“Nothing but Straited Muscle Back”: Frank Zane Wasn’t Threatened by Ronnie Coleman’s Physique Back in the Days of Competing Together

Frank Zane was a bodybuilding giant in his prime, who earned many laurels in his prime. His focus on his goals, discipline and solid training put him in the same bracket as some of the greats. But bodybuilding as a discipline has changed a lot since those days. The former 3 times Mr. Olympia believes that once the sport of bodybuilding became a spectacle, it put the big guys in the driver’s seat. One such big guy is Ronnie Coleman. 

Ronnie Coleman shares the joint record of winning the most number of Mr. Olympia titles i.e. 8, alongside another bodybuilding great Lee Haney. However, his massive physique, which towered over most of his fellow competitors, stands out more than anything.

Rise of ‘Classic Physique’ and change in Bodybuilding as per Frank Zane

Frank Zane believes that the rise of the ‘classic physique’, which didn’t exist back in his days, changed the aesthetic course of bodybuilding and made it more of a spectacle. His opinion on Ronnie Coleman’s physique shows that he is both awestruck and yet unbothered by others’ body types. 

He says, “Ronnie had nothing but striated muscle back there”. A feature that wasn’t quite common in bodybuilders before the 1980s. However, Zane believes it was his focus and confidence on thy self, that made him emphasize, work on his features, and remain unbothered by others.

He was quick to admit that his body type wasn’t like that of Coleman’s and was aware of the things that worked and didn’t work in his favor. Zane said, “I didn’t worry too much about how other people looked”, reassuring everyone of his self-confidence. 

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The thong or posing trunk in bodybuilding is an essential item. It allows the judges to get a full and well-rounded evaluation of one’s physique, including muscular development and glutes. It has been part of this discipline since the olden days, covering the times of Frank Zane, Dorian Yates, Ronnie Coleman, and till now. However, the modern-day build of Ronnie Coleman combined with the thong became a particular point of observation to The Chemist.

The King’s supposed on-stage ‘Mooning’

He said, “Ronnie Coleman more or less mooned everyone on stage”. This was due to his long, shredded muscular glutes which were on display, distinguished from the rest. Having a nice rear was no longer enough. Shredded glutes started to become a regular occurrence of the display. 

While Zane and Ronnie Coleman both had different physiques, one thing was for sure. Both knew what worked in their respective times in their said discipline.

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Dorian Yates too believes that a smaller-sized bodybuilder, despite having a great physique, is more likely to lose to someone with a larger body, vis-s-vis Arnold Schwarzenegger beating Frank Zane or Ronnie Coleman beating his smaller opponents. However, Zane knew the right poses and competed in ways that suited him the best. Probably that’s why he had such an illustrious career.