“My Workouts Lasted 45–50 Minutes”: Despite Earning the Title ‘Mass Monster’, Veteran Bodybuilder Recalls Going ‘Against the Norm’ to Build an Olympia-Worthy Physique

English bodybuilder Dorian Yates introduced the term ‘Mass Monster’ to the bodybuilding arena in the 1990s. The 6x Mr.Olympia winner was referred to as ‘The Shadow’ by the iconic bodybuilding journalist Peter McGough for his low-key training sessions and surprising entry in the bodybuilding competitions to win the title.

But the 61-year-old is now vocal about his training sessions at the Temple gym in Birmingham during his prime. Yates followed high-intensity training (HIT) to build enormous muscles, unlike most contemporaries. Now, in an Instagram post, the retired bodybuilder reveals his strategy to build muscles that brought him the Sandow trophy 6 times.

Dorian Yates emphasized the ‘Quality’ of workouts in his prime

With a picture of his massive build-up, the Shadow wrote in the caption of his recent Instagram post, “Quality over quantity!” Yates defied the regular trend of training for 2-3 hours for 6 days a week with a focus on 20 sets for each body part. He opted for a unique workout method after much research by reading books during the pre-internet era.  

“From trial & error and from listening to my body, I adopted the HIT principles and refined them to suit my needs and body,” he opened up in the post. According to him what is really worthwhile to build mass is the efficiency while working out.  

“People often say they’re training for 2-3 hours, but are they really giving 110% for 2-3 hours straight?” he questioned his followers before giving his opinion as “No.”

Read More: 6x Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates Shares a Glimpse of the “Mysterious Place” He Trained at With “Guns ’n’ Roses Blaring in the Background”

He later confirmed his workout sessions while training for Mr.Olympia to support his viewpoint. “My workouts lasted 45-50 minutes and believe me… that was enough!” he asserted. He would train 4 times a week to build massive muscles.

The Shadow’s HIT workout regime

The English bodybuilder would lift enormous weights but for lesser repetitions back in the day. While building up bigger muscles, he would do 8 to 10 sets, and for smaller muscles, just 4 to 6 sets. While focussing on the upper body, Yates would suffice the workout with 6 to 8 reps, but for the lower half that includes legs, he would push for 8 to 15 reps, per Muscle and Fitness.

In an earlier post, he spoke about muscle training. “So one chance, each week to truly try to stimulate each muscle,” he wrote signifying that he would focus on one muscle per week. Thus, he completed nearly 45 workouts annually.

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Dorian Yates’s unique weight training has fetched him immense glory at Mr.Olympia. The rookie bodybuilders still look up to the legend and his contributions to the field. However, after retirement owing to injuries from lifting such enormous weights, Yates doesn’t train anymore. The sexagenarian now relies on Yoga for being healthy. What was the greatest weight you have trained with? Let us know in the comments below!