Dorian Yates – Complete Profile: Height, Workout And Diet

Dorian Yates is one of the most successful bodybuilders in the history of the sport. He won the prestigious Mr. Olympia title a whopping six consecutive times – from 1992 to 1997. The only bodybuilders to have more Mr. Olympia wins than Yates are Lee Haney (8), Ronnie Coleman (8), Arnold Schwarzenegger (7) and Phil Heath (7). Also, Yates is one of the first mass monsters that achieved a great degree of competitive success.

He set new standards in size as the the first Mr. Olympia at 250 lbs to have a body condition with super low body fat and very high muscle density. The Brit overshadowed many elite bodybuilders and made them look small with his dominant stage presence. This article explores his biography, competitive achievements, diet, training routine and statistics.

Dorian Yates Statistics

Dorian Yates Biography

Early Life

Dorian Andrew Mientjez Yates was born April 19, 1962, in England. Dorian was raised in Hurley, in rural Staffordshire. When he was a teenager, his family moved to Birmingham, Britain’s second largest city. During these times, Dorian got himself into trouble and was sentenced to six months at Whatton Youth Detention Centre.

It was here that Dorian earned an instant reputation as the strongest and fittest of Whatton’s 300 inmates. This gave him new respect for himself. Whatton was the wake-up call for Dorian. If he did not do something, he would end up in and out of prison all of his life. Dorian resolved that he would not be back.

Bodybuilding Career

Born in Hurley, Staffordshire, near Birmingham, England, Yates started working out in 1983. The man dubbed, The Shadow, (by FLEX Editor-in-Chief Peter McGough) shone a new light of awareness onto training methods with his brief but very high-intensity workouts. After some muscle victories in England, 1985 Novice Championships and 1988 British Championships, Yates visited New York for the 1990 Night of Champions and, in his pro debut, he took second to Mohamed Benaziza. The next year, he returned to win the contest.

In 1991, Yates was the runner-up at the Olympia to Lee Haney, who duly won his eighth record-setting Sandow and the retired. From 1992 through 1997, Yates dominated the sport’s highest title. In 1994, he overcame a torn biceps to win the crown. In 1997, his most valiant victory came when he tore a triceps three weeks before the contest, but still battled on to triumph. Due to the injury, Yates was forced to retire, with a pro record of 15 wins and two second-place finishes.

Yates may well be the bodybuilder that most aspiring trainees can best identify with because of his blue-collar roots, dogged determination, and quiet confidence. His book, co-written by Peter McGough, is titled A Warrior’s Story, a perfect appellation for his competitive days for the Brit with no quit.

Mr. & Masters Olympia Results

• 1991 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 2nd
• 1992 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 1st
• 1993 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 1st
• 1994 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 1st
• 1995 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 1st
• 1996 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 1st
• 1997 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 1st

Titles Won

• 1986 – British Championships
• 1988 – British Championships
• 1991 – IFBB Grand Prix England
• 1991 – IFBB Night of Champions
• 1992 – IFBB Grand Prix England
• 1994 – IFBB Grand Prix England
• 1994 – IFBB Grand Prix Germany
• 1994 – IFBB Grand Prix Spain
• 1996 – IFBB Grand Prix England
• 1996 – IFBB Grand Prix Germany
• 1996 – IFBB Grand Prix Spain

Dorian Yates Workout

Dorian Yates’ training routine underwent quite a few changes as he matured with the bodybuilding process. He was, and still is, one of the biggest proponents of HIT (High Intensity Training) that relies on intense lifting rather than high-volume training that bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger promoted.

Yates is notorious for being one of the bodybuilders that did not spend hours and hours in the gym or trained constantly with minimal or no rest days between training sessions. He believes that you can either train hard or you can train long, doing both is just not possible. Typically, Dorian Yates trained only four days per week.

He never trained for more than two days in a row. Most of the exercises he performed were executed till failure and the six-time Mr. Olympia dedicated not more than two sets per exercise. He took each set to failure and pushed beyond that point with methods like drop sets or taking assistance from training partners.

While most bodybuilders follow a ‘maximalist’ training routine these days, Dorian Yates’ training routine can be best described as a ‘minimalist’ one according to the modern standards as it focuses on getting the maximum results with minimum work. Yates is a huge proponent of slow eccentric reps and their benefits in inducing muscle hypertrophy.

Admittedly, this approach may not be the most beneficial for everyone, but can you deny the results it yielded for Dorian Yates, a six-time Mr. Olympia? Of course not! So let’s check out what a typical training week for Dorian Yates looked like:

Day 1 – Shoulder, Triceps and Abs Workout

• Smith Machine Shoulder Press – 2 sets of 15 to 30 reps
• Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raises – 2 sets of 8 to 20 reps
• One Arm Cable Lateral Raises – 2 sets of 10 to 30 reps
• Dumbbell Shrugs – 1 set of 10 to 20 reps
• Triceps Pushdowns – 1 set of 8 to 12 reps
• EZ Bar Skull Crushers – 1 set of 8 to 20 reps
• Cable Crunches – 2 sets of 15 to 30 reps
• Weighted Sit-ups – 2 sets of 15 to 30 reps

Day 2  – Back and Posterior Deltoids Workout

• Nautilus Pullover Machine – 2 sets of 15 to 30 reps
• Hammer Strength Lat Pulldown – 2 sets of 12 to 15 reps
• Barbell Yates Rows – 2 sets of 8 to 20 reps
• Hammer Strength Single Arm Rows – 1 set of 10 to 12 reps
• Seated Cable Row with Overhand Grip – 1 set of 10 to 12 reps
• Hammer Strength Rear Delt Machine – 1 set of  10 to 12 reps
• Bent Over Rear Delt Raises – 1 set of 10 to 12 reps
• Hyperextensions – 1 set of 10 to 12 reps
• Deadlifts – 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps

Day 3 – Rest Day

Day 4 – Chest, Biceps and Abs Workout

• Incline Barbell Bench Press – 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps
• Hammer Strength Seated Chest Press – 2 sets of 6 to 10 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Flyes – 1 set of 8 to 10 reps
• Cable Crossover – 1 set of 10 to 12 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Curls – 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps
• EZ Bar Curls – 2 sets of 6 to 10 reps
• Nautilus Biceps Curls – 2 sets of 6 to 10 reps
• Cable Crunches – 2 sets of 15 to 30 reps
• Captain’s Chair Leg Raises – 2 sets of 15 to 30 reps

Day 5 – Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Calves Workout

• Leg Extensions – 2 sets of 10 to 15 reps
• Leg Press – 2 sets of 10 to 12 reps
• Hack Squats – 2 sets of 10 to 12 reps
• Lying Leg Curls – 1 set of 10 to 12 reps
• Stiff Leg Deadlifts – 1 set of 8 to 10 reps
• Single Leg Curls – 1 set of 10 to 12 reps
• Standing Calf Raises – 1 set of 8 to 10 reps
• Seated Calf Raises – 1 set of 8 to 10 reps

Day 6 – Rest Day

Day 7 – Rest Day

Dorian Yates Diet

Dorian Yates follows a simple dietary rule – consuming protein every two to three hours throughout the day. Yates starts the day with a hefty breakfast that is high in protein. He prefers to train during late morning hours and consumes another high-protein meal like protein shake approximately 90 minutes before the training session. But he suggests making changes to the pre-workout meal if it is consumed more than two hours before the workout. In an article written for Muscle & Fitness, Yates stated:

“If you plan to eat two hours before training, it’s fine to opt for a balanced meal of chicken breasts (protein), rice or potatoes (starchy carbs) and green vegetables (complex carbs).”

Yates’ post-workout meal focused on recovery. He slams down a drink that contains approximately 75 percent simple sugars and 25 percent quick digesting proteins. This helped increase insulin levels and forced the carbohydrates into the muscles to restore the glycogen levels.

“Some bodybuilders equate sugar with energy and therefore jump to the conclusion that it’s best to load carbs prior to a workout as a kick-starter. That’s exactly the wrong thing to do, because your blood sugar levels will actually drop during the training session, and you’ll fatigue more quickly and lose endurance. To maximize energy and recovery, like I say, I schedule a carb drink immediately after the workout is over,” Dorian Yates wrote.

Planning the diet is the key to growth

Careful planning is the key to making progress as a bodybuilder and skipping meals, eating sub-optimal foods or bingeing to meet the daily nutritional requirement are the things that hinder growth and sets you back in the fitness journey.

Yates carefully plans his meals as he believes the human body can only absorb a certain amount of nutrients at a time. Therefore it is essential to consume balanced meals spaced out throughout the entire day.

The subsequent meals in Yates’ day are balanced portions of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and other essential nutrients. They primarily contain meat, carbohydrate sources like rice or potatoes and a bunch of green vegetables.

A typical day of eating in Dorian Yates’ routine looks like this:

Meal 1 – 7 to 8 AM

Porridge made with one cup of oatmeal (complex carbohydrates), 10 egg whites (protein), and one scoop of protein powder, blended and cooked

Meal 2 – 9 to 10 AM

Pre-workout meal replacement drink

Meal 3 – 12 PM

Post-workout carbohydrates drink

Meal 4 – 1 PM

Two chicken breasts, potatoes or rice, and green vegetables

Meal 5 – 3:30 PM

Meal replacement or protein shake

Meal 6 – 5:30 PM

12 ounces of fillet mignon, potatoes or rice, and green vegetables

Meal 7 – 8 – 9 PM

A small serving of porridge, made with ½ cup of oatmeal, six egg whites, and ½ scoop of protein powder

Experiments with plant-based diet

Following his retirement, Dorian Yates tried out some plant-based diet and became a vocal proponent of it in the bodybuilding industry. However, the difficulty to get sufficient protein from a complete plant-based diet compelled the six-time Mr. Olympia to move away from it. Yates explained:

“I was following mostly, not a hundred percent but mostly a plant-based diet for the last few years, so not high in protein. I wasn’t training that heavy. I was doing other stuff – biking, and yoga, and hiking, and different fitness stuff, so I wasn’t really concerned about trying to keep all the muscle.”

Yates has now returned to following a more inclusive diet.

Personal Life

Dorian Yates lives in Birmingham, where he is part owner of the supplement company Dorian Yates Ultimate Formulas, and he is still seen regularly at the main stateside contests. He is married to Brazilian fitness model and 2007 IFBB World Bodyfitness Champion Glauce Ferreira. Dorian Yates’ son from his first wife has also taken up bodybuilding.

Dorian Yates Gallery

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