Dorian Yates believes that mass monsters are becoming less popular… and that the future will continue to favor functional strength over size.
Dorian Yates is a man who introduced the mass monster physique into bodybuilding. Though he would never define himself by his massive size (he put more value on his shredded conditioning), he was dubbed by the bodybuilding media as The Original Mass Monster. But things continued to grow after his time on stage to the point where some fans worry mass monster size has gone too far. Dorian isn’t worried though. He thinks that the future will favor functional strength over mass monster size. In our latest GI Exclusive Vault interview, Dorian Yates details how the world is trending further away from mass monster physiques and will likely continue to do so in the future.
While it’s easy to say that mass monster physiques have reached new levels in the Men’s Open division, it also overlooks how much else has expanded in the bodybuilding industry. Yes, ever since athletes like Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman changed the size game for the sport, physiques have favored size over conditioning. But that’s only one division.
There have also been great expansions in the overall bodybuilding industry including the introduction of many divisions such as Men’s Physique and the more recent Classic Physique. These divisions might not get the highest prize money or the same spotlight as Men’s Open – but they do contain more competitors than the Men’s Open division.
Dorian Yates sees this as a sign that mass monster physiques are becoming less popular. In our latest GI Exclusive Vault interview from Generation Iron 3, Yates discusses in detail the change happening in bodybuilding right now. While there will always be a Men’s Open division showcasing the freakiest athletes, other divisions will continue to grow. As of 2020, Men’s Open is just one division of over eight. On a pure statistical level, there are more non-mass monster athletes in the sport.
This is also reflective of the public consciousness in the mainstream. Dorian Yates also looks towards movies as an indicator of what physiques are being favored. Back in the 1980s, action stars were mass monsters like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Now they look like Chris Hemsworth. It’s a more functional shredded look. Less bulky and less freaky.
Dorian Yates believes that this will continue to be the trend in the future. While he can never fully predict what will happen, and cycles do happen throughout history, he does think that mass monster size as a whole is losing popularity.
You can check out Dorian Yates’ full comments in our latest GI Exclusive Vault interview segment above. And if this clip makes you nostalgic for Generation Iron 3, it’s available now on digital right here or just click the banner below.
