{"id":17289,"date":"2026-04-04T15:41:03","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T15:41:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=17289"},"modified":"2026-04-04T15:41:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T15:41:03","slug":"dorian-yates-says-these-10-exercises-are-all-you-need-to-build-muscle-heres-why-they-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=17289","title":{"rendered":"Dorian Yates Says These 10 Exercises Are All You Need to Build Muscle \u2013 Here\u2019s Why They Work"},"content":{"rendered":"


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When asked on a podcast to pick just 10 exercises to build the best possible physique, bodybuilding legend (and disruptor) Dorian Yates<\/a> didn\u2019t go down the usual rabbit hole of fancy variations, niche machines or social-media-friendly \u2018optimal\u2019 fluff. Instead, he laid out a brutally simple shortlist \u2013 that, in a few cases, will stir some controversy. But, as ever with Yates, there\u2019s method behind the madness: maximum muscular return, minimal wasted effort, and no sacred cows at the expense of progress.<\/p>\n

Yates\u2019 broader point was arguably as useful as the list itself. For most people, he believes that performing just these movements twice a week<\/a>, with the final set taken to failure<\/a>, would be \u2018a brilliant routine\u2019. He suggests most trainees overcomplicate the process because of \u2018too much information\u2019, and that it\u2019s \u2018human nature to think more is better\u2019. In his view, it isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

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Dorian Yates\u2019 Top 10 Exercises for Building Muscle<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n

Leg Extension<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"leg<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

A surprising opener when most people would expect a squat<\/a> straight out of the gate. But Yates has always been big on pre-exhaust work and making the target muscle do the work. The leg extension lets you hammer the quads<\/a> directly, warm the knees, and create a huge local stimulus before heavier compound work. For lifters whose squats become an exercise in surviving with their lower back, hips and lungs \u2013 rather than hitting their quads \u2013 Yates could well be right.<\/p>\n

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Squat or Leg Press<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"barbell<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Yates groups these together: \u2018whatever \u2013 barbell, Smith machine squat, machine leg press\u2019. He\u2019s less interested in romanticising one sacred lift than finding a stable compound pattern that allows you to load the legs hard. Many lifters default to barbell back squats as the undisputed king, but Yates\u2019 logic is more pragmatic. If a Smith machine or leg press helps you apply more tension safely and progressively, that might be the better muscle-builder.<\/p>\n

Nautilus Pullover<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Peak Dorian. Plenty of people would slot in barbell rows, pull-ups or deadlifts. Yates goes with the Nautilus pullover machine \u2013 one of his all-time favourites. Why? Because it smokes the lats without turning the exercise into a grip contest or lower-back endurance test. In an era where everyone wants more \u2018athletic\u2019 lifts, Yates remains loyal to movements that isolate the intended muscle and allow all-out effort. These machines can be hard to come by, but a straight-arm cable pulldown gets you close.<\/p>\n

Pulldown<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"lat<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

For his second back movement, Yates says it\u2019s \u2018a toss-up between a row and a pull-down\u2019, before opting for pulldowns. Again, slightly unexpected. Rows are often pushed as essential for back thickness, and Yates even has a row variation named after him, but he clearly values a movement that trains the lats through shoulder adduction and can be standardised more easily. For the average gym-goer, pulldowns are simpler to recover from, easier to execute well, and less likely to become an ego-baited grip\u2019n\u2019rip.<\/p>\n

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Bench Press Movement<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"demonstration<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Yates doesn\u2019t get overly precious here either \u2013 just \u2018some kind of bench press<\/a> movement\u2019. Dumbbell bench, machine press, incline press \u2013 take your pick. The principle is what matters: a heavy horizontal press to load the chest, shoulders and triceps \u2013 whatever allows you to create the most tension and progress consistently.<\/p>\n

Chest Fly Movement<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"human<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

A chest press paired with a fly gives you both mechanical tension and a deeper stretch for the pecs. Many trainees skip flyes, often because they chase load over feel, but Yates clearly values having both a compound and an isolation pattern for the chest. That\u2019s classic bodybuilding logic \u2013 and for pure hypertrophy, it holds up.<\/p>\n

Lateral Raise \u2013 Dumbbells or Cables<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"lateral<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

When asked why, Yates says: \u2018More natural plane of movement [versus pressing].\u2019 Rather than forcing more overhead pressing into a programme that already includes chest pressing, he opts for a direct delt-builder that targets the side delts without battering the joints. Most people looking to build shoulders lean too heavily on presses. Yates knows that if width is the goal, lateral raises matter. The key point that goes unsaid: Yates would do lateral raises<\/a> with weights most people couldn\u2019t press. Just because it\u2019s an \u2018accessory\u2019 movement doesn\u2019t mean tension and progression don\u2019t apply. When was the last time you pushed your lateral raises up a weight?<\/p>\n

Standing Calf Raise<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"best<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

No surprises here \u2013 just an acknowledgement that calves<\/a> need direct work. Yates is too experienced to leave obvious gaps in the physique. There\u2019s an argument that seated calf raises are more \u2018optimal\u2019, but Yates has strong views on that word \u2013 and a massive set of calves to back it up.<\/p>\n

Concentration Curl<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"concentration<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Another eyebrow-raiser. Not barbell curls, not preacher curls \u2013 concentration curls. Why? Likely because they reduce momentum and put the biceps under direct, deliberate tension. In a list limited to 10 exercises, Yates still wants one move that lets the elbow flexors work without assistance. Again, though, there\u2019s no such thing as a \u2018lightweight\u2019 movement in Yates\u2019 mind \u2013 go as heavy as you can, then go heavier.<\/p>\n

Cable Triceps Pushdown<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"tricep<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Yates\u2019 reasoning: \u2018[these] hit the whole tricep\u2019 while being \u2018fairly safe for the elbow\u2019. Plenty would argue for skull crushers or close-grip bench presses, but those come with more joint stress and more moving parts. Yates is choosing the exercise most people can train hard, recover from, and keep in their programme.<\/p>\n

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The Bottom Line <\/h2>\n<\/section>\n

While most would argue that compound movements let you handle more load and deliver more bang for your buck, Yates believes isolation movements and heavy lifting aren\u2019t mutually exclusive. And he\u2019s right.<\/p>\n

Are the accessory movements in your arsenal \u2018less effective\u2019, or are you just treading water in the shallow end of the dumbbell rack, executing them with the intensity of wilted spinach? Worth considering.<\/p>\n

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