Despite a serious hip injury during his bodybuilding career, 6x Mr. Olympia winner, Dorian Yates continued to compete and win the Olympia title in 1994,1995, and 1996. However, the injury worsened and eventually forced him to retire from competitive bodybuilding after the 1997 Mr. Olympia. He had torn his hip flexor and sustained further damage to the joint, requiring multiple surgeries and a long rehabilitation period. This forced him to make certain changes in his training routine. 

Yates recently shared a post on his Instagram account talking about the importance of “adaptation” and “experimentation” in one’s training routine. He wrote about his hip injury and how he adapted to the situation and managed to train his lower body despite a torn hip flexor. 

Yates’ solution to keep training in spite of a serious injury

Weighted squats are one of the most important exercises for training legs. Especially during the 90s, when gym equipment and machines were not as advanced or as easily available as today, athletes used to rely on compound movements for the most part. “To replace barbell squats, I alternated between leg press and Smith machine squats. I found a solution that worked for me and enabled me to build my legs without interfering with my injury,” wrote Yates. 

Yates had to replace barbell squats because of the injury, but he soon realized that the Smith machine squat had advantages over the former. This included biassing the legs because of the increased stability. Yates has also discussed the benefits of Smith machine squats over barbell squats many times in the past. In an older Instagram post on Yates’ account, he wrote about the positives of the alternative chosen by him.

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Why Yates prefers Smith machine squats? 

“I found that with the smith machine, I could position my feet closer together and slightly forward to minimize any back involvement,” said Yates. The Smith machine squat is a great way to shift the tension away from the lower back and glutes to the quad. This is a much safer alternative as compared to barbell squats which can pose serious damage to the same.

There has been an ongoing debate about whether or not barbell squats are the best exercise for the legs or not. Yates is the perfect example of the fact that there is no one ‘best’ exercise, but that it is the individual and their approach to training that turns an athlete into a champion.

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