I Relied a Lot on Pre-workout Food; Before the Training, I Always Had Protein and Carbs

June 2024 · 5 minute read

Frank Zane, a three-time Mr. Olympia (1977-79) is considered to be among the strongest bodybuilders in history.

Zane, with his near-perfect symmetry and clean lines, had the most muscular physique during his bodybuilding days. The legendary bodybuilder often said that during the peak of his career, he primarily focused on compound movements to challenge his strength and consumed a lot of carbs and protein before training.

He says:

I relied a lot on pre-workout food. Before the training, I always had protein and carbs. After the training, I relaxed and sometimes ate a few hours later. It all depended on how demanding my training was. When I got hungry, I just ate. Usually, my first meal after training was a protein drink – some sort of protein-carbohydrate mix."

In this article, we will have a look at how Zane trained himself at the peak of his career, which resulted in his impeccable body strength, shape, definition and symmetry.

Frank Zane's Diet plan

Frank Zane typically followed a moderate-fat, low-carb and high-protein diet to maintain lean muscle mass and fuel himself with energy for workout sessions.

His daily calorie intake was between 2,000 – 3,000, especially before bodybuilding events. Zane consumed half a gram of carbs and one gram of high-quality protein per pound of his bodyweight to enhance his muscle mass development and stay healthy.

Frank Zane’s meals typically included a lot of seasonal, natural and nutrient-dense foods, such as tuna, fruits, almonds, chicken, beef, eggs, vegetables, etc. Although the retired American IFBB bodybuilder avoided dairy in meals, he consumed cheese for calcium.

Here’s a look at Zane’s typical diet plan:

Meal 1: Baked yam, 3 soft-boiled eggs and 8 oz of calf liver

Meal 2: Vegetables, cottage cheese and 8 oz of steak

Meal 3: Potatoes, cheese and 6 egg omelettes

Meal 4: Large salad and 8 oz of ground beef

Frank Zane's Workout Routine

During his active bodybuilding career, Frank Zane used different variations of powerlifting exercises. While toning his defined physique, his focus was mainly on overload and blood-pumping exercises. He avoided heavy weights and instead combined high reps with light weights to prevent injuries.

After his first Olympia event, the bodybuilder said that “the best way you can achieve muscle size is through heavy training”. Since then, he started to combine heavy and light training in his muscle size growth training regime.

Here’s what his weekly pre-contest training looked like:

Shoulder workout

Arm workout (Biceps, triceps and forearms):

Biceps

Triceps:

Forearms:

Back workout

Abs workout

Leg workout (Quads, thighs and calves):

Quads/thighs

Calves

Takeaway

This was all about the legendary bodybuilder Frank Zane’s diet and workout plan he used to follow during his bodybuilding days.

Overall, his growth programme was comparatively straightforward but intensely productive. He combined isolation workouts with heavy training specifically to build a perfectly proportionate physique.

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