Bodybuilding legend Frank Zane, nicknamed “The Chemist,” mastered intensifiers to sculpt a world-class physique. In a recent Instagram post shared on Nov. 13, 2025, he explained how to perform tri-sets for boosting muscle definition.
Conditioning was one of Zane’s greatest weapons onstage. Even though he didn’t boast the size of an Arnold Schwarzenegger or Lou Ferrigno, he made up for it with sheer detail and strong stage presence. Zane explored every facet of the sport en route to building his legacy, including sunbathing as a natural diuretic. From 1977 to 1979, his methods produced results, having captured three consecutive Mr. Olympia titles.
From his controversial views on bulking to clapping back against cheat reps, Zane’s under-the-radar teachings are still going strong today. At 83 years old, he continues to serve as a top ambassador of bodybuilding, still helping his fans achieve their ideal physiques.
Frank Zane Discusses The Muscle Definition Benefits of Tri-Sets
Tri-sets are performing three exercises in a row without resting. In the Instagram post, Zane broke down how he incorporated these throughout his career. He explained that he’d often execute a 15-second stretch between each of the exercises.
“If you want a more muscular definition, tri-setting is a good way to get it. This means doing 3 exercises in a row without resting, or as I sometimes do it, with a brief 15 second stretch between exercises.”
He shared that tri-sets allow for more training in less time, and described it as a ‘step beyond’ a superset, where lifters perform two exercises in succession. With no rest and multiple movements, Zane emphasized that tri-sets demand more stamina and focus. They can also lead to greater calorie burn during workouts, making it perfect for shredding body fat.
“Tri-sets get you breathing hard and enable you to do more training in less time, although it’s usually with lighter weights.
Tri-sets are a step beyond super-sets (doing two exercises in a row without stopping) requiring more stamina and focus. But what a pump you get!” Frank Zane shared.
Zane isn’t the only top-tier bodybuilder to unpack the benefits of tri-sets. Recently, Open legend Lee Priest gave his thoughts on their value. Normally, he aims to train with as much weight as possible, but like Zane, he warns that with tri-sets, lighter weight is often used.
A pioneer of his era, Zane continues to unearth training secrets that helped him throughout his prime. He stands by tri-sets and stressed that they also help with the pump, another key to lasting progress.
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