Dorian Yates was one of the significant icons leading the mass monster era in the history of bodybuilding. He dominated the space for quite some time, leaving behind a legacy for new bodybuilders to prosper in. Amidst this, he is still just as jacked as his older self, and the bodybuilding world recently witnessed that.
The 62-year-old recently posted a video from his gym where he was flexing his gigantic legs, which still held up a lot of conditioning. Despite him resorting to yoga and less intense exercises now to maintain his physique, his genetics have held up over time.
With calves the size of an average person’s hamstrings, Yates proved the worth of his six consecutive Mr. Olympia titles. Yet, the caveat to the situation was his confession that he didn’t train his seemingly well-defined calf muscles for several years.
In fact, Yates wrote in his caption how he had been away from heavyweight training for the longest time. His intense sessions with Mike Mentzer had taken a backseat ages ago, presumably after his injury that forced him to pull out from competitive bodybuilding.
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“Gone are the days of 1500lb leg press and six plates a side on smith machine squats, but a lot of the muscle and definition remains.”
So what was the secret to keeping his physique almost intact even after all these years of not training as hard? He recalls what his mentor, Mentzer, once told him about how one could be the best bodybuilder in the world.
“I remember Mike Mentzer once said; “What’s the secret to bodybuilding success? Choose the right parents!”…”
What initially sounds like a cheeky comment from the legend perhaps holds more truth than any other theory. Good genetics can make a significant difference in one’s physique with or without training too hard. However, Yates would still go on to have intense workouts under him to make sure he made the best out of his genes.
Dorian Yates Recalled his Brutal Workout Sessions with Mike Mentzer
Years have passed since Mentzer’s demise, yet the bodybuilding industry never fails to crown him as the pioneer that he truly was. He took Yates under his wing when the latter approached him for a satisfactory training session after his first Olympia. Since then, the duo grew beyond being mentor and mentee, with their friendship leading to some incredible moments in the sport’s history.
Yates went on to win six Mr. Olympia titles in total, with a physique chiseled to perfection with the help of Mentzer. They adopted the heavy-duty training technique by applying high intensity while performing exercises and extended recovery periods. While Yates wouldn’t even spend hours at his gym, the technique helped him grow bigger and more defined, thus becoming successful.
