Who is Rich Piana?
Entrepreneur, actor, former bodybuilder, and social media sensation Rich Piana all fit that description.
His distinctive appearance and enormous size—he weighed more than 290 pounds and had limbs that were 23,5 inches long—made him famous all across the world.
Short Career of Rich Piana
Rich Piana has a huge following of admirers, but he has also come under fire for his “raw” and honest videos.
Some people think he went too far by being open about his use of steroids, which they believe contributed to his early demise.
Rich, however, ignored the criticism and persisted in his mission to inform people about the advantages and potential drawbacks of the bodybuilding lifestyle.
“If you have the choice to stay natural or do steroids, stay natural. There’s no reason to do steroids, you’re only hurting your body, you’re hurting yourself.”
Body Measurements of Rich Piana
| Full Name: | Rich Piana |
| DATE OF BIRTH: | 26 September 1971 |
| ERA: | 1990, 2000, 2010 |
| PROFESSION: | Actor, Bodybuilder, Social Media Star, Entrepreneur |
| NATIONALITY: | American |
| AGE: | 50 |
| HEIGHT: | 6’1″ (185.5cm) |
| WEIGHT: | 275 – 285lbs (124.7kg – 129.3kg) |
| ALIAS: | One Day You May |
“Whatever it takes!”
Accomplishments
Titles
- NPC Mr. California Champion
Other Contests
2009
- Sacramento Pro – 1st
- Border States Classic XXX Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships – 1st
- Border States Classic XXX Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships – 1st
2003
- NPC USA Championships – 11th
1999
- 1999 NPC USA Championships – 7th
Record Lifts
- Bench Press: 225kg (495lb) for 3 reps
- Squats: 265kg (585lb) for 2 reps
- Deadlifts: 265kg (585lb) for 1 reps
- Barbell Curl: 125kg (275lb) for 3 reps
Biography
Beginning Bodybuilding
Rich was born and reared in California, the Golden State, and at the age of nine, he fell in love with bodybuilding.
To watch his mother work out for her bodybuilding competitions, he would go to the gym. Along with her, ‘old-school’ bodybuilder Bill Cambra had a big impact on Rich.
Rich eventually started lifting weights by himself; he did so when he was 11 years old.
He began participating in bodybuilding competitions four years later, at the age of 15. Rich had won several titles by the time he was 19 years old, including Mr. California.
He carried on competing intermittently for nearly 20 years, taking first place in events including the 2009 NPC Sacramento Pro and the 2009 Border States Classic Championships.
Business
Rich began devoting his efforts to acting and business once his competitive days were finished.
He started to appear in bodybuilding-related shows and ads and gained notoriety online for his physique.
Rich became an online star as a result of his stunning appearance drawing innumerable followers from all over the world through pictures and videos.
Rich established various enterprises after realizing the prospects that came with his fame surge. consisting of a clothing brand, a supplement, and a meal delivery service.
Over the years, the companies enjoyed tremendous success, and Rich rose to prominence as one of the top bodybuilding figures in the market.
Usage of Steroids Controversy
Even though Rich has become a role model for many, some people believe his films are too honest.
Rich frequently disclosed his use of steroids, claiming he has done so since he was 18 years old.
Although he received harsh criticism for it, he insisted that it was important to inform young bodybuilders and fitness fanatics about the potential risks of steroids and advise them not to follow his example.
Rich’s passing
Rich was declared dead the week of August 14—the week before the 21st. Rich’s regrettably lost his fight for life and died after battling for days in a coma.
Training
Rich was restricted to a rigid bodybuilding-style workout regimen when he participated in bodybuilding competitions, with little room for alterations.
This was crucial since Rich was able to get in the finest condition for his competitions by adhering to a prescribed regimen.
When Rich wasn’t competing, he permitted himself to train as he pleased. He would listen to his body instead of following a predetermined workout plan.
Here’s Rich describing how he trains: “I train pretty much by feel. If, after two sets of wide grip pull-ups, I’m not feeling it and don’t have a nice pump, I might switch to lat pulldowns and discover that it works fantastic, so I kill ten sets!
Rich Piana Workout Routine
While Rich didn’t like having a set training regimen, he often liked to create new routines for himself every week.
Monday – Back
- Single Arm Dumbbell Rows & Two Handed Dumbbell Rows, 4 sets of 12+ reps
- Reverse Cable Fly, 5 sets of 12+ reps
- Lat Pull-Downs, 5 sets of 12+ reps
- T-Bar Rows, 4 sets of 12+ reps
- Bent Over Barbell Rows, 4 sets of 12+ reps
Tuesday – Chest
- Incline Chest Barbell Press, 5 sets of 12 reps
- Flat Bench Barbell Press, 5 sets of 12 reps
- Cable Fly’s, 6 sets of 16-20 reps
Wednesday – Legs (Hamstrings and Quads)
- Lying Leg Curl Machine, 4 sets of 12+ reps
- Isolated Single Leg Curl Machine, 4 sets of 12+ reps
- Stiff Legged Dead-Lifts, 5 sets of 12 reps
- Leg Extensions, 4 sets of 12+ reps
- Leg Press, 4 sets of 12 reps
- Hack Squats, 5 sets of 12 reps
Thursday – Shoulders and Traps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises, 5 sets of 12+ reps
- Machine Shoulder Press, 4 sets of 12+ reps
- Reverse Fly, 5 sets of 12+ reps
- Machine Trap Raises, 4-6 sets of 12+ reps
- Barbell Front Trap Raises, 4-6 sets of 12+ reps
Friday – Arm Day
- Single Arm Isolation Cable Bicep Curls, 4 sets of 12+ reps
- Dumbbell Bicep Curls, 5 sets of 12+ reps
- Reverse Fly, 5 sets of 12+ reps
- Incline Dumbbell Curls, 4 sets of 12+ reps
- Machine Seated Triceps Push Downs, 4 sets of 12+ reps
- Overhead Rope Triceps Extensions, 4 sets of 12 reps
- Close Grip Bench Press, 4 sets of 10-12 reps
A View from Rich on Cardio
Rich admitted that he didn’t do standard cardio routines, even though he acknowledged the value of cardio for professional athletes who need to keep in top shape.
In other words, he would engage in brief bursts of weight training or MMA rather than an hour of treadmill walking.
Favorite Workouts
Machines and cables were strongly favored by Rich Piana. On his bodybuilding adventure, he utilized them more frequently than free weights.
Rich thought they would produce greater overall benefits than heavy compound motions in addition to giving him the best pump and contraction.
Low Reps vs. High Reps
Rich claimed that training with high rep ranges typically yielded better results for him than training with rep ranges like 4–8. He frequently built his entire regimen around performing 16 or more reps per set.
8-Hour Arm Exercise
One of Rich’s guiding principles in life was to stand out from the crowd, and his eight-hour arm workout is only one of many examples of this.
Rich shocked his audience by revealing the entirety of his 8-hour arm workout in one of his videos. This isn’t for everyone, Rich cautioned, only those who are prepared to go “to the extreme.”
Rich would eat a large breakfast two hours before the workout. He consumed 16 protein shakes during the workout, each of which contained simple sugars, protein, and slow-releasing carbohydrates.
After finishing, he would have a substantial dinner and take two days off from exercising.
Workout 1:
- 4 sets 10 reps – skull crusher
- 4 sets 10 reps – barbell curl
Workout 2:
- 4 sets 15 reps – single arm dumbbell extension
- 4 sets 15 reps – dumbbell hammer curl
Rich would perform these two exercises in a continuous cycle for 30 minutes. Following that, he took a brief break and drank a protein shake before starting the following 30-minute “mini workout.”
He subsequently carried out a total of about 16 mini-workouts over eight hours by repeating the pattern.
“My arms and chest were always the hardest for me!! I obsessed over my arms for 32 years! I did everything to bring them up, for 2 years I did mini arm workouts every night before bed! This was on top of training them twice a week at the gym and getting arm massages for recovery 3 times a week! I actually stopped training back and legs for 3 years cause I hated the way I looked with a huge back and legs, and weak arms and chest!”
Nutrition
Rich Piana did not consume the same diet every day, just like he did not do the same exercise.
I have never had a set, unchanging meal or diet plan since leaving the stage of professional bodybuilding, he claimed.
Rich claimed that eating 10 or more meals a day was something he disliked doing to himself. He preferred to indulge in whatever his body desired.
He maintained a conscientious approach to food selection throughout this frame of mind, which meant that the majority of the time he would consume wholesome things while occasionally indulging in a full-on cheat meal.
“Once, I gained 25kg (55lb) in just 5 days following a performance! I am an eating machine! I normally can fit in a tub of ice cream most days!”
Supplementation
Rich founded a business that offered food-based items since he strongly believed that food should be prioritized before supplements.
Instead of consuming a typical whey protein shake, he drank his customized shake made with powdered sweet potatoes, strawberries, etc. He consumed this shake after working out.
Rich consumed his BCAA supplement throughout the day, which aided in muscle rehabilitation.
“Most definitely people are making the choice to take steroids too early! Seems like nowadays working out goes along with taking steroids! Everyone has their own choice, but it is crazy how many people are doing it these days!”
Influences and Idols
His mother was a major influence on Rich’s life and bodybuilding. Rich would watch her work out in the gym every day and be motivated to one day compete as a bodybuilder like her.
Rich mentioned the monsters at Gold’s Gym when he was six years old when discussing his other influences. The largest influence was Bill Cambra, and we are still in touch now.
“There is no quick fix. Being a bodybuilder requires a lot of work. It’s not the right sport for you if you’re not willing to put in the work. You must adore it. You will succeed if you are passionate about what you do.
What Is Rich Piana Teaching Us?
Rich Piana was a person who had a lot of success over the years. He was also an actor, businessman, professional bodybuilder, and social media sensation.
All of this was accomplished despite attempts by some to undermine him through remarks and criticism directed at his candor and honesty.
What Rich teaches us is that you don’t have to take the same route as everyone else to be successful. On your trip, you can run with people who disagree with you, but success requires dealing with opposition.
Keep moving forward and don’t let anyone discourage you. That’s one way you can accomplish your objectives, just like Rich Piana.