Frank Zane

Frank Zane won the Mr. Olympia title three times, and is the only bodybuilder to beat Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime. Frank collected dozens of titles before retiring in 1980 to begin a successful gym and exercise equipment company.

Frank encouraged Sri Chinmoy through the years not only with his example as an athlete, but also as a philosopher. A student of Eastern thought, Frank had many ruminative observations on the spiritual aspect of Sri Chinmoy’s pursuit of weightlifting

In his magazine Building the Body, Frank Zane explains: “The old time strongmen used to lift huge weights just enough to clear a sheet of paper…it is in this tradition that Sri Chinmoy’s lifts should be seen. His real goal is to bring attention to the spiritual life, which is the real source of his power. For someone who is approaching 70 years of age, training every day with such ponderous weights to inspire humanity is the real world record.”  - Frank Zane