Frank Zane
When you hear the name Frank Zane, you immediately think of his well-proportioned, symmetrical physique with a distinctive V-taper that earned him not one or two, but three Mr. Olympia bodybuilding titles in 1977, 1978, and 1979, as well as three Mr. Universe titles in 1968, 1970, and 1972.
The Chemist
Frank was born in 1942 in Kingston, Pennsylvania, and was a force of bodybuilding nature. To this day, Zane is one of only three people to have defeated Arnold Schwarzenegger himself, when he edged past Arnold in the 1968 Mr. Universe bodybuilding contest.
He was also a Bachelor of Science degree holder and taught mathematics, which earned him the nickname "The Chemist." Well, that and the fact that he knew the immense value of supplements which he took extensively.
"Back in the day, I took a lot of supplements and a ton of amino acids... that's how I got my nickname 'the Chemist.'"
Why He Quit
Although Zane has since retired for the second time after injuries from a freak accident—repeated injuries to his shoulders and lower back which caused him to train less heavy—he's still in incredible shape and continues to share his tips and training routines from his competitive days.
"Injuries were catching up to me. My shoulders, in particular, needed surgery, and I wouldn't be able to lift the same sort of weight with them or train the same way with them afterwards."
— Frank Zane on why he quit bodybuilding in 1983Frank Zane's Diet Routine
Workouts alone weren't responsible for Zane's beautiful body. Frank was one of the only bodybuilders who weighed under 200 pounds, but most of his body weight was pure muscle. He had a competitive height of 5'9" and a competition weight of 190 pounds (200 pounds in the offseason).
"I always kept it simple, sticking to a basic low-carbohydrate diet. I tried to consume one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, which meant eating 200 grams of protein at a bodyweight of 200 pounds."
Zane usually had 4 meals a day totaling about 2,000-3,000 calories, which played a role in giving him his 190-pound contest weight and one of the best physiques in the world.
- 8oz of calf liver
- Baked yam
- 3 soft-boiled eggs
- 8oz of steak
- Veggies
- Cottage cheese
- 6 eggs (omelet)
- Potatoes
- Cheese
- 8oz ground beef
- Large salad
The Chemist's Stack
Frank was also huge on supplements (you can guess where he picked that up) and frequently added these to his diet:
- Egg protein powder
- Liver support tablets
- Amino acids
- Advanced aminos
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Multivitamins
Zane vs Schwarzenegger
The Golden Era Standard
From his bodybuilding philosophies and workout ideas—which favored light weights while other bodybuilders trained heavy—he achieved arguably the most iconic physique to ever grace the stage.
He defeated Arnold, came back from a near-fatal injury to compete against Schwarzenegger again after immense weight loss, earned a master's degree, and impacted knowledge wherever he could (did we mention he also taught mathematics?).
The Sunshine State legend will always go down as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. His reign represented hard work, dedication, and the know-how of getting things done.
Bodybuilding Titles
1961 Mr. Pennsylvania (17th place)
1962 Mr. Keystone (Winner)
1963 Mr. Keystone (2nd)
1965 Mr. Sunshine State (Winner)
1965 IFBB Mr. Universe (1st, Medium)
1966 IFBB Mr. America (1st, Medium)
1967 IFBB Mr. America (1st, Medium)
1967 IFBB Mr. Universe (3rd, Tall)
1968 IFBB Mr. America (Winner)
1968 IFBB Mr. Universe (Winner)
1970 NABBA Mr. Universe (Winner)
1971 NABBA Pro Mr. Universe (1st, Short)
1972 NABBA Pro Mr. Universe (Winner)
1972 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200lbs, 4th)
1974 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200lbs, 2nd)
1975 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200lbs, 4th)
1976 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200lbs, 2nd)
1977 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200lbs & Overall Winner) 🏆
1978 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200lbs & Overall Winner) 🏆
1979 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200lbs & Overall Winner) 🏆
1980 IFBB Mr. Olympia (3rd, after near-fatal injury)
1981 Did not compete (boycotted)
1982 IFBB Mr. Olympia (2nd)
1983 IFBB Mr. Olympia (4th, after bicycle accident)
Greatest bodybuilder of all time. Liked his natural lean well defined cut aesthetic with wonderful symmetry. Seemed like a nice everyday guy. Frank Zane was my hero and still god bless frank. You are best take care bobby hill