Dorian Yates is a name that many in the bodybuilding world still continue to worship. He achieved six consecutive Mr. Olympia titles between 1992 and 1997. However, 1997 was a roller coaster ride for the legend, as he almost had to tap out of the competition due to a very serious injury. You see, in 1997, while training for the biggest competition of the year, he underwent a severe tricep injury that had shaken his whole world.

However, being the person that he is, Dorian Yates practiced hard, overcame his excruciating pain, and stood on the stage as he walked toward his title. While reminiscing about the injury, he gave fitness enthusiasts some valuable advice about working out while one has an injury.

Dorian Yates reveals the benefits of exercising the opposite side while recovering

Taking to Instagram, Yates posted a carousel of pictures where he was present inside the Temple Gym, his favorite hunting ground. Needless to say, many veterans have injured themselves in this gym while working out. Yates recalled in the captions that while doing a set of lying tricep extensions, he heard an extremely loud bang sound which reverberated throughout the gym. Talking about the pain he felt, he wrote in the caption of the post, “It was excruciatingly painful, I think I went into shock because after the initial agony, I couldn’t feel anything!”

However, he ventured to get surgery in New York, and during his rehab, he did not choose to rest. Yates continued to train his opposite side and also wrote in the captions about the benefits of doing so. He said, “There is evidence that working the non-injured side, can help the injured side to recover faster.”

The Shadow also declared that exercising during recovery not only helped him physically but also helped change his mindset on the road to recovery since he was active and healing himself. The only reason that he would win Mr Olympia in 1997, even after an almost career-ending injury was because he continued to exercise during recovery and had the willpower.

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Even outside of his injured days, he continued to work and engage in short, intense workouts for his HIT regime. Even now, for better performance, Yates continues to keep his body active even after retirement.

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