6x Mr. Olympia Aka ‘The Shadow’ Credits Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Arch-Rival for His Bodybuilding Philosophy

In the history of bodybuilding, the most talked about rivalry in the 80s was between the seven times Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mike Mentzer. Many believed that, because of Schwarzenegger, Mentzer had to sacrifice his bodybuilding career. Their conflict wasn’t just on the stage, but also about their different philosophies on training methods.

The Austrian Oak used to go to the gym twice a day. His drills were really long, with lots of workout sets and reps. Between these exercises the 76 yo never gave time to muscle recovery because he was used to exercising regularly. Many experts in today’s time disapprove of his training methods.

Declining the 7x Mr. Olympia’s method, Yates followed Heavy-duty

On the other hand, Menzter’s advocated a ‘heavy-duty’ training regimen. He emphasized shorter, but more intense workouts with heavier weights and longer recoveries. He used to work out for only three to four days a week and then let his body rest on the other days to recover fully.

Mentzer’s philosophy was so incredibly astounded 6x, Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates. When he began training, he sought help from books and bodybuilding magazines, and he started following the Mentzer’s heavy-duty routine, which helped him gain so much muscle and face fewer injuries. He even trains others with the same approach. In his latest Instagram post, Yates credited the bodybuilding legend.

READ MORE: “Olympia Became a Money-Grabbing Corrupted Sh**place”: Most Controversial Bodybuilding Moment Featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Late Mike Mentzer Reignites a Decades-Old Debate

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But being an analytic thinker and looking at the science behind it, Arthur Jones’ and Mike Mentzers’ philosophy of driving intensity as the main factor made the most sense to me,” wrote the Shadow in the caption. He further mentioned, “So that’s what I did. I took the wisdom and knowledge of these guys and adapted it to suit my needs and fine-tuned it over the years to formulate what is now known as DYHIT!” In Yates DYHIT, he included three exercises.

Dorian Yates’s training approach

As his caption stated, “Simple Yet Incredibly Effective!” he added the exercises shoulder press, seated dumbbell lateral raises, and cable lateral raises. Dorian said these exercises helped him build his gigantic shoulders. Throughout his career, he trained himself. The 61-year-old frequently shares glimpses of his prime time with a story behind the pictures and videos he uploads.

Earlier, he shared an image of himself quoting a picture taken in 1993. He captioned the image with insights of that time. He articulated, “During my career, I never had a coach or nutritionist… I learnt everything myself, mainly from books. I have probably read every single bodybuilding book/magazine that was published between 1983 to 1997, as well as books on nutrition and sports psychology!”

Bodybuilding requires immense dedication and commitment, and not having a coach makes it more difficult. However, Yates proved that it’s possible to accomplish the goal by giving it your all. Which workout method would you attempt, Arnold’s regular practice or Mentzer’s Heavy-Duty technique? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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