Dorian Yates sported one of the best backs in IFBB Pro League history and is now unearthing some of the secrets behind growing the body part. In a recent Instagram post published on September 3, 2024, he explained why the seated cable row machine served as a ‘staple’ in his Mr. Olympia back routine.
Yates left a path of destruction in his wake as a former six-time Mr. Olympia champion. His monstrous back definition and rugged physique set the standard for years atop the Men’s Open division. Nothing could prevent Yates from solidifying a one-of-a-kind legacy, not even injuries.
In retirement, Yates is the picture of health and longevity. While his training differs greatly from his prime, his perspective on exercise is highly revered within the bodybuilding community. He adopted a high-intensity approach inspired by the late Arthur Jones and Mike Mentzer, where he focused on an all-out set to failure rather than obsessing over a fixed number of reps.
Dorian Yates Reveals Why Seated Cable Rows Were ‘Staple’ in His Back Routine: “I Did This Exercise Throughout My Entire Career”
According to Yates, seated cable rows were a ‘staple’ movement in his Mr. Olympia routine. He used this exercise throughout his career successfully to sculpt one of the most complete backs of all time.
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“Seated cable rows were another staple in my selection for back days. I did this exercise throughout my entire career and it would’ve actually made the cut in Blood & Guts, but the reason it didn’t was because from 1994 onwards, I started to use the Hammer Strength row machine on alternate weeks and in 1996 when Blood & Guts was filmed, it happened to be on the machine row day!”
When using the seated cable row machine, Yates implemented a narrow grip and shoulder-width grip (with the elbows out) during his tenure.
“It was a cool machine the one we had in Temple Gym, it was chain-driven and right on the floor pretty much! I used both a narrow grip and shoulder width grip with the elbows out over the years, both felt great.”
Yates also told a story about his experiences using the seated cable row machine when he first visited California for some photoshoots and guest appearances during his off-season.
“So what happened was back in the early 90s when I first went out to the States, I was in California to do some photoshoots and guest appearances etc this was during my off season I remember. Now I hadn’t really trained in any of the gyms in America besides just some for photoshoots but nothing near to the extent of how I trained back home.
I found a gym in Orange County which was good and I could train how I did back home…I’m in my off season, probably at the peak of my strength levels that year, so I’m here going all out training back.
After I finished one of my sessions, the manager asked me to come into their office? I was thinking, “oh cool, I am becoming more popular here since the NoC etc so they probably wanna meet, chat, photos and maybe a t-shirt or so.”
After a manager called him into the office at the gym, Yates thought it was due to his newfound fame, but it was actually because some of the weight pins were bent after he added two 20-kilogram plates to the row stack.
“As I walked into the office, laid there before me on the table were a whole bunch of weight pins that were all bent!!!😳
I’d been putting 2x20kg plates on the cable row stack, which was already 300lbs because I needed more weight!😂”
Even though it was a ‘bodybuilding gym,’ Yates decided to never go back.
“So they talked to me about the pins etc and I was thinking, “Look I’m from the UK, perhaps you guys don’t lift that much here?”
In the end I said, “Look sorry your machines don’t have that much weight on and maybe you need to get some more weight.”Well I never went back there again, I explained it’s a bodybuilding gym and I would’ve done the same at home if I needed to…
This was back in the 90s, imagine how it’d be now,” Dorian Yates shared.
Gym atmospheres have certainly changed since Yates’ time on top of the Men’s Open Bodybuilding division. It’s evident his ‘blood and guts’ training routine had a profound influence on his physique, and he hasn’t forgotten how useful the seated cable row machine was to his bodybuilding legacy.
RELATED: Dorian Yates On Deadlifting For Bigger Back: “Don’t Touch The Floor Whilst Doing The Set”
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