Former Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates was born on April 19, 1962 and lives in Birmingham, England. Dorian Yates has had a successful career in weightlifting and bodybuilding and has competed in many Mr. Olympia competitions. The Ultimate Bodybuilder, Dorian Yates is revered as not only the world's best bodybuilder but as the most inspirational by virtue of his thinking-man's approach to his sport. The author of two books, Blood & Guts and A Warrior's Story, he is renowned as a bodybuilding teacher, whose training philosophy was fully authenticated by him capturing six consecutive Mr. Olympia titles during a period when physique standards have never been higher. Furthermore, he came to be hailed as the sport's ultimate competitor due to his unbelievable fighting spirit which allowed him to prevail over any obstacle placed in his path. Dorian brought to the Mr. Olympia title a sense of nobility combined with a working-class hero's common touch. His physique and articles in Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness and FLEX helped make him the world's most popular bodybuilder and the champion listened to most. All that Dorian has achieved has been done his way; he never neglected his roots and he remains the only man to win the Mr. Olympia while not residing in the United States.



Temple Gym The basement premises at 16 Temple Street, Birmingham has been Dorian's training base since his first workouts back in 1983. The building has contained a gym of some sort under numerous different managers since the early Sixties, and it seems to have a special atmosphere conducive to super-intense training. Perhaps it is the sweat and effort of over 30 years of workouts ingrained in the brickwork, or the dungeon like feeling of being underground and isolated from the rest of the world. Whatever the reason, the fact is that Temple Gym is probably the best gym in the UK for a hardcore workout.



Dorian and his wife Debbie took over management of the gym in May 1987, and since then they have kited it out with equipment hand-picked by Dorian for his assault on the world of Pro-Bodybuilding. There are many custom made pieces, including a 1000-pound calf raise. They have numerous pieces of Hammer Strength equipment, various machines imported from the U.S. and of course tons of free weights with dumbbells up to 220-pounds. Bodybuilders on vacation in the UK have definitely put Temple Gym on top of their list of places to visit, and the Yates' regularly pay host to visitors from across the globe who drop in for a workout or just to say hello and get a snapshot.

Bodybuilding Titles Won

1990 IFBB Night Of The Champions, New York - 2nd
1991 IFBB Night Of The Champions, New York - 1st
1991 IFBB Mr. Olympia, Orlando, Florida - 2nd place
1991 IFBB English Grand Prix, Nottingham - 1st place
1992 IFBB Mr. Olympia, Helsinki, Finland - 1st place
1992 IFBB English Grand Prix, Nottingham - 1st place
1993 IFBB Mr. Olympia, Atlanta, Georgia - 1st place
1994 IFBB Mr. Olympia, Atlanta, Georgia - 1st place
1994 IFBB Spanish Grand Prix, Madrid - 1st place
1994 IFBB German Grand Prix, Duisburg - 1st place
1994 IFBB English Grand Prix, Nottingham - 1st place
1995 IFBB Mr. Olympia, Atlanta, Georgia - 1st place
1996 IFBB Mr. Olympia, Chicago, Illinois - 1st place
1996 IFBB Spanish Grand Prix, Madrid - 1st place
1996 IFBB German Grand Prix, Darmstadt - 1st place
1996 IFBB English Grand Prix, Nottingham - 1st place
1997 IFBB Mr. Olympia, Long Beach, California - 1st place