Frank Zane is a famous American sportsman. He has won all the major bodybuilding titles, including Mr. Universe, Mr. World, and Mr. America. Today, Frank is one of the main examples of aesthetics in the history of world sports.
Early biography
Frank Zane was born on June 28, 1942 in Kingston, Pennsylvania. His father worked as an engineer, and his mother kept the household and raised the children. The boy had a younger brother, Adam, who in his childhood tried to imitate Frank in everything.
In elementary school, Zane developed a keen interest in literature and art. However, in adolescence, he accidentally got hold of a muscle building magazine. Already at the age of 14, he began to independently engage in improving his body, following various instructions from the tabloid publications. More often than not, the young man acted instinctively. For a long time, Frank did not have a personal trainer, so he had to create a training regimen on his own.
At 17, the young man weighed almost 73 kilograms. He was in excellent physical shape, but this was not enough to participate in battles and competitions. However, at that time, Zane had not yet thought about participating in mass tournaments. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Wilkes University in 1964 and taught science at colleges in Florida and California for several years. For his outstanding research excellence, Frank was also awarded a master's degree in experimental psychology.
Years later, Zane admitted to reporters that at a young age he often faced personal problems. The views of his Protestant parents often set the family apart from the locals. At school and college, the guy was often bullied. And in order to somehow distract himself from his experiences, he went to the gym, where he worked on various simulators. Such training forced him to pull himself together and go forward, despite the difficulties.
Sports career
In the late 1960s, Frank began to professionally engage in bodybuilding. He quickly gained worldwide fame. The fact is that before Zane came to the big sport, not a single person paid attention to the aesthetics of the body. All bodybuilders tried to focus on their mass, and the external beauty never bothered them. The young man was motivated by a personal tragedy for long training sessions - the sudden departure from the life of his father, who often used alcohol and cigarettes. Not wanting to repeat his fate, Frank decided to devote his life to sports.
Frank Zane's physique was fundamentally different from that of other athletes. He had a very thin waist, broad shoulders, majestic arm muscles and pumped-up legs. In 1977-1979 he became the owner of the honorary title "Mr. Olympia" three times. Around the same period, colleagues nicknamed Zane "Chemist" because of his Bachelor of Science degree. In addition, according to Frank himself, as a teenager, he took many nutritional supplements to improve his physical condition.
Zane trained well in the lightweight category. However, in 1980, the athlete's mentor suggested that he try to compete with heavyweights. Unfortunately, on the eve of the competition, the bodybuilder had a terrible accident and lost his muscle mass. As a result, Arnold Schwarzenegger became the winner of the competition, and Frank Zane took the third position on the podium.
A few years later, Frank was still lucky enough to defeat Schwarzenegger in another bodybuilding competition. He became one of three men who managed to outrun the world famous athlete. Previously, only Chester Yorton and Sergio Oliva managed to overcome Arnold.
Overall, Zane has been competing for over 20 years. In 1983, after winning the prestigious Mr. America title, he suddenly decided to end his sports career.
However, in 1985, together with his wife Christina, the bodybuilder opened Zane Haven in Palm Springs. At the training center, they conducted one-on-one sessions with Americans who would like to have a unique physique. In addition, the athlete founded the Zane Gallery in Laguna Beach, which to this day exhibits archival photographs of bodybuilders. In addition, Frank has created his own website where he sells his books on nutrition and training.
Personal life
Today the Zane family lives in sunny San Diego, California. Back in December 1967, the athlete married the American Christina Harris. Since then, the couple has been running a joint business, developing unique training programs for people who seek to gain a developed body.
Frank's married life was successful. The wife supports her famous husband in everything. Back in the 1970s, she became his personal photographer for all the most important sports. In addition, Christina and Frank share a love for the humanities. They both have degrees in psychology. The knowledge gained at the university still allows the couple to find an individual approach to clients and run their sports business at a high level.
Over the years, Frank Zane has maintained a warm and friendly relationship with Arnold Schwarzenegger. They traveled together on numerous occasions and developed up-to-date training plans. In addition, in 2003, as a sign of respect, Schwarzenegger at his personal party presented Frank with a personal award for dedication and long-term support in sports.
