Fight Exercise

Frank Zane, achieved the prestigious title of Mr. Olympia three times consecutively from 1977 to 1979. His reign marked a notable shift in focus within the bodybuilding world, prioritizing aesthetics over sheer mass. Zane possessed a well-proportioned physique, characterized by a remarkably narrow waistline, second only to Sergio Oliva, and broad shoulders that created a distinct V-taper.

Many bodybuilders regarded his abdominal muscles as the best in the history of the sport. Standing at 5'9", Zane competed at a weight of 198 pounds when he won Mr. Olympia (although he weighed over 200 pounds during his competition days in the 1960s). Notably, Zane is one of the rare individuals who defeated Arnold Schwarzenegger in a bodybuilding contest, specifically the 1968 Mr. Universe in Miami, FL. Additionally, he is among the few Mr. Olympia winners who weighed under 200 pounds.

Throughout his illustrious career spanning over two decades, Zane competed in various competitions, including Mr. America, Mr. Universe, Mr. World, and Mr. Olympia. Following his retirement after the 1983 Mr. Olympia contest, he ventured into writing courses and books on bodybuilding. In recognition of his contributions, Zane was inducted into the inaugural Joe Weider Hall of Fame in 1994. He was also honored with the Arnold Schwarzenegger lifetime achievement award at the 2003 Arnold Classic, acknowledging his enduring dedication and support for the sport.

Zane earned the nickname "The Chemist" due to his Bachelor of Science degree and his reputation for extensively using supplements and amino acids, particularly during a time when such practices were uncommon. The nickname also reflected his scientific approach to precisely peaking his physical condition on the exact day of competition year after year.

In 1985, Zane and his wife Christine owned and operated Zane Haven in Palm Springs, CA, where they provided personalized training sessions for individuals aspiring to attain a symmetrical physique. Presently, the Zanes reside in San Diego, CA, and Zane's learning center is now known as the Zane Experience.

Continuing his involvement in the fitness industry, Zane appeared as the IFBB Announcer and worked as a consulting producer in the 2005 movie "See Arnold Run." Since 2006, he has been managing his own website and participating in seminars and book signings.

In 2011, Zane made an appearance in the documentary "Challenging Impossibility," narrating the weightlifting journey of spiritual teacher and peace advocate Sri Chinmoy. The film was selected for the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, and Zane was present during the screening.

Born in Glasgow, Montana, Reeves relocated to California at the age of 10 with his mother, Goldie Reeves, following the tragic death of his father, Lester Dell Reeves, in a farming accident. It was during his time at Castlemont High School that Reeves developed an interest in bodybuilding, training at Ed Yarick's gym in Oakland, California. After completing high school, he enlisted in the United States Army and served in the Philippines during World War II.

Upon completing his military service and achieving victory in the 1947 AAU Mr. America competition, Reeves found himself drawn to the idea of pursuing an acting career. He studied under Stella Adler but eventually withdrew from her classes after disagreements, resulting in a refund of his tuition. Cecil B. DeMille personally selected Reeves for the lead role in his film "Samson and Delilah," providing him with extensive training. However, due to the requirement of losing weight for the role and the impact it would have on his bodybuilding career, Reeves declined the offer.

In 1949, Reeves filmed a television pilot called "Kimbar of the Jungle," reminiscent of the Tarzan series. The following year, he achieved the title of Mr. Universe. In 1954, Reeves had a minor role in the musical film "Athena," playing the character of Jane Powell's boyfriend. He also made a brief appearance as a cop in Ed Wood's film "Jail Bait." These two films were the only ones in which Reeves used his own voice; for the rest of his career, he acted in Italian-made films where all dialogue and sound effects were added in post-production.

In 1957, Reeves traveled to Italy and played the lead character in Pietro Francisci's film "Hercules," which was a relatively low-budget epic loosely based on the tales of Jason and the Argonauts, with Hercules taking the lead role. The film became a significant box-office success, grossing $5 million in the United States in 1959. This success led to a sequel in 1959 titled "Hercules Unchained," in which Reeves reprised his role.

From 1959 to 1964, Reeves appeared in a series of sword and sandal movies with modest budgets. Despite being best known for portraying Hercules, he played the character only twice: in the 1957 film (released in the USA in 1959) and its 1959 sequel "Hercules Unchained" (released in the US in 1960). By 1960, Reeves had become the top box-office draw in twenty-five countries around the world. He portrayed various other characters on-screen, such as Glaucus of Pompeii from Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton's novel, the Avar hero Hadji Murad, Romulus (alongside Gordon Scott as Remus), Pheidippides the messenger, Captain Henry Morgan, Randus (the son of Spartacus), and Karim, the famed Thief of Baghdad. He also played Aeneas of Troy twice and Emilio Salgari's Malaysian hero, Sandokan, twice.

Reeves declined the role of James Bond in "Dr. No" (1962) due to the low salary offered by the producers. He also turned down the role that ultimately went to Clint Eastwood in "A Fistful of Dollars" (1964) as he didn't believe Italians could successfully make a Western.

During the filming of "The Last Days of Pompeii," Reeves dislocated his shoulder when his chariot collided with a tree. He reinjured his shoulder while filming an underwater escape scene. These injuries, combined with the strain of his subsequent stunt work in each film, ultimately led to Reeves' retirement from the film industry. Despite his retirement, he made one final appearance in a spaghetti Western titled "I Live For Your Death!" in 1968, which he co-wrote. His last screen appearance was in the 2000 made-for-television A&E Biography, where he portrayed himself in "Arnold Schwarzenegger – Flex Appeal."

At one point, George Pal approached Reeves for the role of Doc Savage in "Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze," which was intended to be the first installment of a film series. However, before filming could commence, a Hollywood writers strike occurred, putting the film on hold and resulting in Reeves being replaced along with the original director.

Throughout his life, Reeves experienced a remarkable journey from bodybuilding champion to an actor renowned for his portrayal of Hercules and other iconic characters. His contributions to the entertainment industry and his dedication to both physical fitness and acting left a lasting impact.

Dennis Raymond Alexio, born on March 12, 1959, is a former American kickboxer who competed across multiple weight divisions including light heavyweight, cruiserweight, and heavyweight. He began his career as a light heavyweight, boasting an impressive undefeated streak marked by knockout victories.

However, in 1984, he suffered a decision loss to Don "The Dragon" Wilson in a WKA World Super Light Heavyweight Full Contact Championship match. Alexio quickly bounced back by winning the PKA World Light Heavyweight title in the same year. He then moved up to cruiserweight and secured the ISKA World Cruiserweight Full Contact title.

In the late 1980s, Alexio transitioned to the heavyweight division and achieved remarkable success, capturing six world titles and briefly being regarded as the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion. However, he encountered two challenging opponents in 1992, Branko Cikatić and Stan Longinidis. His bout against Cikatić ended in a controversial draw, while he suffered a loss to Longinidis through an early low kick knockout.

Alexio retired with an impressive knockout ratio of 92%, utilizing aggressive fighting tactics, solid boxing skills, and a powerful spinning back kick to the midsection. It should be noted that he primarily competed under full contact rules, leading to criticism that he often faced lower-level opponents despite being active during the heavyweight kickboxing's Golden Age in the 1990s. Wilson, Cikatić, and Longinidis are widely recognized as his only top-level adversaries, none of whom he managed to defeat.

In 1993, Dennis Alexio, who was considered one of kickboxing's prominent stars at the time, declined an invitation to participate in UFC 1, the inaugural mixed martial arts tournament in North America. After recovering from a broken leg, he made a comeback on January 22, 1994, defending his PKC World Heavyweight Full Contact title with a technical knockout victory over Mark Russell in Lake Tahoe.

His notable fight following the comeback took place on March 26, 1994, at KarateMania VIII in Montreal, where he successfully defended the PKC belt against Dick Kimber, securing a TKO victory in the second round.

Throughout his career, Alexio predominantly fought in Honolulu and adhered to full contact rules. He faced criticism from Rick Roufus and Maurice Smith during the mid-1990s, with allegations that he avoided high-level heavyweights including them. On May 31, 1997, Alexio won the vacant IKF World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Barrington Patterson from England via TKO in the fifth round in Honolulu.

He defended his title for the first time on November 21, 1997, defeating Jeff Gibson. In May 1998, he defended his title once again by securing a TKO victory over Achille Roger of France in Sacramento, California. The IKF retired his title on November 24, 2003, as they were unable to contact Alexio to discuss his future plans for the sport.

Dennis Alexio's final fight occurred on December 18, 1999, at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, where he knocked out Gordon Minors from Wales to claim the WAKO Pro World Heavyweight Full Contact Championship, marking his eighth world title.