Frank Zane: 2024 Net Worth, Stats, Salary, Wife and more

In the history of bodybuilding, only two people can claim to have beaten the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger. Frank Zane is one of them. The bodybuilding icon who shocked the Austrian Oak in 1968 also taught him a thing or two about training. From a maths teacher to winning the Mr. Olympia title consecutively for three years, Zane has always held on to his biggest asset, humility. Willing to learn, as much as he was willing to teach, Frank Zane remains a student of bodybuilding even at 81.

The former Mr. Universe was among the few Mr. Olympia champions who competed against and defeated bodybuilders who were taller and heavier than him. Zane's dedication toward all aspects of bodybuilding including posing, symmetry, and proportions earned him the moniker of the King of Aesthetics. Always on top of the latest developments in exercise and diet. His research and application of what he learned also made Frank Zane, The Chemist of bodybuilding.

Frank Zane's Early Life

Born to Adam F. Zane and Laura, strong protestants in their community, Frank Zane was brought up alongside his younger brother in Kingston, Pennsylvania. Subject to bullying in the earlier years of his life, Zane's fragile body made him decide to focus on building his physique. Zane took to sports like football, baseball, and basketball. However, it was at the age of 14 that Zane stepped foot into bodybuilding.

After completing high school, Zane obtained a degree in Mathematics from the Wilkes University in Pennsylvania and also gained a Master's in Experimental Psychology from the California State University.

Frank Zane's Wife and Children

After meeting Christine in Florida in 1966 at a bodybuilding event, the two got married the next year. A former weightlifter herself, Christine retired from the sport after winning the Miss Universe Bikini Crown in 1970 to focus on studies and art. Her focus on art led to a Master's degree in Fine Arts with skills in painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and jewelry. While the couple has been married for nearly 57 years now, there is no knowledge about them having children as none have been spotted in the public eye.

Frank Zane's Net Worth

The God of Aesthetic's net worth is estimated to be between $10 million and $17 million. The legendary bodybuilder's income has mostly come from prize money after winning competitions like the Mr. Olympia. His appearance in fitness magazines and his endorsements with supplements and other brands have also contributed to the increase in his net worth. Being someone who has written numerous books on fitness and bodybuilding, including the Zane Bodybuilding Manual and The Mind in Bodybuilding, Zane earns revenue from their sales as well. Many sources also suggest that the former bodybuilder has investments in real estate, which continue to be revenue-generating even now.

Frank Zane's Career Timeline

Frank Zane's bodybuilding career kick-started in 1965 when he emerged victorious in the IFBB Medium Height Mr. Universe competition. After the first-place finish, Zane also won the Mr. America Middle Height division titles in 1966 and 1967, a start that many in the sport would dream of. As Zane continued to grab attention in the bodybuilding world, he also started training alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbo, Ed Corney, and many others.

Just a few years later, the God of Aesthetics took the NABBA Mr. Universe title home, with a few top-five finishes at the Mr. Olympia to his name in the 1970s. On the other hand, after Arnold Schwarzenegger's retirement in 1976, Zane was one of the favorites to win the Mr. Olympia title that year, however, Franco Columbu beat him to it. Just a year later, at the 1977 competition, Zane won the Sandow trophy, besting the likes of bodybuilding greats Ed Corney, Robby Robinson, and Boyer Coe. He continued the streak and won both the 1978 and 1979 editions as well.

While many had predicted Zane's fourth straight victory at the 1980 Mr. Olympia, the bodybuilding world was in for a surprise, with Arnold Schwarzenegger returning to the Olympia stage. This was compounded by the fact that Zane had suffered a freak injury in the run-up to the event and lost a significant amount of muscle mass owing to an extended hospital stay. Schwarzenegger won the event, leading to controversy erupting after many opined that the Austrian Oak's condition was not up to the mark. In the aftermath of Arnold's victory, Zane, Mike Mentzer, and Boyer Coe boycotted the 1981 Mr. Olympia. When Zane returned to the stage in 1982, he could only finish second behind Chris Dickerson. In 1983, Zane came in at a dismal fourth, retiring soon after, deciding to focus on teaching, personal training, and his music.

Major Achievements in Frank Zane's Career 

Zane is one of the very few to have defeated the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger. Zane did this when he defeated him at the 1968 Mr. Universe competition. On top of that, Zane and Sergio Oliva are the only two bodybuilders to have won the Mr. Olympia three consecutive times. Let us have a look at the other major achievements in the career of the God of Aesthetics.

• 1962 Mr. Keystone (Winner)


• 1963 Mr. Keystone (2nd)


• 1965 Mr. Sunshine State (Winner)


• 1965 IFBB Mr. Universe (1st, Medium Height category)


• 1966 IFBB Mr. America (1st, Medium)


• 1967 IFBB Mr. America (1st, Medium)


• 1967 IFBB Mr. Universe (3rd, Tall)


• 1968 IFBB Mr. America (Winner)


• 1968 IFBB Mr. Universe (Winner)


• 1970 NABBA Mr. Universe (Winner)


• 1971 NABBA Pro Mr. Universe (1st, Short)


• 1972 NABBA Pro Mr. Universe (Winner)


• 1972 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs, 4th)


• 1974 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs, 2nd)


• 1975 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs, 4th)


• 1976 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs, 2nd)


• 1977 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs & Overall Winner)


• 1978 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs & Overall Winner)


• 1979 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs & Overall Winner)


• 1980 IFBB Mr. Olympia (3rd)


• 1982 IFBB Mr. Olympia (2nd)


• 1983 IFBB Mr. Olympia (4th)

Frank Zane's Diet and Workout

During the offseason, Zane hardly consumed any carbs. While a high day would see him having an intake of 150 grams of carbohydrates, on normal days, he would only have around 50 grams. However, Zane's protein consumption sat at around 200 grams per day, which translated to around 1 gram per pound of body weight. He would incorporate steak, fish, and chicken into his diet as protein sources.

Zane followed a strict diet and tightened it up even further nearly eight weeks out from a contest. As the competition neared, Zane would include more carbs, so as to ensure that the muscles filled out and popped.

As most bodybuilders do, Zane had his own methods of going through a strict workout regime. The legendary bodybuilder banked on the push/pull/legs split and some high-volume training to ensure that his physique reached the pinnacle of what it could be. Let us have a look at his training regime.

Here’s what his weekly pre-contest training looked like:

Shoulder workout

• Seated dumbbell shoulder press


• Smith machine overhead shoulder press


• Incline bench rear delt fly


• Upright cable row


• Bent-over dumbbell lateral raise


• One-arm lateral cable raise

Arm workout

Biceps

• Alternate dumbbell curls


• One-arm dumbbell concentration curls


• 450degree incline dumbbell curls

Triceps

• One-arm overhead extensions


• Close-grip bench press


• V-grip press down


• Feet elevated bench dips


• Triceps cable pushdown

Forearms

• Incline barbell bench press


• Reverse barbell forearm curls


• Flat barbell bench press


• Seated barbell wrist curls


• 70-degree incline dumbbell press


• Standing cable crossover


• Flat dumbbell fly


• Crossbench dumbbell pullover


• 10-degree decline dumbbell fly


• Bodyweight push-up

Back workout

• T-bar rows


• Wide-grip deadlifts


• Wide-grip pull-ups


• Dumbbell pull-over


• One-arm dumbbell row


• Bent-over barbell row

Abs workout

• Leg raise


• Crunches superset with leg raises


• Abs crunches


• Hanging leg raises


• Hanging knee-ups and seated twists


• Seated twists

Leg workout

Quads/Thighs

• Back squats


• Leg extensions


• Leg blaster squats


• Barbell stiff leg deadlifts


• Lying leg curls


• Leg press

Calves

• Donkey calf raises


• Standing calf raises


• Seated calf raises

Frank Zane's Social Media

Frank Zane is very active on Instagram, which he uses as a tool to impart those on their fitness journeys with tips to help them on their path. Zane often turns up on YouTube videos with other bodybuilders. However, he does not have a channel of his own.