Every legendary bodybuilder has a personal style that stays in fans’ hearts for years. One of the most common poses among competitors is flashing a smile on stage. But during his Mr. Olympia reign, Dorian Yates was different. He never smiled under the lights, and he later revealed exactly why.

On June 20, DY Nutrition's Instagram account shared a post featuring a secret from Yates about why he stopped smiling on a bodybuilding stage.

“I do have a reputation for being real serious and never smiling, especially on stage," Yates said. "But what people have got to realize is when I'm on stage, when I'm in the gym, that's my job. And to me, you know, it is serious, I take that seriously.”

And it was simple dedication and love for bodybuilding that pushed Yates to the top of his era.

He earned 6 Mr. Olympia titles from 1992 through 1997. Famous for his low public profile, known as The Shadow, Yates revolutionized bodybuilding with his massive, mass-monster physique, supported by his intense back development and hardness.

DY Nutrition once shared another short clip in which Yates revealed that his no-nonsense, no-fun approach to working out is applicable to his friends as well.

“You know, the guys I train with, it takes them a bit of time to get in the rhythm, but they know how it's going to be. They know there's not going to be any talk. We're not even going to talk; we know what we're doing."

Yates did not only hold a rough-and-tough attitude on stage or in the gym; he also adopted a rough-and-tough workout routine, known as the blood-and-guts workout, that helped him earn the success he is enjoying today.

Dorian Yates blood and guts workout split

Unlike most of his contemporaries, Dorian Yates trained only four times a week. It was a mix between the Arnold Schwarzenegger-type high-volume workout and the Mike Mentzer-inspired high-intensity low-volume workout.

Here is Yates workout, as per Fitness Volt:

For chest and biceps:

• Incline Barbell Press
• Incline Dumbbell Flyes
• Flat Dumbbell Press
• Barbell Curls
• Pec Deck Machine.

Back:

• Barbell Rows
• Pull-ups
• Deadlifts
• Dumbbell Rows.

Shoulder and triceps:

• Seated Dumbbell Press
• Triceps Pushdowns
• Lateral Raises
• Rear Delt Flyes.

Legs:

• Leg Press or Squats
• Standing Calf Raises
• Leg curls
• Hack squats.

So, for Yates, the bodybuilding stage or the gym was his workplace, and he never allowed any form of entertainment in his work area or with his target.

What are your thoughts on this approach?

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi