43 Years After Frank Zane’s Poolside Accident That Cost Him the 1980 Mr. Olympia, Bodybuilding Veterans Analyzes His Philosophy of “There’s No Such Thing as an Accident”

Published 04/14/2023, 11:38 AM EDT

Accidents are a part and parcel of one’s life. But, has someone thought of it as a subconscious act of our brain? In the latest episode of The Muscle Maturity Podcast, bodybuilding veterans Samir Bannout and John Hansen, along with Nick Trigili, talked about a strange theory put out by Frank Zane after his winning streak was broken in 1980.

As the podcasters talked about the detention of Sergio Oliva Jr. in Dubai following an accident, John Hansen took the opportunity to bring out Zane’s quote. Hansen disclosed the fact that 3x Mr. Olympia Frank Zane believes there’s nothing such as accidents in our lives.

John Hansen explains Frank Zane’s theory

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After the gentlemen talked about Sergio Oliva Jr.’s accident, case, and his chances of appearing in Arnold Classic Brazil, Hansen questioned, “Did you guys ever hear Frank Zane say there’s no such thing as an accident?” When both denied it, Hansen continued, “Like whatever is on your mind creates what happens in the world.” He further explained the details of the history.

He said, “Like Zane got an accident in 1980. Remember that Samir where he was getting ready for the 1980 Olympia and he used to go, he had a house in Palm Springs and he used to tan all the time. He was laying out by the pool and the chair collapsed and his a*s hit the corner of the pool and he cut his urethra.”

Bannout exclaimed, “That’s an accident.” But was it an accident? Former Natural bodybuilder, Hansen further said, “After it was all over. He wrote an article, he said, I don’t believe there’s anything such as accidents and he said at the time my attitude was, ah f*ck I gotta get ready for this contest. I gotta go lay out by the pool. He was like negative, almost like he didn’t want to do the show, and then the accident happened.”

80-Year-Old Frank Zane Shares the Secret to Building the Best Physique: Why Continuity and Discipline Trump Genetics

Frank Zane has himself quite vocal about the 1980 accident which pulled him back from winning his fourth consecutive title.

Frank Zane once recalled the horrifying accident

In an interview with Lisa Alastuey, in December last year, Frank Zane opened up about the horrifying 1980 incident. Zane was one of the highlighted bodybuilders in the 70s. He worked his way through the decade with his unique style of bodybuilding and won 3 consecutive Mr. Olympia titles. And was in search of his fourth before this unfortunate accident happened.

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While talking with Alastuey, Zane said, “One day I jumped in the pool. I hit the lip of the pool in my urethra, smashed my urethra, and his blood gushing out of my penis. I went to the hospital, and I ended up competing anyway, you know. But I wasn’t at my very best. I was very muscular. I lost about 15 pounds of muscle and I didn’t win.”

Zane stood third in the contest, whereas Arnold Schwarzenegger won his seventh title that year, which caused controversy in the bodybuilding world.

Frank Zane is considered one of the wisest bodybuilders to ever compete in the sport. However, Bannout agrees with this fact, but he revealed his disagreement with Zane’s philosophy about accidents. And he put his thoughts in the podcast as he clarified that accidents are just accidents. And it is not compulsory to have a subconscious connection to it.

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What are your thoughts on Frank Zane’s philosophy? Let us know in the comments section.

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Written by:

Kaivalya R Pillai is a sports writer at EssentiallySports, who brings a unique perspective to his coverage of various American sports. While he has covered multiple sports during his EssentiallySports journey, his passion for bodybuilding shines through in his writing. With a background in pharmaceuticals, Kaivalya has a deep understanding of the science behind bodybuilding and enjoys covering angles that talk about bodybuilding supplements, diets, and steroid usage.

Edited by:

Deepika Bhaduri

43 Years After Frank Zane’s Poolside Accident That Cost Him the 1980 Mr. Olympia, Bodybuilding Veterans Analyzes His Philosophy of “There’s No Such Thing as an Accident”

John Hansen explains Frank Zane’s theory

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Frank Zane once recalled the horrifying accident