Who is Evan Centopani?
American bodybuilder Evan Centopani is an IFBB professional from Connecticut. He is an accomplished athlete who has won several IFBB competitions, such as the New York Pro and the Tampa Pro.
Early Life of Evan Centopani
Evan Centopani wasn’t always that muscular, even though his body has helped him to win some of the most renowned shows in America. Even experienced severe weight problems during much of his infancy and early adolescence.
He developed an obsession with using his bulk to impart strength when he was 15 years old. He subsequently developed an interest in exercising and began to devote daily attention to his diet and technique.
He would be able to develop the body he had always desired thanks to this. He started competing in amateur competitions, and he won every contest he entered.
In 2007, he obtained his professional card and began a fantastic professional career that was filled with triumphs and arduous training.
Body Measurements of Evan Centopani
| Full Name: Evan Centopani |
| WEIGHT: 255- 265 pounds (115.7-120.2kg) |
| ERA: 2000, 2010 |
| PROFESSION: IFBB Professional Bodybuilder |
| NATIONALITY: American |
| HEIGHT: 5’11” (180cm) |
Accomplishments
Competitions
-
- 2005 Bev Francis Atlantic States tournament, 1st and overall
- 2006 NPC Junior Championships, 1st and overall
- 2007 NPC National Bodybuilding & Fitness Championships, 1st and overall (pro card)
- 2009 New York Pro, 1st
- 2011 Flex Pro, 1st
- 2011 IFBB Los Angeles Pro competition, 1st
- 2011 Arnold Classic, 4th
- 2012 Arnold Classic, 3rd
- 2012 Mr. Olympia, 8th
- 2013 IFBB Tampa Pro, 1st
- 2013 Mr. Olympia, 13th
- 2014 Arnold Classic, 5th
- 2014 IFBB Australia Pro Grand Prix, 1st
Biography
Weight issues as a young child
Evan, also known by his stage name “the Ox,” suffered greatly with his weight while growing up in Connecticut. He was 220 pounds and clinically obese at the age of 12.
Evan mentions eating three substantial breakfasts each day at times in a blog post on his youth. He would also overindulge in processed, high-fat foods and munch all day.
Starting To Become Active
Evan would later enroll in a prep school in his hometown, but until the age of 15, he wasn’t particularly active or involved in athletics.
He began riding his bicycle with his pals about this time, and his buddies were amazed by the strength he could exert by shifting his weight into the pedals.
Evan’s interest in strength training was sparked by this unimportant incident, and he hasn’t looked back since.
High School Sports Participation
Evan’s high school pals frequently gushed to him about how good he would be at football if he gave it a try. He was large, fast on his feet, and tall, yet he never went to practice.
Evan spent all of these years in the gym, even though he didn’t get into football. He had an obsession with gaining muscle and getting stronger.
He read about nutrition as he spent more time in the gym acquiring techniques from colleagues and books. He created a meal plan and started to pay much closer attention to what he was eating and how healthy it was for his body.
Honing Your Bodybuilding Skills
Evan didn’t start looking into a profession in bodybuilding until he was 23 years old. He decided that he wanted to display his physique to the world, therefore he started competing in amateur competitions.
2005’s amateur Bev Francis Atlantic States competition served as his debut performance. He wasn’t sure he would place at all, but to his astonishment, he took both the heavyweight division and overall championship.
Even experienced another outstanding year the following year. He continued to claim first and overall after winning the NPC Junior Championships.
This winning run convinced him that he had to keep going and see how far he could get in the sport.
Getting Your Pro Card
Evan claimed his Pro Card in 2007, which helped to further cement his status.
He took first place in the superheavyweight division of the NPC National Bodybuilding & Fitness Championships that year, allowing him to pose alongside the world’s top bodybuilders.
He did this at his very first professional performance, the 2009 New York Pro. He was overjoyed in front of the sizable crowd at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center after taking an unbelievable first place in his professional debut.
Concentrating on Improving
Early in 2010, Evan Centopani made a radio station announcement that he would be taking the year off to concentrate on his diet and exercise.
He was aware that he needed to build on his initial professional achievement if he wanted to keep winning.
With his coach, he spent a lot of time perfecting his poses and working on his technique, but by 2011, Evan was prepared to perform.
The Arnold Classic competition the following year saw him back in play, and he finished in fourth place.
A Significant Win In LA
At the IFBB Los Angeles Pro competition in 2011, Evan achieved one of his biggest victories. He was crowned the overall winner of the general bodybuilding category in this show, signaling his entry into the world of professional bodybuilding.
After this incident, Evan decided to stop doing professional shows and concentrate on assisting others in becoming successful.
He decided to create a website to assist the general public and spend his time advising on how to keep toned and thin.
Training
Strenuous Chest Exercise
Evan uses heavy weights during his workouts and incorporates numerous supersets to push his body to the limit.
He works out with machines, cables, and free weights, and he’s not afraid to experiment with new tools and methods to see if they can provide him an advantage.
His usual chest routine is below:
- Cable Cross-Over 4 sets of 10-15 reps, starting lighter with higher reps, then adding weight and lowering reps
- Incline Barbell Bench 5 sets of 6-12 reps, starting lighter with higher reps, then adding weight and lowering reps
- Machine Press 4 sets of 10-15 reps, starting lighter with higher reps, then adding weight and lowering reps
Supersetted with…
- Flat Dumbbell Fly 4 sets of 8-12 reps, starting lighter with higher reps, then adding weight and lowering reps
- Parallel Bar Dip 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Training Split
- Day 1: Legs
- Day 2: Off
- Day 3: Chest and Tris
- Day 4: Back
- Day 5: Off
- Day 6: Hams and Calves
- Day 7: Delts and Bis
- Day 8: Off
To get a lot of blood into the muscle without straining the tendons, “I like to start with a cable or a machine first.”
Regular Arms Training
Evan maintains that the best method to get bigger, stronger arms is to take a break from arm training. He claims that exercising overtrains the arms, which is why taking a break from exercise is beneficial so the tendons can repair.
When he exercises, he performs a wide range of exercises while lifting as much weight as he can. Here is what he typically does:
Preacher curls with one arm
Evan often begins his training with a preacher curl with one arm. He performs this because it is a pure isolation action that doesn’t put a lot of strain on the muscle.
Dumbbell Curl in the Alternate
He then performs the alternate dumbbell curl after that. He always performs this exercise throughout his arm workout, but he never does more than 8 reps in a set because he doesn’t want to overwork the muscle and risk tearing it or suffering a long-term injury.
Regarding this, he says, “I wince when I see guys going overzealous and heaving up massively big curls for just a few reps because I know they’re setting themselves up to get damaged.”
Biceps Curl
Evan places a lot of importance on barbell curls in addition to dumbbell curls. He claims that he used to perform the lifts with an EZ bar but switched to a straight bar after realizing that the lift was considerably more demanding and potent.
Threshold Dip
Evan completes his set with a barbell curl as the final free weight exercise before moving on to bodyweight and machine routines. Evan enjoys the dip, which is the first exercise.
He realizes that the dip is a great way to enter the tricep portion of the training and that he only needs to increase his body weight before a competition.
Dumbbell Extensions With One Arm Up In The Air
Evan completes the single-arm overhead dumbbell extension as his first triceps exercise.
He claims that he has been performing this exercise since he was a little child working out in his basement, so he is aware of its potential benefits when performed correctly.
He also emphasizes the significance of the proper weight. He claims that even at 300 pounds, he would never lift more than 60 pounds per weight to avoid needless harm.
Roping Down
Another workout that doesn’t require a lot of weight to be successful is rope pushdowns. Evan prefers to perform sets of 20 repetitions, with a 20–30 second break between each set.
To work each tricep hard before continuing, he can transition to single arm movements at the end of this set of exercises.
Machine Dip
Evan Centopani often ends his arm workout with a challenging dip machine set.
He appreciates the 1980s-era dip machine in his Connecticut gym because he thinks some of the older machines train the muscles more effectively than the newer ones.
He aggressively pushes himself to complete the reps during this set, and he ends the workout with the same fervor with which he began.
Nutrition
Healthy and nourishing
To fuel his body and muscles throughout the day, Evan has developed a very balanced diet that includes wholesome fruits, veggies, and lean meat selections.
He decides to prepare his meals a day ahead of time and keep them in separate containers in the fridge. He avoids the inconvenience of having to cook after working out by doing this.
Unseasonal Recipes
Evan Centopani enjoys experimenting with intriguing new meal options during the off-season since he gets the chance to consume a lot of calories. He prepares dishes like roasted chicken with garlic rapini and boiled potatoes with rosemary.
Evan can fully enjoy his bulking season thanks to such meals. Pasta with meatballs and steak dishes are always on the menu since he also loves to consume foods that transport him back to his childhood.
Exercise Diet
Evan’s diet for the competition is stricter and comprises lean proteins and predetermined carbs. He makes these adjustments to simultaneously lose weight and gain muscle.
He enjoys eating a lot of eggs for breakfast and lean meats like chicken and steak for the rest of the day.
An example of one day eating in Evan’s competition season is below:
- Meal 1: 6 whole eggs
- Meal 2: 8oz chicken, 1/3 cup macadamia nuts
- Meal 3: 50g Iso whey, 2 tbsp peanut butter
- Meal 4: 8oz chicken, 1/3 cup macadamia nuts
- Meal 5: 8 oz steak, 2 cups broccoli, 2 tbsp olive oil
- Meal 6: 50g Iso whey, 2 tbsp peanut butter
What is Evan Centopani teaching us?
Evan’s experience demonstrates how bodybuilding may be a strategy for overcoming individual weight issues. He put a lot of effort into his workouts and was able to drop weight and add a lot of muscle, demonstrating his strength.
The improvement in his appearance also significantly raised his self-esteem. He exploited this to launch a bodybuilding career, succeeding in the most renowned competitions on the planet.