Was it a pupil-mentor relationship?
Before Dorian Yates started seriously working out back in 1983 he researched different methods of training and was drawn toward the Heavy Duty philosophy espoused by Mike Mentzer. Heavy Duty calls for minimal sets and workouts to be done with maximum intensity. At that time most top pros worked out six times a week, sometimes twice a day, doing maybe 20 sets for major bodyparts. Yates started out only training four times a week, doing three exercises of three sets on major bodyparts. Over the years he reduced it to two main sets and after the 1992 Olympia only did one main set per exercise. In all his articles he would give Mentzer credit for establishing his core training beliefs.
In 1991 the duo met at Gold’s Gym, Venice, after Mike had been detained in hospital for some time, due to the mental gremlins that plagued him all his short life. (He died on June 9, 2001 at age 49.) He launched a personal training business out of Gold’s and with Yates emerging as a future Mr. Olympia his Heavy Duty system could not have received greater validation. The savvy Mike hitched his beliefs to Yates’ bandwagon and in truth gave the impression that he was more crucial to the Brit’s ongoing progress than he was. In a way Mike’s claims detracted from the fact that Yates success was down to his own individual effort and he was once asked why he gave Mike such free rein. He answered, “Mike’s a good guy who’s been through a lot. If it helps him I don’t mind.”
Against that scenario many came to believe that their relationship was of the mentor-pupil variety. But it was never that. Dorian planned all his routines and diets himself. He discussed aspects of training, with Mike and would use him as a sounding board but not as an advisor who directed his progress. For instance, when (after the 1992 Olympia) Dorian decided to drop from two main sets an exercise to one he ran it by Mike for his thoughts. Mike agreed, but if he hadn’t Dorian would have still dropped to one main set an exercise.
MIKE & DORIAN ARGUEThe low number of sets that marked Dorian’s workouts astounds many. On the other hand, Mike always tried to persuade Dorian to do even less: one exercise for each bodypart. Dorian resisted that advice and would do two exercises for small bodyparts and as much as six for larger ones. On a couple of trips to Gold’s, Venice, Dorian had some workouts with Mike’s involvement. In January 1993, they trained about three times and I witnessed a couple of those workouts. It was basically Mike putting Dorian through forced and negative reps and trying to persuade Dorian to do even less -- in terms of exercises -- than he did. For example during one of those workouts Mike tried to convince Dorian that he needed only one exercise, front pulldowns, for the whole back area. Dorian didn’t buy it and they went back and forth. It was pretty cool hearing Yates and Mentzer discussing/arguing training philosophies?
As far as Yates was concerned the back was made up of a series of inter-connected muscles, each area needing to be trained separately. His back routine comprised six exercises: Hammer machine pulldowns or Nautilus pullovers, Barbell rows, Hammer Strength one-arm rows, Cable rows, Hyperextensions, Deadlifts. So they would argue – Mike more animated than Dorian - but in the end it was all good-natured.
An hour after the 1993 Mr. Olympia I was sitting with Mike and Ray Mentzer and a few others in the contest hotel bar, when in walked Dorian and his then wife, Debbie, who we thought were at the banquet. Dorian, with some irritation, told us, there had been nowhere for them to sit. Mike, told the man who had that day just re-written the WTF physique book (in the process prompting Samir Bannout to state, Yates was first, second and third), “Well you know Dorian, nothing’s ever perfect.”
MIKE ON DORIANI conducted a lengthy interview with Mike Mentzer in 1994 and this is what he said about Dorian. "There has never been a bodybuilder who has reached, achieved, the absolute upper limits of his genetic potential. I didn't! In order to do so, you have to provide the body with the proper stimulus all the way through. I recently delivered a challenge to Dorian Yates. `Why don't you Dorian, now that you have this knowledge, be the one top bodybuilder to take an already heavily muscled physique and take it to the absolute stellar limits?' I believe Dorian Yates will prove to be the ultimate physique."
As regards the best bodybuilder ever he opined, “Sergio Oliva is the greatest bodybuilder in history: there is no one to date -- including Dorian -- who can hold a candle to him.”
He also told me something I have never revealed before. "Without a doubt I never reached my physical potential, but that gives me no cause for sadness. There's not a whole lot I look back on with any regret. If I made one mistake, in regard to training, it was that -- despite being the arch-advocate of lesser training I was still overtraining.”
He then paused and winked at me as he said, “I would do more in the gym than I said I did -- just for insurance."
DORIAN ON MIKEThree days after Mike Mentzer died on June 9, 2001, his brother Ray, who was suffering serious kidney issues, passed away at age 47. This is how Dorian Yates remembered them
“When I became interested in bodybuilding in the early eighties, I devoured everything that I could find in print about the sport. During this time, I became aware of Mike and Ray Mentzer and was obviously impressed with the huge dense musculature that Mike and Ray displayed. More impressive than the physiques though was the radical and logical training approach that Mike was recommending through his regular articles. Mike was a great inspiration to me during my early training days. I was lucky enough to meet Mike and Ray during one of my early visits to California, and during this time, we developed a friendship and mutual respect. I had spoken with Mike shortly before his death, so I was deeply shocked to hear of his passing.... and then the tragic news of Ray's death. I will personally remember Mike and Ray as pioneers in the sport, strong proud men who stood up for what they believed in and didn't worry about going against the grain..... I WILL MISS THEM!
Peter will be back next week and every Wednesday with a new topic looking at the world of bodybuilding like only Peter McGough can do.
