When the terms ‘symmetry’ and ‘proportion’ are discussed within bodybuilding circles, it is inevitable for Frank Zane’s name to come up. The 80-year-old bodybuilding legend had one of the most symmetrical and proportionate physiques known in the sport. A devout proponent of maintaining a perfect physique by pure bodybuilding standards, the 3X Mr. Olympia is still sharing some of his secrets online to build a smaller waistline.

Frank Zane was renowned to have the second-thinnest waistline among all bodybuilders in his era. The top spot went to Sergio Oliva. His thin waistline was one of the prime reasons behind his meticulously symmetrical body. Here’s him giving some tips on the same.

Frank Zane in his peak bodybuilding days, had a nearly flawless physique

Frank Zane recently took to his Instagram and posted a throwback image of him standing in a desert. In the picture, a young bare-bodied Zane was seen raising his arms behind his head for a pose. His full-blown chest and his neatly-flat stomach were adorned with muscle cuts. His thighs gave the indication that he never missed a single leg day in the gym. Overall, it was Zane in his prime, proudly displaying his well-known shapely physique.

He wrote in the caption, “This will definitely help you to get a smaller waistline and gain control of your abdominal muscles. It can only be done on an empty stomach, so a good time to practice is when you first begin to feel hungry”.

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What he urged every bodybuilding enthusiast to do was “Practice Stomach Vacuum”, as was written across his picture. It is a form of abdominal construction practiced for decades in the bodybuilding world. Physical therapists also advise performing them. The Stomach Vacuuming exercise was developed to help people practice contracting and strengthening the transversus abdominis, the deepest abdominal muscle that sits horizontally around the abdomen. It helps in supporting the spine, internal organs, and viscera.

When and how to perform the ‘Stomach Vacuum Exercise’?

Strengthening that muscle would go a long way in building better core strength and preventing the waistline from flattening out. Frank Zane also mentions that it must be done on an empty stomach, while the muscles are still relaxed.

While it could be done laying down, standing up, kneeling, prone position, or sitting; in all of those situations, the stomach must be empty and the stomach muscles preferably relaxed before it. Although Frank Zane has performed the exercise, as he just advised, throughout his bodybuilding career, he is 80 now, and his overall workout regime has changed with age. But Frank Zane, with his Zane Haven program as well, is still all about helping people attain the perfect physique.

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