Legendary bodybuilder Dorian Yates has carried his passion for working out into his later years. The six-time Mr. Olympia continues to lead a healthy lifestyle after stepping away from professional competition years ago. In a recent post made on Instagram, Yates shared some of his favorite exercises for longevity.
Dorian Yates first rose to prominence for his immense muscle mass, size, and definition as a Men’s Open competitor in the early 90s. He narrowly missed out on the top prize in his Mr. Olympia debut to eight-time champion Lee Haney. The next year, Yates secured the coveted Sandow trophy at the 1992 Mr. Olympia over Kevin Levrone and Lee Labrada. He went on a dominant run that saw him win six titles in a row and go undefeated from 1992 to 1997. He hung up his posing trunks after a final victory at the 1997 Mr. Olympia.
Yates developed a reputation for staying away from the spotlight in the off-season and letting his physique do the talking on stage when he returned with a much sharper package for competition. He also used high-intensity training where he’d aim for reaching near failure in each workout instead of following a set number of reps.
Earlier this year, Yates revealed the protocols he used while in prep for competition along with his training and steroid cycles. Although his training didn’t change much, he’d ramp up cardio closer to shows and focus on eating clean. Following his retirement, he got on TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) to improve his physical and mental health.
Yates encouraged his fans to incorporate high-intensity training for breaking through any points of stalled progress last month. He recommended limiting the workouts to a maximum of 45 minutes and ensuring proper recovery for the best results. Then, he laid out why squats are not important to include in a muscle-building workout plan since the same type of load can be applied in a safer manner with other exercises. He also revealed he’d train four days a week during his competitive days.
Dorian Yates underwent stem cell therapy for his injuries two months ago. He reported positive results in his shoulder and less inflammation a month after the treatment but was yet to see a noticeable change in his elbow and knee.
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‘The Shadow’ offered the two-exercise ab routine he used to win six Mr. Olympia titles earlier this month. He credited legendary martial artist Bruce Lee for inspiring him. He revealed he trained the muscle group once a week and would usually time it after a heavy shoulders and triceps workout session.
Dorian Yates Shares His Favorite Exercises for Longevity
In a recent Instagram post, Dorian Yates shared his favorite exercises for longevity.
“As I’ve always said, health and fitness will forever be a part of my life,” wrote Yates. “ I want to optimise my body for longevity. So in addition to still training with weights once or twice per week, I’ve incorporated many other forms of exercise like yoga, biking, hiking and pilates to name just a few.
So here on my inversion machine at home for spinal decompression therapy for lumbar health, I do this twice per week. Also working on my mobility with my pilates teacher, Silvia, once per week. Looking after the vehicle, it’s been through wars and now I pay back with care and love.”
Dorian Yates gave fans a look into his staple chest exercises for building a gigantic upper body a week ago. Then, he followed up by proving his insane consistency with a 40-year physique progression showing off his abs.
Yates’ latest offering will provide fitness fans with another piece of equipment in the toolbox to use for boosting their longevity.
Longevity has more to do with ‘genetic luck’ and medicine than anything else.