Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Kiel DiGiovanni, Co-founder
FACT CHECKED
Franco Columbu is one of the greatest athletes of all time in terms of all-around strength. Sometimes overshadowed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu was a force to be reckoned with no matter what sport he did. Boxing, powerlifting, Strongman, and, of course, bodybuilding.
Franco Columbu seems to be one of the original hybrid athletes who followed what you might call "powerbuilding." This article will review Franco Columbu's history and training philosophy and dig into his unique training. Read to the end for a sample Franco Columbu workout routine.
Who Is Franco Columbu?
Franco Columbu was a professional bodybuilder who competed in the 1970s, during the Golden Era of bodybuilding. In fact, he and Arnold Schwarzenegger went head-to-head in Mr. Olympia during this time, fighting for the win. Franco Columbu would prove to be one of the greatest ever, but he was much more than that.
Franco's Non-Bodybuilding Sports Career
Before we get to his bodybuilding career, we want to review Franco's other sporting endeavors. He was much more than just having an awesome physique!
Boxing & Olympic Lifting
Franco Columbu started his athletic life as an amateur boxer in his hometown of Sardinia, Italy. It's hard to get specific details, but it appears he was accomplished "with over 30 wins."
However, Franco Columbu would end up deciding to quit boxing as he believed it resulted in too much damage to the head. Now that we know a lot more about the devastating effect of concussions in boxing, it appears Franco was right.
Franco first began his strength training career in Olympic weightlifting as a natural athlete who needed to compete. According to his website, his best lifts were:
- Olympic Press 325 lbs
- Snatch 270 lbs
- Clean and Jerk 400 lbs
Finding any more specific information about this was challenging, so we can't say exactly where or even when it occurred.
Related: The Best Beginner Olympic Weightlifting Program
Powerlifting
He would venture into the powerlifting world after this sting (however long it lasted). Interestingly enough, Arnold Schwarzenegger spent time powerlifting before his bodybuilding career took off. Either way, according to his website, his records were:
- Bench Press 525 lbs
- Squat 655 lbs
- Deadlift 750 lbs
Not only were these his best lifts, but they're listed as "Powerlifting Records" on his website. These numbers are awesome for anyone, but consider that he only weighed around 200 pounds. That's a 3.75x bodyweight deadlift and a 2.625x bodyweight bench press. We tried to find some more proof of this and found it. In one video, he's deadlifting 700 lbs for 3 reps (no straps) and another of various lifts, including a 400lb bench press for 5 reps.
Related: The Best Powerlifting Program For Strength
Strongman
One other Amazon achievement occurred late into his bodybuilding career. 1977 Franco Columbu competed in the first inaugural World's Strongest Man competition. He would go on to place 5th, but several notable occurrences exist.
First, Franco Columbu is relatively small, especially compared to other bodybuilders and Strongmen. Standing at just 5'5", his competition weight was just 185 lbs, while his off-season weight was just 10 lbs greater. All four competitors above Franco had him by around 100 lbs. It's insane that he kept up with guys more than 50% of his body weight.
Second, part of this loss is due to a horrific knee injury during the last event, a refrigerator carry. You can actually see footage here. (Warning! It's not too graphic, but you may not want to watch if you're squeamish with snapping legs.) With that said, compare his size to his competitor, and it's obvious! Also, it's worth pointing out that he was easily beaten before the unfortunate event happened.
Third, the guy who finished fourth was fellow competitor Lou Ferrigno! This just goes to further show how bodybuilders during the Golden Era incorporated strength training. Compare that to today's bodybuilders, who will concentrate on using light weights for more reps and a mind-muscle connection.
Related: The Best Strongman Workout Plan
Franco Columbu Bodybuilding Career
Now, let's get into Franco Columbu's bodybuilding career. One thing to note before we get started is that, as mentioned above, Franco Columbu was small. He was only 5'5" and weighed 185 pounds. As such, this led to him competing in various divisions at the time. For example, the IFBB Mr. World competition had a "short" division. In contrast, Mr. Olympia had a "lightweight" division.
Franco Columbu first ran into Arnold in the mid-1960s at a show in Germany. This would lead to this unique relationship that lasted until his death. In fact, many people are aware of how Arnold came to California in the 1960s to work with Joe Weider. Well, it just so happens that Franco went, too, alongside Arnold. This relationship between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu would last until Franco's death in 2019, and Arnold is adamant about Franco being the best lifting partner he ever had.
With that in mind, Weider helped Franco get set up in the US and provided a minimal weekly stipend as he trained him to compete in the evolving world of bodybuilding. In addition to training with Joe Weider's help, Vince Gironda would be another key figure in Franco's training and would shape his lifting style.
Columbu started competing in bodybuilding contests in 1966, and over the following years, he frequently participated in various NABBA and IFBB events. He made his Olympia debut in 1972, securing a fifth-place finish, and was the runner-up in 1973. In 1974 and 1975, he won the under-200-pound division at the Olympia but was defeated by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who claimed the overall Olympia title both years.
To make sense of this, at the time, Mr. Olympia split the competitors into "lightweight" (under 200 lbs) and "heavyweight" (over 200 lbs) divisions. The winners of these two divisions would then compete against each other to win the overall title. Franco Columbu won the lightweight division of Mr. Olympia twice, but his best friend Arnold kept him from winning overall.
This would all change as Arnold retired after the 1975 win, which gave Franco the chance he needed to grab the overall title, and that he did. In 1976, Franco won his first Mr. Olympia title and became the first winner ever to weigh less than 200 lbs!
Primed to build upon this win, Franco's reign would unfortunately get cut short as he would suffer his Strongman accident the following year, forcing him to take time off. Since Franco didn't just sit around while he recovered, he got his chiropractic license spurred by his fascination with the body and recovery.
In 1981, Franco Columbu would go on and make his return to bodybuilding and enter his last Mr. Olympia retook his crown. That said, there's quite a bit of controversy surrounding this win. It's important to point out that Arnold Scwarneagger promoted Mr. Olympia, and many people believe both Danny Padilla and Tom Platz had a better physique. Either way, this was his last competition.
Franco Columbu's Bodybuilding Titles
Here's a recap of Franco Columbu's wins at major competitions.
- 1970 IFBB Mr. World (short)
- 1970 IFBB Mr. Universe (short & overall)
- 1971 IFBB Mr. World (short & overall)
- 1974 Mr. Olympia (lightweight)
- 1975 Mr. Olympia (lightweight)
- 1976 Mr. Olympia (lightweight & overall)
- 1981 Mr. Olympia
Related: Complete List Of Every Mr. Olympia Winner
Franco Columbu's Workout Routine
So now, let's get into Franco Columbu's workout routine and how he was prepared to be such a major player in the world of bodybuilding. We'll tell you that his training program is a bit more complicated than others, as he didn't use a general 4-day split.
Therefore, we'll divide his program into two parts: the training split and the actual training sessions.
Franco Columbu broke down his body parts into the following muscle groups.
- Chest & Shoulders
- Back
- Legs
- Arms
- Abs
Sometimes, he would pair a training session with two body parts, such as arms and abs, but Franco divided his training into 14-day (2 weeks) blocks, where he trained for 6 days and rested for the 7th. He would usually train twice a day, with an AM and a PM session, but some days, he'd just train once. This schedule allowed him to add much volume, but it was a brutal set-up.
We're going to lay out the two-week schedule and then his training sessions. The following days include either one or two divided sessions (AM and PM).
Week 1
- Day 1- Chest, Shoulders, Abs // Arms
- Day 2- Back // Legs
- Day 3- Chest, Shoulders, Abs // Arms
- Day 4- Arms
- Day 5- Legs, Abs // Back
- Day 6- Chest, Shoulders, Abs
- Day 7- REST
Week 2
- Day 1- Arms // Legs
- Day 2- Back, Abs
- Day 3- Chest, Shoulders // Arms
- Day 4- Back, Abs // Legs
- Day 5- Chest, Shoulders, Abs
- Day 6- Arms
- Day 7- REST
Franco Columbu's Workout Sessions
Now that you see how the training split is set up, we'll go over the actual sessions. You'll notice the days have different muscle groups. Therefore, you will plug the following training sessions wherever you see them in the above template.
We need to mention that Franco liked to use supersets, so we have those listed as such.
Another important variable is that Franco would like to ramp up the load and decrease reps during the sets for some exercises, such as the bench press. Therefore, we will list the corresponding reps.
For example, when you see Barbell Bench Press (15, 10, 4), you'll use weight and perform 15 reps in the first set. Then, you'll up the load and perform 10 sets in the second set, and then repeat this for the third set, where you'll use 4 reps.
Chest
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS |
| Barbell Bench Press x Cable Crossovers | 3 | 15/10/4 |
| Dumbbell Flys x Cable Crossovers | 3 | 20/15/6 |
| Incline Bench Press x Barbell Pullovers | 3 | 25 |
| Dips | 1 | To Failure |
| Cable Crossovers | 1 | 25 |
Shoulders
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS |
| Standing DB Lateral Raise | 4 | 10 |
| Bent Lateral Raise | 6 | 10 |
| Behind the Neck Presses | 4 | 10 |
| Alternating DB Front Raises | 3 | 8 |
| Cable Lateral Raise | 3 | 10 |
Arms
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS |
| Cable Pushdowns x Standing DB Curls | 4 | 8 |
| Lying Barbell Triceps Extension x Barbell Preacher Curl | 4 | 8 |
| Seated Barbell Extension x DB Incline Curl | 4 | 8 |
Legs
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS |
| Barbell Squat | 7 | 20/15/10/8/6/4/2 |
| Leg Press | 4 | 50/25/15/8 |
| Leg Extensions | 6-7 | 20 |
| Barbell Lunges | 2-3 | 12-15 |
| Deadlifts | 6 | 5/5/5/3/1/1 |
Back
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS |
| Pull-ups (wide grip) | 6 | 10-15 |
| T-Bar Row | 4 | 10 |
| Seated Cable Row | 4 | 10 |
| One-Arm DB Row x Hammer Grip Pull-ups | 3 | 10 |
Abs
We could not find his specific ab training, so we are using movements Arnold was known to use. As they trained together often, it would likely be similar.
Note: We don't have a specific rep scheme, so depending on your needs and time, you can use 3-5 sets of 6-15 reps for each exercise.
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS |
| Incline Sit-up | 3-5 | 6-15 |
| Hanging Knee Raise | 3-5 | 6-15 |
| Side Twists | 3-5 | 6-15 |
| Leg Raises | 3-5 | 6-15 |
| Cable Crunch | 3-5 | 6-15 |
Franco Columbu's Cardio
When it comes to cardio, Franco Columbu is known to be against the notion that "you need cardio." He believed that their bodybuilding training style during the Golden Era was their cardio. Now, you need to realize that their sessions could last 2-3 hours with a ton of volume, which is very different from how most people train today. You can see him talk about this in this short clip.
However, there are other videos in which Arnold states the opposite. He claims they did a lot of cardio, and even Franco pushed him to run. Further, remember that Franco was a boxer and would still hit the bags and jump rope. So what's the deal?
Well, we can't say for sure why Franco seemed so opposed to the idea of doing cardio. Perhaps it looked different when they did it, and it was just something that happened naturally rather than planned. However, planned or not, cardio is still cardio, and you still get the same benefits.
Keeping that in mind, Franco probably meant they didn't plan a 60-minute session on an incline treadmill. Their cardio was sporadic, shorter in duration, and of higher intensity. In the video above, Arnold talks about "running 10 blocks," which could be around 0.5 to 0.75 miles, which likely took 5-6 minutes of running.
Franco Columbu's Diet
Franco Columbu, like all bodybuilders in the Golden Era of bodybuilding, ate your basic clean, whole-food diet. Like his ab training, we will say that finding his specific diet was somewhat tricky. With that said, we can come up with a few variables.
There's good evidence that Franco prompted using 3 main meals with 2 smaller snacks throughout the day. The snacks were between lunch and dinner, followed by a nighttime snack.
Concerning specific foods, Franco promoted getting protein from quality sources such as chicken, fish, beef, and pork. One food that really stands out here is Franco's heavy emphasis on eggs. Franco loved eggs, and they were one of his favorite protein sources.
When it came to carbohydrates, he preached that they were important for providing energy but needed to come from clean sources. He would promote steamed vegetables, rice, fruit, and beans.
In terms of fat, it seems his fat intake was like an afterthought. He preached that you should eat these whole foods, and your fat intake would be met if you did. Again, he often ate eggs, fish, and beans, just to name a few fat sources.
Unfortunately, getting information on exact calories or macro ratios is tough to do.
Other Accolades Of Franco Columbu
Due to Franco's extensive athletic career, he has a litany of various achievements.
Another big part of his life was film! Many people know of the bodybuilding documentaries he appeared in. However, he also appeared in several Hollywood films; as you could likely guess, many of these films were alongside Arnold. These include:
- Stay Hungry (1976)
- Pumping Iron (1977)
- Conan The Barbarian (1982)
- The Terminator (1984)
- The Running Man (1987)
He also started his own production company, Franco Columbu Productions, which produced several films such as "Beretta's Island," and "Doublecross".
Perhaps the most random achievement was his ability to pop balloons with his breath. In April 1979, Franco could blow up a hot water bottle until it burst in just 55 seconds using only sheer lung power (that is 28.5 lbs/square inch)! This put him in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest lung power. To be honest, we're not sure what "hot water bottle" means. We tried to look but couldn't find any definitive answer, but here's a video of him popping some kind of balloon at 0:23!
As we mentioned above, Franco Columbu also became a chiropractor. He would then go on to author several books covering bodybuilding, nutrition, and fitness. Some of his more notable titles include;
- Winning Bodybuilding (1977)
- Coming On Strong (1978)
- Winning Weight Lifting and Powerlifting (1979)
- Weight Training and Bodybuilding: A Complete Guide for Young Athletes. Wanderer Books (1979)
- Franco Columbu's Complete Book of Bodybuilding. Contemporary Books (1982)
- The Bodybuilder's Nutrition Book (1985)
Achievement Awards
Here's a look at the various other achievement awards Frank Columbu collected during his life, as shown on his website.
- 1983- Induction into the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame
- 1985- Received a Certificate of Merit from the IFBB
- 1988- Awarded the highest civilian honor of merit – the merit of Ufficiale – by Francesco Cossiga, the President of Italy
- 2004- Received the FBB Achievement Medal Award
- 2006- Inducted into the Worlds Gym Hall of Fame
- 2007- Received the Muscle Beach Hall of Fame Award
- 2009- Received an award from the ICA for "Special service to the chiropractic profession and the world of fitness."
- 2009- Awarded Arnold's Classic Lifetime Achievement Award
Franco Columbu
Looking at this article, it's easy to see Franco Columbu's insane life and massive impact on sports, fitness, and health. He's one of the strongest strength athletes pound for pound, which is further exaggerated by the fact that he was also a Mr. Olympia champ. Pair this with his career in film and becoming a chiropractor, and it's clear that Franco Columbu is truly one of the greatest figures in bodybuilding and sports as a whole.
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Garett Reid
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