Nickname The Chemist Height 1.75 m | Active Retired in 1983 Name Frank Zane Spouse Christine Zane (m. 1967) | |
 | ||
Weight 185 lb (84 kg) (contest)200 lb (91 kg) (off-season) Pro-debut 1961 Mr. Pennsylvania, 1961 Books Fabulously fit forever, Frank Zane, Zane Nutrition Similar People | ||
Frank zane interview with efit360 com
Frank Zane (born June 28, 1942) is an American former professional bodybuilder and author. He is a three-time Mr. Olympia, and his physique is considered one of the greatest in the history of bodybuilding due to his meticulous focus on symmetry and proportion.
Contents
- Frank zane interview with efit360 com
- Frank Zane Bodybuilding that beat Arnold Schwarzenegger Escape Your Limits Podcast Ep26
- Biography
- Bodybuilding career
- Bodybuilding titles
- References
Frank Zane: Bodybuilding that beat Arnold Schwarzenegger – Escape Your Limits Podcast Ep.26
Biography
Zane was born in Kingston, Pennsylvania on June 28, 1942. He started bodybuilding as a teenager after reading a muscle building magazine. He went from 130 lbs (59 kg) at 14 to 160 lbs (72.5 kg) at 17 through weightlifting. In 1964, he received a Bachelor of Science from Wilkes University. For 13 years, he taught mathematics and chemistry while living in Florida and California. He also taught mathematics at Watchung Hills Regional High School for two years. He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Cal State LA in 1977. He was awarded a master's degree in experimental psychology from CSUSB in 1990.
Bodybuilding career
Zane is a three-time Mr. Olympia (1977 to 1979). His reign represented a shift in emphasis from mass to aesthetics. Zane's physique featured the second-thinnest waistline of all the Mr. Olympias (after Sergio Oliva), with his wide shoulders making for a distinctive V-taper. He stood at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) and had a competition weight of less than 190 pounds when he won all three of his Mr. Olympias. He was given the nickname "The Chemist" due to his Bachelor of Science degree and, as he puts it: "Back in the day I took a lot of supplements and tons of amino acids. Still do. But back then it was pretty unusual. That's how I got the nickname The Chemist."
He famously trained with light weights which saw him to many victories but Joe Weider urged him to train with heavier weights. Zane then found the size necessary for success at the Olympia. After his three consecutive Mr. Olympia titles came the 1980 Mr. Olympia. Shortly before the competition he suffered a near-fatal accident and he lost 15 lbs (7 kg) of muscle mass. This saw the end to his reign, as Arnold Schwarzenegger controversially placed at the top of the podium in his comeback, with Zane in third.
Zane is one of only three men to have beaten Schwarzenegger (with Chester Yorton and Sergio Oliva) in a bodybuilding contest and one of the very few Mr. Olympia winners under 200 pounds. Overall, he competed for over 20 years (retiring after the 1983 Mr. Olympia) and won Mr. America, Mr. Universe, and Mr. Olympia during his career.
In 1985, Frank and his wife Christine owned and operated "Zane Haven" in Palm Springs, California where they conducted one-on-one sessions with clients who wished to possess a symmetrical physique. Today, the Zanes live in San Diego, California, and his learning center is now called "Zane Experience".
In 1994, Zane was inducted into the Joe Weider Hall of Fame. Since 1998, Zane has written a newsletter entitled Frank Zane Newsletter, that provides the latest information in all aspects of bodybuilding. He received the Arnold Schwarzenegger Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2003 Arnold Classic for his dedication and longtime support of the sport.
In 2005, Zane played the IFBB Announcer and worked as the consulting producer in the movie "See Arnold Run". As of 2006, Zane currently runs his own website, and appears at seminars and book signings. In 2011 Frank Zane appeared in the documentary Challenging Impossibility describing the weightlifting odyssey of spiritual teacher and peace advocate Sri Chinmoy. The film was an official selection of the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival.