Contrary to Common Belief, 63-Year-Old Bodybuilding Legend Only Trained Just 4 Times a Week To Win 6 Mr. Olympia Titles: “Muscle Growth Is Just a Reaction”

In the annals of bodybuilding, the name of the 6x Mr. Olympia stands unaltered as an indomitable symbol of perseverance and success in the realms of the sport. Even at the age of 61, the legendary athlete continues to pursue his passion for fitness by being consistent in the gym. He has lived a dream life that has been aspired by several bodybuilders.

From leaving the house at the young age of 16 with no education and sustaining in jail with whatever the government had to offer him to dominate the entire sphere of bodybuilding, Dorian Yates’ journey has not only made him accomplish his goals but also has taught him a lot and he often uses the knowledge gain to share it with his followers and he recently took yet another opportunity to shed light on his unconventional ways of prepping for Mr. Olympia.

Dorian Yates’ Key to muscle growth

When Dorian Yates started his bodybuilding career, he had to work shifts in order to afford his livelihood. As a result of which he did not have much time to go to the gym, but working out remained his priority. So, he figured out his workout regime within the cycle of three days a week. When he started his training for Mr. Olympia, he increased the intensity and time and would work out four days a week, spending a maximum of an hour each day at the gym.

According to Yates, it is the intensity that matters during the workout and not the time given to it. In one of the recent podcasts of ‘Escape Your Limits’, sharing his story, Yates said, “People struggle with that because they don’t understand the key to stimulating muscle growth is the intensity of the exercise and the fact that you’re progressively overloading and giving your body something that it’s not used to.”

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The Mass Monster further adds, “Muscle growth is just a reaction to a stress that the body is trying to protect itself from so you’re giving it stress, you’re making to lift these weights and work out of its normal capacity.” It is following this psychology that he went on to win the Mr. Olympia title not once, but six times in a row with just the right technique. Apart from his hard work, Yates often credits his childhood to his success.

Dorian Yates’ true source of motivation

Further in the podcast, Dorian Yates was asked about his source of drive and passion for the sport. To this, he replied, “I think it’s somewhat genetic. Your personality, a basic personality is somewhat in genetic.” Apart from genetics, the environment that he grew up in was a great influence on him. Losing his father at a very young age and moving to a completely new place alone, just with his mom by his side.

He says, “She married a new guy who also died quite quickly, so it was a pretty tragic time.” However, after all this, his mom decided to leave Birmingham, but he wanted to stay back. And so he did! Staying alone in a new place, with nowhere to go apart from his friend’s place, they ended up in trouble.

At the age of 18, he went into the detention center and it was there that he truly manifested, becoming a bodybuilder, and well, the rest is history! What are your thoughts on the life history of Dorian Yates? Let us know in the comments section below! 

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