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I have not posted here for some time. This is due in part to the way this board has changed and the fact that the company I own is commanding more of my time, anyway...
Not too long ago my wife sent me to Ca. to train 3 days one on one w/ Frank Zane. I will assume most of you know who he is, if not google him. As far as I am concerned he exemplified the perfect body. One of the smallest BB's yet a physique carved from stone. He one his Olympias at weights of just over 180lbs. Here, in a very abbreviated layout is what I learned.
FZ( this is how I will refer to him ) is one of the most intense individuals I have ever met. He exudes knowledge and at his core is a very spiritual mentality which has carried over into his entire life.
There were many synergies to the way I trained and his methods. I have always trained old school, its what I grew up on, and have done well with.
FZ sized me up when I initially walked in the door at his home. He commented on my frame. At the time I was 198lb and what I though was pretty damn good condition. His gym was real old school, some machine most likely out of production for the last decade or so. For time purposes we did 2 sets of 10 reps on almost all movements. Frank trained very instinctively. He new his body like know other and really knew how to manipulate it.
For example. He explained to me that in early season training during his first Olympia he knew that because his shoulder width was not as large as his competition he decided to drop the poundage on trap work and refocus on delt with. It worked, he won, but I was so impressed that he realized his shortfall, regrouped and redirected his efforts.
FZ never trained w/ insane weight. He showed me journals form 20 years ago when he was in the gym w/ Arnold and saw the jaw dropping poundage he used. FZ's workouts were all based on feeling every single rep as if he were only doing one rep, it had to count. When we did Dumbell incline presses for example, he picked up the 60's and lowered the weight w/ a 4-5 second count. As he approched the bottom part of the press he turned is palms in so they were facing one another and sunk the weight past his shoulders. I was like, you must be kidding me....he did this for 10 reps. He asked me what wieght I normally used, I said 100's to 120's. He told me to pick up the 75's. I did and every time I lowered the weight he told me I was going to fast, honestly, he was starting to piss me off...I focused 100% and lowered the weight at the correct speed turning my wrists in and slowly pushing the weight up. Let me tell you...I was humbled and after 2 sets, shaking.
All of our workouts were done in this fashion. I never focused so much in my life. I normally do seated dumbell shoulder presses w/ 80's as high as 100 I could only do the 70's and barely got out 9 reps. Speed in FZ's opinion was not a component of BBing. It all made sense. TIME UNDER TENSION. He told me that after years of adhearing to this method he avoided injury, for the most part, and developed a rock hard, striated physique.
He did have days when he would go heavier, we all do, but he never for example squatted much more than 315, benched more than 315. It simply wasnt necessary.
As for diet.Holy shit, he tore mine apart. First off.. I drink 4-6 cups of coffe a day. In each cup 2 teaspoons of sugar...thats almost a half cup of pure sugar a day. He told me to switch to splenda and never have coffee first thing in the morning. Why? because you essentially begin your day in a dehydrated state. Makes sense. Also, never any carbs after 6:00 p.m. or so. At most a grapefruit w/ some splenda. Also a protein shake before bed, w/ water, little to no carbs. Im leaving a lot out, but Im giving you what made the biggest difference in my diet. 3 months later I am now 180lb, ripped to the bone, vascular and feeling great. Its the look I like. I do not want to be a mass freak, its too hard to maintain later in life.
I am happy to chat more. This thread is getting looooong. I will say that I am fortunate to have the financial means to do something like this, it was a gift of a lifetime from my wife. If any of you EVER have the chance to do something like this I totally recommend it. Being trained One on One by a multiple Mr. Olympia winner was truely a life altering experience. Peace.
Not too long ago my wife sent me to Ca. to train 3 days one on one w/ Frank Zane. I will assume most of you know who he is, if not google him. As far as I am concerned he exemplified the perfect body. One of the smallest BB's yet a physique carved from stone. He one his Olympias at weights of just over 180lbs. Here, in a very abbreviated layout is what I learned.
FZ( this is how I will refer to him ) is one of the most intense individuals I have ever met. He exudes knowledge and at his core is a very spiritual mentality which has carried over into his entire life.
There were many synergies to the way I trained and his methods. I have always trained old school, its what I grew up on, and have done well with.
FZ sized me up when I initially walked in the door at his home. He commented on my frame. At the time I was 198lb and what I though was pretty damn good condition. His gym was real old school, some machine most likely out of production for the last decade or so. For time purposes we did 2 sets of 10 reps on almost all movements. Frank trained very instinctively. He new his body like know other and really knew how to manipulate it.
For example. He explained to me that in early season training during his first Olympia he knew that because his shoulder width was not as large as his competition he decided to drop the poundage on trap work and refocus on delt with. It worked, he won, but I was so impressed that he realized his shortfall, regrouped and redirected his efforts.
FZ never trained w/ insane weight. He showed me journals form 20 years ago when he was in the gym w/ Arnold and saw the jaw dropping poundage he used. FZ's workouts were all based on feeling every single rep as if he were only doing one rep, it had to count. When we did Dumbell incline presses for example, he picked up the 60's and lowered the weight w/ a 4-5 second count. As he approched the bottom part of the press he turned is palms in so they were facing one another and sunk the weight past his shoulders. I was like, you must be kidding me....he did this for 10 reps. He asked me what wieght I normally used, I said 100's to 120's. He told me to pick up the 75's. I did and every time I lowered the weight he told me I was going to fast, honestly, he was starting to piss me off...I focused 100% and lowered the weight at the correct speed turning my wrists in and slowly pushing the weight up. Let me tell you...I was humbled and after 2 sets, shaking.
All of our workouts were done in this fashion. I never focused so much in my life. I normally do seated dumbell shoulder presses w/ 80's as high as 100 I could only do the 70's and barely got out 9 reps. Speed in FZ's opinion was not a component of BBing. It all made sense. TIME UNDER TENSION. He told me that after years of adhearing to this method he avoided injury, for the most part, and developed a rock hard, striated physique.
He did have days when he would go heavier, we all do, but he never for example squatted much more than 315, benched more than 315. It simply wasnt necessary.
As for diet.Holy shit, he tore mine apart. First off.. I drink 4-6 cups of coffe a day. In each cup 2 teaspoons of sugar...thats almost a half cup of pure sugar a day. He told me to switch to splenda and never have coffee first thing in the morning. Why? because you essentially begin your day in a dehydrated state. Makes sense. Also, never any carbs after 6:00 p.m. or so. At most a grapefruit w/ some splenda. Also a protein shake before bed, w/ water, little to no carbs. Im leaving a lot out, but Im giving you what made the biggest difference in my diet. 3 months later I am now 180lb, ripped to the bone, vascular and feeling great. Its the look I like. I do not want to be a mass freak, its too hard to maintain later in life.
I am happy to chat more. This thread is getting looooong. I will say that I am fortunate to have the financial means to do something like this, it was a gift of a lifetime from my wife. If any of you EVER have the chance to do something like this I totally recommend it. Being trained One on One by a multiple Mr. Olympia winner was truely a life altering experience. Peace.
