“You Can Never Beat the Americans”: Being an Outsider, 6x Mr. Olympia Once Opened Up About the Challenges He Faced During His Illustrious Career

Dorian Yates is a bodybuilding icon. Yates first stepped into the Olympia stage in the twilight of Lee Haney’s era. Besides winning the Mr. Olympia title six times, Yates also revolutionized the sport in more ways than one.

While Dorian focused on all aspects of bodybuilding, he took the combination of muscle mass and conditioning to another level. Dorian was the first Mr. Olympia, shorter than 6 Ft, to weigh over 260 lbs during a contest. However, the legendary bodybuilder faced many challenges when he first started bodybuilding. Yates once spoke about how doubters tried to discourage him.

The bodybuilding icon came from England

During an exclusive interview with bodybuilding.com, the interviewer asked, “What gave you the most amount of satisfaction as an Olympia winner?”. The six-time winner said his achievements gave him immense satisfaction mainly because of his background. Yates recalled how he didn’t get enough support or encouragement when he started. In fact, people tried to fill him with negativity.

Yates recalled how the facilities in England were subpar compared to the United States when he started bodybuilding. “The attitude of people over here was like, ‘you can never beat the Americans,'” said the six-time Mr. Olympia. Yates felt people saw the American bodybuilders as if they had “two heads and stood twelve feet tall”.

The bodybuilding legend received similar treatment from Americans when he came to compete in the United States. People didn’t think he would make it too far as a bodybuilder, since he didn’t have connections. “You don’t know the right people and you are not in all the magazines, and nobody knows you,” said Yates.

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However, Yates proved all the doubters wrong. “I think you can be successful no matter where you come from,” said the six-time Mr. Olympia. However, he also said one needs to be determined enough to work hard. 

The man who kicked off a new era

Ronnie Coleman may have been among the biggest mass monsters to grace the Mr. Olympia stage. However, it was Dorian Yates who kicked off the mass monster era. Dorian was among the first bodybuilders under 6 ft to weigh over 250 lbs. Over the years, Yates kept on pushing his body to the limit.

At his heaviest, Dorian Yates weight around 265 lbs during a bodybuilding contest. In the offseason, Yates sometimes weighed over 300 lbs.

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Although he was doubted at every step when getting into the sport, Yates became a six-time Mr. Olympia. Where do you put Yates on the list of the greatest bodybuilders ever?