“When Olympia Had Natural Competitor”: Frank Zane’s Posing Routine Takes Bodybuilding World Down a Golden Memory Lane

Frank Zane is among the most influential bodybuilders ever. Despite not being the biggest bodybuilder of his era, Zane won the Mr. Olympia title thrice in a row. Zane’s shredded and symmetrical physique earned him the nickname, The King of Aesthetics. The former Mr. Olympia was also known for his elegant posing routine. So when former IFBB pro, Milos Sarcev, posted Frank Zane’s 1980 Mr. Olympia posing routine, it captivated bodybuilding fans.

The King of Aesthetics has such an iconic physique that he inspired the creation of the Classic Physique division. The current Classic Physique champion, Chis Bumstead, is known for his vacuum. However, it was Zane who made the pose famous. Most fans couldn’t help but praise the bodybuilding icon in the comments section. However, some also had different opinions.

The posing routine of the King of Aesthetics

Milos Sarcev, who has coached bodybuilding icons like Flex Wheeler, Lee Labrada, and Bob Paris, appreciated the three-time Mr. Olympia’s masterful posing. “Remembering THE ART of bodybuilding,” Sarcev wrote in the caption. The video shows Zane’s complete posing routine at the 1980 Mr. Olympia.

During the routine, former Mr. Olympia went through all the mandatory poses. However, he added a bit of flair, hitting slight variations of the standard poses. Although the routine was lengthy compared to what bodybuilders do today, Zane’s slow and methodical posing showed off his physique from every angle, accentuating his strengths.

Frank Zane transported fans to a different era

The bodybuilding icon’s physique and posing routine left fans amazed. “When Olympia had natural competitors,” wrote one fan. “Total control, holding poses, no heavy breathing or silly faces,” wrote another. A third fan praised the former champion. “Posing routine to much hard-working, vacuum pose forever, definition, muscle, separation, legend,” the user wrote.

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Some fans expressed Zane does not get enough credit. “He gets too much disrespect. Maximized all areas of bodybuilding aside size. Posing, symmetry, conditioning all perfect for his time,” wrote the fan. “One thing that seems to be missing in todays posing is holding the pose long enough. Too many go too fast through their poses. Presentation is much better when we can see the muscle. Zane does that perfectly here,” wrote another.

However, some fans didn’t agree. “To be honest, that physique in a classic physique line up of today will be smoked and will not place,” one fan wrote. Another fan dismissed the era. “Boring years of bodybuilding. Nothing compares to the mass of 93-2006,” he wrote.

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What do you make of Zane’s posing routine? Would the King of Aesthetics win if he competed in the Mr. Olympia Classic Physique division? Write your thoughts in the comments.