“He Was the Reason I Started Lifting”: Unapologetically Open About His Steroid Intake, Bodybuilding Legend Still Commands Fan’s Admiration 6 Years After His Devastating Demise

Rich Piana was one of the most sensational bodybuilders of the 90s. He had arms that were the size of a bulldozer measuring up to 23.5 inches. The social media icon had built a strong internet community where people loved and cherished him. However, he also had his share of controversy for his candid opinions on ste**id use. Very shockingly, he passed away in 2017 and this raised questions about his substance abuse. However, even now, his advice and opinions echo through the walls of the bodybuilding world.

Recently Marc Lobliner, a pioneering coach and fitness professional, uploaded a throwback picture with Piana, and the fans could not hold back their emotions.

Rich Piana gets a tribute from Marc Lobliner

Lobliner uploaded a picture where he is standing proudly with the bodybuilding sensation, and he followed the post with a caption: “I don’t think people remember how popular Rich Piana was. This man would have lines circling entire expos and he would work as long as it took to meet every single person.”

Piana was known to talk about ste**ids but he was also an individual who used them. However, an archived post by AEG Fitness shows Piana advising about stero**s. He stated, “You don’t realize the true muscle in there is dying and you’re losing that muscle and it’ll never come back once those muscle cells die. It’s over.” 

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Bodybuilding is a sport that involves going to extreme levels to achieve the best body and display the physical manifestation of a sculpted body. However, this can take people overboard sometimes and cause irreversible damage. Rich Piana also suffered the same fate, but fans and bodybuilding veterans still remember him and his hard work.

Fans of Piana express their sorrow

All the comments were from fans who expressed their sorrow and pain at the death of Piana even though it happened 6 years ago. One follower commented, “Never met him but he was the reason I started lifting weights at 16. RIP to the legend 🙏🐐.”

Another fan explained how Piana was in real life and said, “Yes. He was always extremely kind to me – always found him pleasant. Who’s the fan stood with you both – he’s kinda jacked.” 

A netizen chimed in with a similar story and commented, “Met him at the Arnold randomly walking by after driving up to the Tiger Fitness gym to sync up with you.”

One fan said that they never met Piana but still loved them. They said, “Never met the dude, but LOVED his YouTube videos. Original dude to call out steroid use on fakes. Great dude.”

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Piana will always be remembered as someone who raised his voice against the malpractices of the bodybuilding world and advocated for the right things.