Dorian Yates made waves for setting off the mass monster era in bodybuilding by winning the Mr. Olympia championship six times in a row. After his first title, he made sure to credit legend Mike Mentzer for chiseling down his physique to the iconic look enthusiasts remember today.
Recently, Yates recalled some of his intense workout sessions courtesy of Mentzer’s ideology surrounding heavy-duty training. At the time, HIT wasn’t as popular among the masses, and Yates’ unique training method had piqued people’s curiosity.
To train with full focus and maintain his tunnel vision, the former Mr. Olympia had his own space called the Temple Gym. There, he could freely practice with all his might and drown his grunts to some heavy metal music. Yet, it seemed like he would occasionally train at the Gold’s Gym with Mentzer, where many got a firsthand view of how extreme HIT could get.
Recalling the reactions and awe back in the day, Yates laughed at how his routine had become a spectacle for some. Being open to trying new training techniques and dedicating himself to Mentzer’s vision, he admitted that being with his mentor also served as a mental stimulation.
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“Some of the most brutal sessions of my career!
I definitely picked up some important tips during my time with Mike Mentzer and just being around a free thinker was a great source of energy and inspiration.”
Yates would religiously follow the one-set-to-failure method that eventually led to a dramatic increase in his strength. He had already mastered the Nautilus machine, which posed a combination of leg extensions and leg presses. He had to then move to the Smith machine for some serious burn in his legs and built up from there.
“But at that point in my career, I was so strong that I could get 40 odd reps out so that wasn’t really productive. But on the smith machine squats afterwards, that was brutal!”
Mentzer had done an incredible job at making sure he fully utilized Yates’ potential during these sessions. They may not have spent hours at the gym, but the workout would always be out of the world. All Yates had to do was trust the process, and he did that even before starting his training with the late legend.
How did Dorian Yates come under Mike Mentzer’s wing?
Hailing from the UK, Yates had a rags-to-riches story to boast about when he entered the bodybuilding world. Already setting himself on stage with his monstrous physique, he won his first Olympia title in 1992. Still, he wasn’t satisfied with the way he had been training and wanted an expert to guide him through it.
Subsequently, Yates approached Mentzer despite some skepticism surrounding the legend’s way of training for short periods. Having followed the volume training technique for years, Yates had doubts about whether the new technique would do him any good. However, he chose to keep an open mind and saw stunning results almost immediately, forcing him to go to Mentzer again and again. Today, he often reminisces about their friendship and the tips he would give him to be a better bodybuilder.
