Dorian Yates always attacked his bodybuilding preparations from all angles, especially when it came to posing and training tendencies. In his latest endeavors on Instagram shared August 26 and 27, ‘The Shadow’ offered guidance on mastering the front double biceps pose as well as how to perform the ‘Yates row’ a variation of the traditional barbell bent-over row.
Dorian Yates reigned supreme in the sport of bodybuilding from 1992 to 1997. With incredible muscle mass and sharp conditioning, Yates dominated against his competitors, including Shawn Ray, Flex Wheeler, and Kevin Levrone.
Even after stepping away from the competitive stage, Dorian Yates remains dedicated to the bodybuilding community. Frequently, Yates takes to social media to share his tried-and-true tips, providing advice about topics ranging from reducing strain while performing tricep pushdowns to strengthening the rotator cuff and protecting the shoulders while working out.
Dorian Yates Shows You How to Build the Back With ‘Yates Rows,’ Gives Tips for Front Double Biceps Pose
In his latest offering on Instagram, Dorian Yates shed light on the famous front double bicep pose. He explained the purpose this pose served while being judged on stage. Yates also shared that this wasn’t his strongest pose due to his lack of size in his biceps.
“The Front Double Bicep Pose.”
“Here’s a few shots of my front double bicep pose over the years, both at a contest and in the gym posing.
The name suggests that the focus point is the biceps, but as with any compulsory pose, it’s not about a single aspect… it’s about the whole body in this particular pose.”Get Fitter, FasterLevel Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
Despite being named after the biceps, Yates explained that this pose considers multiple variables, including the overall look from top to bottom.
“This pose is the best to display the biceps, but the pose as whole is not just about who’s got the best biceps. It’s about the combination of presenting a physique that has balance, symmetry, conditioning, size and overall, who looks the best from head to toe.”
Dorian Yates revealed that this wasn’t his best pose since he lacked bicep development, but because of the torso, legs, waist, chest, and shoulders, it didn’t matter as a whole.
“This pose is a great position to see the width of the torso and depth from the front, showcasing that v-taper. As I said the pose is judged from top to bottom, taking into account the legs, waist, chest, shoulders , lats etc it was fortunate for me as I didn’t have the best biceps genetically” shared Yates.
“It’s not my strongest pose as my biceps could’ve easily been beaten by someone, but you have to look at the rest of the pose as a whole.”
Additionally, Dorian Yates walked fans through his version of bent-over rows. He explained that changing the body’s positioning allows for more attention on the lats rather than the upper back.
“This is, I mean they even call it the Yates row now, because I changed the way previously people used to do bent-over rows pretty much like this, so I mean that’s okay if you want to work like the upper back more but I want to try to target the lats more.”
Yates demonstrated proper form for the exercise and emphasized keeping the bar at the knees and moving only the elbows and upper arm.
“So my position is more upright. The bar is about by my knee. This is locked so there’s no movement here. There’s no movement in the lower back. You’re in this position, you lock it, and the only thing that moves is elbows up, upper arm, down back as we talk, into the waist, back down again. Simple.”
Dorian Yates revealed the benefits of performing bent-over rows in his position versus the traditional way, explaining that it reduces the risk of injuring the back.
“Its mechanically a stronger position to lift and also like your lower back, spinal erector in this position ( the traditional bent-over row position) is more vulnerable, if you come up here ( in the Yates version of bent-over rows) it’s in a very safe position. You’re never going to hurt your back in that position” Yates explained.
This isn’t the first time that Dorian Yates has shared one of his go-to back-day movements. Previously, Yates explained why he always includes deadlifts when working the back, stressing that it allows for constant tension on the back muscles, especially after an intense workout.
Speaking of intense workouts, Dorian Yates has maintained the philosophy of ‘go big or go home.’ This is apparent not only in the way he trained as a Mr. Olympia champion but also in the advice he now shares with his followers. Recently, Yates explained that ‘volume is nothing,’ instead encouraging individuals to get all they can out of one set to see growth.
“It’s all about quality and intensity and getting every little bit out of that set that you can get and you don’t need to do more sets, more volume. Volume is nothing mate.”
You don’t have to take our word for it, but you certainly should take six-time Mr. Olympia champion Dorian Yates by his. Time and time again, he has expressed that his followers have nothing to lose and should give his advice a chance. What’s the worst that can happen? With that being said, let us know if you give the Yates bent-over row a try!
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
