Bodybuilding legend Dorian Yates is known for his high-intensity training methods. Often going to failure in his workouts, Yates has developed a rock-hard physique even into retirement. In a recent Instagram post, Dorian Yates defended the value of HIT(high-intensity training) workouts and opened up on some training misconceptions.
“Feeling is knowing.”
“The focus is the intensity and this is something that just seems very hard for people to grasp.”
After eight-time Mr. Olympia kingpin Lee Haney sailed off into the sunset, Dorian Yates claimed the throne in 1992. Pushing himself far beyond the usual routine, Yates adopted unconventional training methods, which led to him maintaining the title from 1992-1997, before his ultimate departure.
While retired, Yates has continued to focus on his impeccable physique boasting ripped abs at 61. From HIT workouts to yoga, meditation, and even hallucinogenic drugs like ayahuasca and DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine), Yates makes it his mission to explore the mind as well as his physical and psychological capabilities.
Having been such a monumental figure in the bodybuilding community, Dorian Yates now shares how he achieved his long-standing success, which both came as a result of resiliency, determination, strategic thinking, and a unique understanding of training.
“When It Comes to Bodybuilding, Less Is Actually More” – Dorian Yates Talks Building Muscle and Training Misconceptions
Yates, who routinely went to failure in each of his workouts, emphasized that it’s not always advisable to spend excessive time inside a gym, especially when the goal is muscle growth.
“How long are you spending actually training in the gym? When it comes to bodybuilding, less is actually more…if the intensity is there! Short, hard, intense workouts are what I recommend.
Training for 2,3,4 hours at a time is not really beneficial in my opinion and more is not better when training for muscle gain” Dorian said.
While a movement might appear easy, Yates underlined the value of adding intensity to a particular exercise.
“It looks simple and easy on paper; one set to failure on barbell curls, on machine curls and on dumbbell concentration curls. And actually, it is quite simple, nothing needs to be overly complicated. But easy? Oh definitely not! This is where the focus and intensity comes in.”
In addition, the bodybuilding legend discussed the necessity of going to a “dark place” mentally when pushing through a challenging workout. This “dark place” is a mental shift other Mr. Olympia champions have channeled throughout their careers. Former four-time titleholder, Jay Cutler, can remember going to a dark place as well when it came to his middle-of-the-night training sessions.
“You must be prepared to go to a dark place and battle your way through to come out the other end. And when you do succeed, well, anyone who’s trained DYHIT knows that feeling of accomplishment!”
“High intensity training WILL deliver results in the most time efficient manner possible, but you must put in the effort!”
Aside from the failure training principles learned from Mike Mentzer and Arthur Jones, Yates also picked up knowledge from the revered Open bodybuilding golden era icon Tom Platz. In retirement, Platz looked back on one of his training seminars in England where he taught a yet-to-be-proven Dorian Yates. Platz went on to mention that Dorian Yates surpassed all of his teachings.
Having possessed one of the best backs of any bodybuilder regardless of era, Dorian Yates was ahead of his time, both on and off the stage. His relentless pursuit inside the training room resulted in huge success, inspiring fans and athletes worldwide.
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