Minneapolis. I was an elite athlete in hockey, baseball and football growing up. I’m ambidextrous in hitting baseballs and golf balls. I still spend lots of time at the batting cages, driving range, and occasionally the ice rink.

Jade Parnell ready for hockey season

Photo by Natalie Minh

Coming soon to Fox TV

Jade Parnell's vascular biceps, chest and shoulders

BBG: When did you move to Los Angeles, what brought you here, and was it everything you hoped, (reality never being exactly what we picture beforehand).

Jade: I moved to Los Angeles in March of 2015 to pursue acting. It has been challenging, but that is expected in this type of career.

BBG: Can you fill us in on some of your career accomplishments and highlights? We know it’s tough on a lot of professionals at the moment with everything in lockdown, but is anything happening right now?

Jade: Well I am going to be one of the competitors on the new reality competition “Ultimate Tag” which airs May 20th on Fox. I believe I am on the last episode. This was filmed at Warner Brothers in April of last year.

Fatherhood

BBG: We have spoken about this before, and you mention it on your Instagram page. You are the father of a special-needs son. Would you mind telling us a little about him, his name, how old he is now, and what his challenges are?

Jade: Yes, my son’s name is Kingston and he is 6 years old. He was born with Cerebral Palsy due to lack of oxygen at birth. He was healthy through the whole pregnancy, but the hospital in Las Vegas didn’t deliver him in time. He almost didn’t make it as he was completely blue and without oxygen for 18 minutes and they were about to pronounce him dead. He was intubated and airlifted to Summerlin Hospital which is a level 3 NICU. He spent 54 days there and had many procedures done and eventually left with a tracheostomy and a G-tube for feedings as he is unable to take food orally. His gross and fine motor skills have also been effected terribly as a result of the lack of oxygen at birth.

BBG: No doubt when people hear of this, many would tend to go right to feeling sorry for you. But we’ve seen pictures of you together and you always look so proud of him. What has raising our son taught you, and what do you want people to know before they make any assumptions?

Jade: It has taught me to appreciate the basic things in life and to treat special-needs kids no differently than healthy kids as they all need love and support. Kingston is a very smart kid!

Jade Parnell and his son Kingston

Fortunate genetics and lots of hard work

Actor and model Jade Parnell in a Big Back tank top

BBG:  One of the things we noticed about you when we met was your exceptionally proportional physique. How long have you been lifting and what brought you to it?

Jade: Thank you, I have been training with weights since the age of 13, so close to 20 years. My older brother and looking at bodybuilding magazines are what inspired me.

BBG: You’re always so ripped. Some guys work really hard at that, some guys just got “ripped genes”. Where do you fall on that spectrum, and what does your diet generally consist of?

Jade: I believe I was blessed with excellent upper body genetics, and I keep it up with hard work, discipline, and consistency. I mix things up, but my go to diet generally consists of ground turkey mixed with eggs and asparagus or broccoli for veggies. I use more fats versus carbs for energy.

BBG: What is your workout like during Regular Life and what do you now, until the gyms re-open?

Jade: When the gyms are open I usually focus on free weights, but lately I have been going to the park and doing exercises using my own body weight.

Big Back Grips and Jade's Workouts

Jade: Yes! They worked beautifully to keep my hands locked in with no slipping. They help me focus more on my back instead of taking away some emphasis and putting it into the biceps.

BBG: What are your favorite exercises or body parts to work? What do you consider your best body part? Do you have a body part that’s especially challenging to make headway on?

Jade: I love training all body parts, but my favorites would probably be back and chest. Of course secondary muscles come into play on most lifts. I believe my best body part is my chest. My favorite exercises are pull-ups, lat pull-downs and chest presses. Most challenging body part to gain size is quadriceps although my calves do pretty well.

BBG: If someone were going to work out with you, what are they in for, what’s your workout style? What would you want from a partner?

Jade: My training style is very similar to that of a bodybuilder, yet I take very short rest periods so basically my cardio is in my training. Someone training with me would need lots of strength and stamina. I normally enjoy working out alone so I am not reliant on someone else, but a partner can help push you through plateaus.

Jade at Muscle Beach

Some final thoughts

Jade Parnell Right Bicep with ranch dressing tattoo

BBG: Can you tell us a little about what you do for fun or relaxation besides working, working out and fatherhood? Hobbies or other interests?

Jade: For fun and relaxation I like to surf the internet, spend lots of time at the batting cages and golf course which is relaxing to me. Usually If I’m not active I’m sleeping.

BBG: Are there any final thoughts you want to share before we sign off?

Jade: I live by these 2 quotes!

“You often feel tired not because you’ve done too much, but because you’ve done too little of what sparks a light in you.”

“It’s not the time you put in, but what you put in the time that matters”