Dorian Yates hasn’t forgotten the methods that turned him into a dominant Mr. Olympia champion. On June 26, 2025, he discussed why he switched from two working sets to one, which he credited for helping him enjoy a spurt of muscle growth.
During his career, Dorian Yates adopted a training style that differed from most athletes on the IFBB Pro League stage. He took principles from the late Arthur Jones and Mike Mentzer, two proponents of high-intensity workouts. Instead of structuring training around a specific number of reps and sets, Yates made a name for himself utilizing one or two working sets per session.
This meant spending less time in the gym, and for Yates, it was a winning recipe. He denied heavy-hitting Open pros a shot at the Olympia title for years, defeating names like Shawn Ray, Kevin Levrone, and Flex Wheeler. While he’s retired from the sport, his knowledge of training is second to none, allowing fans and up-and-coming talents to learn from his experiences.
Bodybuilding Legend Dorian Yates Talks Approach to Working Sets for Building Muscle
Working sets typically involve near-maximal effort and are intended to stimulate muscle growth, unlike a warm-up set. In the video, Yates revealed why he reduced his working sets from two to one, saying, “it’s like shooting somebody, then shooting them again just to make sure they’re dead.” He was able to enjoy a spurt of growth as a result of the change.
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“I used to do two working sets, it’s like shooting somebody, then shooting them again just to make sure they’re dead. I cut back from two to one and got a little bit more of a spurt of growth.
So, it’s stimulus. First of all, to stimulate any reaction from your body, you’ve got to make it fucking uncomfortable, especially once you get past that first year, 18 months when everything works for you.”
Yates also pointed to the physiological effects of pushing the body, related to an uptick in adrenaline and endorphins:
“You feel good, you feel high because this amount of stress, it releases so much adrenaline and endorphins and everything that you feel fucking great. And we’re in and out in 40 minutes, go on with the rest of your life,” shared Dorian Yates.
After some have insinuated that Yates’ style of training could cause injuries, the bodybuilding champion clapped back. He elaborated on his approach to training, emphasizing that lifters should aim for failure in a safe and controlled manner.
Yates’ unique approach to training, which focused on fewer working sets than his peers, enabled him to reach huge success as a bodybuilder. He believes sticking with one or two working sets can be ideal for lifters, especially if they’re short on time.
RELATED: Dorian Yates Shares Current Rehab Training Routine and Hip Recovery Update
Watch the full video from the Dorian Yates Nutrition YouTube channel below:
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