Dorian Yates talks about why he became a mass monster and the common misconceptions about his size.
Dorian Yates is often dubbed “The Original Mass Monster.” This is because he took size to a then unheard of level. This was immediately followed by Ronnie Coleman who pushed the boundaries even further. It changed bodybuilding forever. While it’s true Dorian was massive, he often sees a misconception about what the term “mass monster” really means. In our latest GI Exclusive Vault interview, Dorian Yates explains how he could have competed at an even bigger size but chose not to.
Bigger is better. That’s the motto that has dominated bodybuilding throughout most of its history. It’s the reason that Dorian Yates pushed his size to the limits of what we have seen before in the sport. But as time has passed, people seem to be taking the wrong thing away from what truly makes legendary mass monsters so special. Even worse, some bodybuilders might be falling into the same trap.
Dorian Yates admits that he wanted to challenge the natural order of things and bring in a size of physique no one had ever seen before. That being said, he could have easily come in at an even bigger size of muscle. Ultimately, he chose not to. The reason? He wanted to not only be the biggest, he also wanted to be the most conditioned competitor of the biggest on stage.
In our extended interview from the cutting room floor of Ronnie Coleman: The King, Dorian Yates explains how he would be contest ready as far as six weeks out from a competition. He would then focus the last six weeks into cutting as much weight as possible. This was to bring himself to a near-perfect level of conditioning.
During this phase, he tried to keep as much muscle size as possible. But he also knew that he would lose size. He was okay with that. He accepted that fact. He knew in the end that it was not worth sacrificing conditioning for bigger size.
Fast forward to today and you don’t see that same kind of narrative. At least not with a large portion of the mass monsters on stage today. Big Ramy is a bodybuilder who has always struggled with his conditioning. Is this because he tries too hard to hold onto his bigger size. Roelly Winklaar has previously suffered similar issues in the past. We keep seeing him get bigger and bigger – but he often falls flat regarding his conditioning in certain areas or respects.
In our various conversations with Dorian Yates, he often shrugs at being called the original mass monster. He thinks that is not necessarily the distinction he would like to be known for. Whenever he talks about his performance on stage – he always goes back to his conditioning. That’s what he is most proud of – to combine his massive size with exceptional conditioning.
Perhaps in the search to become bigger and bigger across generations this notion has fallen to the wayside. Or perhaps the level of size we have no come to expect from competitors just can’t maintain conditioning of that caliber. Whatever the reason, perhaps we should all heed Dorian Yates’ mentality. Bigger is better – but that doesn’t mean you should be the biggest your body allows.
Watch Dorian Yates’ full comments in our latest GI Exclusive Vault interview segment above. You can also watch Ronnie Coleman: The King on digital today! Click here or the banner below to stream or download.
