The GODS of SHRED
88 MD musculardevelopment.com July 2019
You know you have taken condition to a new level
when an entirely novel term must be invented to
accurately describe it. In the case of Dorian Yates, that
term coined was “grainy.” How else would you describe
muscles seemingly hewn from granite, with each
individual fi ber in bold relief? Before Dorian came along,
it was thought that only lighter bodybuilders were
capable of achieving extraordinary condition, not bigger
men tipping the scales at 250 pounds and up. Dorian
defi ed that belief, dominating the pro ranks with a brutal
package of thick, dense mass and dry, crisp defi nition
and detail. I had the privilege of working with Dorian on
his MD column for years, and I learned that condition
was always his top priority. Today’s pros ty pically
sacrifi ce some condition to come in bigger and fuller, but
Yates asserts he was fl at for all six of his Mr. Olympia
wins, and has no regrets. “I wanted people to be able
to see my kidneys pumping through my skin,” was my
favorite quote from The Shadow regarding that choice.DORIAN YATES
musculardevelopment.com July 2019Dorian dominated the
pro ranks with a brutal
package of thick,
dense mass and dry,
crisp defi nition and
detail.