Frank Zane led the charge as one of the most balanced bodybuilders of his generation, mastering his mind and body. In an interview, Zane discussed Open bodybuilding moving away from aesthetics, his current protein intake, and why competitors shouldn’t over-rely on steroids.
During his illustrious bodybuilding career, Frank Zane separated himself from his peers thanks to his calculated training, diet, and supplementation. But his legacy was built off more than that, as he utilized any weapon at his disposal to sculpt a one-of-a-kind physique, which saw him practice meditation, sunbathing, and especially, visualization.
In his heyday, Zane amassed three Mr. Olympia titles, and similar to Lee Labrada, defied the odds, having defeated IFBB Pros who regularly outweighed him such as bodybuilding great Arnold Schwarzenegger. Hailed as the ‘Godfather of Aesthetics,’ Zane blended symmetry, muscularity, and proportions like no other bodybuilder. At 81 years old, he remains highly respected in the sport and imparts wisdom to aspiring athletes in his spare time.
Frank Zane Talks Changes in Bodybuilding from 1970s, Over-Relying on Steroids, and His Protein Demands at 81 Years Old
According to Zane, he is unsure why Open bodybuilding has steered away from aesthetics in favor of mass.
“I don’t know [why bodybuilding has steered away from aesthetics]. I mean, I just did what I could do. You know, I didn’t do anything. I trained pretty much what everyone else was doing at Gold’s Gym. I trained with Arnold. What happened to our physiques was basically along the lines of what our structures were and what we did in the workouts even though the workouts were the same, it was nothing different.”
“I’d say pay attention to what we were doing and how we did it. Take your time, do a good job. Don’t over-rely on anything, forget about using massive amounts of steroids and other drugs. That’s not going to do it for you, it’s all about hard work.
So, you know, get used to working hard and another thing is develop a backup plan. Don’t just work out with weights. Very few people can do that and succeed. Have another job, have something else.”
“Not as much [protein these days]. Not as much. I might say probably, I weigh about 170, I probably get about 150 grams of protein a day. I have mainly eggs for breakfast and I have usually fish or chicken at other meals, and sometimes red meat too,” said Frank Zane.
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