Dorian Yates built a legendary physique with high-intensity training. But the 6-time Mr. Olympia says the secret isn't just heavy weights. 

The 6-time Mr. Olympia winner, who frequently shares tips and information about his training approach on Instagram, recently emphasized that controlled reps and a full range of motion must be the foundation of every workout.

He said, “Full range of motion on every exercise if you can, at least until you get to failure. Maybe you can do some partials after that, but full range, full strength, full contraction on every exercise, I'm a believer in”.

He also advises “leave your ego at the door, lower the weight and focus on stimulating the muscle…. guarantee you’ll grow your muscles and not your ego”.

The Shadow also added, “Okay, partial reps or cheat reps at the end maybe if you haven't got a training partner to do strict force reps. It's okay to put a bit of momentum at the end”.

The Mass monster explained that once a strict form becomes hard to maintain, a little bit of momentum can be adopted to keep the set going.

Even Yates's workout partner, Paul Baxendale, revealed the secret of The Shadow’s unique workouts by sharing his pictures from 1992 to 1993 to show the massive difference.

He said, “I know some will notice differences between what I describe and what you watch in Blood and Guts DVD. This post attempts to explain how the workouts differed and why”.

Talking about his motivation, the retired bodybuilder also shared a psychological tip for better pressing.

Dorian Yates physiological tip

On December 10, 2025, the 6-time Mr. Olympia winner revealed on Instagram his spring method to enhance progress on pressing movements.

He posted, “Control the weight and use it as a tool to put maximum stress on the working muscles. Keep it tight and compact, then release with power whilst still keeping immense control.💥”.

Yates, who followed the workout principles of the late Arthur Jones and Mike Mentzer shared, “Psychological tip: on pressing movements, so if you imagine on a hack squat, leg press, or bench press, anywhere you’re pressing, when you take the weight, you visualize your muscles as a big coiled spring, like you get on a car suspension”.

According to The Shadow, as one lowers the weight, their muscle get tightened and when they push back the weight, the saved energy gets released and helps one to move with power.

He said, “It’s just a little trick in the mind that I use. Keep the weight really tight and then power out of the bottom”.

So, what training philosophy do you follow?

Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu