Dorian Yates: Aesthetic vs Mass Monster
It’s something that few people have spoken about. Whether or not bodybuilding changed for the better or worse once mass monsters became the norm. While a large contingent of bodybuilding faithful will go on and on about the evolution of the human body and that without the advent of the mass monster, bodybuilding would have become stale, the counter to that argument is that bodybuilding’s popularity always hinged on advertising and personality more than anything else. There were a great many bodybuilders that look on par with each other, but their presentation, charisma, and personality are what made them not only winners, but hot commodities as well. So it brings us to the topic at hand: did Dorian Yates need to become a mass monster and should he have remained aesthetic?
While everyone will likely lose their minds and jump to say how ridiculous a statement that is, let’s take a moment to consider a few things. Dorian Yates became Olympia champion once Lee Haney relinquished his stranglehold on the title and he did so with a pretty aesthetic physique. Years would pass and Dorian Yates would further cement his legacy with his sheer dominance.
But one has to wonder if changing things up was necessary. He was already dominating the competition back in the 80s, even when he was coming second to Lee Haney. So why on earth would he feel the need to throw away aesthetics in favor of massive muscle?
Innovation that’s what.
While his aesthetic form was truly impressive, it can’t be denied that fellow bodybuilders at the time were equally as impressive and stood a chance at knocking Yates off of the top spot. Dorian Yates needed to become the mass monster we all grew to know and love because if he didn’t then he likely would have been defeated by one of his contemporaries. By focusing on becoming a mass monster and showing off something new, Dorian Yates was able to separate himself from the pack. That said, his aesthetic form may have been even more impressive than his mass monster phase. Check out any of his classic posing routines from his early career when Yates relied of his aesthetic form to win shows and you’ll see what we mean.
What’s your opinion on Dorian Yates’ aesthetic form? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
