Rich Roll Workout and Diet
Ultra-Endurance Athlete
Born: 1966
Rich Roll is vegan ultra-endurance athlete and a former attorney. As a young man, he battled alcoholism and drug use, and struggled with his weight and his career. Just before turning 40, he switched to a vegan diet and lost 50 lbs. in 2 years. Roll completed 5 ironman-distance triathlons in under a week. Despite not even owning a bike 2 years before his first Ultraman, he was a top finisher in 2008 and 2009 in the Ultraman World Championship. Besides being an endurance athlete, he is a popular speaker and nutrition advocate. His memoir ‘Finding Ultra’ is a bestseller and he and his wife also wrote a best-selling cookbook and lifestyle primer, ‘The Plantpower Way.’ Roll hosts a popular podcast called ‘The Rich Roll Show.’ It has over 30 million downloads and consistently rates in the top-10 list on iTunes.
Known For:
Rich Roll’s Diet
Summary
As a vegan, Roll consumes only plant-based foods. Breakfast is generally a green smoothie consisting of things like kale, beets, berries, and some maca and spirulina. During the day, he’ll snack on nuts and berries and might have a salad or blackened vegetables for lunch. Dinner is his biggest meal and tends to be ethnic, such as veggie enchiladas or burritos, or maybe a hearty vegetable lasagna. Roll believes most of us are overdoing it on the protein and only has a scoop of protein powder once a day, or once every other day.
Estimated Macros
- Low Protein 20%
- Mid-Fat 40%
- High Carb 70%
Diet Details
A.M. Fuel
Roll starts out his day with a liter of water mixed with a few ounces of apple cider vinegar. He then mixes up a green smoothie.
Light ’N Easy
Roll eats lightly during the day and has a salad or blackened vegetables with a balsamic dressing for lunch. He’ll also snack on nuts and fruit. If he is very hungry, he’ll have rice or quinoa and lentils.
Dinner of Champions
Roll enjoys a hearty dinner, often a vegan lasagna, vegetable burritos, enchiladas or rice, quinoa, beans and guacamole with hot sauce.
Be Dense
Despite his high-intensity exercise, Roll doesn’t have a huge appetite because all of his food is nutritionally dense.
Don’t Overdo the Protein
Roll believes we overconsume protein and he only has a scoop of protein powder once a day or every other day.
What to Eat
Leafy Greens
Veggies
Berries
Quinoa
Almond Milk
Apple Cider Vinegar
Kombucha
Brown Rice
Quinoa
Lentils
Beans
Gluten-free Bread
Gluten-free Pasta
Coconut Water
Chia Seeds
Ground Flax
Maca
Spirulina
Açai
Coffee
Hemp Seeds
What to Avoid
Meat
Poultry
Fish
Eggs
Dairy
Sugar
Soft Drinks
Junk Food
Artificial Ingredients
Hydrogenated Fats
Refined Foods
Processed Foods
Roll on Protein
‘I get more than enough protein through a diet of vegetables, fruit, and various grains.’
Roll on Wellness
‘Eat plants. Move your body. Care for your mind. Live authentically. And give freely of yourself to others — because the world needs you to be who you really are.’
Rich Roll’s Workout Routine
Weekly Routine
Swim. Bike. Run. Repeat.
Rolls said for a long time, he didn’t have much time for anything except these 3 activities.
Stretching Matters
Roll takes the time to do yoga or stretching on a regular basis. He says this becomes particularly important as we age.
Maintain A Strong Core
Roll does sit-ups, planks, push-ups, inverted squats, lunges and kettlebell and medicine ball work. He also does a few basic exercises with weights: floor exercises, bench press, and sled work for the quads.
Exercise Style
Rich Roll’s Anti-Routine
Roll’s routine focuses on the three triathlon events:
swimming, running, cycling. His morning run will last from 1-3 hours. Or he may swim 4,000-5,000 yards. A bike ride might last 2-3 hours. He does something different every day.
In the afternoon, Roll might lift weights at the gym or take a yoga class. Here the focus is stretching, strength training and core exercises.
Roll on his Physique
‘I’m ripped. And I don’t lift weights.’
Roll on Running
‘Running was about reconnecting with my environment, and with myself, physically and spiritually.’
Roll on Endurance Racing
‘When the mind is controlled and spirit aligned with purpose, the body is capable of so much more than we realize.’
Rich Roll’s Supplements
Perpetuem
For long-term energy, Roll sometimes takes Perpeteum to stay strong.
Protein powder
22 Days Nutrition protein powder is plant-based, gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO and certified organic.
Protein-fortified sports drink
Hammer Nutrition’s Sustained Energy provides steady energy and helps to buffer lactic acid.
Electrolytes
Cytomax sports mix delivers quick energy when you need it.
More protein powder
Vega’s All In One protein shake mix contains plant-based protein, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, omega-3 ALA, fiber and antioxidants.
Energy drink
FRS fatigue fighting recovery drink with quercetin, antioxidants, vitamins and green tea extract was originally developed to help cancer patients but is popular with anyone who wants to improve health & performance.
Rich Roll’s Lifestyle
Sleep Better In a Tent
Roll has been sleeping in a tent for a few years now to reconnect with our primitive roots. He says he needs at least 8 hours and it takes top priority in his schedule.
The Power of Now
Roll says that many of the principles of alcohol recovery apply elsewhere in life. Focusing on the present helps remove the pressure of thinking things like ‘I’ll never eat another cheeseburger.’
Roll’s Secret of Success
Want real results? Roll says he needed rigor, specificity and accountability in order to be successful with his diet. Rigor means clear rules. Specificity means concrete routines, not vague ideas. And accountability means having to answer for your missteps.
The Thirty-Day Rule
Another of Roll’s ideas on how to be successful with diet or exercise is to promise yourself to stick to your new plan for 30 days. If you do, you’ll feel so good and encouraged, you’ll want to keep going.
Roll on Making Progress
‘Don’t let perfection be the enemy of progress.’
Roll on Life
‘Life is messy and non-linear.’
Roll on Limits
‘[…]The idea that when you believe you’ve reached your absolute limit, you’ve only tapped into about 40% of what you’re truly capable of. The barrier isn’t the body. It’s the mind.’
Roll on De4estiny
‘Pursue what’s in your heart, and the universe will conspire to support you.’
Recommended Products
Finding Ultra
Vitamix blender
Clif bars
Grass Green Superfoodbars
Gorilla Munch cereal
Whole Foods gluten-free granola
Veganaise
The Plantpower Way
The Art of Living With Purpose video course
References
https://thechalkboardmag.com/ultraman-rich-roll-vegan-athlete-daily-diet
https://www.richroll.com/blog/vegan-nutrition/
https://www.richroll.com/blog/why-i-sleep-in-a-tent/
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/wc/rich-roll
https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19460422/rich-roll-workout-vegan-diet/
https://www.triathlete.com/2013/01/features/self-remade-man-meet-rich-roll_69901
