IFBB Pro Evan Centopani Q&A

[tryintogrow]

Hey bro I really appreciate the post. Thanks for all your kind words. Alright, here's the deal with back. It's a big complex muscle group which, in my opinion, requires variety when it comes to training. When I say variety, I mean different exercises that hit the muscle from dif. angles. One thing before we get started though... oops I forgot, look my upcoming back training special in MD! Haha. Should be next month. Wait a minute, you can't wait till next month, you need to start growing now. Alright fine, before we start make sure you're using straps. If your arms are doing the bulk of the work you'll be training them instead of your back. Besides, the back is a big ass muscle group with a lot of power and you don't want it to be limited by your grip strength. Ok, I reccomend the compound movements for serious growth. You NEED to make deadlifting, barbell rows, and dumbell rows your main priority. And with rowing movements, you can cheat a little if you have to on your last couple reps, just make the set happen. You may want to try pre-exausting with something like pull downs or cable rows before hitting the compounds so that when you go to do them you feel what you are supposed to be working. I suggest doing deadlifts last becasue they will hit all parts of your back and tie everything together that you have just trained. Do drop sets, supersets whatver the hell you have to doto tear your back apart. If youa re not sore, your just not hitting it hard enough or with enough intensity. Go kick some ass.

Hey man - thanks for the advice! Today was back day and I rearranged my training a bit and really tried to bring the intensity. We'll see how I feel in about 24 hours' time.

[bbjeff86]

Hey Evan I just wanted to say that you look fantastic... I see you and Phill Heath Dominating this sport in 3-5yrs.

I have a quick question... You seem to go pretty low carbs, and since i'm an endomorph that seems to be what i need to do as well. I'm currently cutting for a show on March 31st. I usually have to work out in the evening and sometimes even later at night do to school and work. I'm pretty sure i've read that you place your carbs around your workout, and in the first meal of the day. I've been doing the same, with carbs coming in the morning, and then pre and post workout. So far I've been dropping 1-2lbs per week just fine. My question is that since my post workout meal is rather late at night... and i only have one meal after that before bed... will i need to adjust these meals closer to contest time in order to get really lean? Right now that post workout meal consists of Brown rice and a half an Orange... perhaps i would have to switch to something lower GI than the Brown rice?

Thanks for your time, your input is greatly appreciated.

[Evan Centopani]

Hey Evan I just wanted to say that you look fantastic... I see you and Phill Heath Dominating this sport in 3-5yrs.

I have a quick question... You seem to go pretty low carbs, and since i'm an endomorph that seems to be what i need to do as well. I'm currently cutting for a show on March 31st. I usually have to work out in the evening and sometimes even later at night do to school and work. I'm pretty sure i've read that you place your carbs around your workout, and in the first meal of the day. I've been doing the same, with carbs coming in the morning, and then pre and post workout. So far I've been dropping 1-2lbs per week just fine. My question is that since my post workout meal is rather late at night... and i only have one meal after that before bed... will i need to adjust these meals closer to contest time in order to get really lean? Right now that post workout meal consists of Brown rice and a half an Orange... perhaps i would have to switch to something lower GI than the Brown rice?

Thanks for your time, your input is greatly appreciated.

Jeff,

During precontest I go with 0 carbs. I stop ingesting carbs at 10 weeks out. I'm not saying you should do the same but if those are all your taking in right now then droppin g them out probably won't make that big of a difference in the way you feel/recuperate but will help you lean up significantly quicker. However, keep in min d that during my prep I have a cheta meal once per week and if you're going to eliminate the carbs maybe you should consider soemthing similar. Two options: 1. Keep doing what you're doing 2.drop the daily carbs but have a cheta meal. Either way you go, the carbs and the cheat meal will have to stop 3-4 weeks out. Good luck.

[DIEZEL]

Evan, if growth started to stagnate for you you, which macronutrient would you increase first? Do you feel you are able to grow well on such relatively low cals? What type of eating did you initially do to add the size? Thanks again.

[condor]

Evan-

When I first saw you in MD I was totally shocked, man you have some serious development at a very young age, it's like you were engineered to be the new faster stronger version of windows or something for the next generation. Anyways, another few questions about carbs. I'm considering going with this low carb diet year round. I tend to get a little chunky at times and feel best when I'm eating high proteins and fats. If I feel best when doing this, that should be all the proof I need, right? And as far as off-season carb sources, what do you recommend for the little that you do eat? And what would be an example of some daily meals during the 10 weeks of no carbs pre-contest? Thanks for any advice and good luck to you going pro.

[bbjeff86]

Jeff,

During precontest I go with 0 carbs. I stop ingesting carbs at 10 weeks out. I'm not saying you should do the same but if those are all your taking in right now then droppin g them out probably won't make that big of a difference in the way you feel/recuperate but will help you lean up significantly quicker. However, keep in min d that during my prep I have a cheta meal once per week and if you're going to eliminate the carbs maybe you should consider soemthing similar. Two options: 1. Keep doing what you're doing 2.drop the daily carbs but have a cheta meal. Either way you go, the carbs and the cheat meal will have to stop 3-4 weeks out. Good luck.

Alright sounds good I'll probably just keep cutting out the carbs until I get down to nothing.... Right now since I only have them during breakfast and pre/post workout i'm at about 150g aday... So i'll just cut those out gradually... I still have 11 weeks to go. What should I increase more as I do this... Fat or protein... or shoudl I keep those the same? My protein is at 280g currently... and my fat is at about 92g... And i'm at 210lbs... hoping to come in at about 190.

Thanks again for your time and knowledge on these boards.

[chuckattude]

hey Evan
I was surious, what was your best mass gain training split that you have used??

Thank you

[sof_2]

Evan:

First of all, I just want to let you know that you are a true inspiration for of all us aspiring bodybuilders! You are exactly what this sport needs, and I have no doubt that once you become a pro next year (no pressure ) you will have a tremendous impact on all aspects of professional bodybuilding.

Second, I was wondering what kind of supplements you use post-workout once you are in precontest diet mode, since you stated that you go 0 carbs 10 weeks out. Do you only use protein or do you also supplement with BCAA's, glutamine, or something else?

Thanks for taking the time to answer all of our posts and good luck with your training!

[Evan Centopani]

Evan, if growth started to stagnate for you you, which macronutrient would you increase first? Do you feel you are able to grow well on such relatively low cals? What type of eating did you initially do to add the size? Thanks again.

To gain size initially I ate lots of everything. I just never ate any processed or pre-packaged crap. I would eat anything as long as it's home made / natural whether it's pasta and meatballs or whole milk, whatever. Just no fake stuff. I seem to grow well on what others would consider low cals but when growth stagnates the first thing to go up is carbs.

[Evan Centopani]

Evan-

When I first saw you in MD I was totally shocked, man you have some serious development at a very young age, it's like you were engineered to be the new faster stronger version of windows or something for the next generation. Anyways, another few questions about carbs. I'm considering going with this low carb diet year round. I tend to get a little chunky at times and feel best when I'm eating high proteins and fats. If I feel best when doing this, that should be all the proof I need, right? And as far as off-season carb sources, what do you recommend for the little that you do eat? And what would be an example of some daily meals during the 10 weeks of no carbs pre-contest? Thanks for any advice and good luck to you going pro.

If you look/feel good on low high proteins and fats roll with it. If it aint broke don't fix it right? For off-season carbs go with oat bran, old fashioned oats, quinoa, lentils. People advocate yams and brown rice but I would only pick them after the carbs I just mentioned. A typical pre-contest meal would be 8oz chicken, 2 cups alfalfa sprouts, 1 tbsp oil, 1/4 cup almonds.

[Evan Centopani]

Alright sounds good I'll probably just keep cutting out the carbs until I get down to nothing.... Right now since I only have them during breakfast and pre/post workout i'm at about 150g aday... So i'll just cut those out gradually... I still have 11 weeks to go. What should I increase more as I do this... Fat or protein... or shoudl I keep those the same? My protein is at 280g currently... and my fat is at about 92g... And i'm at 210lbs... hoping to come in at about 190.

Thanks again for your time and knowledge on these boards.

I would keep your proteins and fats the same and depending on how lean you are, keep the carbs but def. start on the cardio. I would start the cardio and start getting rid of the carbs. But that's based on me. You may have a sick metabolism and be fine with those carbs.

[Evan Centopani]

hey Evan
I was surious, what was your best mass gain training split that you have used??

Thank you

I use the same split year round and it's the same one I've used since I started training:

Monday: Chest + Abs
Tuesday: Back
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Shoulders and Hamstrings
Friday: Arms
Saturday: Quads+ Calves
Sunday: Off

[Evan Centopani]

Evan:

First of all, I just want to let you know that you are a true inspiration for of all us aspiring bodybuilders! You are exactly what this sport needs, and I have no doubt that once you become a pro next year (no pressure ) you will have a tremendous impact on all aspects of professional bodybuilding.

Second, I was wondering what kind of supplements you use post-workout once you are in precontest diet mode, since you stated that you go 0 carbs 10 weeks out. Do you only use protein or do you also supplement with BCAA's, glutamine, or something else?

Thanks for taking the time to answer all of our posts and good luck with your training!

First of all thank you. Second, answering the questions you guys post is my pleasure. Don't stop. Now, as for supplements based around training, the only thing that I correlate with my training is BCAAs. I'll pop them first thing in the morning on an empty stomach before my cardio and also, during the last couple weeks of prep, throughout my workouts. I def. belieev in their anti-catabolic properties and their abilityt to help you burn more fat. Other than that, I don't have a PWO shake or anything while I'm dieting but what I will try to do is time it so that I cosume a shake(one of my meals) after my workout. It'sixed with fats so I don't know that it's the most rapidly absorbed but it's as good as it gets for me when dieting. I've been told to avoid glutamine while dieting as it may mess with your insulin and when I'm dieting the idea is to keep insulin dormant.

[CUT260]

hey Evan
I was surious, what was your best mass gain training split that you have used??

Thank you

Ev and I were talking on the phone the other day and we were discussing different training styles and what has worked and what has not for us. I was telling him what great results I have been getting incorporating some (most) of his arm workout routine into my own. I have always gone heavy and with very high intensity, but I had not incorporated as many super sets and drop sets like he does. Throwing those in and tweaking it a bit with some of the exercises that feel good for me helped me a lot, and leaves my arms fully exhausted and filled with the maximum amount of blood possible in the muscle. My arms feel like they are worked much better than before and I can already see and feel the results.

its an awesome workout!

Call me tomorrow bro. I will be driving from Atlanta back to Dallas so I have like 12 hours in the damn car =)

[hulk7280]

evan, i cant believe u go zero carbs... so what do u do to prevent muscle loss?? and how much cardio are u doing at that stage? what body type do u feel you are an endomorph?? i feel as though i should be on lower carbs also helps me stay leaner.. but i have never thought about going 10 weeks of no carbs sounds like hell on earth..lol

[Evan Centopani]

evan, i cant believe u go zero carbs... so what do u do to prevent muscle loss?? and how much cardio are u doing at that stage? what body type do u feel you are an endomorph?? i feel as though i should be on lower carbs also helps me stay leaner.. but i have never thought about going 10 weeks of no carbs sounds like hell on earth..lol

Believe it! I don't do anything special to prevent muscle loss but the fats are what are going to burn instead of muscle. I really don't lose muscle that easily anyway and I tend to gain weight pretty easily. Trust me, the zero carb scenario isn't that bad when you have the fats in there. Besides, I get one cheat meal per week. That's comforting no? Not really uh? It's a challenge and that makes me feel like I'm accomplishing more. Maybe that's stupid. I don't know.

[Bishop]

Evan what are the fats you use. Do you prefer some over others. How much fat should be taken while on low or no carbs

Thanks
Bishop