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Former professional bodybuilder, author, and coach Frank Zane is one of the most iconic and decorated bodybuilders of all time. Zane hails from the golden era of bodybuilding, setting the stage with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu, and other icons.
Frank Zane has been the recipient of numerous bodybuilding accolades and has cemented himself as one of, if not the most iconic, bodybuilder of all time.
Zane even ended the reign of Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose stint at the top of bodybuilding was one of the most dominant eras the sport has ever witnessed. But how did he do it? How did Frank Zane build one of the most incredible physiques of all time? In this piece, we'll look at how he turned himself into a bodybuilding icon.
Frank Zane: One Of The Greatest Bodybuilders Ever
Frank Zane was born on June 28, 1942. The Pennsylvania native started bodybuilding at 14 when he began collecting fitness magazines that piqued his interest and served as the primary catalyst in what would become a most illustrious career.
The three-time Mr. Olympia winner began formulating a bodybuilding workout routine centered around home workouts, as his local gym lacked the necessary equipment to perform such exercises. Zane tried working out daily, and at the very least, every alternate day. His routine was simple — he'd target legs on one day and upper body on another.
Once he saw good results, he became more confident in his physique. It was at this time that Zane discovered physique competitions. From there, Frank set a goal he visualized and worked towards to prepare himself for competitions.
As his physique grew bigger and better, Zane looked to optimize his training for maximum performance. He divided his training into splits. Splits divide the entire body into muscle groups of similar stature, motions, or common training areas. Zane decided to split his routine up into three chunks.
- Day one was pull. It targeted all the pulling muscles — back, biceps, forearms, and abs.
- Day two was legs — quads, calves, hamstrings, and glutes.
- Day three was push — chest, triceps, and shoulder.
Zane gave himself six months to build muscle steadily and get into peak shape. He would work out for three days continuously and then give himself some rest. By the time he was done with college, Zane had put on 30 lbs of muscle.
Perhaps the most remarkable feat of Zane's bodybuilding career was dethroning Arnold Schwarzenegger. Zane competed in the 1965 Mr. Universe, which he won, before setting his sights on Mr. Olympia. What made his victory so special was the fact that he did so against all odds.
Schwarzenegger was the superior specimen, at least on paper. He was taller, wider, bigger, and boasted better genetics. Yet Zane, despite his height disadvantage, overcame all the odds to win in 1977. Zane was the best bodybuilder on stage that day, and it made all the difference.
Conclusion
Frank Zane is one of the most influential and iconic bodybuilders of all time. His victory in the 1977 Mr. Olympia marked the shift from mass monsters to more aesthetic, proportionate, and symmetrical physiques, with the focus being on looking as lean and conditioned as possible instead of as big and bulky as one could get.
He occupies a legendary position in the bodybuilding hall of fame, up there with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman, amongst several others.
