Legend Frank Zane Shares Eye-Opening Advice for Modern Bodybuilders Risking Their Health for the Sport

During his exclusive interview with Essentially Sports Fancast, 81-year-old bodybuilding legend Frank Zane gave some crucial advice to aspiring young bodybuilders. While youngsters like 21-year-old Sam Sulek and 19-year-old Anton Ratushnyi are inspiring a new generation of bodybuilders, many have accused them of using ste***ds.

However, the three-time Mr. Olympia said youngsters shouldn’t take performance-enhancing drugs to become elite bodybuilders. Frank Zane isn’t “involved” in the nitty-gritty of modern bodybuilding. However, the bodybuilder explained how he would approach bodybuilding if he had been a youngster.

“I think there’s a way to do anything. If I were doing it to win, I certainly wouldn’t go off the deep end taking drugs,” The Chemist said during the EssentiallySports Fancast interview. While advancements in medical science have made ster***ds more accessible than ever, the Golden era bodybuilding champion said his approach would be different.

“My approach would be pretty much a natural approach,” said the bodybuilding icon. The 81-year-old former champion, who still trains regularly, mentioned two things a young bodybuilder should do. “Taking vitamins minerals, and especially freeform amino acids,” Frank Zane advised.

Besides focusing on training, the Chemist was among the pioneers in bodybuilding supplementation and diet. Arnold Schwarzenegger once said that Frank Zane taught him a lot about dieting and supplementation. While most veteran bodybuilders would recommend standard supplements, the 81-year-old named free-form amino acids as his go-to source for bulking.

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Unlike whey protein or BCAAs, free-form amino acids are pre-digested supplements. Hence, they bypass the digestive system and are absorbed directly into the bloodstream. The God of aesthetics used them for years, and they helped him build muscle. However, Frank Zane also pointed out another flaw in many people’s approaches.

Frank Zane speaks about patience

They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the three-time Mr. Olympia winner thinks similarly. When the EssentaillySports Fancast host asked Zane about a “common mistake” aspiring bodybuilders make, he spoke about their tendency to take shortcuts. “It doesn’t happen overnight,” said the bodybuilding legend.

Hence, Zane recommends listening to some “good advice,” instead of taking shortcuts like using ste***ds. The former maths tutor even has two books, 91 Day Wonder Body and The Zane Bodybuilding Manual, dedicated to helping people achieve their bodybuilding goals.

Read More | Exclusive: God of Aesthetics Frank Zane Reveals His Supplements Intake From Prime That Still Continues in Lower Dosage at 81

While modern bodybuilding is all about building muscles as much muscle as possible, the original God of Aesthetics had different advice for young bodybuilders resorting to PEDs for gains.