For bodybuilders that dream of commanding the stage, there’s often little thought given to injury as each warrior lifts the heaviest possible weight in the hopes of raising an Olympia trophy, but Dorian Yates has recently shed light on a crossover effect method that he used to stay in the game when his body gave out, and it’s an approach that is backed by science.
“During my Olympia reign, I had two major injuries which put my attendance in both contests (1994 and 1997) into serious, serious doubt,” explained Yates in a recent post shared with his 1.8 million Instagram followers. “Both injuries occurred close to the contests, and I believe were due to myself still trying to lift the same weights as in the off season when my strength levels were higher, but you just can’t do that when you’re so depleted this close to competing.”
While known for his intense approach, Yates now realizes that lowering his calories while trying to maintain the same lifting regiment was a recipe for disaster. “In my mind, I was just so focused on winning the Olympia, all my time and energy was spent on this goal, and I wanted to leave no doubt when winning,” he explained of his blinkered approach.
Injuries would provide a serious wake-up call, however.
How Dorian Yates Kept His 1994 and 1997 Mr Olympia Dreams Alive
“The initial thoughts running through my mind were just that the Olympia is over and everything I worked for this year had been for nothing,” he shared. “But I’m a very calculated person, so I did the maths and worked around the injuries to win both times!”
In fact, Yates’ commitment to working around his injuries is what kept those Olympia dreams alive. “During my rehab phase, I was training the opposite side as there is evidence that by working the non-injured side, it can help the injured side to recover faster,” he explained. Studies have shown that exercising a good limb can preserve the size of an immobilized opposing muscle while maintaining a measure of strength due to the “Crossover Effect.”
“But not just this, I needed to train for mental reasons,” wrote the legend, never willing to just sit it out while his competitors overtook him. “It helped massively with my mindset on the road to recovery, that I was still being active and doing everything I possibly could to heal.” As the history books show, thanks to his will to win, Dorian Yates lifted the Mr Olympia trophy for a total of six times. So, next time you feel like skipping a gym session, give yourself half a chance instead.
