Some bodybuilders do not just win titles; they change the entire discourse on training. They show that there are more novel approaches to building muscles than spending extensive time in the gym. Combining credible research and self-practice, such athletes do the unimaginable, year after year, on Mr. Olympia’s stage. One such athlete from England was a bodybuilding maestro who challenged the methods of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He broke the mold of a traditional exercise regimen, unshackling fitness freaks from monotonous labor.

In a throwback YouTube video, The Shadow talks about his Olympia regimen. An important point to note is the number of hours the Beast of England suggests spending at the gym. His system stood in direct contrast to Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Dorian Yates had a contrasting approach to Arnold Schwarzenegger

Dorian Yates is famous for achieving massive physical proportions, leanness, and conditioning. Also, he began a new age in modern bodybuilding, notoriously known as the mass monster era. The Shadow would train his body in the Temple Gym in England, away from the American bodybuilding noise. He even challenged the archaic method of spending hours in the fitness center seven days a week.

In the video, Yates underscored the mantra that made him the invincible champion from 1992 to 1997. “Train a maximum of three times a week, just shoulders, triceps, back biceps, and legs. Warm up, do one set, two sets to warm up whatever it takes, and then just go ba**s in,” suggested the 6x Mr. Olympia.

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He further adds, “You’ve got to focus on the muscle. You’ve got to focus on the mechanics. Yeah, and one, two, three, four exercises, leave the gym. You can do that in half an hour. It takes intense, targeted training and proper recovery. What have you got to lose?” 

This method vastly differs from the approach of classical bodybuilders, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, who spent almost 5 hours every day at the gym. Arnie was famous for pleasing aesthetics, but Yates unleashed a monstrous physique that became a trend in the coming years. The IFBB pro calls this method the ‘Blood and Guts’ workout. Moreover, he found inspiration in the legendary athlete of the 1980s, who helped him curate the plan.

Mike Mentzer mentored Yates in intensive strength training

In a different archived video, Yates spoke about mentors who had influenced his bodybuilding style. He said, “Everybody was training six days a week and 20 sets and all this stuff from the Arnold era, and it didn’t make sense to me. I read Arthur Jones’s writings; who’s the guy that built the Nautilus machines… and Mike Mentzer, of course, carried on that high-intensity training.” 

Thus, the bodybuilding maestro was impressed with Mentzer’s training style, which combines HIT and progressive overload. Additionally, Mike’s apparent feud with Arnold Schwarzenegger adds a twist to the battle of training styles. In 1980, Mentzer was slated to win. However, the Austrian Oak surprised everyone with his last-minute comeback and the 7th Mr. Olympia win. Mr. Heavy Duty could never lift the Sandow trophy, but he did present the world with another champion accustomed to his lifting methods.

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