Workout Routine of Frank Zane Who Was Awarded As “The Best Physique of All Time”
Born on June 28, 1942, in Kingston, Pennsylvania, Frank Zane, an American former bodybuilder and author, has won three Mr. Olympia titles and has been considered an ideal classic or aesthetic bodybuilder for many bodybuilding fans. Competing in the 1960s and 1970s, also called the Golden Age of bodybuilding, many even considered him as the Greek God-like bodybuilder due to the combination of muscles with symmetry, flow, and leanness.
Frank Zane Was the First to Present Body That Was a Combination of Muscle With Symmetry, Leanness, & Flow
Frank Zane’s Love Towards Bodybuilding Started by Noticing a Bodybuilding Magazine
Frank Zane found his interest in bodybuilding for the first time at 14 when attending math class during his high school days. He noticed a bodybuilding magazine was thrown in a bin. Once he read that magazine, it picked his interest, and even joined the local gym to work out. Later, he even bought pairs of 15 kg dumbbells and started working out at his home. And he even stayed true to his routine, and in the mere three years, he managed to gain his weight to 72 kg.
In high school in summertime, Frank used to work as an archery instructor in a scout camp. He used to walk home 32 km every weekend, and as his 25 kg dumbbells were used to be at the camp, so without any excuse, Frank was taking them home to workout. In that way, he made sure never to miss any training session without any excuse.
Later, the first competition he participated in was Open Novice in Allentown, where 45 competitors were there, and all were supposed to do 4 poses. There he ended up being 5th, and from there on, he never looked back. To the amazement, Bob Hoffman, an American entrepreneur, the owner of York Barbell, saw him pumping up behind the scenes, where he came to him and said, “Young man, if I had a body like you, I’d walk shirtless all the time.”
Later in 1980, Frank and his wife both opened the Bodybuilding Trailing Center named Zane Heaven, so people can get enough opportunity to learn about his lifestyle and how he used to train. Further, he was even granted a patent for the invention of his machine named Leg Blaster. He even launched a program named Zane Experience that included nutrition, strength training, deep relaxation, and stress management.
Frank Zane Workout Philosophy
The amazing result Frank got was due to his heavy and light workouts. When his main goal was getting as lean as possible during the starting days of his career, he used to train using lightweight with higher reps consistently. Later, Joe Weider reminded him what he lacked was muscle size, which can be achieved using heavyweight. Though, he didn’t listen and refused going heavy because he was scared of injuries.
Later, Weider persuaded Zane in 1977, and for the first time to prepare for Mr. Olympia, Frank Zane’s workout philosophy got to change. During those days, he trained consistently three to four exercises for 3 sets for most muscle groups. Though, it was less intense compared to his original workout, which he used to do.
And most of the sets were in between the 8 to 12 rep range, except certain muscles such as abdominal and calves muscles, for which he worked for higher reps. Ultimately, his dedication came to frustration and managed to get considerable muscle size, and during that time, he won first of his three Mr. Olympia title.
Though, due to fear of injury, he used to avoid extreme heavy loads of weight. Frank Zane’s workout philosophy was that there’s no need to go for heavyweight if you can shift your focus towards the muscles you’re exercising. He didn’t go for a heavyweight was even apparent by looking at his shoulders, lower back, and knees as there wasn’t considerable size like other bodybuilders of his time. Later he admitted that heavyweight was the only way to gain muscle mass after his 1977 victory.
Frank Zane Workout and Diet
Below is one of the Frank Zane workout routine:
Day 1: Back, Biceps, Forearms & Abs Workout Routine
| Sr. | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| 1 | Wide Grip Barbell Deadlift | 3 | 10 – 15 |
| 2 | Wide Grip Rack Pulls | 3 | 8 – 10 |
| 3 | T-Bar Rowing | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| 4 | Front Lats Pulldowns | 3 | 8 – 10 |
| 5 | Dumbbell Rowing | 3 | 8 – 10 |
| 6 | Dumbbell Concentration Curls | 3 | 8 – 10 |
| 7 | Alternate Dumbbell Curls | 3 | 8 – 10 |
| 8 | Reverse Barbell Curls | 2 | 12 |
| 9 | Seated Wrist Curls (Barbell) | 2 | 20 |
| 10 | Ab Crunches | Up to you | 50 |
| 11 | Leg raises | Up to you | 50 |
| 12 | Hanging Knees Ups | Up to you | 50 |
| 13 | Seated Twists | Up to you | 50 |
Day 2: Thighs, Calves & Abs Workout Routine
| Sr. | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| 1 | Barbell Squats | 6 | 8 – 15 |
| 2 | Leg Press | 3 | 10 – 15 |
| 3 | Leg Curls (Lying) | 3 | 10 – 12 |
| 4 | Seated Leg Extensions | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| 5 | Standing Calf Raises | 3 | 15 – 20 |
| 6 | Donkey Calf Raises | 4 | 20 – 25 |
| 7 | Seated Calf Raises | 1 – 4 x Drop Sets | 5 |
| 8 | Abs Workout Of Your Choice | Up to you | Up to you |
Day 3: Chest, Triceps, Shoulders & Abs Workout Routine
| Sr. | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| 1 | Barbell Bench Press | 6 | 2 – 12 |
| 2 | Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 4 – 10 |
| 3 | Decline Dumbbell Flys | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| 4 | Dumbbell Pullover | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| 5 | Close Grip Bench Press | 3 | 8 -12 |
| 6 | One Arm Overhead DB Extensions | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| 7 | V Grip Press down | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| 8 | Bent over DB Lateral Raises | 3 | 10 – 15 |
| 9 | Side Lateral Cable Raises | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| 10 | Leg Raises | 4 | 25 |
| 11 | Crunches | 4 | 25 |
| 12 | Seated Twists | 3 | 100 |
| 13 | Hanging Leg Raises | 1 | 100 |
| 14 | Cardio | 1 | 20 Min |
Diet of Frank Zane
Frank followed a certain protocol regarding his diet and meal plans. For instance:
- He had always avoided eating a high amount of carbohydrates..
- Kept his protein intake higher compared to carbohydrates.
- Sometimes for boost, especially when he couldn’t get a good pump during training, he ate more carbohydrates.
- Usually, he used to do 4 days cycle where he would have low carbohydrates for three days, and on the fourth day, he would go for more carbs.
- Maintained consistency of 2000 to 3000 total calorie per day.
- Prevented himself from any dramatic change to diet. According to him, it’s one of the biggest mistakes someone can make, as it negatively affects your body.
- His go-to was pre-workout food before the training, which was carb and protein-rich.
- He believed in resting after working out and sometimes eating a few hours later, depending upon the training.
- Usually, his first meal after the training was a protein drink consisting of a mixture of protein and carbs.
Wrapping Up
It’s been decades that he won his last Mr. Olympia, but his body has remained timeless to date. He’s one of the most respected bodybuilders by his fan, whose name appears as a reference in many discussions for the ideal physique. His training philosophy, such as a holistic approach towards maintaining proper mind-muscle connection, is compared with other training philosophies.
