Only 3 men have defeated Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane is one of them. In 1968, Frank conquered the Mr. Universe title and also stood out from the rest. How? Well, for starters he challenged the idea that more is always better. The God of Aesthetics is an ardent advocate of minimal training and has been a fan of the same since the beginning of his career.

In a recent episode of the Mike O’Hearn Show on Generation Iron, Zane opened up about the workout routines prevalent during the golden era of bodybuilding, specifically at the Gold’s Gym. During their conversation, Zane emphasized the importance of a focused and intelligent approach to training. He disclosed how most people used to follow the same routine as the “Austrian Oak.”

Frank Zane reveals how doing ten sets was unheard of during his time

In a candid conversation with Mike O’Hearn, the 81-year-old bodybuilding legend Frank Zane explained that he never delved into excessive sets. “I’ve never did 10 sets. I mean, that was unheard of, you know, four or five at the most,” said the God of Aesthetics. He shed light on the misconception in today’s fitness culture, where people often cluelessly perform numerous sets without understanding the impact on their bodies.

This statement led to another question, where O’Hearn asked about the difference in training approaches between the 1970s and the present day. In response to host’s question, Zane said, “I get in the right environment let’s say in the early 70s at Gold’s Gym. Everybody did the same thing, I mean it was like the workout Arnold did, everybody did that workout.’

Zane further added, “The equipment was there we just went and did you know three four five sets of that exercise working up in weight. According to him, everyone employed this technique and it worked for them.

The simplicity of the exercises was what helped them succeed. According to Zane, by cutting down on the number of exercises, you can use your energy better. This way, each move is more focused helping one become more rested, and stronger.

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A little over a week ago on his Instagram, he talked about how minimal training motivated him.

Frank Zane revealed the secret that led him to three Mr. Olympia titles

In an episode of ‘The High-Performance Life’ podcast, he revealed the secret to his success. He talked about how lifting The Sandow trophy for the third time was the most satisfying moment of his career. Zane said his success came due to sheer determination and consistency in his routine.

Zane said,

“I continued doing what worked for me in the past, training on what’s called a three-way split routine…three different workouts usually done three days in a row and resting the fourth day, I just went by what has always worked for me and I retain that and kept doing it.” While there will be people who will prefer the high-intensity sessions, Zane’s minimal approach also paid off for him as he won the Mr. Olympia three times in a row from 1977-1979.

Which routine would you like to follow? Zane and Arnie’s method, or the hardcore approach? Let us know in the comments below.

READ MORE: Dissing Mr. Olympia Founder as a “Size Freak”, 81-YO God of Aesthetics Rejected Being Bigger to Focus on Symmetry: “Couldn’t Weigh Much More Than 190 and Look Good”