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Though Prison Helped Dorian Yates Find His Passion, He Was Still Homeless When He Embarked On His Bodybuilding Journey in 80S: “Had Nowhere to Live”

Published 10/19/2022, 12:15 PM EDT

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Dorian Yates is one of the greatest and biggest bodybuilders ever competed in the sport of bodybuilding. The 6-time consecutive Mr. Olympia title holder changed the way of bodybuilding in his time. Despite weighing between 250 and 270 pounds, he was still shredded. Moreover, he was incredibly huge that if it weren’t for injuries, the winning streak wouldn’t have broken.

However, he wasn’t always enthusiastic about bodybuilding. His curiosity about bodybuilding got to him in a very strange way. He was just 18 years old and homeless; he went into the city. Then how did he become a world-class bodybuilder from being homeless?

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Dorian Yates discovered his talent in the most unusual place

People tend to find their motives and directions in life from different various practices. However, Dorian Yates discovered his potential to become a bodybuilder when he got sentenced to jail for six months when he was just 18 years old. Recently Yates uploaded an Instagram post telling about how his bodybuilding journey started.

Yates wrote“This was my life in the early 80s … I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life at this point. It wasn’t until I got into prison and discovered my talent for bodybuilding, that changed the trajectory of my life.”

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“Start to Look Like Sh**”: Just Like Ronnie Coleman, 6x Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates Also Pushed Training Too Far Claimed Samir Bannout Once

Furthermore, Yates explained his situation during the 80s. Yates said, “As soon as I got out I had nowhere to live so you got the city to come on and visit and see if you are eligible to get some housing. So ya, it was a good at least a year before I was… got my own apartment and got a job with a regular income coming in. I got some security work. I was still living here when I won the British Championship.”

How did going to jail showed him his potential career for Yates?

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When Dorian Yates got sentenced to imprisonment for six months, for causing the dummy to collapse with his friend. Yates witnessed that he was the biggest person among all the big guys in the jail. That gave him the direction to work hard on his physique and make it unbeatable.

Yates further got back and started from scratch. He found a job that provided him with daily income and he kept on working hard. One of the keys to his success remains his unshakable focus on his aim. Yates continued living in his small unorganized apartment even after winning the British championship. And later, he owned a gym and went on to become one of the greatest bodybuilders.

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Watch this story: Revealed: The Best Protein for Mass Gain According to 8x Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman

Your past doesn’t decide your future, your determination does. Yates determined his life and focus on bodybuilding. Whatever, made him sentenced to jail, he didn’t focus on that, but he converted that incident into a positive one. Moreover, after getting back to his life, he processed everything, began from the scratch, and ended up winning six Mr. Olympia titles and much more.

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Written by:

Kaivalya R Pillai

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Dr. Kaivalya R Pillai is a US Sports author working at EssentiallySports. An accomplished academician, he recently completed his doctorate degree in pharmacy.
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Edited by:

Pritam Priyedarshi