Frank Zane Not Only Refused to Feature in Pumping Iron, but He Also Changed His Gym as They Started Shooting in Gold’s Gym, Interview 2019

Frank Zane is popularly known for the quality and aesthetic physique he maintained throughout his career. He is one of the bodybuilders who didn’t chase popularity or rush to win the title. However, he kept constantly working hard and putting effort into being the best he could be. Eventually, he won three consecutive Mr. Olympia titles (1977-1979), but at the same time, he refused to work with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Pumping Iron. Not only that, but he also faced distractions in his training because of the shoot.

In an interview in 2019, Zane opened up about the incident when the shoot began. Moreover, he disclosed why he didn’t sign up for the movie. 

Frank Zane revealed why he left the Gold’s gym

Frank Zane always had the strategy of working hard and waiting for the right time to get the result. Similarly, he kept working on his physique until he began to get the results in 1977. But in the same year, the shooting of Pumping Iron was going on, where Arnold was the major star of the docudrama. However, when Zane was asked to join him in it, Zane refused.

Zane explained in the interview, “I knew it was gonna be about Arnold. You could see it was, they just shot a lot of stuff, I think 190 hours and Arnold, he says, you know my job is coming here and say smart things to the camera. I said, yeah, I know it’s all about you. Why wouldn’t you be like that?” Zane knew it would be mostly about Arnold, and he didn’t want to be the supporting role in it.

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Moreover, he opened up about why he had to change his gym during that period. Zane said, “Well, they came into Gold’s gym with their cameras or the light. It just made an uproar. You couldn’t train there. So I went to Vince’s gym in North Hollywood for two months instead, so I could work out.”

Schwarzenegger versus Zane

The rivalry between Frank Zane and Arnold Schwarzenegger is not a very popular one. However, it has a big role in their careers. The rivalry began in 1968, when Zane defeated Schwarzenegger in the Mr. Universe, Miami. That defeat changed the way Arnold Schwarzenegger approached bodybuilding, and he learned immensely from that loss. 

However, the rivalry ended in 1980 with a different result. Besides that, one time, Frank Zane was never able to defeat Arnold again in his career. In Mr. Olympia 1980, Schwarzenegger beat Zane and broke his winning streak to win the seventh Mr. Olympia title before retiring permanently from bodybuilding.

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What do you think about Frank Zane’s take on not featuring in Pumping Iron? Do you think it would have made a change in his life? Let us know in the comment section.