Though biceps weren’t his strongest body part, Dorian Yates never let that interfere with his six-year Olympia title reign. On August 8, 2025, via YouTube, Yates broke down how he built his biceps with four isolation exercises.
“They were never a strong body part for me, but I definitely was able to improve them by doing very isolated exercises first,” shared Yates. “That really isolated the biceps. Again, controlling the negative, holding the peak contraction, perhaps extra negatives if possible if it’s a machine, if it’s safe.”
Yates wasn’t your run-of-the-mill bodybuilder; he was a special talent from the UK, having adopted training principles from Arthur Jones and Mike Mentzer. His to-failure workout approach produced results. From 1992 to 1997, Yates was regarded as the world’s best bodybuilder, revered for his back width and definition.
Biceps development was always at the forefront of Yates’ mind. He suffered a biceps tear during his reign, and despite the setback, still managed to hold onto the throne. In retirement, at 63 years old, he hasn’t ditched the exercises that helped him maintain his status as one of the greatest.
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6x Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates Breaks Down How to Grow Mr. Olympia Biceps With 4 Isolation Exercises
In the video, Yates shared that the biceps are a “showy muscle,” and because of that, most individuals feel they need to train them more frequently. However, he cautions that frequency is not the answer:
“There might be a little more body movement [on barbell or dumbbell curls] and again, not overtraining, not doing more days necessarily or a lot of people, because the biceps are a showy muscle, they tend to more exercises or train it more frequently, and that’s not the answer.”
Yates’ Go-To Isolation Exercises
- Dumbbell Concentration Curl
- Cable Curl
- Machine Curls
- Barbell Curl
He emphasized that training with intensity and focus, while allowing enough time to recover, is critical for continued growth.
“The answer is to train with intensity, with focus, and allow enough recovery time,” shared Yates.
Biceps were a weaker body part, but Yates still had other areas of focus on his physique. Boasting impressive ab definition was also essential to his Olympia reign. He recently walked through his Bruce Lee-inspired ab workout routine that helped him build a world-class midsection.
Even though he might not have had the most elite arm genetics, Yates still found a way to tax them through intense isolation exercises. To this day, he credits them for helping him put together his legendary physique.
RELATED: Dorian Yates’ Top 10 Exercises for Building Your Best Physique (Plus His 2 Favorite Bodybuilders)
Watch the full video from the Dorian Yates Nutrition YouTube channel below:
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