Ali Bilal is making moves in the lead-up to the 2026 Mr. Olympia. In an August 26 video, bodybuilding legend Dorian Yates confirmed he will train Bilal before competing in Vegas. In addition, Yates guided him through an intense back workout and offered him tips along the way.
In 2024 and 2025, Ali Bilal gave reigning three-time Men’s Physique Olympia champ Ryan Terry a run for his money. Throughout the past two seasons, Terry has fended Bilal off with a bigger, more defined back. However, that could change with Yates’ help.
Bilal heads into the Mr. Olympia having remained active. He claimed gold at the New York Pro recently, but faced a tough test in Pittsburgh. In the end, Bilal came up short against Kyron Holden, prompting the Men’s Physique star to make some changes.
Dorian Yates Will Train Ali Bilal for 2026 Olympia, Walks Him Through Back Workout
Find the exercises from the video below:
- Machine Pullovers
- Lat Pulldown
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row
- Low Cable Row
- Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly
Before jumping into the session, Yates gave his thoughts on helping Bilal during his Olympia preparations:
“We had a little chat. Ali told me that his back is his weakest point that he needs to focus on. So I said there’s maybe something I know one or two things about that. He took the flight. He came here.”
“We’re going to go in, and we’re going to do back,” shared Yates.
Machine Pullovers
Yates had Bilal warm up his lats with machine pullovers, and told him to keep the triceps relaxed or they could take over the movement.
“The triceps should be relaxed,” explained Yates. “You’re going into a contest now. We don’t want to do anything with any risk.”
As for rest periods, Yates believes they entirely depend on the exercise and how much oxygen the muscles require:
“I don’t like to go by the clock. When you feel like you’re not breathing so heavy that you’re going to fail in a cardiovascular exercise. It depends on the exercise; heavy legs could be three or four minutes.”
Lat Pulldown
Yates corrected Bilal’s form on lat pulldowns to keep the bias on his lower lats instead of the upper back.
“No, you’re leaning back and not getting the lats; you’re using upper back more, this is what happens. Everybody in the contest has got upper back, right? Not many people have the lower lats because they’re not focused.”
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
During one-arm dumbbell rows, Yates’ key tip was the movement pattern. He believes it’s best to move the dumbbell from the shoulder to the hip.
“You’re going to go from shoulder to hip.”
“Take a little bit more rest, or obviously you’re going to be a little bit weaker.”
Low Cable Row
They moved on to the low cable row, with Yates pushing Bilal to failure with forced repetitions.
Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly
After finishing the session with rear delts, Bilal mentioned he was struggling to keep his food down.
“People don’t do them very much. I mean, if you think about a dumbbell fly for chest, it’s the opposite, that’s all.”
“Beginning it felt pretty good, but at the end, I feel like throwing up,” said Bilal.
“It’s a shock for your system,” said Yates.
Bilal won’t just have to concern himself with Terry at the Mr. Olympia. Returning champions Erin Banks and Brandon Hendrickson both aim to recapture Olympia gold. It’ll be a full house in Sin City, with Kyron Holden also vying for the title.
There is time for Bilal to improve his back, and with Yates’ help, it could position him for a massive victory. The 2026 Mr. Olympia is scheduled for September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
