Bodybuilding legend, Dorian Yates, after discovering his passion for bodybuilding in a prison, went on to dominate the bodybuilding arena and secured six Mr. Olympia titles for himself. His mentality to own and rectify his mistakes helped him to move forward in the sport. But critical injuries forced him to quit bodybuilding in 1997. 

The Shadow had documented his bodybuilding journey so that he could learn from his mistakes. But now he shares snippets from his documented journey with his Insta family. The 61-year-old enjoys a following of 1.5 million on Instagram and he often shares his story of ups and downs in bodybuilding. Recently, Yates shared a post that reflects his confidence while competing back in the day.

Dorian Yates went that extra mile to ensure Mr. Olympia’s title

In an Instagram post, The Shadow shared a picture of his shredded avatar from the past and wrote a long message for his fans revealing his mantra behind a successful bodybuilding career. The post read, “One thing I can guarantee, he does not train as hard as me, he does not dedicate himself as much as me… how do I know this?”

He answers the question by simply confirming, “Because it’s not possible!” “I couldn’t give a single ounce more to what I was doing and I knew that I left it all in the gym… that made me feel pretty powerful,” said Yates reflecting how he engrossed himself in nothing but bodybuilding. Yates often pushed himself beyond limits while working out where the last rep of every set has to be assisted. 

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“I was supremely confident pretty much every time I presented my physique to the judges, I knew that I had put in that ‘Blood & Guts’ effort!” he said explaining how he felt unbeatable while standing on the stage competing for Mr. Olympia title. 

Dorian Yates was made of perseverance 

The Mass Monster is synonymous with perseverance. Most bodybuilders call it quits after a major injury, but Yates doesn’t fall within that bracket. Despite seriously injuring his hip back in the day, Yates managed to compete in the 1994,1995, and 1996 series of Mr. Olympia. Yates suffered a hip flexor, which required him to undergo multiple surgeries and lengthy resting phases. 

Yates, however, was smart enough to devise a plan to push himself further despite the injury to pursue his passion. He had done certain changes to his training routine by replacing the barbell squats with Smith machine squats and leg presses and thus managed to tone his legs. He later retired in 1997 when he could no longer pursue bodybuilding owing to aggravated injuries. The phrase,’ Hard work pays off,’ suits Yates well. What do you say?

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