“Those Days Are Gone”: 80-Year-Old Bodybuilding Legend Who Defeated Arnold Schwarzenegger Now Just Wants to Sit and Relax in His Rocking Chair

Very few bodybuilders can claim to have beaten Arnold Schwarzenegger in competition. Among this exclusive group is a three-time Mr. Olympia champion. His victory in a competition that featured ‘Austrian Oak’ came at the Mr. Universe in 1968. Over half a century after that monumental achievement, Frank Zane reflected on his bodybuilding days.

‘The Chemist’ got nostalgic as he related how he was around 41 years old at the time of his last competition. This final competition was the 1983 Olympia, held in Munich, Germany, where ‘The Chemist’ secured the 4th position. What made this feat memorable was the fact that he had suffered a bicycle accident before the contest. The 80-year-old also chimed in on how he maintained his fitness at 50 while sharing a priceless piece of advice.

Frank Zane shares his deepest desire post-retirement

While recalling his bodybuilding days in an episode of the Mike O’Hearn show, Zane hoped he had contributed enough to the discipline. The 1968 Mr. Universe winner expressed that since he was 80, he would not rush things like he did in his youthful days.

“Those days are gone. I’m 80 years old, so I’m just, just gonna take it easy, sit in this chair, sit back, watch other people do stuff,” he stated. Afterward, Zane narrated that, while he managed to sustain his physique at 50, he faced challenges later.

“The older you get, the harder it gets, and the less motivated I was to keep doing it because….there’s no good reason to keep up, keep doing this.” When O’Hearn presented him with a question about what many people failed to understand about training, Zane had an interesting response.

“I always had this in mind. It basically is don’t stay peaked, stay less than your best. Always stay under,” hinting that people must not put tremendous pressure on themselves to build a perfect physique.

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Earlier, ‘The Chemist’ also shared with fans a beneficial exercise that can help fitness enthusiasts strengthen their back muscles.

Frank Zane demonstrates a lower back exercise and gives priceless tips

‘The Chemist’ shared that the exercise of hyperextensions could assist fitness enthusiasts in exercising their lower back. Using a special hyperextensions table to do the exercise, Zane advised those who didn’t possess the special table to use a high table instead. He illustrated the technique through his example, suggesting to viewers, “Anchor your feet, get positioned, stretch all way down, back up.” Further, the retired bodybuilder recommended fans perform 10-12 reps.

The three-time Mr. Olympia also encouraged fans to execute leg-up stretches, where his method was to hold the right leg and count to 15 while stretching it, later doing the same exercise with the left leg. He advocated for fans to do this exercise in the final part of their leg or back workout, also giving them the alternative to do these leg-up stretches on both days.

Frank Zane’s admissions show his desire to relax after having a successful bodybuilding career and achieving fame. Are you inspired by The Chemist’s journey from teaching maths to competing in bodybuilding and receiving phenomenal success?

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