Dorian Yates Shares His Preference for High-Volume Leg Workouts: "Up to 15 Reps Is Optimal for Leg Development"
Renowned bodybuilding icon Dorian Yates recently delved into his preferred rep ranges for leg training, offering valuable insights on targeting the hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves.
The six-time Mr. Olympia champion, who captivated audiences worldwide with his unparalleled physique, continues to provide fans with expert guidance in his retirement. Yates emphasized the effectiveness of higher rep ranges in leg workouts, shedding light on his method for sculpting powerful quads, hamstrings, and calves.
Yates, celebrated for his dominant Olympia reign and monstrous back development paired with razor-sharp conditioning, solidified his legacy as one of bodybuilding’s all-time greats. His training philosophy has always revolved around high-intensity, failure-focused workouts—a system he embraced after collaborating with the legendary Mike Mentzer, a disciple of Nautilus founder Arthur Jones.
Valuing efficiency, Yates prioritized maximum intensity in his training sessions, ensuring every rep and set pushed his muscles to the brink. Now at 62, Yates maintains a muscular and athletic build, continuing to motivate aspiring bodybuilders to adopt his disciplined and intense training regimen.
Dorian Yates Breaks Down Why He Prefers Higher Volume Leg Training: "Up to 15 Reps Is Ideal for Your Legs"
In a recent Instagram post, legendary bodybuilder Dorian Yates outlined his strategic approach to leg training, emphasizing the significance of incorporating higher volume into workouts.
“You might notice if you’re doing upper body you’re doing some reps and all of a sudden, it fails, yeah? Because it’s very fast twitch. So it’s explosive, explosive, explosive, and then it fails.
But on legs, it’s like you squeeze one more out, you can squeeze one more out, there’s a bit more endurance in the legs so that’s why I work in a higher range.”
Yates highlighted his preference for rep ranges around 15 when targeting the legs, but specified that hamstring exercises demand more explosive movements, benefiting from heavier loads and around eight reps. When it comes to calf development, 'The Shadow' recommended performing 10-12 reps to achieve optimal muscle engagement.
“Up to 15, I think is ideal for your legs. Hamstrings you can go heavier with lower reps because they are explosive, eight reps on there. Calves, yeah 10-12,” Dorian Yates.
“With upper body you usually come to a fairly sudden stop when approaching failure. But with legs, you can squeeze another, and another, and another.
Those who have ever trained legs with me know all about the ‘two more reps’…😉”
After successfully recovering from a total right hip replacement surgery, Yates continues to deliver valuable, knowledge-packed content to his followers. Consider integrating his suggested rep ranges into your next leg day routine for enhanced muscle growth and strength gains!
Renowned bodybuilding icon Dorian Yates recently delved into his preferred rep ranges for leg training, offering valuable insights on targeting the hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves.
The six-time Mr. Olympia champion, who captivated audiences worldwide with his unparalleled physique, continues to provide fans with expert guidance in his retirement. Yates emphasized the effectiveness of higher rep ranges in leg workouts, shedding light on his method for sculpting powerful quads, hamstrings, and calves.
Yates, celebrated for his dominant Olympia reign and monstrous back development paired with razor-sharp conditioning, solidified his legacy as one of bodybuilding’s all-time greats. His training philosophy has always revolved around high-intensity, failure-focused workouts—a system he embraced after collaborating with the legendary Mike Mentzer, a disciple of Nautilus founder Arthur Jones.
Valuing efficiency, Yates prioritized maximum intensity in his training sessions, ensuring every rep and set pushed his muscles to the brink. Now at 62, Yates maintains a muscular and athletic build, continuing to motivate aspiring bodybuilders to adopt his disciplined and intense training regimen.
