Dorian Yates still attacks his workouts with the same grit he displayed throughout his IFBB Pro League career. He is revered for his intense training methods which centered around achieving failure. In a recent Instagram post, Yates emphasized the importance of a warm-up with mobility and flexibility work.
As mentioned above, Yates made a name for himself with exhaustive training strategies. Having led veterans of the sport such as Chris Cormier to complete exhaustion, Yates’ all-out approach saw him push his body to the absolute limits. While most bodybuilders stuck to set numbers of reps and sets, Yates valued quality over quantity to reach the top of the bodybuilding world.
From 1992-1997, Yates, labeled ‘The Shadow,’ worked in silence to produce six Mr. Olympia titles. During his reign, he shared the stage with Ronnie Coleman, Shawn Ray, Kevin Levrone, and countless others. Though, Yates is celebrated for more than just a near-flawless bodybuilding record, as he’s also maintained a stellar physique in retirement.
At 61 years old, Yates is thriving with many fans taking notice of his longevity. He credits regular exercise, meditation, yoga, and out-of-body experiences for his renewed health and happiness. Yates has taken fans on hallucinogenic trips while using ayahuasca and DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine).
During his prime, Yates followed the high-intensity training philosophy of the late Mike Mentzer and Arthur Jones. The thought process behind the strategy was stimulating maximum muscle growth, rather than achieving hypertrophy with long and leisurely workouts. Yates also took training principles from Tom Platz, who remembers Dorian attending one of his workout seminars years before he became a Mr. Olympia.
Dorian Yates Reflects on HIT Training, Says Flexibility & Mobility Keys to Proper Warm-Up
According to Yates, a proper warm-up is imperative for anyone attempting high-intensity interval training. To get the blood flowing to his legs before a training session, Yates utilized a stationary bike.
“A good warm up is imperative, especially for HIT.
Here’s a clip from Blood & Guts, my legs session.
I always spent a few minutes on the stationary bike to get the blood flowing. This was followed by an array of both static and dynamic stretching to get the muscles warm and ready for the poundages to come.
Mobility and flexibility work was something that I always did both throughout my competitive bodybuilding career and to this day.
It is crucial to be properly warmed up in whatever form of training you choose to pursue,” Yates shared.
Living a long, productive, and happy life is paramount for Dorian Yates. He recently offered fans a look into some of his go-to techniques for promoting longevity. He swears by an inversion machine which helps with spinal decompression. In addition, Yates has begun implementing Pilates which he says should help heal a body that’s endured ‘wars’ on stage.
Despite a career filled with sacrifice and strenuous work, Yates’ body has seemingly recovered well. At the beginning of the year, Yates underwent a VO2 Max and biological age assessment. The results were astounding as the bodybuilding legend’s markers were in the 30-39 age range.
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Yates’ health at 61 is great news for any athlete aspiring to follow in his footsteps. He remains a visible and healthy ambassador for the sport of bodybuilding.