“Quality of Sets Instead of the Weight”: Veteran Bodybuilding Legend Debunks a Myth About Weight Training

Three-time Mr. Olympia Frank Zane is a legend for more than one reason. Besides winning the Mr. Olympia title against heavier opponents three times in a row, Zane is among the few who beat Arnold Schwarzenegger. The former Mr. Universe has also had a lasting impact on the bodybuilding world with his aesthetics-over-size philosophy. Many believe that Zane was among the bodybuilders who inspired the creation of the now-massively popular Classic Physique division. Recently, the legendary bodybuilder took to Instagram to share some of his wisdom.

Despite being 80 years old, Zane works out in the gym and provides personal training to others. In his most recent Instagram post, the bodybuilding legend debunked a popular myth about weight training.

The bodybuilding legend advises others to stop chasing numbers

Most people in the gym become obsessed with chasing after numbers. Whether it’s hitting a new personal best or testing how many reps they can perform, people often equate quantity with quality. The ‘King of Aesthetics’ uploaded a photo of himself in his prime with a single piece of advice. He said people need to focus on the quality of each exercise they perform.

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In the caption of his post, the three-time Mr. Olympia explained his advice further. “Never work to failure but success,” wrote the bodybuilding legend. “Striving to perform the last repetition in a set with perfect form before you stop and rest for maximum (time) before the next set,” added Zane.

“Focus on the quality of sets instead of the weight or the number of reps,” wrote Zane. People often become so focused on doing a particular number of reps or lifting a certain amount of weight that they don’t pay attention to performing the exercise correctly. According to the man who beat Arnold Schwarzenegger, focusing on form and recovery will yield superior results than chasing behind numbers.

So how do you perform reps with “perfect form”?

While Frank Zane didn’t explain how to perform “perfect” reps in his Instagram post, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s advice might help. According to the man who won his seventh Mr. Olympia by defeating Zane, building up the mind-muscle connection is crucial for anyone who wants to take weight training seriously.

In his Blueprint to Cut program, Schwarzenegger explained how to develop the mind-muscle connection. If a person doing a bicep curl doesn’t concentrate on how the bicep responds to the stimulus, they could never achieve the “perfect” rep. Hence to build muscle effectively people need to focus on how they lift, rather than how much they lift.

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What did you make of Frank Zane’s advice? Do you agree with Zane? Write your thoughts in the comments.