Regarding his training approach, 6x Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates once shared that he didn’t have the luxury of a coach or strength trainers. Instead, he relied on his self-taught knowledge and instincts in the solitary world of bodybuilding. As a result, Yates extensively read about training and nutrition, using a trial-and-error method to determine the best results. The constant adjustments and experiments fascinated the Shadow about the sport.

The retired bodybuilder recently posted a series of old training photos and detailed insights into his “trial & error” technique for barbell bench press workouts on Instagram. In the post, the 61-year-old veteran looked back on his training routines and how he continuously experimented to find what worked best for him.

Introduction to Dorian Yates’ chest training routine

At first, Yates prominently used the decline barbell bench press in his routine until around 1992. However, he shifted his focus to incline presses and rarely went back to decline exercises. Over time, the Mass Monster deeply connected with the incline smith machine press, praising its fixed motion path that let him focus on his chest muscles. Besides, this exercise also offered a safer environment for pushing beyond failure, especially when using rest-pause reps, where he would briefly put the bar back, take several deep breaths, and then try for an extra one or two reps.

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Moreover, the British athlete consistently added incline dumbbell flies to his workout. As he kept training, he gradually increased the weight, eventually reaching an impressive 50-kilogram dumbbell weight. Also, the former IFBB Pro highlighted the importance of doing this exercise on a low incline, about 30 degrees, as it put more emphasis on the chest and reduced deltoid involvement. Later, he added an incline barbell press to his routine, which appears in his training documentary, “Blood & Guts.”

Yates’ preference for a controlled motion path in shoulder presses

In his early Olympia reign, Yates faced a challenge with shoulder pressing because of the huge weight. As a result, his training partners, Kenny Brown, and Paul Baxendale, struggled to hand him the massive 160-pound dumbbells. To solve this issue, Yates switched to using the Smith machine for shoulder presses. “I was pretty much forced to utilize the smith machine for shoulder pressing.” This change not only made the setup process easier but also helped him push his muscles to failure more effectively.

Watch This Story: Years After His Reign Over Mr. Olympia, Athlete Recalls Dorian Yates’ Electrifying Presence That Changed the Face of Bodybuilding, With an Unknown Anecdote

In the world of bodybuilding, focusing on personal exploration and self-discovery always matters. As a result, Yates shows this mindset with his strong commitment to achieving greatness.