Rich Piana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rich Piana |
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|---|---|
| Bodybuilder | |
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| Personal info | |
| Born | September 26, 1970 Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Died | August 25, 2017 (aged 46) Clearwater, Florida, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 221–315 lb (100–143 kg) |
| Professional career | |
| Pro-debut | National Physique Committee (NPC) Mr. California, 1998 |
Richard "Rich" Piana (born September 26, 1970 – died August 25, 2017) was an American bodybuilder, a person who builds their muscles through exercise and diet. He was also a successful businessman and a popular YouTuber. Rich Piana won several important bodybuilding titles, including the NPC Mr. Teen California in 1989 and NPC Mr. California in 1998. He also won other NPC competitions in 2003 and 2009.
Rich Piana was well-known in the weightlifting community for his achievements and his energetic personality. He had a very popular YouTube channel where he shared motivational talks, stories from his life, exercise videos, and daily insights. He often talked about "the 5%", which he described as the small group of people who are truly dedicated to reaching their goals. Rich Piana passed away in August 2017 at the age of 46.
Contents
Early Life and Bodybuilding Beginnings
Richard Eugene Piana was born in Glendale, California, on September 25, 1970. He grew up in Sacramento, California, mostly with his mother. His interest in bodybuilding started very early, when he was just six years old. He would often go to the gym to watch his mother train for her own bodybuilding contests.
Watching his mother and another experienced bodybuilder named Bill Cambra inspired him greatly. Rich Piana began lifting weights when he was 11 years old. Just four years later, at age 15, he started competing in bodybuilding shows.
Bodybuilding Career and Achievements
Rich Piana won his first major competition, the NPC Mr. Teen California, in 1989. He continued to work hard and in 1998, he earned the title of NPC Mr. California. He competed in bodybuilding for about 25 years, winning several more NPC competitions. These included the Los Angeles Super-Heavyweight division in 2003 and both the Sacramento Super-Heavyweight division and the Border States Classic Super-Heavyweight division and overall championship in 2009.
His success led him to be featured on the covers of well-known fitness magazines. He appeared on the November 1998 issue of Ironman magazine and the Summer 2015 issue of Muscle Sport magazine.
Acting and Documentary Appearances
Beyond bodybuilding, Rich Piana also made a few appearances in television shows and films. He had a small role as the Incredible Hulk in an episode of the TV series Scrubs. He also played a muscle man named Marcus in a 2004 episode of Malcolm in the Middle. In 1999, he appeared in an episode of The Parkers called "The Boomerang Effect". Later, he was one of the main people featured in the 2017 bodybuilding documentary Generation Iron 2.
Transition to Business and YouTube
In his later years, Rich Piana stopped competing in bodybuilding contests. He decided to focus on being a YouTuber and a businessman. He created his own line of nutrition products called Rich Piana: 5% Nutrition. The "5%" in his brand name stood for the small percentage of people who are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their dreams and goals.
Through his brand, Rich Piana made many appearances at fitness expos. He also shared a lot of advice about diet and exercise routines on his YouTube channel. He built a large online following, with 1.2 million followers on Instagram and hundreds of thousands of subscribers on YouTube.
Rich Piana's Passing
On August 7, 2017, Rich Piana collapsed at his home in Clearwater, Florida. He was 46 years old at the time. After spending two weeks in a coma, he passed away on August 25, 2017. Rich Piana was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, California.
