Dorian Yates, from Mr Olympia, sees decline in bodybuilding – 03/28/2024 – Sport

For former bodybuilder Dorian Yates, 61, becoming champion of a bodybuilding tournament and making a professional living from the practice is much easier today than it was 30 years ago.

The Englishman entered the history of bodybuilding by winning six consecutive times — between 1992 and 1997 — Mr. Olympia, the sport’s main competition, and also by inaugurating the era that became known as “mass monster”, of athletes with gigantic biotypes, far above the standard physical size that prevailed until then.

Currently, there are several categories in which it is possible to specialize in order to stand out in the sport, whereas in the 1990s there was only one category, argues Yates. There is also much more content available on the internet, with trainers and nutritionists disseminating good practices through social media to anyone interested in learning more about the topic.

According to the Brit, competitors “no longer say ‘I’m going to compete, I’m going to win Mr. Olympia'”. “They say ‘we’re going to compete’. What’s this bullshit, man? It’s an individual sport. To me, that’s the beauty of it,” Yates said in a video interview with Sheet.

“Today there are more related businesses, more people making money. Before, Mr. Olympia was the absolute pinnacle of the sport. Today I don’t think it is.”

Retired from professional bodybuilding due to a series of injuries linked to high-intensity training, Yates also draws attention to the side effects that the use of steroids can bring to practitioners, especially women.

“It’s very powerful to have male hormones in a woman’s brain, because it makes you feel different, more powerful, more assertive, stronger. But, when you stop, it’s the opposite”, warns the Englishman, who has been married since 2009 to Brazilian bodybuilder Gal Ferreira Yates.

What is your assessment of bodybuilding currently practiced? Compared to when I worked, the industry is much bigger and broader today. When I competed, there was only one category in bodybuilding. Now there are many categories, there are more people competing, more people going to the gym. But it’s different because it’s not purely bodybuilding. If it were, in the past it was superior.

Why? Because there are so many options now. If you wanted to make a living and be a professional, you had to participate in competitions, win prizes, appear in magazines and get sponsorships. Now there are a lot of people who have never competed, making money from network appearances, promoting themselves. It’s a different scenario.

Is it easier to be a bodybuilder today? There is more information about training, about steroids. You can go on the internet and find everything. Before, I had to go to the library or bookstore to buy a book about nutrition, about training, and learn on my own. I think it was more difficult. But when things are harder, the reward is greater.

Isn’t this a positive development that has been occurring in the sport? Some things are good, others are bad. More people are going to the gym, especially women. That is good. But the pinnacle of bodybuilding is diluted. Now it’s very easy to be a professional, to get a license. In my time, it was very difficult to be a professional. It was more valuable. Today there are more related businesses, more people making money. Before, Mr. Olympia was the absolute pinnacle of the sport. Today I don’t think so.

What drew you to bodybuilding in the 1980s? I have always been interested in fitness and challenging myself physically. And, when I practiced, it was completely individual, there were no coaches or nutritionists. I was my own trainer, my own nutritionist, my own psychologist. So what attracted me to bodybuilding is that it was a completely individual pursuit. Not now, people have trainers, nutritionists. And they no longer say ‘I’m going to compete, I’m going to win Mr. Olympia’. They say ‘we’re going to compete’. What bullshit is this, man? It’s an individual sport. And for me, that’s the beauty. If I win or lose, it will be me, 100%.

What was your diet and workout routine like? My training was high intensity, but I was never in the gym for more than an hour. And I generally didn’t train more than four times a week. I trained a lot less than most people, but I trained very precisely and intensely. The rest of the work is outside the gym, with a high-protein diet. And as he got bigger, he ate up to 7,000 calories a day, with six meals a day, seven days a week.

Is steroid use necessary to excel in sport? There has never been a Mr. Olympia winner who didn’t use steroids. You cannot be a professional bodybuilder without using steroids. It’s impossible.

How does VPC}e evaluate the prejudice that exists in relation to the practice due to the use of anabolic steroids? It’s annoying for me to hear people’s judgement, to hear them say ‘these guys use steroids’. Yes, so what? There hasn’t been a bodybuilding champion since 1960 who hasn’t used steroids. It’s been 64 years since then, it’s ancient history. But the current scenario is different from when I started. Steroids were only known in gyms, it was a very small world. Now everyone knows about steroids, it’s in the media, and they’re used by a lot of people, in the film industry, music industry, people who just want to look better on the beach. Many people are using steroids for recreational purposes only, but they should be careful because there are risks and side effects. We are going to see a lot of people with mental health problems, especially women.

Why might it affect women more? Because steroids are derived from male hormones. And it’s very powerful to have male hormones in a woman’s brain, because it makes you feel different, more powerful, more assertive, stronger. But when you stop, it’s the opposite, you feel terrible. Then, they start using again, and this will continue forever. You need to think carefully. I’m not telling people what to do, but they should be aware of the possibility of negative effects.

What is your assessment of bodybuilding practiced in Brazil? I was surprised by how many gyms there are in the country and how big they are. Brazil has a beach culture, it is important for people to feel good and have a beautiful body, it is part of Brazilian culture. I’m not surprised that Brazil is today perhaps the second country with the most prominent competitors, behind only the United States. The country is doing very well.