Bodybuilding legend Dorian Yates has watched the sport reshape itself over the years, leaving him curious about the direction it’s taking. In his latest podcast appearance, he discussed why picking up your phone might be ruining your workout. He also opened up on the epidemic of low testosterone among young men and longevity in bodybuilding.
During the 1990s, Dorian Yates left a wake of destruction in his path, which he accomplished with granite muscle density and one of the widest backs of all time. His commitment to his craft and work ethic were critical to his success against heavy hitters of the category, like Shawn Ray, Flex Wheeler, and Kevin Levrone. Having long retired from the limelight, Yates continues to offer insight and wisdom for bodybuilders who’ve followed in his footsteps.
Dorian Yates Reveals the #1 Thing Killing Your Workouts, Discusses ‘Epidemic’ of Young Men With Low Testosterone
According to Yates, your phone or your ‘umbilical cord to the rest of the world’ is likely holding you back from gains at the gym.
“Listen, please, the worst thing you can do, I see you doing it, looking on your phone. Don’t do that. Look, guys, you’re connected to that fucking phone 24 hours a day.
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You got one hour a day or arguably if you’re lifting weights it should be less than that, three or four hours a week, going to the gym, take that time to really focus on what you’re doing and leave everything behind.”
He says time away from your phone will not only help your training but describes it as a type of meditation.
“That means leaving your umbilical cord to the rest of the world, which is your phone, leave it in the locker. Leave it in your bag. Surely for one hour, there’s nothing on there that you really need to look at. So, ditch that, ditch everything, and focus on what you’re doing for an hour. It’s not just for your body it’s for your mind as well. It’s beneficial. It’s kind of like meditation. You’re forgetting about everything else.”
Yates believes steroids for men have become a ‘cosmetic thing,’ and that people want results immediately instead of doing the work to achieve what they desire.
“Everyone knows about steroids and they are used so widely I think in a way, it’s a male cosmetic thing. Women have tits right? Ass, tits, mouth, fucking face, everything right? Because they want to look a certain way and they want it now. And they want it and they can get it.”
“It’s the same thing with the guys, they want to look muscular, they want the abs, they want to look lean. It’s going to be much quicker to do it taking some stuff. So they do. That’s the world we live in. Everything is instant. Instant information, Google this, boom. I got it straight away.”
Unlike in his era, ‘The Shadow’ says there’s an epidemic of young men who suffer from low testosterone.
“I think there’s almost becoming an epidemic of young guys that actually do have issues with low testosterone.”
Although low testosterone has become a concern for males over 40, Yates says nowadays, younger men suffer from inadequate levels.
“It used to be a concern maybe over past 40, 45 you could be looking at guys and saying hey let’s have a look at your testosterone because it could be low and that could be having some negative consequences on your overall health so let’s have a look.
But I believe there’s guys 25 years old that are being low-range now because of the amount of plastics they’ve been exposed to since birth and foreign substances, vaccines and all that kind of stuff.
“There’s an estimate that a 20-year-old now has 50 percent the testosterone levels of a 20-year-old from 1980.”
Lastly, Yates explained why resistance training is the single most important measure for preserving long-lasting health.
“Taking what I’ve learned from, you know it’s an extreme, competitive bodybuilding is just really the tip of an iceberg isn’t it, like but whatever we do there kind of applies and can benefit many people. As far as exercise, we are all told to exercise but what do we do?
I would say that strength training or bodybuilding whatever you want to term it as resistance training is easily the most important thing you can do for your health. We’re all brought up with running and cardio, yeah, cardio condition is important but muscle mass as you age is like a key marker of longevity,” Yates shared.
When it comes to longevity, Dorian Yates has backed up his training and nutrition practices with hard results. He’s shown off a jacked back, huge legs, and vibrant health since hanging up his posing trunks. To keep his body loose and primed for training, he regularly completes Pilates workouts for enhanced mobility and flexibility.
Even though the look of his training has changed since dominating atop the Mr. Olympia stage, Yates is still dedicated to his health and helping others. He believes staying away from your phone to be a great starting point for extracting more from regular workouts.
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