“Don’t Waste Time Daydreaming”: 3X Mr. Olympia Urges New Lifters to Prioritize Efficient Workouts Over Lengthy Sessions

Bodybuilding legend Frank Zane won three Olympia titles in his prime and trains even at 81. However, over the years, the King of Aesthetics has learned about the necessity of making workouts efficient. In his  June 17th Instagram post, the bodybuilding legend spoke about how long your ideal training session should last.

The former Mr. Universe said that each workout “shouldn’t be longer than one hour.” He also said that one way to achieve it would be to use lighter weights so “you can rest less between sets,“ saving you time. However, lifting heavy during every session and resting longer between sets isn’t the real reason why most people spend hours in the gym.

Many would tell you they train for nearly two hours in the gym. Yet the former Mr. Olympia claimed it was nothing more than wasted time. “Don’t waste time daydreaming or talking between sets and you’ll be done in less than an hour,“ Frank Zane wrote in the caption. The former champion gave his example.

Even at 81 years old, “I do my abbreviated sessions in 45 minutes,“ claimed Frank Zane. Unfortunately, concentrating in the gym has become tougher than ever. Zane’s former rival-turned-friend, seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger, wrote about another distraction at the gym. The 76-year-old spoke about how people lose track of time scrolling on phones between sets.

The bodybuilding icon explained that not only does doing so waste time, but it also disrupts the intensity and tempo of the training session. However, Frank Zane said that if he could complete a session in 45 minutes at 81, “you can too.“ All you need to do is concentrate on training. Fellow Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates has also recommended spending no more than an hour at the gym.

6x Mr. Olympia explained even lifting heavy doesn’t add time to your training

Dorian Yates has been an advocate of training for an hour for decades. Even during his Mr. Olympia reign from 1992 to 1997, Yates trained for about an hour per workout. While he followed the High-Intensity Training (HIT) approach, lifting extremely heavy, he didn’t train for too long. That’s because Yates did no more than a few sets.

Thus, even if you lift heavy, Yates saw no reason why you should spend too long resting or add additional sets to extend a session. So not just one, but three Mr. Olympia winners see lack of focus as a major contributor to prolonged training sessions. So, next time you’re in the gym, you may want to rethink before touching your smartphone or starting a conversation between sets.