Frank Zane’s Workout Routine for Ultimate Aesthetics

Frank Zane was the best built man on Earth.

Sure, Arnold Schwarzenegger gets all the glory, but Frank Zane had the best physique of all the Golden Era bodybuilders, and quite possibly the best physique of all time.

How did Frank Zane beat the Austrian Oak at his own game, despite being significantly smaller?

One word:

Aesthetics.

Aesthetics is about having “the look”.

Having the look means having the right amount of muscle in the right spots.

Frank Zane created symmetry and balance rather than sheer muscle mass.

He meticulously crafted his physique so that his muscles were in perfect proportion to each other.

His dedication paid off as he became three-time Mr. Olympia – Winning back to back to back, three years in a row. #3peat

This article contains Frank Zane’s workout that he used to prepare for the Mr. Olympia competition…

Table of Contents

• Frank Zane’s Workout Routine Overview
• Frank Zane Pull Workout
• Frank Zane Leg Workout
• Frank Zane Push Workout
• Abdominal Training
• Cardiovascular exercise
• Frank Zane’s Thoughts on Diet and Supplements
• Frank Zane now, Building the Classic Physique and Final Thoughts

Frank Zane’s Workout Routine

This is the same routine that helped him beat Arnold Schwarzenegger, Serge Nubret, Franco Columbu and Mike Mentzer.

This workout can be found in Frank Zane’s book: The Workouts: Personal Training Diaries.

Below is a summarized version of the training routine and diet that I found on Frank Zane’s official blog.

Frank Zane’s Mr. Olympia Workout

This workout is a modified version of the popular ‘Push, Pull, Legs’ workout routine.

Push and Pull workouts focused on upper body muscles, while Leg Day, naturally, focused on lower body development.

Workouts were high volume and fast paced.

Rest days were built in to ensure proper recovery.

Frank Zane Workout Split

Frank Zane trained three out of every five days. The routine looked something like this:

1. Monday – Pull Day
2. Tuesday – Off
3. Wednesday – Legs
4. Thursday – Off
5. Friday – Push Day
6. Saturday – Pull Day
7. Sunday – Off
8. Monday – Legs
9. Tuesday – Off
10. Wednesday – Push Day
11. Thursday – Pull Day
12. Etc.

Frank Zane strategically surrounded Leg Day with rest days for two reasons:

1. It’s better to perform squats with a fresh back. Hence the rest day prior to training legs.
2. Hard and heavy leg training is very taxing on the central nervous system, and a full day of rest is required to fully recover.

Rest days are especially important if you’re on a restricted calorie diet.

The rest days provide time for muscles to recover and grow without being “overtrained”.

Frank Zane emphasized exercise technique as the most important aspect of training.

He also performed stretching between sets to shape the muscle and to stimulate muscle recovery..

Let’s take a look at each workout in detail. We’ll start with an overview of each workout outlining the exercises, sets and reps performed.

Then we’ll dive into each exercise to explain how to execute it.

The Frank Zane ‘Pull’ Workout

‘Pull Day‘ the muscles used to pull weight toward you, or to pull your body through space.

The Pull workout targets your back, biceps, forearms and abs with the following exercises:

• Deadlift – 6 sets, wide grip (3 sets from floor – 15, 12, 10 reps; 3 sets elevated – 10, 10, 8 reps)
• T-Bar Rows – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Front Pull-Down – 3 sets of 10 reps
• One-Arm Dumbbell Rows – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Dumbbell Concentration Curl – 3 sets of 8-10 reps
• Alternating Dumbbell Curl – 3 sets of 8-10 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Curl – 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 reps. Bench at 45-degree angle
• Barbell Reverse Curl – 2 sets of 12 reps. Superset with Barbell Wrist Curl – 2 sets of 20 reps

Every set was performed with technical precision and followed by stretching, detailed below.

Back Exercises

Wide-Grip Deadlift – 6 sets total:

• The first 3 sets are from the floor for 15, 12, and 10 reps.
• The last three sets are elevated 12 inches on plates or in a power rack for 10, 10, and 8 reps. Make the last three sets heavier and focus on lat engagement.

Wide grip deadlifts build a wider back. It etches detail into the upper back muscles making them thicker and more defined.

A wide grip makes the lift more challenging. It makes you squat lower to lift the load and it puts more tension on your back, arms, forearms, and shoulders.

A very clever adjustment for those trying to maximize muscle mass and build a V-taper.

Do two-arm lat stretches between every set. Hold each stretch for 15 seconds.

T-bar Rows – 3 sets of 10 reps.

T-Bar rows can be done elevated for extra effect. Stand on plates. You can also perform barbell rows standing on a bench so the weight goes much lower before hitting the ground.

This adjustment stretches you back muscles and trains them through a greater range of motion.

Touch the weights to your chest at the top of each rep, and HOLD IT THERE for a second or two.

CONTROL the weight throughout the entire motion. Move the weight up and down in a methodical fashion. Fully eliminate any momentum. No sway or body english! As this is cheating and defeats the purpose.

Do two-arm lat stretches between each set for 15 seconds.

Front Pull Down – 3 sets of 10 reps.

Pull downs are great because they allow you to concentrate on engaging your back muscles.

Deliberately feel your back muscles working to pull the weight through the entire range of motion.

perform with the widest grip possible and bring the bar all the way to your sternum.

Pull downs are fantastic for building wide lats, if you do them correctly. Perform each rep in a smooth and controlled motion.

Two-arm lat stretches between each set.

One-Arm Dumbbell Rows – 3 sets of 10 reps.

One-arm rows allow maximum muscle contraction. Hold the top position for 2 seconds each rep. Really feel your lats working.

And, you guessed it, two-arm lat stretches between each set.

Bicep Exercises

You’ll notice Frank Zane trained arms primarily with dumbbells.

Dumbbell training ensured even and symmetrical muscle development.

Dumbbell Concentration Curl – 3 sets of 8-10 reps for each arm.

Contract your bicep hard at the top of the motion. Seriously squeeze the shit out of them like you’re trying to crush your bicep with you forearm.

Supinate your hand at the top of each rep. (rotate your pinkies up to create the tightest contraction possible.)

Hold contraction for a second or two then slowly lower the weight. Slowly lowering the weight is important to keep tension on the muscle.

When you’re about to start another rep, flex your bicep to start the motion. This is how you build muscle definition. Especially the bicep/tricep muscle separation.

Alternate Dumbbell Curls – 3 set of 8-10 reps for each arm. Focus on curling one arm at a time.

Flex hard at the top and lower the weight slow. Pronate the dumbbell on the negative, so your palms face each other at the bottom of each rep. This works the forearms.

Incline Dumbell Curls – 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 on a 45-degree angle.

Incline dumbbell curls are totally underrated. They are great for isolating you biceps. They make your bicep ‘reach’, thus training it while in a moderately pre-flexed position.

Forearm Exercises

Developed forearms are key to building a complete physique. Do not overlook them.

Barbell Reverse Curls for 12 reps and seated Barbell Wrist Curls for 20 reps.

Perform these forearm exercises in superset fashion for a total of two supersets.

Frank Zane Leg Workout – Thighs, Calves, Abs

Leg Day is Epic. High volume by most standards. And should absolutely obliterate your quads and hammies.

• Back Squats – 6 sets of 15, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8 reps
• Leg Press – 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 reps
• Lying Leg Curls – 3 sets of 12, 11, 10 reps
• Leg Extensions – 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 reps
• Standing Calf Raise – 3 sets 15-20 reps
• Donkey Calf Raise – 4 sets 20-25 reps
• Seated Calf Raise – 1 drop-set of 20 total reps: 5, 5, 5, 5, reps non-stop decreasing weight each set

Thigh Exercises

Barbell Back Squats – 6 sets x 15, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8.

Go below parallel and slow negatives. These will burn! Relish it. Don’t be too eager to unload the weight. Train through the pain!

Leg Press – 3 sets x 15, 12, 10 reps

Get deep into the negative and don’t quite lock out at the end of the rep. Keep tension of the thighs.

Go nice and slow through the whole range of motion. Concentrate on getting a good pump. No need to use heavy weight.

Follow up each set with a 15 second leg stretch. Toe-touches are perfect.

Lying Leg Curls – 3 sets x 12, 11, 10 reps.

Leg curls are the best exercise for isolating the hamstrings. Lying leg curls are superior to seated leg curls when it comes to building the posterior chain.

Leg Extensions – 3 sets x  12, 10, 8 reps.

Go to full extension, hold contract for a second or two then slowly lower the weight.

All thigh exercises are followed by leg stretches in between sets.

Calf Exercises

Standing Calf Raise – 3 sets of 15-20 reps. Keep knees slightly bent to get a deeper stretch at the bottom.

Stretch between each set:

“I put my toes on the wall and heel on the floor and lean toward the wall. It gives me a healthy stretch in my calf.” – FZ

Donkey Calf Raise – 4 sets of 20-25 reps. Keep know bent very slightly. Stretch between sets.

Seated Calf Raise – Done last and usually as a four-part drop-set doing something like 150×5, 120×5, 100×5, 90×5. No rest between drop-sets

Do calf stretches for 15 seconds after each set.

Ab work ended the leg day routine, which was usually anything except hanging leg raises.

Frank wanted to save his upper body from any work so it was well rested for Push Day.

Frank Zane ‘Push’ Workout – Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Abs

On ‘Push Day‘, you train the ‘push muscles’.

Push muscles are engaged when doing a ‘pushing’ motion. e.g. If the muscle’s function is to push something away from your body, it gets trained on Push Day.

Push muscles typically refer to upper body muscles. Of course you can push with your legs, but legs have a day dedicated specifically for them.

• Barbell Bench Press – 6 sets of 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Press – 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• Decline Dumbbell Flyes – 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 reps
• Dumbbell Pullover – 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 reps
• Close-Grip Bench – 3 sets of 12, 10, 8  reps
• One-Arm Overhead Extension with Dumbbell – 3 sets of 12, 10 , 8 reps
• V-Grip Press Down – 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 reps
• Bent-Over Dumbbell Lateral Raise  – 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 reps
• Side Cable Raise – 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 reps

Chest Exercises

Barbell Bench Press – 6 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 reps.

Do slow and controlled negatives. Use a shoulder width grip to put more emphasis on pecs, front delts and triceps. Don’t quite lock out your elbows at the top of the rep.

Full lockout takes tension of muscles and places it on the joints. Big no-no. unless you want to grind your joints into a fine dust.

Do doorway stretches between sets.

Incline Dumbbell Presses – Perform 4 sets total

For the first set do 10 reps at a 70-degree angle.

Then drop the angle by 10-15 degrees for 8 reps, then drop angle again for 6 reps, and again for 4-6 reps.

Perform all movements with slow negatives, not quite locking out at the top of each rep.

Doorway stretches between sets for 15 seconds each pec.

Decline Dumbbell Flyes  –  3 sets of 12, 10, 8, reps.

Negative 10-degree bench. Doing the doorway stretches and flexing the pecs between sets.

Dumbbell Pullover – 3 sets x 12, 10, and 8 reps

Lay across a bench, mainly for serratus.

“It also expanded my ribcage, pumped up my lower pecs, and really developed the posterior head of my triceps. I got quite strong on this one and did the one arm overhead shoulder stretch between sets.”

Tricep Exercises

Close grip bench press – 3 sets with 12, 10, 8 reps.

Place your hands about 10 to 12 inches apart, have your elbows pointed out to emphasize outer triceps, and lower the weight slowly. arms back stretch between sets.

One Arm Overhead Extensions – 3 sets 12, 10, 8 reps.

Using a dumbbell, lower the weight down deeply behind your back and then, keeping your upper arm close to your head, push the weight up but don’t quite lock out at the top of the exercise.

Holding one arm shoulder stretch for 15 seconds with each arm between sets.

V-grip Press Down – 3 sets 12, 10, 8 reps.

Hold your muscle at max contraction for a full second each rep.

Do arms back behind your head stretch between sets. Pushing down on your elbow with the free hand.

Shoulder Exercises

Since the front delts already got some work while pressing, you just need an exercises for the side and rear delts

Bent Over Dumbbell Lateral Raise – 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 reps.

To execute these, grab a light weight and lean forward until your back is parallel with the floor and you’re looking at the ground.

Then lift the weight concentrating on your rear deltoid. Focus hard and try to get the rear delt to cramp.

Do rear delt stretches pulling your arms across your chest in-between sets.

Side Cable Raise – 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 reps.

“I personally like to perform these with the cable behind my back. This helps isolate my middle delt. Instead of having the stronger front delt take over.”

Frank Zane Ab Training

Frank Zane training abs at the end of each workout and gradually increased the total amount of reps to 1000 reps per workout.

This usually usually took a half hour of nonstop ab exercises to complete. The minimum ab program was:

Leg raise – 4 sets by 25 reps superset with ab crunches, followed by 100 seated twists.

Frank Zane would add the following as he progressed

Hanging Knee ups 4 sets of 25  superset with 4 sets of 25 two-arm overhead cable crunches

Followed by 100 more seated twists.

Frank Zane Cardio Workout

Cardio was sometimes done after workouts.

Typically cardio was 15-20 minutes of running or riding the stationary bike.

You don’t want to over do it with cardio. You need to save your energy to recover from workouts in order to build muscle.

Do just enough cardio to keep your heart healthy and sweat off the extra fat.

Key Points about Frank Zane’s Workout Routine

Here are a few take away from Frank Zane’s phenomenal workout routine:

• This routine builds muscle size because it incorporates one power lifting type movement into each workout. In this case, Squat, Deadlift and Bench Press.
• Perform the negative portion of the lift slower than positives.
• Incorporate lots of stretching into your workout. Stretch the working muscle between each set. Hold stretches for 15 seconds. Stretching helps improve muscle recovery and makes the muscles appear more complete. Stretching keeps you from becoming too blocky, clumsy or muscle bound.

If you want to learn more about Frank Zane’s training techniques read his book: The Zane Body Training Manual and Frank Zane’s Personal Training Diaries

Frank Zane’s Diet

As you know by now, diet is of critical importance for building lean muscle mass, having energy, and for overall heath and wellbeing.

Like other great bodybuilder, Frank Zane ate a high protein, low carb diet.

Eat all natural, get a variety of seasonal meats and vegetables, and supplement to ensure you get necessary vitamins and minerals, and don’t over eat!

Everything eaten should be a nutrient dense as possible. The idea being to supply the body with energy to perform and building blocks to grow. But not so many extra calories that they store as fat!

It’s about finding the sweet spot to maximize muscle growth without storing fat.

The High Protein Low Carb Diet

Frank Zane ate eggs, tuna, beef, chicken and vegetables. Nothing Earth-shattering.

Fruits were eaten in moderation. Almonds were eaten as well.

He avoided dairy for the most part but ate some cheese every day for calcium.

He did strive to eat one gram of high quality protein per pound of body weight.

Frank Zane’s Supplement Regimen

Frank Zane also had a supplement regimen that included egg protein powder and amino acid tables.

Amino acids prevent muscle wasting. They absorb without digestion and supply the body with energy and building material for lean muscle mass.

Frank Zane Workout Recap

Frank Zane built his body with the same intensity and consistency of other great bodybuilders, but his unique training style and bodybuilding philosophy set him apart.

That special approach to training created one of the best male physiques the world had even seen.

And with it, Frank Zane ushered in a new era of bodybuilding that valued aesthetics over sheer muscle mass.

He used stretching to to shape his muscles and to remain supple rather than over-bulked.

Proper eating and ample rest were part of the program to help muscles to grow.

Frank Zane Now

After reigning supreme as the best built man on Earth, he continued to enjoy a long career in bodybuilding.

He also worked on public health and personal training, sharing his fitness philosophy with the world.

Frank Zane is now a jacked dude in his 70’s that could probably kick any Millennial’s ass to this day.

Of all the bodybuilders of the Golden Era, Frank Zane’s look is the most attainable by the average man.

Unlike many bodybuilders that fall off the wagon after their hay-day, Frank Zane continues to look amazing in spite of being in his late-seventies.

To this day, he is one of the leading experts in bodybuilding, personal training, fitness, and “active aging”.

Frank Zane’s accomplishments are a testament to his dedication to intelligent training and constant devotion to his craft.

There’s much more to the Man than the training and diet shown in this article. That being said, Frank Zane’s workout routine is extremely potent and will whip your ass into shape.

Frank Zane: “The Chemist”

Frank Zane earned his nickname, “The Chemist”, from his background teaching chemistry and mathematics.

He holds degrees in both Chemistry and Psychology. With these credentials, I believe Frank Zane understands the joining of body and mind to maximize both. (A very important concept in fitness.)

Frank Zane taught math and advanced chemistry for over a decade while competing at the highest levels.

With effective and efficient training and diet he was able to achieve the apex of aesthetics while living a full life.

Resulting in perfect muscle proportions, so that every part flowed together naturally and no one muscle group overpowered another.

Building a ‘Classic’ Physique

Frank Zane possessed a classic physique.

A classic physique is athletic, strong and well conditioned.

It is also beautiful, graceful and healthy. Not muscle-bound and bulky like you see today.

When you think of a classic physique, think of the 70’s bodybuilders. (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike Mentzer, Franco Columbu and Serge Nubret.)

Of all the old school 1979’s bodybuilders, Frank Zane had the most natural looking physique.

Although not 100% natural (he was a chemist after all), many natural trainers can achieve a similar physique with the right work ethic.

Frank doesn’t look like a muscle-bound meat head. He looks like a lean athlete.

Frank Zane’s workout was designed to build a lean, balanced, and symmetrical physique.

Something any man can obtain with some good old fashioned American work ethic.

Let’s face it though, not every guy wants to look like a bodybuilder. That’s totally fair. Bodybuilders today are freaks and inject more drugs than a heroin addict.

But every dude wants to looks like Frank Zane. And every woman wants their man to look like Frank Zane.

Your old lady m might lie and tell you that your beer belly is sexy, but that’s because she’s polite. In reality she wants a guy that looks like a gladiator.

Luckily for you most men can look like Frank Zane. And you don’t need drugs to do it.

Although Frank Zane pretty much admitted to using steroids, his aesthetics are attainable naturally.

You may not get his same combination of size + leanness without chemical assistance, but you can get look pretty damn impressive with the right routine.

It just so happens that I’ve developed a workout routine and diet plan that works for men at are under muscled and overly fat.

It’s called ‘The Skinny-Fat Solution‘ and you can learn more about it by clicking the image of the book below.

You Might Also Like:

The Workout Routines of the World’s Greatest Bodybuilders The Ultimate ‘Skinny-Fat’ Workout and Diet Guide (2024 Edition) The Skinny Guy’s Guide to Gaining Weight, Size, and Building Muscle Only Suckers Skip Leg Day (plus a REALLY GOOD leg workout)