Bodybuilding history has shown us that you can’t be a dominant Mr. Olympia champion without a stellar set of abs. In a recent Instagram post shared on July 7, 2025, Dorian Yates reflected on his ab training approach and routine inspired by acting icon Bruce Lee.
Throughout his tenure, Yates defied the odds, besting genetically gifted athletes with a gritty work ethic. This helped him conquer the Mr. Olympia stage, and in the process, he defeated Open class mainstays like Shawn Ray, Flex Wheeler, and Nasser El Sonbaty.
Though ‘The Shadow’ was made famous for his hard muscle density and massive back, he paid close attention to his abs as well. And in usual Yates fashion, he trained them with minimal sets, instead focusing on quality repetitions and training to failure.
Dorian Yates Talks Ab Training Approach and Routine That Forged His Mr. Olympia Dynasty
In the Instagram post, Yates reflected on the ab training routine he used to win six Mr. Olympia titles. He only trained them once a week after his shoulder and triceps workout.
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“Abs training!
“I usually trained abs once per week and they were usually done as an extension at the end of shoulders & triceps. This was because I felt that shoulders and triceps was probably the ‘easiest’ workout of the week (well, easier than the others!) and didn’t take as much out of me, so I added them on to the end here.”
Find his simple routine below:
- 2x bodyweight crunches to failure
- 2x bodyweight reverse crunches to failure
While he only performed four total sets, they all went to failure.
“But these were done with a hard contraction and a big exhalation of air at the peak contraction. We would squeeze our abs so hard that they’d be on the verge of cramping almost!”
Yates revealed that actor Bruce Lee’s abs inspired him to build a championship-caliber midsection.
“The physique that inspired me when I was younger, especially abs wise, was Bruce Lee’s, he had great abs. In my youth, I’d always be doing bodyweight exercises like sit-ups and pushups, with a poster of Bruce Lee watching over me!”
Initially, Yates trained abs with weights but transitioned to bodyweight after he realized it was making his waist look blocky.
“As far as I remember, I always had a visible set of abs. In my early bodybuilding days, I would train them with weights but I noticed that they would grow fairly quick and would potentially look quite ‘blocky’.
So I switched to contraction work with just my body weight.In my opinion, it wasn’t really that important to train my abs as they were always visible due to my low body fat year round and my genetics did play a part here in helping me stay lean. Everyone has abs… it’s just a case of revealing them by lowering your body fat,” Yates shared.
In retirement, Yates remains focused on lasting health and mobility. He’s incorporated Pilates, which he learned from Jay Cutler, and also invests time in physiotherapy after undergoing a total right hip replacement surgery.
Yates hasn’t forgotten how or who inspired him to build a shredded six-pack of abs. He cautions that anyone chasing abs must have a lower body fat percentage so they appear visible.
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