Rich Piana: We Are All In This Together!

“WE GET ENOUGH NEGATIVITY FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC. WE DON’T NEED IT FROM WITHIN OUR INDUSTRY.”

What I like to tell everyone is, remember, we are all in this together. This is the fitness industry. We're in this together as a team. And the way I see it is that we get enough negativity from the public, looking at bodybuilders, looking at female bodybuilders, and saying stuff like "why would anyone want to do that? Why would anyone want to look like that?" In our fitness industry world, why should we give each other negativity? It doesn't make any sense, does it? I think we should be a big team. I think we should be trying to motivate and help each other out Not be negative towards each other. Here’s what I mean by this. You'll hear people say stuff like “oh, those bikini girls, they don't even work out, they're not athletes.” What's the point of saying that?

The thing is, you’re not qualified enough to know. And the truth is, yes, they work out and yes, they train to compete. They work hard eating, training, preparing and yes, taking their Kill It or 5150 just like you do. Here’s a good example. I've known female bodybuilders that made the choice to move to the figure division. This means they have to lose muscle. But they also must stay lean and compete in Figure. It’s a tough transition because it’s the opposite of what they’re used to doing. They're working hard to go backwards. Everybody works hard for their own goals. Everybody knows what they want to accomplish. They know how they want to look. There’s no reason for someone that has no idea what it takes to knock the way they look.

So, what if someone doesn't want to be as muscular as you are? That’s no reason to knock them. You worry about your goals and let them worry about theirs. If someone wants to be a stockbroker, does that person put down those wanting to be doctors? It makes no sense to do that. The choice is theirs to make. So, what if a bodybuilder trains down to the physique class? “Oh, they have chicken legs.” Who cares! You don’t know how big their legs might be under those swim trunks, anyway. Besides, let them look the way they want to look.

“I CAN RESPECT EVERY SINGLE ATHLETE OUT THERE. IT TAKES HARD WORK TO DO WHAT THEY DO.”

Female bodybuilders look amazing. People knock female bodybuilders. I respect what they do, and I respect how hard they work. There are guys out there that will never look as good as these women. Show some respect for the time and effort they put in. I'm just trying to explain that people will make fun of anyone for anything. Why? What's the point? What's that going to do for you? Why can’t we just all get along? You do your thing and I’ll do mine, and let’s each respect that. We're in this together. Let's be a team. Let's motivate. Let's stop the hate. We're all in this together. Let’s be a team. We should motivate each other. I don't give a fuck whether you want to be a bodybuilder or a bikini girl, or a physique competitor. Who the fuck cares? And who cares who's training harder? You know what I'm saying?

“LET’S CONTINUE TO INSPIRE EACH OTHER. WE’RE ALL IN THE GYM, KILLING IT DAY AFTER DAY. WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER.”