Dorian Yates has key insights into proper lifting form. On April 14, 2025, the six-time Mr. Olympia winner explained how to reap maximum benefits from dumbbell shoulder presses and how they differ from executing barbell shoulder presses.
Yates has long adopted a training system he picked up from bodybuilding legends Arthur Jones and Mike Mentzer. Oftentimes, bodybuilders commit to a certain number of repetitions and sets to help drive muscle growth. However, they adopted a vastly different approach that centered around high intensity and achieving failure with minimal sets.
These training methods allowed Yates to shine even when the pressure was at its highest. Big-name IFBB Pros like Shawn Ray, Flex Wheeler, and Kevin Levrone never managed to knock him off the throne. And while his training tendencies have changed since laying down his posing trunks, the fundamentals are still grounded in basics: a focus on proper setup and execution.
Dorian Yates Lays Out Framework to Properly Execute Dumbbell Shoulder Presses
In a recently published YouTube video, Yates gave no-nonsense advice for maximizing results using dumbbell shoulder presses. He touched on how to make progress with the exercise without recruiting the triceps.
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“Push up and in, and the dumbbells are probably going to get near to each other at about here [a few inches apart]. And we come down, and we go up and in. Then, we come down. So we’re not going like with a barbell, all the way straight, because that last bit is, as you can see, mainly triceps.”
He advised lifters to keep the tension on two-thirds of the eccentric, focusing on an ‘up and in’ path for optimizing gains.
“So let’s try to keep the tension on up two-thirds of the way and back down again. Up and it’s not straight — it’s up and in and this way you have more control as well. Up and in,” shared Dorian Yates.
Shoulder workouts can take their toll, leading Yates to discuss strategies for how to improve rotator cuff strength post-bodybuilding. He shared that simply hanging from a pull-up bar can help prime the shoulders before taking on intense exercises. He credited it as the ‘best thing he’s ever done’ and mentioned that his shoulders feel much better as a result of the practice.
Still in fantastic shape at 62 years old, fans and athletes continue to take valuable lessons away from ‘The Shadow.’ As for dumbbell shoulder presses, he emphasizes that following an up and inward path will help keep the triceps from taking over.
RELATED: Dorian Yates Breaks Down Workout for Time-Efficient Gains: ’20 Minutes Max for Delts!’
Watch the full video from the Dorian Yates Nutrition YouTube channel below:
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