Evan Centopani on Free Weight Training.

My favorite current pro bodybuilder talks on the importance of free weights over machines. Not saying machines don’t have their place, but he is just speaking my mind…I enjoyed this and all his vids, he always hits the nail on the head.

Copy and paste the link into your browser, just trying to respect T-Nation by not hyperlinking it.

Yeah, well, I remember Dennis James saying the same…and now Charles Glass has him on mostly Hammer Strength machines.

This post is pointless without the vid :frowning:

I hear the guy who trains Evan is the same guy who trains Kai.

Oscar Ardon

EDIT: my point, from watching the overkill documentary, I don’t recall Kai using much machines.

[quote]therajraj wrote:
I hear the guy who trains Evan is the same guy who trains Kai.

Oscar Ardon[/quote]

You heard correctly.

Anyone that wants to see the vid can find it on another sites video section, it’s recent.

Wow. That 315 for 8 press with such good form is INSANE.

Also off the top of my head that’s the first entirely freeweight workout video I’ve seen made in the last 10 years from such a high ranking pro.

Found this for comparison, Ronnie gets more reps but with looser form.

Evan as strong as the Big Nasty??

(first 40 secs)

[quote]Cprimero wrote:
Found this for comparison, Ronnie gets more reps but with looser form.

Evan as strong as the Big Nasty??

(first 40 secs)

you get a video of Evan Ddeadlifting 800lbs 5 weeks out from the Olympia and we’ll talk lol

[quote]Akuma01 wrote:

[quote]Cprimero wrote:
Found this for comparison, Ronnie gets more reps but with looser form.

Evan as strong as the Big Nasty??

(first 40 secs)

you get a video of Evan Ddeadlifting 800lbs 5 weeks out from the Olympia and we’ll talk lol[/quote]

Evan is strong as a fucking bull and although not on Big Nasty’s level, at the young age of 27 I have no doubts he’ll get a lot stronger through the years…He has repped some big weight on deads and squats…These presses are awesome.

I’ll say it again, Evan is the man.

[quote]Cprimero wrote:

Wow. That 315 for 8 press with such good form is INSANE.

Also off the top of my head that’s the first entirely freeweight workout video I’ve seen made in the last 10 years from such a high ranking pro.[/quote]

I love you. This is the vid. Imma put it in the OP.

Yup, Evan is the man. I have to agree that he’s my favorite pro.

Got to love it when a guy yawns(2:29 or so) before a set of overhead presses that would crush 95% of gym goers on a squat haha.

I like Evan, very good future, and present for that matter, in the sport and always comes across as a likeable guy in his videos.

Cool video. He seems like a cool down to earth guy and was well spoken about his training philosophy and the things he thinks/believes. I liked the part at the end when talking about rest periods and he said “well I’m sure anything can work but this is what works for me”. thats a good attitude to have I think.

[quote]austin_bicep wrote:

[quote]Akuma01 wrote:

[quote]Cprimero wrote:
Found this for comparison, Ronnie gets more reps but with looser form.

Evan as strong as the Big Nasty??

(first 40 secs)

you get a video of Evan Ddeadlifting 800lbs 5 weeks out from the Olympia and we’ll talk lol[/quote]

Evan is strong as a fucking bull and although not on Big Nasty’s level, at the young age of 27 I have no doubts he’ll get a lot stronger through the years…He has repped some big weight on deads and squats…These presses are awesome.

I’ll say it again, Evan is the man.[/quote]

Oh yea, ill give the guy that hes got strength, no doubt. I was just referring to Cprimero’s statement. I dont think too many people could do what coleman did period, let alone dieted down, 5 weeks out from the olympia, thats just insane lol

[quote]Akuma01 wrote:

[quote]austin_bicep wrote:

[quote]Akuma01 wrote:

[quote]Cprimero wrote:
Found this for comparison, Ronnie gets more reps but with looser form.

Evan as strong as the Big Nasty??

(first 40 secs)

you get a video of Evan Ddeadlifting 800lbs 5 weeks out from the Olympia and we’ll talk lol[/quote]

Evan is strong as a fucking bull and although not on Big Nasty’s level, at the young age of 27 I have no doubts he’ll get a lot stronger through the years…He has repped some big weight on deads and squats…These presses are awesome.

I’ll say it again, Evan is the man.[/quote]

Oh yea, ill give the guy that hes got strength, no doubt. I was just referring to Cprimero’s statement. I dont think too many people could do what coleman did period, let alone dieted down, 5 weeks out from the olympia, thats just insane lol
[/quote]

Not a jab at Evan as he is deff one of my favs right now but he does and has used machines in the past.

I think hes just referring to what every one else is like tips to newbies and such.

Although he does use a lot of free weights Im sure he uses a bunch of machines also. I think a black and white concept is very destructive to bb.

Free weight bench and dips are the best things I can do for my triceps or any kind of press for that matter. But besides db flys their simply is no free weight pressing exercise in the weight room that works my chest. INC Hammer Strength Press has brought it up since I’ve added it in.

Evan is deff the man though and alot of what he preaches about food, training, and even “supplements” shows that hes not only intellegent but a good hearted guy over all. Him being Mr Olympia would be a very good look for the sport.

I’ve watched nearly all of evans training vids and the only machines I’ve ever seen him use is a cable row, one of those old school nautilus lateral raise machines and leg press, haha. It’s pretty amazing. Training in that fashion is definitely a lot more fun in my mind, progressing on machines seems a lot more boring and tedious than free weight progression, although I have no specific reason pinpointed for why that is.

It’s always refreshing when I see a Centopani vid, it usually inspires me to change up my training a bit and go harder. He’s the only pro who inspires me in that way.

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
I’ve watched nearly all of evans training vids and the only machines I’ve ever seen him use is a cable row, one of those old school nautilus lateral raise machines and leg press, haha. It’s pretty amazing. Training in that fashion is definitely a lot more fun in my mind, progressing on machines seems a lot more boring and tedious than free weight progression, although I have no specific reason pinpointed for why that is.

It’s always refreshing when I see a Centopani vid, it usually inspires me to change up my training a bit and go harder. He’s the only pro who inspires me in that way.[/quote]

Evan uses lat pulldowns, hammer chest and shoulder presses and hack squats in a lot of his videos as well. one of his back workouts is all machines except for deadlifts.

Awesome. Thanks for posting this.

I think doing some freeweights is important for stabilization.

However, I think the most important thing is to find exercises (that hit what needs to be hit) that you enjoy, machines or not.

If I like what I’m doing, I’ll grind out that extra rep, or do that extra set.