Even at 63, Dorian Yates still takes the High-Intensity Training (HIT) approach he used when he won six consecutive Olympia titles. In his January 20 Instagram post, Yates explained why many bodybuilders probably don't realize they're undertraining by not taking a similar approach.

"No one has ever at the end of a session with me said: 'Can we done some more?' It’s simple, it’s effective, and it works," wrote Yates, saying those not training to failure are doing themselves a disservice.

"Send signals through intense training, then rest and recover... Yeah, it's hard work, there's no denying that. You will feel uncomfortable, you'll be in a place you've never been before, but it's worth it in my opinion," said Dorian Yates.

The former Mr. Olympia argued that people not working out till failure, and focusing on one volume, may never be able to take their muscle growth to its full potential.

"Once you've sent the signal... Ah! It's too much, I can't handle it. What can I do? It needs to do something to handle the stress in the future," he added,

Yates reiterates that following this discipline will not only build strength but also confidence, mental capacity, and resiliency.

Dorian Yates Explained Why Intensity Is Better

Yates explained that simply scaling workout volume through more reps and sets is far from ideal.

"If volume was a good thing, why arent here (at the gym) all day then? Should do five or six hours. A professional bodybuilder should be doing like a guy who works in an office does, eight hours a day," Yates argued.

While Yates is the only Mr. Olympia to exclusively follow HIT, the approach remains popular even today. Dr. Andrew Huberman also agreed with Dorian Yates' approach, during thier collaboration.

"What works best for me has been low-volume, high-intensity training. And when I say 'best', I mean getting the results of directed muscle growth and strength improvements without frying my nervous system so badly that I can’t function afterwards. After all, we have lives to live," Huberman wrote in his Instagram post.

Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi