Biography of Rich Piana

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Rich Piana was a businessman, actor, bodybuilder and social media star. He is known all over the world for his uniquely large stature of over 130kg and a 60cm arm circumference.

Rich had countless fans who would admire him. But he was widely criticized for his honest videos. Some people thought that taking steroids openly had gone too deep. Nonetheless, Rich ignored the negative feedback and remained committed to trying to shed light on the positive and existing negative aspects of the bodybuilding lifestyle.

If you have the option to stay natural or choose a steroid, stay natural. There is no reason to take steroids. You are only harming yourself and your body.

Titles

NPC Mr. California Champion

Other competitions

2009 Sacramento Pro - 1st place Border States Classic XXX Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships - 1st place Border States Classic XXX Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships - 1st place

2003 NPC USA Championships - 11th place

1999 NPC USA Championships - 7th place

Record weights

Lifting the barbell while lying on a horizontal bench: 3 kg in 225 reps Sit with the barbell: 2 kg in 265 reps Lifting: 1 kg with 265 repetition Lifting the barbell for the biceps: 3 repetitions 125 kg

Bodybuilding from the very beginning

Rich was born on September 1970, 26 and grew up in Sanshein, California. He first became acquainted with bodybuilding when he was 9 years old. She came to the gym to see how her mother was doing and how she was preparing for the next race. At the same time, Rich was influenced by Bill Cambra, an "old-school" culturist at the time.

Rich started weightlifting at the age of 11 and at the age of 15 he started competing in bodybuilding competitions. At the age of 19, Rich won several titles, including “Mr. California”. He has competed in competitions for nearly two decades, winning NPC Sacramento Pros like 2009 and 2009 Classic Country Championships.

Business

After Rich stopped participating in competitions, he began to spend his time investing in business and acting skills. He began appearing in various shows and commercials for bodybuilders, and at the same time began to make an impact on bodybuilding on the internet.

Pictures and videos of his unbelievable figure called for a whole army of observers from all over the world, and as a result, Rich became a real online sensation.

Seeing the growth of its capabilities and popularity, Rich opened several businesses, such as a clothing, additives, and food delivery company.

In recent years, his business has been a huge success and Rich has become one of the biggest figures in the bodybuilding industry.

Discussions on steroid intake

Although Rich has been a symbol of imitation for most people, some people have criticized him for his very realistic videos. Rich would often openly say that he was taking steroids and that he started doing it when he was 18 years old. Despite the criticism, Rich felt it was necessary to educate young bodybuilders about the dangers of taking steroids and advise them not to go out of their way.

Classes

While Rich was competing, he achieved the best figure to get on stage, as a result of which he had to strictly adhere to the training program.

When Rich wasn’t competing, he would allow himself to do what he liked. He practiced listening to his body, not following a serious workout program.

Rich explained his training as follows:

I try to exercise based on my instincts. Let’s say I’m pulling with a wide grip, but I don’t feel a workout and a good pump after the 2nd set, in which case I pull and feel the top block with a wide grip, it works very well and in this case I do 10 sets!

Rich Piana’s workout program

Rich loved developing a new program for himself every week.

Monday - Back:

Pulling the dumbbell with one hand and lifting the dumbbell with both hands - 12 times with 4+ repetitions

Open arms at the crossover for the back delta - 12 times with 5+ repetitions

Pull the upper block to the chest - 12 times with 5+ repetitions

Marking the T-griffin - 12 times with 4+ repetitions

Bending the barbell at an angle - 12 times with 4+ repetitions

Tuesday - Chest Muscles:

Lifting and lowering the bar with the top of the bench up - 12 times with 5 repetitions

Lifting and lowering the bar while lying on a horizontal bench - 12 times with 5 repetitions

Pulling hands on the crossover - 16 times with 20-6 repetitions

Wednesday - Feet:

Bending the legs while lying on the simulator - 12 times with 4+ repetitions

Bending the legs while standing on the simulator - 12 times with 4+ repetitions

Lifting the barbell in the deadlift - 12 times with 5 repetitions

Straightening the legs while sitting on the simulator - 12 times with 4+ repetitions

Lifting and lowering the legs on a Hammer trainer - 12 times with 4 repetitions

Gakk sitting on the simulator - 12 times with 5 repetitions

Thursday - Shoulder and trapeze:

Lifting and lowering dumbbells to the side while standing - 12 times with 5+ repetitions

Lifting and lowering for the shoulder while sitting on the simulator - 12 times with 4+ repetitions

Lifting and lowering dumbbells with bending - 12 times with 5+ repetitions

Shrag with barbell - 12-4 times with 6+ repetitions

Shrags with dumbbells - 12-4 times with 6+ repetitions

Friday - Hands Day:

Bend one arm while holding the bottom block holder - 12 times with 4+ repetitions

Lifting dumbbells for biceps while standing - 12 times with 5+ repetitions

Hammer exercise - 12 times with 5+ repetitions

Lifting dumbbells for biceps on a sloping bench - 12 times with 4+ repetitions

Straightening the arm on the triceps simulator - 12 times with 4+ repetitions

Straighten the arm behind the head in the upper block - 12 times with 4 repetitions

Lifting and lowering the barbell with a narrow grip on a horizontal bench - 10 times with 12-4 repetitions

Cardio

Although Rich understood the importance of cardio exercise for athletes to stay in shape, he did not follow it. Instead of walking on the treadmill, he did short lifting exercises between weights and repetitions.

Favorite exercise

Rich was a supporter of ropes and trainers. In his training, he gave them his choice, not the free weights. Rich believed that exercise on a treadmill would give him more pamp and contractions, moreover, he believed that exercise on a treadmill would give him better results than heavy exercises on a free weight.

The greater the number of repetitions, the lower the number

Rich said that the number of repetitions was higher than the 4-8 repetition range, which usually gave him a better result. He designed his program to run often with 16 or more repetitions.

8 hours of hands-on training

One of Rich’s philosophies in life was different from the rest, and his 8-hour hands-on work is an example of this.

In one of his videos, Rich showed an 8-hour workout for his arm, and his audience was amazed. Rich said such training is not for everyone, but only for those who are ready to take themselves to the “limit of opportunity”.

Two hours before the start of this session, Rich ate a very large portion of breakfast. During his workout, he drank 16 protein cocktails consisting of simple sugars, protein and slow-acting carbohydrates. After this workout, he was ready to eat a large portion of food and rest for 2 days.

Lesson 1:

10 times out of 4 returns - French lift-up while lying down for triceps

10 times out of 4 repetitions - lifting the barbell for the biceps while standing

Lesson 2:

15 times out of 4 reps - open one arm while standing for triteps

15 times out of 4 turns - lifting dumbbells for the biceps with a "hammer" grip

Rich did these 2 workouts for 30 minutes in a row, after a short rest and a protein cocktail, then moved on to the next mini-workout, which also lasted 30 minutes. He then repeated the cycle, completing 16 mini-sessions in an eight-hour period.

My arms and chest have always been the hardest for me! I’ve been firmly in my own hands for 32 years! I did everything to increase their size. I did a mini-workout for my hands every day before bed for 2 years. Twice a week I went to the gym for a full workout for my hands and got a massage on my hands 3 times a week for recovery! I actually stopped working on my back and legs for 3 years because I hated the big back and legs being wide and the thinness of my chest and arms!

Eating

In addition to his workouts, Rich did not follow the same daily diet. “Since I stopped participating in bodybuilding competitions, I’ve never taken nutrition / diet seriously,” he said.

Rich doesn’t like to torture himself at all by eating 10 or more meals a day. Instead, he enjoys the food his body wants. At the same time, he paid great attention to the choice of food. He ate mostly healthy and nutritious food and at the same time was constantly chitmil.

Additions

Rich was a supporter of natural foods, which is why he founded a company that sells products based on natural foods.

He did not take the standard whey protein, instead he prepared his own cocktail of powdered sweet potatoes, blueberries and the like and consumed it after a workout.

During the day, Rich took BCAAs (his company’s product), which helped him rebuild his muscles.

Heroes and their influence

Rich's bodybuilding and life were most influenced by his mother. She watched her mother’s workouts in the gym every day, was inspired, and she dreamed of one day becoming a bodybuilder like her mother, competing on the same stage with other professional athletes.

Rich said, remembering other people who had influenced his life:

All the monsters in Golds Gym that I have watched since I was 6! But most of all, I was impressed by Bill Cambra, who still keeps in touch with me today

There is no shortcut. Being a bodybuilder is hard work. If you are not ready to do hard work, then this sport is not for you. You have to love this job. If you love it, you will achieve your goal.

At the end

Over the years, Rich Piana has been a man of great success - he has become a professional bodybuilder, actor, entrepreneur and star on social media.

He achieved all this despite some people misleading him by giving negative comments and criticisms of his honesty and openness.

What can we learn from Rich? - You don't have to follow the path of others to succeed. You’ll probably meet people who don’t agree with your outlook on life, but that’s part of being a lucky person.

Stay true to your dreams and don’t let anyone distract you from your path. It’s one of the ways to accomplish your goal, just like Rich Piana did.

Rich died on August 25, 2017, after being in a coma for several days and fighting for his life.