Evan Centopani talks about how to walk the delicate line of providing criticism to bodybuilders who are lacking.
With any sport there will be people who excel and people who don’t. Unfortunately, not everyone can be a pro athlete. Some people just don’t have it in them no matter how passionate they are about pursuing that dream. Of course, that doesn’t mean they should give up either. So when aspiring bodybuilders are seeking advice from pros and experts, what is the best way to provide constructive criticism? Especially when that bodybuilder is severely lacking in certain areas? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Evan Centopani explains how to separate honest criticism from hurtful trash talk.
Beyond being a pro bodybuilder, Evan Centopani also provides insight to aspiring bodybuilders who want to try and go pro. Of course, no two bodybuilders are created equal. The unfortunate truth is some people will be more talented than others. This can come down to a wide variety of factors. It can be due to genetics. It can be due to the will and drive of the person. It can also be due to the person’s life situation and time management.
At the end of the day, there will be times when Evan Centopani, or any other pro bodybuilder, will need to share negative criticism with an aspiring bodybuilder. Of course, there is no need to criticism someone who doesn’t ask for it. But when younger athletes ask for advice – it can be a delicate process. A pro shouldn’t discourage someone from trying to achieve. But they also shouldn’t mislead or give false hope either.
During our conversation with Evan Centopani, we asked him what he does when he’s faced with an aspiring bodybuilder that might just not have what it takes to become a pro. What do you say to someone like that? Centopani admits that it’s a delicate situation. But there is a key difference between honest criticism and hurtful trash talk.
Instead of immediately shutting an aspiring bodybuilder down, Evan Centopani thinks the best thing to do is to be honest about their shortcomings – but still encourage them to pursue their passion.
“If bodybuilding, you love doing it, and it becomes something that starts to work and to show results for you and you start to get someplace, then it makes sense,” Evan Centopani states in our interview. “But if you find yourself pouring all sorts of time and money and effort into it for little or no return, then it’s no different than any other investment. It just doesn’t make sense.”
From what Evan Centopani seems to be saying – he prefers to be honest but still encourage the athlete to learn from their own mistakes. He has a point to that. There have been many times in history where others doubt the abilities of someone – only for that person to surprise everyone in the end. Even if an aspiring bodybuilder has flaws that might prevent them from going pro – if it’s something they enjoy and love – then there’s no need to discourage their drive.
You can check out Evan Centopani’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview above!
