“Stuff From Arnold Era Didn’t Make Sense to Me”: The Legend Who Pioneered the Mass Monster Era Had Differing Training Philosophy From GOAT Arnold Schwarzenegger

Some bodybuilders changed the nature of the sport by unleashing a physique unseen on stage before. Moreover, they devised a method that works best through detailed research and unique insights. Their progress may have come fast or slowly, but their dogged attitude eventually catapulted them to the zenith of popularity. And the benchmark set by them became the new norm.

One such legendary behemoth was Dorian Yates. He set the stage ablaze with his mind-boggling conditioning and spectacular size. Moreover, Yates became the crowning glory in Joe Weider’s Olympia competitions in the early 1990s. An archived video from the past shows Yates talking about his impactful bodybuilding style.

Dorian Yates reveals his Olympia-winning workout style 

Earlier, in a video posted by Masterthegym on Instagram, the elusive Shadow recollects his training style. It vastly differed from the classical era of bodybuilding. Six times (1992-1997), Mr. Olympia 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.” 

Further, Dorian used a feedback mechanism to understand what worked for his body. The Shadow observed that his progress dipped when he followed the old methods. “The key to stimulating muscle growth is the intensity of the exercise,” informed the English IFBB pro. Yates used to weigh close to 265 lbs on a 5 ’10 frame. 

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Shockingly, Yates only worked out four days a week and for an hour for the Mr. Olympia preps. The mechanics made Yates the progenitor of the mass monster era—a break from the past. In contrast, the Terminator trained for five hours straight per day! The golden period, exemplified by Arnold Schwarzenegger, reflected aesthetics and symmetry, not so much size. Bodybuilding fans appreciated both kinds of physiques as they induced variance in the sport and broke the monotony. The camera-shy veteran bodybuilder now uses the method to coach other bodybuilding aspirants.

‘Blood and Guts’ to unleash monstrosity

Dorian Yates uses H.I.T. and progressive overload to coach many A-list bodybuilders. He named the style ‘Blood and Guts.’ A few months ago, the English pro trained Mike Thurston to become jacked like him. “Dumbbell shoulder press with @mikethurston,” wrote Yates, giving exact details of the warm-up and final set.

Additionally, underscoring the importance of lifting heavy, the 61-year-old stated, “With the working set, it’s a heavy, controlled set where I help with the last few reps to failure. 45kg for around 8 reps, solid work by Mike… the DY effect.” Thus, the key is to lift until failure and give the body ample recovery time. The ‘Blood and Guts’ method worked out for Yates, but arguably, bodybuilders should tune into the responses of their bodies to curate the ideal physique transformation process. Thus, bodybuilding is not only a sport of musculature but also of mind and body connection. 

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