Frank Zane
| Frank Zane | |
|---|---|
| — Bodybuilder — | |
Frank Zane, 1979
|
|
| Personal info | |
| Nickname | The Chemist |
| Born |
June 28, 1942 Kingston, Pennsylvania, U. S. |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight |
|
| Professional career | |
| Pro-debut | Mr. Pennsylvania, 1961 |
| Best win | IFBB Mr. Olympia, 1977–1979 |
| Predecessor | Franco Columbu |
| Successor | Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| Active | Retired in 1983 |
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.
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 weight lifting. 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.
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.
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