🏋️ Try Dorian Yates HIT workout on my favorite FREE lifting app: bit.ly/dorianworkout (use code IRON when you sign up to support the channel)
Many people play the game, some go on to win it, but very few completely change it.
The six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates unleashed a ruthless domination from 1992 to 1997, and ushered in what we know now as the mass monster era that still influences the sport to this very day. The moment he stepped on the 1992 Olympia stage, bodybuilding was transformed once and for all.
Nicknamed ‘The Shadow’, Dorian maintained a low profile in England each year before emerging on stage in the United States looking bigger and leaner than ever. With a combination of size and conditioning that were never seen before, he left competitors fighting for second place for six years. But his domination wasn’t without controversy. It seemed like no one could take him down even when competed with a torn bicep and a severed tricep.
Going from a small gang in the streets of England, being jailed, and almost becoming homeless, to becoming the man who single-handedly changed the trajectory of bodybuilding forever, this is the story of the original mass monster.
Dorian Yates started working out in 1983 at Martin's Gym, the original bodybuilding gym located in Temple Row, Birmingham. During this time he won the 1984 Mr. Birmingham as a novice and in 1986 became the British Champion at Heavyweight for the first time.
His professional record consists of 15 major contest wins and two second-place finishes; from 1992 to his retirement in 1997 he won every single contest he entered. His career ended in large part due to chronic acute injuries, including torn biceps and triceps, the latter just three weeks prior to his final contest, the 1997 Mr. Olympia, which he won in spite of the injury; his win generated controversy among fellow athletes, critics, and amateurs, who thought the runner-up Nasser El Sonbaty deserved to win. He is one of only four men to retire as Mr. Olympia and the last to do so.
Yates was a proponent of Arthur Jones and Mike Mentzer's high-intensity training (HIT) style of bodybuilding, which poses that maximum muscle stimulation can be reached through short and intense workout sessions instead of long and slow ones. He said, “If you feel you can attempt a second set, then you couldn’t have been pulling out all the stops during the first set.” Examples of his biggest lifts include 435-pound underhand barbell rows for 6-8 reps, 425-incline presses for 6-10 reps, and 595-pound barbell shrugs for 10-12 reps. He earned the nickname "The Shadow" coined by Peter McGough for his tendency to unexpectedly appear at major bodybuilding contests and steal the win, having neither confirmed nor denied whether he would compete beforehand, and for spending most of his time between contests avoiding the public eye.
Yates is considered to be the first of the "mass monsters" in bodybuilding. He combined his enormous muscle mass along with peak conditioning, quoted as being "granite hardness". He believes that his injuries are due to his habit of maintaining an extreme level of training intensity all year long, even when approaching contests, while being on a severely restricted "cutting" diet which weakens the body overall.
@DorianYatesNutrition
00:00 - Prologue
00:51 - The Original Mass Monster
02:01 - Tragic Childhood
04:24 - Early ambitions
06:36 - British Champ
07:31 - Going Pro
09:11 - 1991 Mr. Olympia
13:53 - Blood & Guts
16:58 - 1992 Mr. Olympia
19:22 - The Gamechanger
21:49 - 1993 Mr. Olympia
25:10 - 1994 Mr. Olympia
29:27 - The Shadow
32:24 - 1995 Mr. Olympia
35:15 - 1996 Mr. Olympia
37:00 - 1996 German Grand Prix
37:23 - A Career Ending Injury
41:24 - 1997 Mr. Olympia
43:52 - Forced Retirement
Do you think Dorian was the rightful winner for the 1997 Mr. Olympia or did Nasser get robbed?
dorian the one
Nasser did win the 1997 Mr Olympia he did in everybodys eyes but not on paper
As great as Dorian was in 97 he shouldn’t have won
i love Dorian, but Nasser was robbed
Dorian & Mentzer are my bodybuilding idols, but Nasser was robbed.
Nasser being disqualified for drug test is like "fuck this guy in particular"
One of my new favorite KZhead channels. The only issue is…. I have no more videos of yours to watch 😂
That means a lot to me! Thank you so much for the amazing support! 🙏
I’ve watched them several times :)
Downside of finding a good creator early lol
Same 😂
@@Iron.HistorianThat only means one thing....... MORE WORK!......LOL
Everyone talks about Yates bringing on the mass monster era . But Dorian also brought on the conditioning era . He was always harder than everyone else on the stage, including guys 80 and 90 pounds lighter than him.
🤨
so you never saw Frank Zane or mass and conditioning Lee Haney
@@knightveg Dorian was much harder then them both
@@josephohrablo4866what you mean the bubble gut the growth hormone insulin turning the lifestyle into crackheads and junkies Then yes Dorian Yates had the start of the best unhealthy bodybuilding body
@@knightvegCompare pictures of Yates and Zane. Or even Haney. There‘s an whole different level of conditioning. You can see like grains on Yates skin. Before him, there was nobody like that. Or even with that mass.
Pls make one about Levrone , i would watch it 20 times over and over again😂
Same here
YES!!!
Yes please!
yes, agreed!!
Iron Historian with another banger. Cant wait to watch this one.
Thanks a lot bro! Hope you enjoy it! ❤️
Amazing channel
I CAN FINALLY WATCH SOMETHING WHILE I EAT🔥
Enjoy your meal!
I thought exactly the same
@@Snoooxe And I'm doing the same too... haha
Same
God, I hope this channel blows up. Quickly becoming a favorite!
Thank you for the support! Surely we’ll get there one day ❤️
@@Iron.Historian Great content btw you got a new sub PLEASE do a video on the legendary Titan himself that is Mike O'Hearn :D
@@SJ_1990 the king of the natties 😂
literally my favorite channel so far, i gain so much knowledge and the narration and editing is so well done, this is like a movie man, cant wait for the next video
I appreciate this so much! Thank you and I hope I can always improve and provide better stuff for you guys ❤️
I believe the narrator is artificial intelligence. It’s not a human speaking , I may be wrong but I know a lot of creators use AI
@@Macho_Fagito no AI is used in any part of the narration 😄
@@Iron.Historian no offense to you, I love your content and subscribed today . I unfortunately will continue to be skeptical .
@@Macho_Fagito that’s absolutely fine I’d say if it was AI, it’s not like it’s illegal or anything 😂 either way I’m glad you enjoy the content and good stuff coming up as usual 💪
Insane how you only have 4k subs, it’s crazy to think I subbed at less than 500. Keep it up and you’ll have 100s of thousands. This is professional, TV feature level content.
Thank you so much! I see you're one of the true OG's, I really appreciate the support 🙏
Agreed.
Content of this quality deserves way more than 4k subs
Thank you! I’m sure with all this great support of yours we’ll go much further 🙏
He recently started his channel - give it some time.
Your channel is going to explode bro…you deserve every success…thank you for the amazing content ❤
Thank you so much for the support!! 🙏
Excellent video. Thank you!👍👍 Jason Genova documentary coming next?
I admired Dorian's approach to bodybuilding back then, but as a young chap back in 1994, when I saw pictures of him in the Olympia contest, I basically turned my back on the "sport" for a decade. I never gave up training though, simply looked elsewhere for inspiration and motivation. He's interesting to listen to of course. I'm happy they have classic physique these days. Excellent documentary, thanks for sharing.
I love your use of the word sport in quotations. It’s a pageant.
I hear you. I started bodybuilding in 1992 and the posters on my wall were Arnold, Tom Platz and Lee Haney. I don’t think anyone surpassed Arnold though I thought Flex was incredible!
Me too, I saw a poster of Yates in 1996 in a Hamburg gym and was turned off immediately. Aesthetics gone, Haney gone.
Great video. I just stumbled on to your channel an hour, or so ago and I've watched them all. Glad I found it so early, can't wait to see what you'll have in the future. Good stuff.
Thank you! I’m very glad you enjoyed them. Great things coming down the line!
Man, sometimes the algorithm really works like a miracle. You certainly deserve way more attention. Very well put together, gotta check out your others tuff as soon as I find the time...
I'm always looking out for new uploads I love the way you explain bodybuilding history
Thank you so much for watching! 🙏
your videos are absolutely documentary quality i’m so lucky to have found you by your first video im obsessed keep up the stunning work
Thank you! You’re one of the true OG’s then ❤️
These videos are great, keep up the good work!
Thank you for watching!
Steve Weinberger did admit in an interview that giving Nasser the title at the time was risky because of the language barrier. Also, Dorian was more marketable. In my opinion, the Olympia used to go to the best overall guy in terms of not only physique, but also charisma. The current Olympia has ditched all that and gone back to being judged purely for physique as language issue is no longer a problem since the advent of translation apps.
Just found this channel and subbed. Much love from 🇬🇧
The suppression of emotion, what he had to do to cope with his father’s and step-father’s death…that’s the advantage he had over EVERYONE else. No one else could suck it up and do what it really took to make that kind of progress. Every father gives a special gift to their son, whether it seems to make sense in the moment or not, it becomes clear over time.
Bro all the work you are putting in now is gonna pay off, content of this quality there’s no way you won’t be 100k subs by the end of the year, keep it up bro 👊
Thank you! I like the sound of that 😂
Excellent piece of work...i subbed and can't wait to see more. I've been bodybuilding for 30 years and I enjoy watching and still learning to this very day. Great job
Thank you 🙏 More good stuff coming!
Yes bro, been waiting for this to drop. Great bodybuilding content mate 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Thanks a lot! Enjoy it buddy ❤️
Dude, your voice is awesome! (presuming it is your voice) You sound very similar to Liev Schreiber, who does the voiceovers for HBO Sports and NFL Films too I believe
Were there controversies? Yes. Did he receive at least one undeserved Olympic title? Yes. But is he one of the greatest champions the sport has seen? Yes. I don't agree with a lot of things Dorian says, but I still have immense respect for this man.
Totally agree.
what kinda things do you disagree with?
@@florkiler6242 I disagree with his high intensity training. He kind of exaggerates. His warm-up set should really be counted. He says he does just one set but really he does 5 to 6.
@@daytonasayswhat9333look at my biceps. It was transformed from nothing to big as motherf*** shit for only 9 MONTHS of intense training (165lbs, 5ft9)
@@daytonasayswhat9333from NOTHING to gorilla. And yes. HIT is everything in order to build muscle, do not fucking contradict me because my physic is below average.
This channel is phenomenal, keep at it PLEASE I NEED MOREEE VIDEOS 🙏🏽 (looking forward to like a arnold, levrone, platz, and so much more)
Thank you!! 🙏 will absolutely be covering them along the way!
@@Iron.Historian Looking forward to it but remember. Your making art from these videos and art takes time. So take your time 🙏🏽🫶🏼
Absolutely love your videos man, well structured and paced and most importantly VERY entertaining. You deserve every single sub you gain👌💪
Thank you so much 🙏
17:31 “…weighing roughly 260 lbs…” Dorian was 242 on the nose at the ‘92 Olympia. He over-dieted and intentionally came in flat to enhance his conditioning as he saw his greatest competition coming from Vince Taylor and Sonny Schmidt. In ‘93 his prep was almost identical except he kept the calories higher going into final prep. He realized after looking at photos from his 92 O prep that while he lost weight in the final 6-8 weeks, his conditioning didn’t improve that much. As a result, he hit the stage at the 1993 Olympia at 257 SOLID ass pounds. That’s the year the Kevin Horton black and white pics hit the December issue of Flex Magazine. I still have the one I bought 31 years ago!
Not Sonny Schmidt but Lee Labrada who had done well for himself around those years (placed 2nd 1989-1990, then 4th in 1991)
What a difference a year makes...
Dude, you gotta make a patreon or channel membership, becaus this videos are awesome. They are life saving during cardio! I'd pay to see more of these videos!
Thank you for the suggestion! That's a great idea that I have had on my mind, I will surely work on setting something up, I just want to make sure I can offer great value, so I will definitely make an announcement whenever I start something like that. Thank you again for your support!
Jesus, your channel is criminally underrated 💀 the quality is 🤌🏻 chef's kiss, people dont know what they're missing out on
Thank you so much! 🙏
It’s new. Building a base takes time. Not everything is “underrated” all the time.
@@daytonasayswhat9333 seriously..? Shush it, if you dont have anything constructive to say 🙄
@@kristelbrok998 yes, seriously.
Hell yeah! love the uploads man
Thank you! Will keep 'em coming!
This video is a worldclass production ffs. I have a feeling this channel is gonna see some nice growth in the near future
Thank you! 🙏 really hoping so 🤞
Flex said he got attacked by ninjas 😂
Definitely keep making these documentaries, I love them 💪🏻
Thank you 🙏 Will do for sure!
3 Video's in and already putting out nothing but great content! Keep up the good things buddy! 🙏💥💪
Thank you! Will do 💪
This was a really great career retrospective for Dorian. Well done! As for how “deserving” Dorian may or may not have been, pictures don’t do him justice. Anyone that sat in the audience (I was in Atlanta in 1994 & 1995) can attest to his dominance. 1997 was his only truly questionable win.
MIKE Mentzer played huge role in Dorians transfomation, HIT workout and heavy duty rest more days for growth
Mike doesn’t get enough credit, or Arthur Jones. Dorian isn’t as intelligent as either of them Men, But he had the ability to Go balls to the wall in training. And to other pro bodybuilders seems like a genius 🤣
Fantastic quality. Thanks for putting all this work into your channel man. I hope you hit 1M subs.
Thanks a lot 🙏
You keep making videos like this your channel definitely is going to grow. Keep them coming!
Thanks for watching!
I agree with Arnold Dorian stomach was to big,even back in the day ,my partner at the time, said Dorian looks fat and muscluar. Flex Wheeler had the best body, even Ronnie Coleman said Flex's body is better than mine.
a lil fat is good
Politics my friend!!!
theres always someone eager to discount the achievements of others. sad
Flex was a class above ! Dorian’s biceps for me were just nowhere near ! In 95 and 96 Dorian looked almost scrawny in the chest and arms
The mass monsters turned things toxic, excessive growth hormones became a necessity to get even into the same ball park. Aesthetics out the window. Distended stomachs from the growth hormones increasing the size of all their internal organs.
I feel Dorian’s training partner Leroy needs more credit with Dorian’s success . that guy can make anyone lift more
Honestly he is sooo motivating
no he doesn't, Dorian was already a 3 time Mr. Olympia and changed the sport before Leroy was his training partner. They "only" partnered up in 1994. It's Kenny Brown who should receive more credit, he was Dorian's training partner when Dorian didn't even have a pro card yet all the way up to 1994
Excited for a new video!! You're killing it dude.
Thank you! I remember you asked for a Jay Cutler video it’s coming up next 😁
@@Iron.Historian that's awesome thanks for remembering the request. I look forward to the cutler video !!
Tbh this channel is so good . I really love your content . You are so underrated but the future is bright . Good luck
Thanks a lot 🙏
Nasser was a synthol user to balance out his physique. His back was poor compared to Dorian, even in 97 when Dorian was at his worst due to injuries. He was still conditioned and hard as well as more complete in the mandatory poses compared to all the rest. Nasser at his best, was not enough to beat Dorian at his worst!!!
If you want to be “The Man,” you have to beat “The Man.” You can’t be in a draw with “The Man.” Nasser looked great, but didn’t beat Yates.
I'm baffled how this channel has released 3 full documentaries & only jas 4k subscribers. These videos are awesome!! I'd like to see one on Tom Platz, truly inspiring story!
Thank you! Tom Platz video is absolutely inevitable, I've got to have him shouting on my headphones everyday at the gym!
Looking forward to this, thanks bro you will get a lot more subscribers at this rate
Gold for a New channel 💪🏻
Arnold asking for drug tests 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅
Absolute grifter, loved him until he cheated on his wife, gave self righteous speeches for imprisoning people for steroids and then once people wised up "oh I used them but just to maintain condition" Great physique but he's just an absolute rat
Your videos are great keep it up watched them all and I wasn’t bored at any minute
Thank you!! I'm very glad you enjoyed them 🙏
Incredible quality documentaries, you deserve a million subs surely! Honestly, I'm really enjoying your content, quality editing, and lots of facts that I don't already know :)
Thank you so much!🙏❤️
He was inspired from Mike Mentzer’s HIT training
The last balls to the wall bodybuilder.
Another Iron Historian classic
Glad you enjoyed!
these videos are so fucking amazing man I can't wait for the next one
This is the best bodybuilding channel From the best years ! Thank you 🙏🏼
Thank you for watching! 🙏
Taking nothing away from hardworking Dorian but he didnt deserve to win post 1993 !!! Also personally for me mass monster movement ruined bodybuilding !
He didn't have a role model so he became one.
A bit like my own good self
Well said
Your documentaries are so amazing! I just binge watched all of them even though I didn't really want to 🤣 I could watch you cover anything, it's the fast pacing and only taking the best quality rare clips that normies wouldn't find.
Thank you so much 🙏 more good stuff on the way!
thank you, gonna binge this and some of your content today :)
Thank you! Me and the KZhead algorithm will love you for this 😂
I'm barely through the intro and I already wanna go smash some weights!
I had a constant pump making this intro haha
Thats the power of Doriyan F ing YATES
I love Dorian but Nasser got ROBBED
Nasser showed up AS big,AS conditioned as Dorian… But you have to TOPPLE the Champ,not just hang with him.
@@elitecombatfitnesscentral6170 I believe Dorian had a torn tricep and two torn bicepts
100%
Yup.
Great channel dude, awesome videos! I rarely leave comments but you damn well deserve it!
Thank you so much! 🙏
this is beautifully crafted. keep it up!
Thank you! surely will 🙏
What's controversial about him?
The algorithm demands controversy!
It’s clickbait
Literally Half of his Olympia wins were pretty much a gift💀in 94 he had too many flaws and got beat in most of the mandatory poses by the top3, 96 and 97 Nasser was just as big n conditioned while also being more aesthetic and complete
I respect all of the bodybuilders and their hardwork but God damn mass monster killed what bodybuilding's about
Respectfully disagree. The reason why so many young guys first pick up a weight is to build big strong muscles. All things being equal but one guy is huge...... why shouldnt he be the winner of its a bodyBUILDING competition?
Strongly disagree with your statement, Yates had mass and unrivalled conditioning he had both where the so called mass monsters only have mass and terrible condition
Things can't stand still or go backwards
I feel like the stomach is all that bothers me but besides that big is super cool
Yates conditioning Is equally as impressive as his size. He has nothing to do with the blobs competing today. That's points more towards Ronnie Coleman, at the end he was winning with a physique that wasn't at all balanced, bubble gut and everything else. Dorian was never unbalanced and always came with top tier conditioning.
This was really well put together. Subscribed.
Thank you 🙏
we want one for levrone!!! great video btw
Yates was really good,big as hell but he isn't as great as his fans make him out to be. His popularity was so high that he won with one arm. That's something that should have never been allowed to happen. Even to this day, Yates can do no wrong in the eyes of his fans. He shouldn't have won two or three of his Mr Olympia titles. It wasn't supposed to just be about being huge as possible. it used to be about having size plus the best balanced body possible. He isn't just the one that turned it into the mass monster but also the god father of the big belly also. I like Yates but he was more dominant in popularity than he was as a bodybuilder
The thing is, no one could beat him in the mandatories overall. Sure he had some bad body parts but when it comes to the mandatories, Yates beats everyone. Fls, rls, bdb, , side tri….that’s 4/7 poses Yates will just about always win. Game over….and that’s not even taking into account his great ab n thigh
@@Jsizzle6809 no Yates doesn't be everyone,not even close
"That's something that should have never been allowed to happen" says who? not the judges, not the IFBB or any other bb-ing federation. Are you really making up rules and simply going with it, trying to shove it down our throats as a fact? Dorian could have afforded a bicep tear, simply because he was too good elsewhere than anyone else on that stage and the biceps are one of the smallest body parts. Explain to me how a torn, unflexed body part plays any role in the front lat spread? back lat spread?? side tricep? abs and thighs? It plays a role in the back double but even with no arms his back was enough to mop the floor with anybody who he competed against. This clearly isn't about Yates nor his fans but you not understanding bb-ing as it is. You are trying to sell us YOUR version of bb-ing and how you see it. Well guess what; it's not like that.
and Yates is easily a top 3 bber of all time according to most people who are versed in bb-ing as well as past and current competitors " It wasn't supposed to just be about being huge as possible" how about biggest + most conditioned + widest ? You are making it seem like Dorian was 10% body fat on stage with a turtle shell of a gut like Ronnie or Kai had. At worst he had distention that he still controlled in mandatory poses in 1997, he never had a proper gut and he was always the most conditioned man on stage.
@@user-bk5nj1qo6n who beat Yates head to head overall in the mandatories then?
Truly quality content, i know the metrics might be low but that's all for now, after about ten videos i think you'll blow up, just keep it up brother
Thanks a lot for the support! 🙏
Props on the video, it's criminal your not a bigger channel yet
Thank you! We’ll get there 😄
This was well done i gather so much knowledge through your channel i loved the one you made about Mike Mentzer that was epic
Thanks a lot! I’m very glad you enjoyed them 🙏
This was great. First time in a long time that I’ve watched a full video from beginning to end. Thank you 😊
Thank you so much for taking the time to watch this 🙏
Keep these video coming 🔥
This is amazing! So excited to see what other content you put up! Maybe we’ll see a powerlifter or strongman soon!
Thank you! If there’s enough demand for it I’ll surely explore the possibility
Wow, this is a fantastic video. Easy subscribe. Love how you've edited it so that Dorian tells almost the entire story in his own words. Really enjoyed it
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed 😄
This. Channel. Is. Brillant. 💪
Thank. You. So. Much. 😄
Thank you for the documentary. Really enjoyed it. Looking forward to more videos from you!
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed 😄
You are the best bodybuilding channel bro i love your videos ❤
This means so much to me, thank you!! ❤
Really cool channel! I’ve been working out for the past 15 years or so just to maintain good shape for sports-but I just recently became fascinated in the actual sport of weight lifting / body building. Really cool to have videos like this as I begin my journey down the rabbit hole!
Thank you for watching, and best of luck with your journey 💪
I just watched all your videos actually the best channel ever, Please keep this up and do Kevin Levrone and Tom Platz next PLSSSSSS🙏
Thanks a lot 🙏 will cover them pretty soon! 😄
As a castle vale lad I feel so proud that you started on my patch as all I’ve ever heard is negative reports about the vale. Thanks mate, love to shake your hand some day!
That was a fantastic documentary about Dorian Yates. Enjoyed every second of it and subscribed immediately. Looking forward to watch more videos from you.
Thanks a lot for watching 🙏
Man, you are so underrated. These videos are professional, and only 8K subs is redicolus it should be at least 800k.
Thank you I really appreciate the support! Maybe we’ll get there one day 😄
new favorite channel. love watching these videos. keep it up!
also, would love to see a Kevin Levrone video one day!
I really appreciate this, thanks a lot 🙏 and a Kevin video is only a matter of time since it’s very highly requested so keep an eye out.
Insane videos man, keep it up ❤
Thanks a lot 🙏
I really like how detailed your documentaries are, they introduce new information to me.. Keep up the good work. Can you do one for Kevin Levrone : )
Thank you! Will definitely be doing Kevin at one point soon 😄
That was absolutely brilliant. Thank you for making this video.
Thanks a lot for watching 🙏
Keep it up remember me when you blow up but for real great videos quality is immeasurably amazing much love
Thank you so much! We'll surely get there together!🙏
Please keep up the hard work. Life long bodybuilder here and you have a new subscriber.
Thanks a lot buddy 🙏
Quality contents...loved this channel. "May the force be with you."
please keep making these! personally i’d also be interested in documentaries about different strength sports after these bodybuilders
I’d love to explore the possibility of making content on strength athletes as well, I will keep that in mind and once we’ve built enough audience see whether the majority wants something like that.
Your videos are awesome, just got into body building and this channel is sick!
Thank you! Welcome aboard and I hope you get jacked in no time 💪
This Channel is just great! We definitely need more videos from you!! I would enjoy an episode of cbum, Jeff seid or Jeremy Buendias. Thank you and please continue with this astonishing Content!! Greetings from Austria
Thanks a lot! Will surely take all requests into consideration 😄
This is really the best content. Sooo high quality!!!’
Thank you for watching!
These documentaries are actually fantastic, please keep making more!
Thank you! Absolutely will 😄
Love this channel already ❤
Love you more 🥺 ❤️
great video. can you make one about Shawn Ray?
This documentary was the bomb! I'm so eager to train right now, amazing work
Thank you! Have a great workout 💪
Love this channel please make more!!