Out of the Shadow - Dorian Yates Answers Your Question
Out of the Shadow - Dorian Yates Answers Your Questions
First of all, Mr. Yates, I want to say that I’m a big fan of yours and I read all your articles in MD! I’ve been training for more than three years now. I started when I was 16 at 130 pounds, and now at 20 I’m around 185 pounds at 181 centimeters [5’11”]. I tried all kinds of training programs, and I had the best results with the low volume-type of training. Lately, I changed to the 1 working set routine— which I saw in your training video series, “Dorian Yates Blood and Guts 6 Week Training”— and I had some good results with it. Is it OK for an intermediate bodybuilder like me to use that kind of training, or should I do 2 working sets per exercise?
The only reason to do a second set would be if you don’t feel you did a proper job on the first go-round. If that happens consistently, either you aren’t warming-up enough or you aren’t concentrating on making the most of that set and putting out maximum effort. But there does seem to be a misconception with my style of training that the 1 working set is only for advanced trainers. Not so.
As a fellow Brit, I’ve been a huge fan ever since you took second at the 1990 Night of Champions. It was great to finally meet you at the 2010 Mr. Olympia. You even sat in the plane seat in front of me on the flight out from Heathrow! What was your biggest regret about your bodybuilding career?
I really don’t like to think in those terms. The whole experience of my career as a pro bodybuilder and being Mr. Olympia for six years was amazing. Of course, I would have preferred not to have had any injuries. But I achieved a lot and I feel very grateful to have done so. People assume I wish I could have kept winning for a few more years and that’s my big regret. But really, by my last year in 1997, it was all starting to feel more like a job rather than something I simply loved to do. The passion I had felt in the early years for training and competing was beginning to ebb. In the years I was competing, I had tunnel vision. Bodybuilding was an all-or-nothing proposition for me, and I did give it my all. But I never thought about having to win a specific number of Mr. Olympia titles. I just wanted to keep winning as long as I could. And when it was over, I walked away with no regrets and ready to move on to other things in life.
I’m 14 years old and train very hard. My dream is to become Mr. Olympia. Can you give me some advice?
Well, I think at your age you shouldn’t think too much about competition of any level yet, much less the Mr. Olympia. Concentrate on learning the basic lifts, getting enough regular food with a protein shake a couple of times a day, and sleeping at least eight hours every night. Don’t forget you have plenty of time on your side, so don’t try and rush anything. And don’t forget about all the other stuff like school and family! Good luck to you. Maybe we’ll see you on the Olympia stage in 10 years time!
Mr. Yates, what types of movements would you recommend for training my shoulders and chest, given my situation? Here is my problem. I am 44 years old and have recently been to an orthopedic surgeon for extreme shoulder pain. After testing, he said I have no cartilage left in my left shoulder, and I need to have total joint replacement. I am on Celebrex for the pain and it helps immensely, but I still cannot do any pressing movements whatsoever. I have limited range of motion and can’t even do squats because I cannot rotate my arm back far enough to grab the bar to stabilize it. I do not want to have the replacement surgery, so what types of movements will still allow me to hit my chest and shoulders in place of pressing movements? Thank you.
I have had shoulder problems and surgery as well, although my problem was different (torn supraspinatus, a/c joint repair). I would recommend taking a joint complex including glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM to help with repair and inflammation. I would also work on range of motion stretches, light rotator cuff movements, and possibly cable flyes if they are pain free. But in the end, if you have no cartilage remaining, your best option is probably to have the joint replaced. I know it’s not something you want to do, but it might be the only way you’ll ever be able to do pressing movements again. Isolation movements for the chest and shoulders do have their place, but you’ll never really be able to build significant mass without pressing.
How low would you go on carbs in your contest diets before you became a pro? You always displayed such amazing condition, unbeatable— you were master of yourself and I truly admire that. What advice can you give me? About how many grams of carbs is optimal for the last eight weeks before the show? I’m 230 pounds and 8 percent body fat.
Carb intake and overall caloric intake is an individual thing. I didn’t ever go too much below 300/350 grams of carbs per day, even in the early days when I was competing at about 220-225. During my Mr. O period I was eating a minimum of 400 grams a day, but then again I was carrying far more lean muscle tissue by then. To lose fat you must be in a negative caloric balance, bottom line. If your weight/fat loss has stalled, then I suggest lowering your carbs by 100/150 grams per day and increasing your caloric output by doing 45-60 minutes per day of low-intensity cardio. See how that works after a week or two, and make adjustments up or down as needed. Good luck!