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Six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates recently discussed steroids, muscle dysmorphia and life after bodybuilding during a question and answer session at the world premiere of his new documentary film “Dorian Yates: Inside the Shadow”. London Real officially released the film at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) 195 Piccadilly venue on February 2, 2017.
Yates stayed out of the public eye most of the time while he was actively competing in professional bodybuilding. But in his “retirement” from bodybuilding, he has increasingly become more vocal about his feelings on steroids and various other issues.
In an interview with Gary Chappell of London Real in August 2015, Yates spoke extensively about the use of stteroids in bodybuilding and in other sports. Yates felt bodybuilders could be more honest about their use of steroids than athletes in other sports but that this did not mean steroids weren’t commonplace in mosts major sports. Yates was convinced athletes “could not afford not to” take steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.
In 2016, Yates started working with London Real on his latest film project. Now that the film is in the theaters, Yates has lent his time to help promote the film. The audience members who showed up at BAFTA Piccadilly had several questions for one of bodybuilding’s most successful athletes.
One of the most interesting responses from Yates involved a question about life after bodybuilding. Many fans have an unrealistic expectation for their bodybuilding heroes to remain just as jacked and muscular in retirement as they were on stage. Yates soundly rejected this expectation and claimed that losing significant quantities of muscle wasn’t a big deal for him.
“A lot of people, especially the young guys, ask me, ‘When you look back at those photos, don’t you feel like ‘man I wish I looked like that now?’’ Not at all, that doesn’t apply to what I am doing now. I need a functional body that can cycle up hills. Before, I could lift 600lbs in squats and all incredible stuff in the gym but if I walked a couple of miles I’d probably get out of breath. So it’s just not practical for me now, that’s the way I look at it.
“As long as I’m in good physical shape, that’s a passion for me, to be physically fit. That’s the main thing now, the look is secondary. But I think I look OK, not too bad for a 55 year old.”
Nowadays, Yates is happy to be health and fit enough to jump on a bicycle and go cycling through the hills of Southern Spain where he lives with his wife. An overly-muscled physique doesn’t offer the functionality for Yates to enjoy an active and well-rounded life in his “retirement.”
Of course, Yates’ version of retirements involves promoting his various business ventures including DY GYM Licensing Program for Gym Owners and the DY Nutrition supplement company.
Yates stayed out of the public eye most of the time while he was actively competing in professional bodybuilding. But in his “retirement” from bodybuilding, he has increasingly become more vocal about his feelings on steroids and various other issues.
In an interview with Gary Chappell of London Real in August 2015, Yates spoke extensively about the use of stteroids in bodybuilding and in other sports. Yates felt bodybuilders could be more honest about their use of steroids than athletes in other sports but that this did not mean steroids weren’t commonplace in mosts major sports. Yates was convinced athletes “could not afford not to” take steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.
In 2016, Yates started working with London Real on his latest film project. Now that the film is in the theaters, Yates has lent his time to help promote the film. The audience members who showed up at BAFTA Piccadilly had several questions for one of bodybuilding’s most successful athletes.
One of the most interesting responses from Yates involved a question about life after bodybuilding. Many fans have an unrealistic expectation for their bodybuilding heroes to remain just as jacked and muscular in retirement as they were on stage. Yates soundly rejected this expectation and claimed that losing significant quantities of muscle wasn’t a big deal for him.
“A lot of people, especially the young guys, ask me, ‘When you look back at those photos, don’t you feel like ‘man I wish I looked like that now?’’ Not at all, that doesn’t apply to what I am doing now. I need a functional body that can cycle up hills. Before, I could lift 600lbs in squats and all incredible stuff in the gym but if I walked a couple of miles I’d probably get out of breath. So it’s just not practical for me now, that’s the way I look at it.
“As long as I’m in good physical shape, that’s a passion for me, to be physically fit. That’s the main thing now, the look is secondary. But I think I look OK, not too bad for a 55 year old.”
Nowadays, Yates is happy to be health and fit enough to jump on a bicycle and go cycling through the hills of Southern Spain where he lives with his wife. An overly-muscled physique doesn’t offer the functionality for Yates to enjoy an active and well-rounded life in his “retirement.”
Of course, Yates’ version of retirements involves promoting his various business ventures including DY GYM Licensing Program for Gym Owners and the DY Nutrition supplement company.
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