How To Follow The Dorian Yates Workout Routine & Food plan

Within the bodybuilding world, few names command as much respect and admiration as Dorian Yates, an incredible lifter who set the usual for the game within the Nineties. His physique had a near-perfect mix of size and conditioning, ultimately resulting in six Mr. Olympia titles. Nevertheless, despite his overwhelming success on the stage, his biggest contribution is likely to be his unique training philosophy.

Dorian’s training was built around high intensity. He expanded the ideas of Arthur Jones and Mike Mentzer to create a singular approach. The “Blood and Guts” routine he got here up with is that of legend.  

We’re about to step into the shadows and uncover the secrets that fueled Dorian Yates’s ascent to bodybuilding immortality – a journey through iron, sweat, and a relentless pursuit of excellence that also inspires generations of lifters worldwide.

Table of Contents:

• Who’s Dorian Yates?
• The Dorian Yates Workout Split
• How To Follow The Dorian Yates Workout Routine
• Dorian Yates Food plan Plan & Complement Stack
• How You Can Train and Eat Like Dorian Yates
• FAQs

Who’s Dorian Yates?

Dorian Yates, born on April 19, 1962, is a former skilled bodybuilder widely thought to be one in every of the best in the game’s history. Often known as “The Shadow,” Yates dominated the bodybuilding scene throughout the Nineties. His rise to fame began when he won the British Championship in 1986 and quickly climbed the bodybuilding ranks. Yates had fifteen wins in seventeen skilled contests and only two second-place finishes.

Yates’ competitive bodybuilding profession reached its pinnacle with six consecutive victories at the celebrated Mr. Olympia competition, starting in 1992 and continuing through 1997. His methodical and intense training style, High-Intensity Training (HIT), revolutionized what number of athletes approached bodybuilding. Yates emphasized shorter, focused workout routines with maximum effort, pushing his body to its limits during each session.

One among the standout features of Dorian Yates’ physique was his remarkable mix of size and conditioning, setting him aside from his competitors. His back development, particularly, became legendary within the bodybuilding community. Throughout his reign as Mr. Olympia, Yates maintained an unparalleled level of muscularity and density for the time.

After retiring from skilled bodybuilding in 1997 resulting from injuries, Dorian stayed within the fitness industry through various business ventures. He currently owns Temple Gym and founded a complement company called DY Nutrition.

Dorian Yates Stats:

• Height: 5’10
• Contest Weight: 260lbs
• Offseason Weight: 290lbs
• Arms: 21 inches
• Chest: 55 inches
• Thighs: 30 inches 

What Is The Dorian Yates Workout Split?

It’s often difficult to pinpoint a top bodybuilder’s workout split. The explanation is straightforward – they rarely have only one. Most bodybuilders train by changing their workout split every couple of months. Nevertheless, that is different from what Dorian did. The next training split was what he followed for his entire pro profession, meaning that you may use it constantly as well.

Dorian Yates Workout Split:

• Day #1: Shoulders and Triceps
• Day #2: Back and Rear Delts
• Day #3: Rest Day
• Day #4: Chest and Biceps
• Day #5: Rest Day
• Day #6: Legs and Calves
• Day #7: Rest Day

A few things stand out when Dorian’s training split. One, he trains each muscle group once per week, giving each body part loads of time to get well between sessions. Although “bro splits” were once considered less effective than higher-frequency training, latest research has refuted that¹.

Secondly, Dorian prioritized his weak body parts. Since his chest and biceps were behind a few of his other muscle groups, he included a rest day before and after that workout to maximise performance and muscle recovery.

The Dorian Yates Workout Routine

Let’s set the stage: It’s a chilly and dreary day in Birmingham, England, but you’re ecstatic since you get to observe 6x Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates train for the week. You pull as much as Temple Gym and walk down the steps into the basement.

Interesting. It resembles a dungeon.

The sounds of weights clanging and other people shouting are echoing through the partitions. Dorian greets you on the door. And not using a handshake or a smile, he waves you in. It’s about to get serious. Here is the week of coaching that lies ahead.

Remember, there can be no workouts listed for days 3, 5, and seven. Those are rest days – use them!

Day #1: Shoulders and Triceps

The primary workout of the week is a shoulders and triceps session. It starts with a Smith machine shoulder press. Dorian likes the Smith machine because its fixed vertical movement restricts lateral and horizontal motions, providing additional stability during heavy lifting. After two light warm-up sets, Dorian works up to 1 all-out set of 8-10 reps. The set was intense. If he got 8 reps, there was no likelihood of 9, even when his life trusted it.

Up next is a seated dumbbell side raise. Doing this movement from a seated position prevents using extra momentum and keeps the strain on the lateral delt. After doing 8-10 full range of motion reps to failure, Dorian busts out a number of partial reps before setting the dumbbells down. Since his lateral delts are already warmed up, he jumps straight into his first working set of one-arm cable lateral raises.

Cable lateral raises are a superb muscle builder because they keep constant tension in your shoulders through the whole range of motion. After ten demanding reps, Dorian’s training partner helps him get a few more forced reps. On the forced reps, he slows down the eccentric a part of the lift. The fourth exercise of the day is a dumbbell shrug for the traps. 

The triceps portion of the workout starts with the classic cable triceps pressdown. Dorian does two sets to get warmed up before loading the entire stack of weights for one all-out set to failure. After the press downs, he grabs an EZ-curl bar for lying triceps extensions. When training the triceps, including an exercise together with your elbows pointing up is vital.

Exercises just like the lying triceps extension goal the long head of the triceps greater than exercises together with your elbows at your side. The last movement of the day is a single-arm reverse grip press right down to finish off the triceps. And, similar to that, the primary workout of the week is complete.

*Each exercise has one or two warm-up sets.

Now all you would like is the right intensity. Take a look at Dorian Yates performing his shoulders and triceps workout to see just how high-intensity it was (Spoiler alert: It was very intense).

Day #2: Back and Rear Delts

When most bodybuilding fans consider Dorian Yates’ physique, his back is the very first thing that involves mind. Dorian has the most effective backs of all time. The mixture of width and thickness was unheard of during his time and continues to be rare today. 

Dorian’s legendary back workout starts with the Nautilus pullover machine. He loves this machine since it is one in every of the few back exercises that takes the biceps out of the equation. You’ll be able to give attention to driving through your elbows, maximizing the lat contraction. 

After one all-out set of pullovers, he moves onto the underhand Hammer Strength pulldown. One among Dorian’s fundamental back training principles is controlling the movement. An amazing back is rare because most individuals pull with their biceps or use momentum to maneuver the burden. To counter this, Dorian holds each rep at the underside for a full second. Dorian is known for saying, “when you can’t hold the burden for a second at the height contraction, you didn’t get it there from muscular effort. You used momentum.”

The third exercise of the day, the Yates Row, is the star of the show, and named after, you guessed it, Dorian Yates himself. This exercise is a barbell row variation, and the difference between this and a typical barbell row is the back angle. On a Yates Row, you stay more upright, which permits you to handle just a little more weight. The upper back portion of the workout finishes with one set of single arm chest supported rows taken to failure. 

For the reason that rear delts are involved in lots of rowing movements, Dorian trained them on his back workout day. He did a reverse pec deck and a dumbbell rear raise for rear delts. Easy and effective. 

To complete the back day, Dorian does weighted hyperextensions and deadlifts for the lower back. Doing deadlifts at the top is unconventional, but remember, Dorian is training to construct muscle. He isn’t a powerlifter, so the quantity of weight he moves is irrelevant. Although the general set count is low, this back day is brutal. 

*Each exercise has one or two warm-up sets.

Thinking about watching the legend himself tackle this routine? Take a look at the video below, showing Dorian Yates performing his back and rear delts workout.

Day #4: Chest and Biceps

After a rest day, Dorian returns to the gym for a chest and biceps workout. The primary exercise is an incline barbell press. Through the years, Dorian found the flat barbell bench press put an excessive amount of stress on his front delts and pec tendons, so he favored the incline variation. After one all-out set of incline barbell presses with over 400 lbs, he moves on to a machine chest press.

Contrary to popular belief, machines are highly effective for muscle constructing. They supply a controlled range of motion, reduce the chance of injury by offering stability, and permit for targeted isolation of specific muscle groups. Dorian finishes off his chest with two fly variations: a dumbbell incline fly and a cable crossover. 

The biceps portion of the workout consists of three exercises, all taken to failure. First is an incline dumbbell curl, followed by a barbell curl with an EZ curl bar, and lastly, a machine curl. In the event you were hoping for some additional core work, I’d recommend adding your abs day to the top of this routine.

*Each exercise has one or two warm-up sets.

Here’s a have a look at Dorian Yates performing his weekly chest and biceps workout.

Day #6: Legs and Calves

The last Dorian Yates workout of the week is leg day. One thing you’ll immediately notice is there are not any back squats. Dorian stopped doing traditional squats early in his profession because they didn’t work well together with his hip structure. As a substitute, his quad training centered around leg extension, hack squat, and leg press. 

Dorian incorporated each hip hinge exercises, comparable to stiff leg deadlifts and leg curl exercises, to maximise hamstring growth. Hip hinges goal the muscles’ hip extension function, while leg curls emphasize knee flexion, ensuring a comprehensive approach that fully prompts and develops the hamstrings for optimal growth.

The identical goes for calves. To maximise calf size, it’s worthwhile to do a straight-leg calf raise for the gastrocnemius and a bent-leg calf raise for the soleus. 

*Each exercise has one or two warm-up sets.

Here’s Dorian Yates during leg day. I’d suggest drinking some pre-workout before taking this one on!

Dorian Yates Workout Training Principles

Dorian ushered in a latest era in bodybuilding. Before Dorian, it was rare to see a competitive bodybuilder compete at over 250lbs. At 260, Yates was the primary “mass monster” to win the Mr. Olympia. Nevertheless, it wasn’t just his physique that set him apart.

Dorian’s Blood and Guts routine differed from what his competitors were doing. Listed below are three training principles he lived by.

1) High-Intensity Training:

Any discussion about Dorian Yates’s training principles has to begin with high-intensity training. The Blood and Guts routine is a workout philosophy characterised by temporary, intense, and focused training sessions with limited working sets. The emphasis is on maximizing effort and intensity, pushing each set to finish failure. 

2) Progressive Overload:

A standard misconception in regards to the Blood and Guts routine is that it’s all about intensity with none technique of progression. Dorian was famous for keeping track of his workouts in a training journal. Before every training session, he would review his notes and pinpoint what he needed to do to beat the logbook. Dorian was big on using progressive overload to stimulate muscle growth.

Progressive overload is progressively making your workouts tougher over time. You’ll be able to implement progressive overload by lifting heavier weights, doing more repetitions, or reducing the time needed to finish your training. 

3) Maximize Recovery:

Dorian’s training was lower in frequency and volume than simply about every top-level bodybuilder of the time. Seeing other Mr. Olympia competitors training for 2-3 hours a day, six days per week, was typical. Then again, Dorian was only within the gym for 45 minutes 4 days per week. In fact, don’t confuse the shortage of time invested with an absence of effort. 

To construct mass, it’s worthwhile to stimulate the muscle with stress (hard weight lifting) and permit it time to get well. It’s within the recovery process where the muscle grows and becomes stronger. Dorian found the very best formula for muscle hypertrophy got here right down to training each muscle once per week and never greater than two days in a row.

Beyond that, every 5 to six weeks, he would throw in a deload week where he intentionally didn’t take his sets to failure to permit for more recovery.  

Dorian Yates Food plan Plan

It’s essential eat loads of protein to rise up to 290 kilos within the offseason. Dorian aimed for 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight, which suggests he was eating over 400 grams of protein within the offseason.

Here’s what a typical day of eating looked like.

Dorian Yates Complement Stack

There have been fewer complement options within the Nineties; nonetheless, Dorian did use what was available. 

1) Protein Powder: 

Eating enough meat to eat upwards of 400g of protein per day is difficult. To make things easier, Dorian had multiple each day protein shakes. He particularly liked to have a shake around his workouts and between meals. 

To search out your perfect protein powder, head to our article on the 14 Best Protein Powders. I like to recommend Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder, which has so many delicious flavor options you will not know which to decide on first.

2) Creatine:

Creatine was all the trend within the Nineties as a latest muscle-building complement. Now, it’s one of the researched sports supplements in existence.

Creatine helps your muscles produce more energy, allowing you to push harder during training. It also draws more water into your muscles, promoting hydration and contributing to increased muscle size and strength. Take a look at our round-up of the 8 Best Creatine Supplements to seek out your perfect fit!

My personal favorite is Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Monohydrate, which is top of the range at a reasonable price.

3) Caffeine: 

Unfortunately for guys like Dorian, not many pre-workout and energy drinks were available within the Nineties. That said, downing a cup of coffee or a number of espresso shots for caffeine before hitting the gym was common. Nowadays, he would probably mix up a pre-workout complement.

Caffeine before lifting weights is useful since it boosts alertness, reduces perceived effort, and increases the discharge of adrenaline, helping you are feeling more energized and capable during your workout². Any one in every of these 14 Best Pre Workout Supplements will you provide you with a lift, but when you want a selected advice, I like the blue raspberry NutraBio Pe-Workout.

4) Carbohydrates: 

Within the 90s, nutrient timing was a “leading edge” dietary strategy—a part of the protocol involved having fast-acting carbs mixed with protein immediately following your workout. Research has since shown that post-workout carbs are unnecessary³.

Nevertheless, getting in some easy, easy-to-digest carbs after training helped Dorian increase his calorie intake to take care of a 260+ pound frame. If you must mess around with carbs, try our Carb Cycling Meal Plan.

How You Can Train and Eat Like Dorian Yates

Training and eating like Dorian Yates requires a virtually around-the-clock dedication to bodybuilding. That said, the next five suggestions are things all of us can learn from The Shadow to take our training and nutrition to the subsequent level.  

1) Do One Primary Set For Each Exercise:

The fantastic thing about training with maximum intensity is that you simply haven’t got to pace yourself throughout the workout. A lower volume approach permits you to get out and in of the gym quicker without sacrificing results. Nevertheless, to make high-intensity training work, you need to push the one set per exercise as hard as possible. Do a few warm-up sets after which do one working set to all-out failure or beyond. 

2) Go Beyond Failure with Intensity Techniques:

When you get a handle on hard training, you’ll be able to incorporate intensity techniques to increase the set beyond failure. In Dorian Yates workout, he liked to make use of drop sets, rest-pause reps, negative reps, forced reps, and partial reps within the stretched position to maximise muscle growth.

3) Control The Weight (On the positive and negative):

Achieving optimal muscle growth involves a fragile balance between intensity and muscle mass technical complexity in training, emphasizing the necessity for each difficult workouts and a nuanced understanding of exercise mechanics. Going hard is great, but it’s worthwhile to use good technique, too.

In a quest to lift heavier weights, it’s normal for people to hurry up the tempo, especially on the negative a part of the lift. Yates believed in using good form, a full range of motion, and controlling the rep fully on each the positive and negative. Don’t rush the set. Take your time and keep maximum tension on the muscle.

Moreover, Dorian would often pause for a second within the contracted position on back training. 

4) All the time Aim to Beat The Logbook:

Probably the greatest things you’ll be able to do is write down your workouts in a training journal. Dorian was famous for doing this. Doing so has multiple advantages.

One, it helps you stay organized during your training. Two, and more importantly, you’ll be able to return and see what you’ve done previously, so you already know what to aim for next time. The best solution to construct in progressive overload is to lift heavier weights over time. You do not at all times should beat your training diary, however the intent should at all times be there. 

5) Eat Primarily “Bro” Foods:

Dorian was a no-nonsense form of guy, so it is sensible his nutrition plan featured mostly basic bodybuilding foods.

Yes, you’ll be able to get away with having a number of treats every now and then, but when you are serious about your results, construct your food plan around chicken, beef, protein powder, oatmeal, rice, potatoes, fruit, and vegetables. Our round-up of Best Foods For Muscles is a terrific place to work out what to begin eating.

Dorian Yates Workout FAQs

Listed below are a number of answers to common questions on Dorian Yates and his workout program.

How long is a Dorian Yates workout?

A Dorian Yates workout typically lasts 45-60 minutes. 

How persistently did Dorian Yates win Mr. Olympia?

Dorian Yates won the Mr. Olympia 6 times. 

Did Dorian Yates do flat bench press? 

Dorian rarely did the flat bench press. As a substitute, he preferred the incline barbell bench press. 

How often did Dorian Yates train?

Yates trained 4 days per week. It was a lower training frequency than most bodybuilders, but when training for muscular failure, you would like more recovery in between hitting body parts.

What age did Dorian Yates start training? 

Dorian began training at 18 years old.

The Dorian Yates Workout and Food plan Plan: Key Takeaways 

In the game of bodybuilding, Dorian is a legend. Even 25 years after his last Mr. Olympia, Dorian’s training principles are as relevant as ever. As the subsequent generation of lifters dig deep for a real understanding of coaching, it’s only a matter of time before they stumble across The Shadow. 

High-intensity training just isn’t for the faint of heart. In the event you think getting just a little pump and hanging with the boys is a great workout, this won’t be your cup of tea. Nevertheless, if you must push yourself to the limit, a Yates-inspired workout is the solution to go. 

In search of more great bodybuilder routines? Take a look at the Ronnie Coleman Workout Split and the Chris Bumstead Workout Routine.

Images courtesy of Dorian Yates’ Instagram

Disclaimer: This post, specializing in Dorian Yates’ workout and food plan, is derived from our detailed research and offers a general overview, not our direct opinion. We’ve no affiliation with or endorsement from Dorian Yates.

References:

1. Gomes, G. K., Franco, C. M., Nunes, P. R. P., & Orsatti, F. L. (2019). High-Frequency Resistance Training Is Not More Effective Than Low-Frequency Resistance Training in Increasing Muscle Mass and Strength in Well-Trained Men. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 33 Suppl 1. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002559
2. Guest, N.S., VanDusseldorp, T.A., Nelson, M.T. et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18, 1 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4
3. Aragon, A. A., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2013). Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window?. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-5.