Fitness Volt
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Exercise Guides
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
  • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Diet
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Food Facts
  • Reviews
  • More
    • CrossFit
    • News
      • Mr. Olympia
      • Arnold Classic
      • Results
      • 2022 WSM
    • Fitness Calculator
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Exercise Guides
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
  • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Diet
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Food Facts
  • Reviews
  • More
    • CrossFit
    • News
      • Mr. Olympia
      • Arnold Classic
      • Results
      • 2022 WSM
    • Fitness Calculator
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
No Result
View All Result
Bodybuilding

Dorian Yates Explains Why He Started Juicing: ‘I Just Wanted To Be On An Even Playing Field’

Bodybuilding legend Dorian Yates details his decision to start using steroids, and why he chose to retire
Tom Miller, CSCS

Written by Tom Miller, CSCS

Last Updated onApril 17, 2021

Dorian Yates

Photos via Instagram @thedorianyates

When Dorian Yates was in his prime, the subject of steroids in bodybuilding was a bit more controversial. Nowadays he can look back, and explain why he chose to start juicing in the first place.

As a six-time winner of the Mr. Olympia, it goes without saying that Yates is a legend in the sport. He showed that hard work and determination can get you further than simply good genetics, and he has become one of the most successful athletes in the sport’s history.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dorian Yates (@thedorianyates)

With that said, the success that he had did not come naturally, as he has been open about his use of steroids in the later years of his career. Speaking in a recent interview, he explained his decision to start using in the first place, saying that he knew that he would be competing against others who were on gear, so he decided to join them.

“I did my first contest, the local one in Birmingham, with nothing and then you’re in the gym and it wasn’t hard. A lot of the guys in the gym were on steroids, some were competing some weren’t. So I decided when I’m going to do this contest in the IFBB, I’m going to do a little bit of stuff,” Yates explained.

“I still remember the guy that was running the gym, he brought me my first 100 DBOL. So I took a little bit of DBOL for like six weeks I think, put on some size. Then I was taking a shot or two of Primo a week, and a little bit of Anabol for my first contest.

“I did it to prepare for my first contest because I’m like ‘If I’m competing, I know the other guys in the contest are going to be on stuff,’ so I just wanted to be on an even playing field,” Yates added.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dorian Yates (@thedorianyates)

Dorian went on to say that he was only taking moderate doses at first, but he saw a drastic gain of about 15lb added in a month. Although in the public eye using steroids was frowned upon at the time, he says that he did not really keep it a secret.

“I had a girlfriend, she knew. I guess I wasn’t close to my family, so they didn’t know. But it wasn’t really something I tried to hide if somebody asked me, it wasn’t a big deal,” Yates said.

“When I first went to the gym and asked people, they were a bit cagey. Like it was an inner circle of ‘You just started kid, no no no.’ Later on you get accepted into the club kind of thing, and people start to talk about it more freely, and they can see you’re serious and stuff.”

This clearly paid off for Dorian Yates, as he went on to have a career that was beyond successful. He then retired while he was still on top of the sport, walking away as the Olympia champ.

While this may have seemed like the perfect exit, Dorian says that this was not a decision he necessarily made, as much as it was made for him. He had a severe tricep injury that left him unhappy with his physique and unable to use the bench properly, so he was left with no choice.

“In ’97 anyway the thoughts about how I need to figure out how to transition this were already there. Then I had this injury, but because of the injury and I was not happy with the way I looked, I was like ‘I want to get the surgery, I want to rehab, and I want to see if I can come back and redeem myself and get better than this because it’s not the way I want to go out,'” Yates explained.

“I did the process and it became apparent as I started training that the left tricep was way weaker than the other side. I couldn’t bench press properly, it was all lopsided, and I was like ‘Okay man, the decision’s been made for you.’

“I was very extreme about it. I was like that’s it. I’m stopping taking the juice and everything, that’s it, I’m finished. I wouldn’t even guest pose or anything. I didn’t want to show anybody my physique because I wasn’t happy,” Dorian Yates continued.

“I could’ve transitioned out, and done more guest appearances and stuff. Okay, I wouldn’t have been a hundred percent, but I’d still be looking great. But I didn’t want to do that, so it was a very extreme from one day to the next, and I had a lot of problems with that really.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dorian Yates (@thedorianyates)

Dorian Yates continues by explaining that even if he had changed his training, he would not have been able to keep going at the high level that his physique was. Maybe if he made the changes earlier that could have given him more longevity, but at that point it was already too late.

As for the abrupt retirement, Dorian says that it was tough to handle and find someone who could relate with him about it. It took him time to adjust from quitting gear, and he had to come to terms with no longer competing.

“It was huge. First of all, it was a very bad decision for me to quit taking anabolics cold turkey. I just stopped. I tried to get some advice on that, but there was nobody to advise me. I probably should have just tapered down to a TRT dose or something,” Yates explained.

“I had this extreme mindset of either I’m doing it or I’m not doing it. So I just stopped, and that in itself can cause depression. Retirement from your vocation and your passion in life can cause depression. So I had that and somebody very close to me passed away, and my marriage was not in a good place. All of it hit me at the same time, so I had a real hard time with depression for a year, a year and a half…

“It was a tough time, and it took me time to get through that and to change my mindset to look from what I’ve lost, to look at what I’ve gained. Now I’ve made some money, I’ve made a name, I can do whatever I want now,” Yates said.

Dorian explained that he found his passion for wildlife and things like that, and focusing on that gave him a way to transition to a new place in life. It was far from easy, but he managed to do it after accepting that he could not change things.

At the end of the day, Dorian Yates will go down in history as one of the best to ever do it. Not a lot of athletes in any sport get to walk away unscathed, but he was one of the few to do it.w

Published: 17 April, 2021 | 11:33 AM EDT

Add Fitness Volt to your Google News feed. Follow us on Google News
For the latest news and updates please follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard LinkedIn
Categories: Bodybuilding News Videos
Previous Post

Time Under Tension – Does it Matter or Just a Myth?

Next Post

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Shows Off Yoked Back After Workout

Tom Miller, CSCS

Tom Miller, CSCS

Tom is a professional content strategist who loves to write about health and fitness, he is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) additionally an expert crap shooter, qualified bro scientist, unmatched at being the best lifter in my local gym.

Related

Lee Haney Tips Safe Contest Prep

Lee Haney Cautions Bodybuilders Against Dehydration and Unqualified Coaches, Shares Tips for Safe Contest Prep

Legendary bodybuilder Lee Haney is arguably one of the greatest competitors in the history of the sport. In a recent...

Mike O'Hhearn, Joseph Baena Shoulder Training

Mike O’Hearn and Joseph Baena Crush An Intense Shoulder Training Session

Mike O’Hearn recently partnered with Joseph Baena for a shoulder workout. Popularly known as the ‘Natty Greek God’ or ‘Atlas...

Lee Priest Weighs Leo Longevity Dying

Lee Priest Weighs in On Leo Longevity Dying in Tony Huge’s Thrashed Home: “It Doesn’t Look Good”

Bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest recently joined Rx Muscle's Dave Palumbo to break down a few pressing issues in the sport...

Lee Banks Passes Away

Bodybuilder Lee Banks Passes Away At 51

Bodybuilder Lee Banks lost the long battle against cancer and passed away on February 2nd. He was 51 years old...

Jay Cutler Shares His Favorite Exercises

Jay Cutler Shares His Favorite Exercises for Back, Traps & Calves

Bodybuilding icon Jay Cutler is known for his intense training despite retiring from the sport. In recent videos posted on...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

Dr. Khan Says Big Ramy Looks Better After Stem Cell Therapy, ‘Confident’ He Can ‘Fix’ Ronnie Coleman

10-Year-Old Jordan Mica Sets Three USAPL State Records At 2023 Third Street Barbell Open

Samson Dauda Reveals Being ‘Squashed Backstage’ for 5 Hours at 2022 Mr. Olympia

The Ultimate Rugby Workout for Strength, Speed, and Power

7-Time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger Involved In A Traffic Collision With A Cyclist

Levator Scapulae Stretches to Alleviate Neck Stiffness and Pain

Reviews

Best Bone Broth Supplements

10 Best Bone Broth Supplements of 2023 (Reviewed & Ranked)

Body Fortress Whey Protein Review

Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein Review

Best Coffee Creamer

10 Best Coffee Creamer For Intermittent Fasting of 2023 (Review & Ranked)

Fitness Volt

At FitnessVolt.com Our mission is to help our readers to achieve their fitness goals, regardless of where you’re at on your journey, we are on a mission to educate You with the latest from strength and fitness space. Read more.

Email: sm(at)fitnessvolt.com

Disclosure: FitnessVolt.com has an affiliate relationship with different brands and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. However, our reviews are based on well research backed analysis.

Follow Us

Trending Topics

  • Mr. Olympia
  • Bodybuilding
  • Strongman
  • Powerlifting
  • CrossFit
  • At Home Workouts
  • Bodyweight Exercises
  • Best Pre-workout
  • Best Fat Burners
  • Bodybuilding Diet
  • Bicep Workouts
  • Triceps Workouts
  • Chest Exercises
  • Back Workouts
  • Leg Workouts
  • Front Squat Guide
  • Calf Workouts & Exercises
  • Forgotten Exercises
  • Jefferson Deadlift

Calculators

  • Calorie Burning Calculators
  • IF Calculator
  • TDEE Calculator
  • Calorie Calculator
  • Keto Calculator
  • RMR Calculator
  • Macronutrient Calculator
  • Creatine Calculator
  • Wilks Calculator
  • EER Calculator
  • FFMI Calculator
  • IBW Calculator
  • LBM Calculator
  • Fat Intake Calculator
  • Calories Burned Swimming
  • Calories Per Meal Calculator

  • Food Nutrition Analysis
  • Carb Cycling Calculator
  • Weight Gain Calculator
  • Weight Loss Calculator
  • Calories Burned Calculator
  • Strength Standards
  • One Rep Max Calculator
  • Body Fat Calculator
  • EER Calculator
  • Weight Loss Percentage
  • Treadmill Calorie Calculator
  • Body Surface Area Calculator
  • Running Pace Calculator
  • Bench Press Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Water Intake Calculator
  • Body Type Quiz
  • Steps to Miles Calculator
  • Calorie Deficit Calculator
  • Home
  • About
  • Jobs
  • Accessibility
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Syndication
  • Sitemap
  • DMCA
  • Copyrights
  • Terms
  • Privacy

© Copyright 2010 - 2022 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • CrossFit
  • Workouts
  • Exercise Guides
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
  • Training
  • Nutrition
  • Reviews
  • More
    • News
    • Mr. Olympia
    • 2022 WSM
    • Diet
    • Arnold Classic
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • Food Facts
    • Fitness Calculator

© Copyright 2010 - 2022 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.