“Freedom is not giving a f*ck.”

– Dorian Yates

Dorian Yates (@dorian_yates) is a six-time Mr. Olympia who took the extreme sport of bodybuilding to a new level. He’s one of my adolescent heroes whose innovations in training influenced what I later put into The 4-Hour Body (e.g., Occam’s protocol).

In this particular conversation, we dig into all sorts of topics that I’ve been dying to ask Dorian since I was a teenager. We discuss specific workouts, how he warms up, the realities of PEDs, common mistakes, his relationship to pain, self-talk when setting records (or bouncing back), his favorite books, and much more. We don’t dodge controversy and get into plenty of details.

Enjoy!

You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

#235: Dorian Yates on High Intensity Training, Injury Prevention, and Building Maximum Muscle https://rss.art19.com/episodes/0281a4a7-229f-439c-8d9c-59949eeab57c.mp3 Download

Listen to it on iTunes.

Stream by clicking here.

Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

Want to hear another episode about building muscle and strength? — Listen to this interview with Charles Poliquin. In this episode, we discuss, muscle-building techniques, how to become stronger, warmup routines, why people struggle to lose fat, and more (stream below or right-click here to download):

#91: Charles Poliquin on Strength Training, Shredding Body Fat, and Increasing Testosterone and Sex Drive https://rss.art19.com/episodes/97582339-41b3-41c2-bdf2-9545fa765171.mp3 Download

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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

Connect with Dorian Yates:

DY Nutrition | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Show Notes

My first encounter with Dorian. [08:35]

Dorian takes us on his journey from farm boy to urban juvenile delinquent — and how he discovered a passion for weightlifting. [10:02]

Why is it hard to find pictures of Dorian smiling prior to 1997? [14:03]

How did Dorian get the nickname “The Shadow?” [15:32]

Dorian describes the gym (aka “The Dungeon”) in Birmingham where he built his physique. [17:02]

What did Dorian’s workout look like during his peak? [19:02]

Dorian describes a leg day workout. [21:01]

What it takes to get results. [25:53]

How much rest does Dorian take between sets? [27:52]

What is the right way to do a bent row, and what compelled Dorian to focus on this technique? [29:50]

On the role of tempo in lifting and the difference between weightlifting and bodybuilding. [33:53]

How did Dorian connect with high intensity training pioneer Mike Mentzer? [36:32]

Thoughts on Nautilus inventor and eccentric Arthur Jones. [37:15]

What are the most common misconceptions and mistakes Dorian observes in newcomers to high intensity training? [40:56]

Dorian explains what his life was like in 1990 when he placed second in his professional debut at IFBB Night of the Champions. [42:46]

What was Dorian’s self-talk like when he didn’t place first? [46:01]

On competing with personal hero Lee Haney, and what it takes to change from a mindset of reverence to rivalry. [48:53]

What was Dorian’s relationship with pain while competing from ’92 to ’97? [50:56]

How much water weight would Dorian lose in twenty-four to forty-eight hours prior to a competition? [53:01]

Did dehydration ever play a role in Dorian’s injuries? [53:58]

On setting goals: “Instead of saying something, get a pen, get a piece of paper, and write it down. It just makes it a hundred times more powerful.” [54:47]

For Dorian, what occurs between having a plan and putting that plan into action? [57:54]

What has Dorian changed his mind about since his competition days? [1:00:31]

Dorian talks about including yoga and how he feels better at 55 than he did at 35. [1:03:19]

What does Dorian wish he could change about his competition-era training program? [1:09:23]

What was Dorian’s Plan B if bodybuilding hadn’t panned out? [1:12:43]

What is the best way for women to build beautiful, lean muscle: higher reps with light weights, or lower reps with heavy weights? [1:13:56]

Differences in training and nutrition for steroid-enhanced vs. natural lifters. [1:19:55]

On dealing with clinical depression when injuries forced him into retirement. [1:29:25]

What helped Dorian emerge from this dark period? [1:32:08]

What is Dorian reading these days? [1:33:47]

What would Dorian’s billboard say? [1:39:44]

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