NYC BIG MIKE: Evan, thanks for taking part in the MD 1 on 1 interview series.
Evan Centopani: No problem Mike. I appreciate the opportunity. Actually, I’m flattered to know that I’m a topic of interest.
NYC BIG MIKE: So how's life since you won the 2008 NPC Nationals and your IFBB pro card treating you?
Evan Centopani: Life’s good. But life’s always been good. I’ve always enjoyed training and dieting and the lifestyle in general. It’s just nice to get paid to do something that I love doing and might just do anyway whether I was getting paid to or not. And I’ve always taken my training very seriously but knowing that it’s your job makes you want to approach it with that much more ambition and professionalism. But overall, I’m very fortunate to have two great companies behind me enabling me to make training and preparation my main focus. Both Muscular Development and Universal Nutrition have been nothing but great to me and I value the relationships that I have with them.
NYC BIG MIKE: I understand that you want to make the New York Pro your first pro appearance. What are you doing this offseason to bring your game to a level that you feel will make you competitive in the pro ranks?
Evan Centopani: NY will be it. There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by since the Nationals where I haven’t thought about New York. I did my first show in New York at Tribecca in 2005. Since then, while my training and my nutrition have evolved, nothing major has changed. I’ve always felt that having a strong work ethic in the gym, eating well, and following a lifestyle that’s conducive to bodybuilding are what you need to do to be successful in the sport. But the most important factor is consistency. For me, it’s a matter of doing all the things you’re supposed to do to help ensure progress day in and day out all year round. I never stop training. I never stop eating well. And I always get my sleep and I don’t go out and party. I could tell you about little ways in which my training has evolved and will be slightly different this year but in reality, the game plan is pretty much the same as it’s been all along. Eat, train, sleep and progress.
NYC BIG MIKE: Your fan base is growing on a daily basis. To what do you attribute this to?
Even Centopani: I’m not 100% sure. I can guarantee it’s not because I’m the best bodybuilder out there. I haven’ t even done anything as a pro. While I think I’m a decent bodybuilder, I don’t think that’s the main draw. I would sooner believe that it’s my efforts to respond to people and treat them with respect. Since I first started training in a real gym back in high school, I’ve noticed guys who think they’re too good for everyone or that everyone should kiss their asses because they’ve got a good build. I can tell you that I was always too intimidated to go up to any of the bigger guys in my gym and ask them for advice. There were no forums and online resources like there are now where you can log in and ask a pro their opinion or seek their advice. I think that’s pretty damn good. I think that if you are in a position where people recognize you for doing something admirable then you should make it your job to be admirable in all that you do. I’ve heard a lot of pro athletes, celebrities and just people who have a lot of attention on them say that it isn’t their job to be role models and that they should be able to live their lives however they choose. I think that’s unfortunate because I do think that you have an obligation to be a role model for those who look to you. By no means am I a celebrity but I do recognize and appreciate the people who look to me and think enough of me to ask me for my opinion. That being said, I really try and take the time to talk to people, answer their questions, and give them the same advice I would give a friend. I will give my time and respect to anyone who is serious and respectful. The fans are what drive the sport and I realize that. I know who I work for.
NYC BIG MIKE: You are one of the few pros that actually actively participates on the forums. Is it something you willingly do or is it part business/self-promoting as well?
Evan Centopani: To be honest with you, I’m not a good business man. People on the forum ask me for advice all the time and I have no problem giving it away. To be honest, I think sometimes I’m a sucker because if someone asks me what diet I follow going into a show or in the offseason I tell them. I give em all the details of a diet that I HAVE TO PAY FOR! I just have a hard time telling someone “If you want to know that it’s gonna cost you”. I’m just not like that. Looking in on it, I suppose that the forum is a way of promoting myself but that’s an indirect benefit of me just not being able to ignore peoples’ questions.
NYC BIG MIKE: You are definitely one of the new fan favorites. Does the fact that so many people look up to you put added pressure on you to do well as a pro?
Evan Centopani: I’d be lying if I said that you don’t feel the pressure a little bit. In the beginning, it was easy to go into my first show and then going into the Jr. Nationals without anyone knowing who the hell I was. Now, I read people predicting my placings in the future Olympias. That’s a bit much to take in. People can have high expectations of someone and the second they don’t live up to it, they trash the poor guy! It’s like you’re either the best thing going or you’re old news. I know that it takes time to build a champion physique and I’m confident in myself and my ability to do so. I’ve been extremely fortunate so far in terms of the amount of support and respect people have given me and I sincerely believe that in the years to come, so long as I make every effort to progress, I will maintain that support. I’m unable to say whether or not I will always live up to the expectations of others but I can guarantee that I will make every effort to be the best I can. Top pro or not, I will always respect the fans and give them the time and dedication they deserve.
NYC BIG MIKE: Who are some of the top pros of today that you look up to?
Evan Centopani: I look up to Jay Cutler a lot. Yes, he is Mr. Olympia and by default he has the top physique in the world. And there a lot of guys with great physiques, that has nothing to do with them having my respect. I’ve had the chance to be around Jay a few times and see how he carries himself and how he deals with people. He’s the most professional bodybuilder I have ever been around. He goes out of his way for people. He's never short or discourteous. In general, he really makes it his job to make the fans happy and he’s just a down to earth guy. I remember when I did my first show in New York and a bunch of my friends and family came down for it. Just after the show finished and was letting out my little sister, who was eight at that time, went running out into the lobby with my little brother and my younger cousins and my little sister (not realizing who he was) starts telling Jay Cutler that her brother just won the show. He started signing free 8x10s and giving them to my all my little cousins and my brother and sister. When I walked out he was still sitting there signing pics. It was past 12:00 on a Saturday night and I overheard a couple of his friends saying that they had a table at a club and they were trying to get him to go. He sat there and he signed the pics for my family and he took pictures with everyone. That’s someone I look up to.
NYC BIG MIKE: Let's face it, bodybuilding is more or less a culture sport with a select but enthusiastic following. You are one the people that many predict as the future of the sport. What other bodybuilders do you think will have an impact on the sport in the next 5 years?
Evan Centopani: I think that, the way things look right now, Dennis Wolfe is probably the most likely guy to make a big impact in the sport with Phil Heath just behind him. I feel like a lot of people have counted Victor Martinez out but I still think he has what it takes to be Mr. O.
NYC BIG MIKE: You've been rumored to be guest posing at around 300 pounds. You look like you've maintained your waist size while adding mass elsewhere. Obviously this is an added benefit, was it the plan though?
Evan Centopani: The plan was to put on quality size. I know a lot of guys who get HUGE in the offseason and come show time, there isn’t much left of them. I definitely believe that it’s not always what you gain but what you don’t lose. Just like it’s not how anabolic you are but how anti-catabolic you are. My strategy is to do as little as possible to produce results. If I can grow on 6 meals a day then why eat 8? I’d rather eat 6 until I plateau and then add a meal. The same goes for cardio. I don’t do cardio in the offseason because I feel that if I establish a baseline of 30 minutes of cardio per day, then I’ll just find myself doing that much more pre-contest. I’d rather do none and then start off by getting results from 30 minutes than already be doing 30 and have to add more. In general, I think that too many guys in the sport are just doing too much of everything when it isn’t necessary. I think a lot of them bombard their bodies with too much shit all at once and all they do is desensitize themselves. That goes for training, nutrition and supplementation. Less is more. You can always add more.
NYC BIG MIKE: How do your family and girlfriend Erica and other friends influence and support your day to day life as a professional bodybuilder?
Evan Centopani: My family has always supported me from the beginning. No matter how odd the sport may have seemed to them at first, they respected me enough to allow me to see it through. It’s a tough sport, there’s a lot of sacrifice, and it’s a 24 hour job that touches all areas of your life. It’s invasive. I’ve known Erica since high school and she knows me well enough to trust my judgment and she loves me enough to respect my wishes and support me in an endeavor that is less than conventional. I will say that I am extremely fortunate to have the support system that I have. Everyone from my family to Erica’s family to my friends, the owners of my gym, my chiropractor, my attorney, and even the people who work at the grocery store have come to take an interest in my involvement in bodybuilding and they all offer me their encouragement on different levels.
NYC BIG MIKE: Do you envision yourself one day winning one of the big shows like the Night of Champions, the Arnold Classic or the Olympia?
Evan Centopani: I envision myself continuing to improve my physique over the next ten years or so. I believe that I have the potential to be significantly bigger and better than I am right now. Will I ever win a pro show? I don’t know. All I know is that I went into my first show not it caring if I placed or not. I just wanted to look good. I have to continue with that same attitude because if I don’t, success will elude me.
NYC BIG MIKE: Who has had the single biggest impact on your bodybuilding career both as an amateur and a pro?
Evan Centopani: That’s tough to say. I consider my father to be a strong inspiration in my life in general. He’s an incredibly hard worker and a very strong person and never lacks the courage to stand by his convictions. I know he’s proud of what I have accomplished even though he’s not the type to say too much and he never really encouraged me to pursue bodybuilding. But I guess that seeing his strength and his unwillingness to let others affect how he lives his life has inspired me to live my life the way I see fit.
NYC BIG MIKE: People can't get over how laid back you are in person. Does Evan Centopani ever get mad or angry?
Evan Centopani: Don’t piss me off and you’ll never have to know!
NYC BIG MIKE: Ev, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Anything you'd like to add or say?
Evan Centopani: Thanks Mike I appreciate it. I just want to thank Muscular Development and everyone on the forum for all the support. Keep the questions and comments coming. I’m still learning too and I enjoy reading the stuff that people post. Everybody keep up the good work. Peace.
From:
www.musculardevelopment.com
