The bodybuilding sport attained unparalleled fame in the 1970s, with bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, and Franco Columbu flaunting their shredded physiques on the Mr. Olympia stage. But a lot has changed over the last few decades, and now the bodybuilding era is known for its mass monster physiques. But it was the English Bodybuilder Dorian Yates who introduced a highly shredded mass physique to the Mr. Olympia stage.

The Golden Era of bodybuilding promoted an aesthetic physique that pleased bodybuilding enthusiasts. Frank Zane, Arnie, and Columbu focused on conditioning during their prime, bringing muscles with limited mass. In the late 1980s, Lee Haney reigned the Mr. Olympia stage, but the 8x Mr. Olympia built his winning physique by training well within his limits. But after his retirement in 1992, many bodybuilders like Flex Wheeler, Kevin Levrone, and Shawn Ray were waiting to claim the Sandow Trophy. But the young English bodybuilding icon would revolutionize the bodybuilding stage with muscle gains to kickstart the mass monster era.

The advent of Dorian Yates on the Mr. Olympia stage

Aesthetics dominated the Mr. Olympia stage until the early 1990s. But in 1992, Yates stunned the crowd in Finland’s Helsinki Ice Hall by sporting a 260 lbs physique with ultra-perfect conditioning. Through his paper-thin skin, the spectators could see his well-built musculature. And hence, the mass monster era was born. At his peak, Yates flaunted 300 lbs muscle mass, teasing the imaginations of bodybuilding enthusiasts, while his predecessor Lee Haney was just 243 lbs at his heaviest.

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Yates’ success as a bodybuilder was spearheaded by the fact that he complimented mass with conditioning. How could Yates lose a Sandow Trophy with his monstrous Christmas Tree back and 20” calve muscles? So, symmetry and aesthetics became a thing of the past as the 6x Mr. Olympia established the dominance of muscle mass from 1992 to 1997. His successor Ronnie Coleman would then carry forward the legacy. Since then, the Open bodybuilding category has become a hub for mass monsters like Jay Cutler, Phil Heath, Big Ramy, Hadi Choopan, and recently Derek Lunsford.

But how did Yates bring such mass build-up to the Mr. Olympia stage?

The aura of HIT training

While the bodybuilders at the Gold’s Gym trained for long hours six days a week, Yates built a much greater mass with just 45 minutes of training. As much as his physique stunned the community, his training methods appalled an equal number of training enthusiasts.

Dorian Yates realized his passion for bodybuilding while serving a prison term, where he turned into a voracious reader of bodybuilding magazines and became a fan of Arthur Jones and Mike Mentzer’s HIT method. Unlike most bodybuilders who focused on volume to build a shredded physique, Yates relied on intensity to ace the bodybuilding game. In the Temple’s gym at Birmingham, Yates used to follow a high-intensity training routine for four days, followed by three days of recovery. The heavy intensity and long rest intervals helped him achieve tremendous muscle growth. But advice from another bodybuilding legend helped Yates make major strides in his training.

Mike Mentzer’s advice

The Shadow’s bodybuilding game leveled up when Mike Mentzer joined him for a bicep workout. Mr. Heavy Duty suggested that Yates reduce two final working sets to one and do a failure range between 6-8 reps. Soon, Yates understood the wisdom behind the advice and changed his bodybuilding game for the better. The HIT method, which was seen with doubt in the 1970s and 1980s, is now making Mr. Olympia champions.

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Dorian Yates’ success also lies in the fact that he maintained a journal to note down his training rituals to understand his progress. So, even without a coach, Yates managed to win six Mr. Olympia titles by understanding HIT rituals with experience. Now at 61, Yates shares his knowledge about the HIT method on his Instagram channel.

Dorian Yates’s unparalleled bodybuilding legacy is forever etched with golden words in the sport’s history. If not for his injuries, the Shadow would have climbed bigger mountains, lifting more than his six Sandow trophies. But he will continue to be known for setting the precedent of the mass monster era.