Customer Reviews

Frank Zane: Mind, Body, Spirit

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

There once was a bodybuilder named Zane,
Who was not only well muscled but also had a brain,
He studied meditation, Eastern Philosophy,and transformative psychology
But as much as he wanted to
His poetry was about as good as doggie poo...

Yes, folks, in this rather informative book by Frank Zane, you will not only get a glimpse into his soul, you'll also get a glimpse of what an absolutely horrible poet Frank Zane is.

I like Frank, I do. In fact, when I was really into bodybuilding, he was my hero. I liked him even more than Arnold because he wasn't just a big glob of muscle. He posessed an intelligence as well as an elegance and in my opinion, really raised the bar of modern bodybuilding. Unfortunately, ever since Zane retired in the mid 80s, the sport has, in my opinion, regressed to where mass is king and everything else, like symmetry, definition, and muscle shape are thrown by the wayside.

I also like Zane because he isn't afraid to express his intelligence. He is deeply into meditation and visualization. Some bodybuilders will never learn that it's not the body, but the mind that creates the most lasting gains. I have had to learn to leave my ego outside the gym, because if I'm just pushing huge poundages around, I'm inviting injury and I've already had surgery on my knee as well as my back and I kind of would like to stay out of the operating room for the rest of my stint here on this planet.

This book gives a full year of training routines that actually work and do not lead to burnout. Of course, you may like spending two hours a day in the gym, but I don't. Been there, done that. I'm 42 years old. I have a life. I know that I'm never going to be in the kind of shape I was when I was 23-25, but that's okay. So, what if my waist is now 34" instead of 28"? If I'm doing less weight than ever on my lifts? I feel good, I feel strong and I feel happy.

And isn't that the main thing?

Frank Zane beat Schwarzenegger once and made him cry,
Even though Zane's body weighed as much as Arnold's thigh.
He's now 63 and still looks awesome,
But Frank, please, no more poetry! Your poems are dumb!

If you're the type of bodybuilder who wears clown pants and pirate hats in the gym, then perhaps this book isn't for you. But as a fellow builder for over 20 years and still going strong and an orthopedic physical therapist, I believe this book is both unique and helpful. I think this book blends nicely with the detailed workout diaries and meals FZ used throughout his career. I also thought it was cool to get insight through poetries and writings on what a leading professional bodybuilder experiences both on and off season. For those (drug free) bodybuilders who want good guidance, I suggest FZ's quarterly publication. It has great info on training, specific nutrition for specific body weight, and other great material.

Frank Zane to me exemplifies what Bodybuilding should be. He had the most incredibly symmetrical physique of his era and redefined the whole concept of what a refined physique should look like. He led the way for other great bodybuilders to come like Labrada, Paris and Benfatto. Unfortunately the tides turned and freakish mass replaced physiques with classical proportion.

He even influenced Arnold (no last name necessary) when he beat Arnold in the Mr. Universe. After that Arnold started focusing more on shape and definition rather than pure mass. Arnold speaks to this himself in his autobiography "Education Of A Bodybuilder".

This book is very interesting because you get to see the type of training Zane did. It's interesting the way he changes his training throughout the year so that he's not always doing the same level of intensity. While I know that most bodybuilders change their cycles of training, the dramatic difference in Zane's training was striking, and quite surprising to me. He obviously really knows how to get the most out of whatever weight he used, because often the poundages aren't very high (in some of the training cycles, though he goes considerably heavier in others) but obviously his intensity and mind-muscle connection is very refined.

Scattered throughout the book is some of Zane's poetry. While it's clear that it's a very individual, personal style of writing and perhaps not everyone's idea of what poetry is (or even whether it belongs in a book like this), I respect that he was willing to share that side of himself. Frank Zane apparently has always been cut from a different cloth than what most people think of when they hear the word bodybuilder. He definitely was (and is) definitely not a musclehead and but rather a highly educated and intellectual human being. I've also never heard anyone in any interview or article say anything other than what a gentleman Frank Zane is and has always been.

Frank also has a very spiritual approach to life (and bodybuilding) which is expressed throughout the book, no doubt from his practice of Yoga. He reminds me of Yogi/Bodybuilder (one time Mr. America) Walt Baptiste (Father of famous Yoga Teacher Baron Baptiste).

I would have liked some more autobiographical information about Frank, his background, what made him get into bodybuilding etc. But that isn't the purpose of this book.

If you're a fan of Frank Zane and would like to get insights into his approach to training then this book can really be an eye opener.

I wish that the IFBB would start to promote physiques like Zanes rather than the freaks that are now reigning bodybuilding.

if your looking to gain twenty pounds or you use heavy amount of drugs this book isnt for you. although there is alot of poetry this book gives you a year in the life of frank zane at different points in his career. If you been lifting you know that poundages equal muscle mass. frank gives his weights used on exercises, this alone is worth the price of the book. Frank gives you his blueprint for success step by step day by day. If you interested in building a complete body then this book is for you

This book is "one of a kind". No where else have I found a book that goes into the day to day routine of a professional body builder. You can see his workout day by day. Furthermore, I found it to be very motivating and energizing. I highly suggest that any one how works out, buy this book!

In this book we delve into Frank Zane's past and present routines, thoughts, and impressions. This can be used as a motivatonal tool, a training outline, or both. Excellent choice for all skill levels. To understand the reading, though, you must have made the connection that bodybuilding is more about the mind than the body.

"Mind, Body, Spirit" is a book that can be many things; depends on the reader. As a minimum it is a blue print for a seasonal approach to weight training to acheive peak physical condition. This is a book for the near novice, intermediate, advanced body builder or anyone with an inquisitive mind about the world of body building and the art of body transformation. To actually take what this book gives will vault one physically far above the gym mainstream. This accomplishment will likely come in a very solitary way for that is the nature of the discipline; there will be time during the journey to conduct self interviews which is the bonus maybe intended by this book as you dwell upon Zane's philosophic offerings.... . Regardless, a champion reflects on these pages what works if you let it.

This is an extraordinary book about an extraordinary man. It is not for a beginning bodybuilder but for those with a basic knowledge of the sport it is extraordinarily helpful on several levels. Zane is a man with both physical and intellectual powers and he brings to his sport and art an insight that is fascinatingly inspirational and practically helpful. It is clear that Zane's bodybuilding is an art and a way of life as well as a sport. The book is full of both beauty and wisdom: it has been compared to "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" and with justification: a bodybuilder can learn much about centering his or her life while receiving boundless tips on the science and excitement of bodybuilding.

Follow in the footsteps of Frank Zane with this book of his philosophies. He includes one full year of bodybuilding routines sure to keep you on track.

A cross between William Faulkner and e.e. cummings, "Mind, Body and Spirit" is a disjointed, stream of conscious thought book. If you are a follower of professional body building, this is a must read because it shows what brand of insanity it takes to push a body to its limit and then to go beyond that. It is a truly personal, intimate look at the routine, the nutrition, the dreams, the mind, the spirit, - the soul of Frank Zane. There is little flow to the book because it is a patchwork of diaries. It becomes easier to follow, the further into the book one gets. It literally is a patchwork and it starts taking shape and showing what it is, a reflection of a life, as you go along. There are a few things that need to be mentioned before recommending this book. It certainly helps to have a working knowledge of the vocabulary of body building, otherwise phrases like 'drop sets' and branch chain amino acids will make little sense. Also, there is a considerable amount of poetry in this book and one has to keep in mind that the author is a body builder and not a poet. Some of it is pretty rough going. Even though it has diagrams and exercise routines, this isn't a workout book for a novice body builder. If you are seeking comprehensive instruction on body building nutrition a booked entitled "Sliced" (Jayde & Reynolds) is a good choice. If you are looking for an instructional body building book, which coherent explanations of technique then "Super Flex" (Everson) is not a bad choice. If you are looking for insight into the mind and life of a champion, then this is the book. Often when looking a a sculpted body builder the thought of, "that person is in a world all his/her own" comes to mind because of the amazing committment it takes to achieve such a body. Frank Zane allows you to be a voyer and get a glimpse at this amazing world.