A Weekend with Evan Centopani

A weekend with IFBB Pro Evan Centopani

It’s not every day that you get to spend a weekend with one of your IFBB heroes. I really only knew Evan through his videos and articles he posted online and in magazines. When I arrived at the airport to pick him up, the butterflies began to set in.  I really couldn’t believe that I was about to meet and hang out with Evan Centopani, one of the top bodybuilders in the world.

When he walked through the arrival gate, I really didn’t know what I was going to say to him. Sure he seemed like a cool guy in his videos, but what was he really like? When he walked through the arrival gate and extended his arm out to me, that was all I needed to cement my opinion of him. Simply said, what a great guy Evan Centopani is. Yes, he’s a top IFBB professional bodybuilder, but he is also a proud husband, father and an incredibly smart person who immediately destroys the typical stereotype that bodybuilders have been branded with.

Evan taught me a lot about training, nutrition, and what it really means to live a healthy lifestyle both in and out of the gym.
I figured I would share with you some of the things I learned from “The Ox” that may serve as useful tools for your fitness and/or bodybuilding journey:

1) Live a simple life.  Evan’s words, “Shit is way less complicated this way and your quality of life will be much better”

2) Don’t stress about nonsense. Stress kills muscle. Be happy and do what you love to do. We all have the ability to at least go after what we want. If you don’t, well, you’re just lazy!

3) Everyone focuses on the macros. What about the micros? Without the micros the macros won’t work!

4) A calorie is not just a calorie. Quality food = quality muscle!

5) DO NOT substitute food for supplements, EVER! If you want to build a champion level physique, a balanced diet with custom macro breakdowns of real food is most optimal. Supplements are not meant to be substitutions.  They are tools we utilize for that “little extra” our bodies need.

6) “DRINK YOUR FU**ING WATER” You cannot build muscle without keeping it hydrated!

7) Stick to the basics in the gym. Don’t complicate things. Do what works for you and if you’re seeing results, don’t question them, just keep doing what you’re doing!

8) Everyone is different, therefore you shouldn’t worry about what everyone else is doing.

9) Always make sure that you take a break from bodybuilding at times. Clear your head and focus your attention on other things to keep your perspective of life in check. There’s more to life than bodybuilding!

10) Become a great human being before you consider becoming a great bodybuilder. Gather your knowledge, put it into practical use, and understand what it means and take the necessary steps to be healthy not only physically, but mentally as well.