Achieving the pinnacle of success in bodybuilding requires strategy, dedication, and a solid understanding of what works best for your body. And the 6-time Mr. Olympia, Dorian Yates, was a master at this, who recently revealed the workout approach that helped him achieve the success he holds today.

On May 25, the English bodybuilder posted an old clip from one of his Mr. Olympia competitions. In the clip, he was seen flexing his physique and posing for the title.

Talking about the workout approach, Yates wrote, “1996 Mr. Olympia…. Here’s a little snippet of my routine at the Olympia that year. I believe it was my most shredded physique ever.”

It was exciting too because for the first time ever, people got to see me train from the comfort of their homes as Blood & Guts came out that year, so they could see exactly how I trained and the true effort that went into it. My fifth consecutive Olympia title was secured in dominant fashion again.”

Yates, famous for his high-intensity workout routine, released a VHS tape titled Blood and Guts in 1996. Later, in 2003, a documentary on the same topic was released, showing how, at 300 lbs, he redefined professional bodybuilding.

When the DVD came out, it seemed unbearable to watch. Before that, people only saw their favorite bodybuilders posing on stage. However, access to training methods was something new.

So, let's see what the intensity of this workout was and on which days Yates targeted which muscles.

Dorian Yates Blood and Guts exercise routine

According to Fitness Volt, Yates used to train only 4 times a week under this workout approach. Unlike his contemporaries, it was a low-frequency routine, but it was very effective for time-pressed workouts and for people who were unable to recover from more frequent exercises.

According to the article, “Where most bodybuilders do 3-5 sets per exercise and 4-6 exercises per muscle group, Dorian Yates put all his energy into far fewer sets and movements. After a couple of warm-up sets, Yates usually only did 1-2 sets per exercise.”

This was the training split Dorian Yates used at that time:

• Monday: biceps and chest
• Tuesday: back
• Wednesday: rest
• Thursday: shoulders and triceps
• Friday: legs
• Saturday and Sunday: rest.

Yates' Blood and Guts workout routine was completely opposite of what other bodybuilders were doing at that time. However, that helped him win the prestigious Mr. Olympia.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil