Rob Riches is one of the most influential fitness models and trainers. Most people around the world know him for his impeccable physique and as a host of the ‘Rob Riches’ show. Rob started his journey in the fitness industry as a teenager who merely wanted to strengthen an injured shoulder. However, he went on to become one of the most successful fitness professionals of his generation with consistent efforts and discipline.
He has won several fitness modelling competitions over the course of his career and gained a reputation as one of the most successful personal trainers in the United States. This article sheds light on his biography, training routine and diet.
| Full Name: Rob Riches | ||
| Weight | Height | Age |
| 185 – 195 lbs (3.9 to 88.5 kg) | 5’10” (177.5 cm) | 39 years |
| Year of Birth | Professional | Place of Birth |
| 16th December 1983 | Fitness Model and Trainer | Farnborough, Hampshire |
Biography
Early Life
Born in the United Kingdom in 1983, Rob Riches participated in high adrenaline sports like cycling, snowboarding, windsurfing and motorsports. However, these sports come with high probability of injuries and Rob fractured his shoulder during a mountain bike race at the young age of 15. The doctors advised him to strengthen the shoulder and thus started Rob Riches’ fitness and training journey. He started reading fitness magazines to rebuild the shoulder and the fitness models giving advice became his idols. Rob started emulating them which were his first steps as a fitness expert.
“After seeing the physiques of the guys on the covers, I knew I wanted to build a huge physique and from that moment on, I became fascinated with lifting weights.”
Initially, Rob got hold of a bench and a few weights. He learned from the fitness magazines and started training accordingly. After getting a degree in media technology from the Farnborough College of Technology, Rob worked at a bar and later worked at an advertising company where he managed some high profile assignments.
First steps into the fitness industry
All this while, Rob was training constantly and gaining bodybuilding knowledge. He started working as a personal trainer in one of the biggest health clubs in London and gained a reputation as the trainer that got results. Rob Riches became one of the top trainers of the club. He was then approached by a supplement company to work in their advertisements and do modelling for top fitness magazines. Rob’s modelling career continued to soar after this and he worked for some of the biggest fitness magazines and modelling agencies. Eventually, he started his own personal training business.
While all of this was happening, Rob’s love for bodybuilding was continuously increasing and he decided to try his hand at bodybuilding. Rob Riches made his bodybuilding debut at the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation’s Central Qualifier show in the novice category and walked away with a win. He then competed three more times and established himself as one of the top fitness models.
Move to Los Angeles
Rob Riches shifted his base to Los Angeles, California, USA where his expertise could take his career to a next level. He started his own supplement brand and the TV show ‘The Rob Riches Show’. He interviewed famous personalities, especially from the fitness industry, in this show and it became an instant success. Rob expanded the show to other networks and soon became a household name. He covered fitness shows, events, launch parties and created mini documentaries. Rob Riches became famous for transforming people’s lives
Although his career in television and fitness modelling was soaring high at this point, Rob Riches had an innate desire to compete and consistently get better. Therefore he continued to participate in bodybuilding competitions. He competed at the WNSO Fitness Model Show and earned the pro card in the fitness as well as muscle model category. He also finished second in the world as a Pro Muscle Model at the FAME World Championships contest that took place in Toronto in 2008.
Rob Riches’ journey as a personal trainer kept reaching new highs as he became famous in LA as a trainer that transformed people’s lives. His role in transforming people’s lives became pronounced, especially in the case of one client, Rob Lester. Lester struggled with obesity and got himself into Rob Riches’ weight loss program that lasted for a total of six months. During this time, Lester lost a total of 349 lbs in body weight and also went under the knife a number of times to rebuild his physique. The entire process was documented in an online series titled ‘Rebuilding Ron Lester’. The impact of Rob Lester’s transformation made Rob Riches one of the foremost names in the fitness industry.
Competition History
- British Natural Bodybuilding Federation (BNBF) Central Qualifier, Novice. 1st Place. 2005 (Bodybuilding Debut)
- British Natural Bodybuilding Federation (BNBF) Central Qualifier, Middleweight. 1st Place. 2006
- Natural Physiques Association (NPA) Heart of England Championships, Middleweight. 1st Place. 2006
- Musclemania, Fitness Britain. Junior Lightweight. 1st Place. 2006
- Musclemania World Finals, Junior Lightweight, 1st Place
- America’s Fittest Model. Howard Flaks ‘Best Body’ award. 2008
- FAME East Championships, Montreal. Pro Fitness Model. 2008
- FAME World Championships, Toronto. 2nd in the World as a Pro Muscle Model. 2008
Rob Riches Training Routine
Rob Riches’ training journey started because of a shoulder injury he suffered as a teenager. Just like everyone, he initially put a lot of emphasis on lifting heavier weights. However, as he gained more knowledge and wisdom, Rob realized that it was more important to focus on technique and form rather than lifting extremely heavy weights with poor form. Rob Riches learned to focus on the muscles and how they worked during a lift as time went by. He admits that he was able to gain more muscle mass and density by training this way instead of lifting the heaviest weight available in the training room.
Rob Riches firmly believes that everyone needs to figure the strongest feature of their physique, train it consistently and become the best in that area. Arms is his favorite body part to train and he has built them into some of the best in the industry. Rob Riches advises others to do the same with their best feature, be it back, chest, legs, arms, mid-section or shoulders.
Rob Riches was asked in an interview which exercises he would pick If he was given an option to choose only three. Riches quickly chose chin-ups, preacher curls and leg press. However, he does a lot more than that and this is what a typical training week looks like for Rob Riches:
Day 1 – Chest
- Bench Press (4 sets – 12. 10, 8 and 8 reps)
- Superset – Overhead Dumbbell Extensions (4 sets of 12 reps) and Smith Machine Incline Bench Press (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Superset – Seated Machine Flyes (3 sets of 15 reps) and Incline Dumbbell Flyes (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Weighted Dips (3 sets to failure)
Day 2 – Back
- Close–grip Cable Rows (4 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Behind-the-neck Pull-ups (3 sets of 10 reps)
- Bent Over Barbell Rows (4 sets of 10 reps)
- Wide Grip Lat Pulldown (3 sets of 15 reps)
- V-bar Pull-ups (3 sets of 10 reps)
- Single Arm Smith Machine Rows (4 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
Day 3 – Shoulders
- Barbell Overhead Shoulder Press (5 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 and 8 reps)
- Standing Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Press (3 sets of 8 to 10 reps)
- Bent Over Rear Delt Flyes (3 sets of 12 to 15 reps)
- Single Arm Dumbbell Lateral Raises (3 sets of 12 reps)
Day 4 – Legs
- Barbell Squats (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Barbell Sumo Deadlifts (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Leg Extensions (3 sets of 12 to 15 reps)
- Lying Leg Curls (3 sets of 12 to 15 reps)
- Sissy Squats (3 sets of 12 to 15 reps)
- Glute Hamstrings Raises (3 sets of 12 to 15 reps)
Day 5 – Arms
- Barbell Skull Crushers (3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps)
- Bodyweight Dips (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Cable Triceps Pushdowns (3 sets of 10 to 15 reps)
- Standing Barbell Curls (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Incline Dumbbell Hammer Curls (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Single Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curls (2 sets of 10 to 15 reps)
- Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Curls (2 sets of 15 to 20 reps)
- Reverse EZ Bar Curls (2 sets of 15 to 20 reps)
- Barbell Wrist Curls (2 sets of 15 to 20 reps)
Rob Riches Diet
Rob Riches tried a variety of dietary practices during the initial years of bodybuilding and fitness. He followed the paleo diet, low carb, high protein and fat and even high carb diet. Rob Riches mostly adheres to a 3000-calorie diet and indulges in cheat meals when out with friends. He strictly avoids over eating and loves curried chicken, rice and Sushi.
“My diet currently consists of about 45% protein, 35% carbs, and 20% fats. I typically consume a little under 3,000 calories a day. I never plan on a cheat or a refeed, but sometimes I’ll have one if I go out with friends. My only rule of thumb is not to ‘overeat.’ And honestly, I’d rather have sushi or curried chicken and rice over a burger any day!” Rob Riches told Simply Shredded in a 2014 interview.
Mentioned below is an example of what a typical day of eating looks like for Rob Riches:
Meal 1
Rob Riches’ day starts with a hefty breakfast of eggs and brown rice with mushroom and cottage cheese. He tops the food with moderate amounts of salsa to make it a little bit more enjoyable.
Overall, it includes:
- Egg Whites – 7
- Whole Egg – 1
- Cottage Cheese – 2 tablespoons
- Brown Rice – 2 and a half ounces
- Portabella Mushrooms
- Salsa – 2 tablespoons
Meal 2
The second meal of the day is the chicken and vegetables based meal and it includes:
- Chicken Breast – 7 ounces
- Yam or Sweet Potato – 5 ounces
- Broccoli – 1 cup
- Spinach – 1 cup
- Flaxseed Oil – 1 teaspoon
Meal 3
Meal no. 3 and 4 are the meat and rice meals and include:
- Salmon – 3 and a half ounces
- Egg Whites – 6
- Brown Rice – 2 ounces
- Kale – 1 cup
- Green Beans – 1 cup
Meal 4
- Ground Turkey – 6 and a half ounces
- Brown Rice – 2 ounces
- Avocado – One-fourth
- Green Beans – 1 cup
- Broccoli – 1 cup
Meal 5
- Whey Protein – 1 scoop
- Dates – 2 and a half ounces
Meal 6
- Ground Turkey – 2 and a half ounces
- White Rice – 1 and a half ounces
- Flaxseed Oil – 1 teaspoon
- Green Beans – 1 cup
- Asparagus – 1 cup
Meal 7
- 5 ounces Cottage Cheese
- 1 scoop Casein
- Half ounce Almond Butter and Stevia Extract mixed in blender
What motivates Rob Riches?
Rob Riches has achieved everything a fitness industry professional can dream of. However, he is still going strong and continues to get better with each passing day. So where does the motivation come from? The age of internet and social media has brought forth a number of fitness models, influencers and enthusiasts. Unlike the early years of Rob Riches’ career, these individuals bring a whole new level of competition and that’s what motivates him to keep upping his game constantly without stalling.
“I see so many guys (and girls) in amazing shape, and many of them are literally 10 years or so younger than me. This pushes me to step up my training and pull together everything I know to be able to continue to grow and get better as an athlete/competitor amidst a sea of fresh new young talent.” – Rob Riches
With his immense dedication, unparalleled work ethic and perseverance, Rob Riches has grown into one of the leading professionals in the industry. His success is a great example of all the possibilities that are open if a person dedicates his life to a craft. So go out there and unlock your true potential.
Your fears form a prison that confines you. The less you fear, the more power you have.” – Rob Riches
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