I’m a 60-year-old bodybuilder known for my massive size – people say I’m a legend but there’s a dark side to the sport
A LEGENDARY bodybuilder has opened up about the hardships of the sport and the toll it took on his body.
Dorian Yates, 60, spent over 40 years pushing his body to the extremes and now admits that his career-ending injuries were caused by the “intensity, stress and overload” of his training.
The six-time Mr Olympia was a legend in the bodybuilding world and now regularly helps to coach his fans and offer tips and advice for high intensity workouts.
Looking back on his long career in the extreme sport, Yates revealed that he spent most of his time committed to a gruelling routine and a strict diet.
On Jay Vincent’s YouTube channel, he said: “I logged everything.”
“All the data was written down and analysed…every calorie, diet, supplement or steroid.”
There was, he said, an “intensity, stress, overload” to his training and if he could go back he would “have given myself more rest”.
The British bodybuilding star scooped six consecutive Mr. Olympia titles in a streak between 1992 and 1997.
Yates has competed alongside all the biggest titans in the sport including Ronnie Coleman and Flex Wheeler, and is often hailed as one of the biggest stars of the golden era.
He was the focus of the 2019 documentary The Original Mass Monster.
However, it wasn’t all rosy and the veteran bodybuilder is clear about how taxing the career was.
“I trained all out for about six to eight weeks and then I would get symptoms of over-training…I don’t believe I did the down cycle properly and gave my body enough rest that it required over the years.”
The result of this “over-training” he believes resulted in most of the injuries he suffers from now.
“Most of the injuries didn’t occur in that moment, but they are an accumulation of scar tissue and little things that are going on for a long time, inflammation and so on, that was not addressed and given enough rest.”
Yates also has other regrets about his time spent competing and winning world championships.
“I could have enjoyed the process a bit more,” he addmitted. “I was so tunnel-visioned about the whole thing. I could have had a bit more fun a long the way.
“But that’s what got me through to be the best in the world.”
Talking about his life now, Yates revealed that he has “different goals now”.
His lifestyle is very different from what it used to be – he focuses more on spiritual health and fitness and taking care of his body.
His fans clearly still admire the bodybuilding legend and his candour throughout the interview.
One wrote: “Dorian was my favourite bodybuilder growing up! cheers from Brazil”.
“Dorian has a quiet charisma, I really enjoy hearing him speak,” another said.
“I have watched every interview he’s done over the years, attended his film premiere in London, met him etc. This was by far the best conversation I have heard someone have with Dorian,” a third wrote.