Build Muscle & Strength & Forge Your Life Path | Dorian Yates
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When people come to train with Dorian Yates, the objective is to perform exercises to real muscular failure. Must give more stress than the body is used to. Body resists change to maintain status quo. Need to provide a strong reason to adapt by overloading, then recover. Stimulate enough but not more than necessary, as it's an overload requiring recovery. Common excuse: no time due to business or family. Solution: 45 minutes twice a week is sufficient, proven by Dorian's experience combined with good diet. Time excuses irrelevant.
Welcome to the Huberman Lab podcast where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life. I'm Andrew Huberman, professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine.
Dorian Yates: legendary six-time Mr. Olympia winner, pioneer of low-volume high-intensity workouts (few sets with maximal focus, perfect form, directed muscle engagement to failure and beyond). Today, teaches optimal training for non-competitive bodybuilders: muscle building, fat loss, mobility, best cardio forms/timing. Advice applicable to everyone (men, women, young, old). Best results: train no more than 3 days/week, sometimes only 2 days/week. Insights on mentally framing life/goals: use hardships as fuel, recognize natural strengths, practical dream-chasing, knowing when to pivot. Discussion on cannabis (benefits/risks). Dorian's workout at Gold's Gym Venice filmed for Eclipse channel (linked in show notes).
Podcast separate from Stanford roles; zero-cost science tools to public. Includes sponsors.
Andrew Huberman: big fan for years, credits Dorian, Mike Mentzer, iconic class. Trained differently despite advice, achieved results faster, feels healthy at 50. Discuss high-intensity low-volume training credited to Dorian. Bodybuilding extremes: long gym sessions vs. Mike Mentzer's one set to failure. Dorian's approach: hybrid/moderation.
Dorian: Didn't invent HIT; initiated by Arthur Jones (Nautilus machines), popularized by Mike Mentzer (American champion, Mr. Universe). Dorian read Jones' books, logical thinker; tested practically despite contrary advice. Treated career as science experiment, documented every workout from first serious gym session aiming for competitive bodybuilding/gym ownership.
Tracked progress: trained 3x/week, 45-60 minutes while working construction (heavy jobs draining energy). Progress good. Tried 4x/week more volume: progress stalled 3-4 weeks. Cut back, growth resumed. Learned lesson quickly. Became British champion, turned pro. Met Mentzer, discussed: warm-ups, one set to failure, rest 2-3 min, drop 10%, failure again (hit nail twice).
Mentzer suggested pure one set to failure (~1991-92): another growth level. Not pure HIT; between conventional bodybuilding and extreme HIT (Jones/Mentzer). Arthur Jones: whole body 2x/week ideal for average person (build health muscle mass). Competitive bodybuilder needs more (e.g., side/rear delts vs. one shoulder exercise). Moniker Blood and Guts from intense visible training.
Briefer than competitors (most 6x/week, some 2x/day). Pre-Dorian success, high volume promoted (e.g., Arnold). Arnold full size by 21-22 via heavy compounds (bench 500, deadlifts, squats) building foundation. Later used high volume as calorie burner to maintain muscle/burn calories.
Dorian: Better to use weights for muscle build/maintain, cardio for calorie burn to allow proper recovery.
Huberman: Tried one set to failure (pre-exhaust e.g., leg extensions to leg press); needed more after 1-2 years for mind-muscle connection/fiber recruitment.
Dorian: Objective per exercise: real muscular failure safely (warm-ups). If not nailed, do another. No rigid laws; depends on experience/mind-muscle connection. Goal: not more than necessary to avoid recovery issues. Process: stimulate (overload/damage, no growth here) → recover → overcompensate/grow. Requires sufficient intensity + recovery.
Key difference: anabolic steroids allow faster recovery. Not appropriate for natural beginners vs. advanced competitors refining.
Analogy: Knock down wall (stimulate), then builders need materials/time to rebuild. Don't knock halfway rebuilt wall.
If I could travel back in time, I wouldn't have called the movie Pumping Iron. I would have called it Stress and Adapt. Stress, recover, adapt.
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Resistance training temporarily fills muscle with blood (pump from Pumping Iron). Illusion: transient, signals targeting but not growth driver. Addiction to feeling common; real growth from damage + recovery.
Pump: temporary blood flow, feels good/tight but light weights suffice (no growth stimulus). Must overload beyond accustomed stress. Body resists change; give "bloody good reason" to adapt (even 0.5lb or 1 rep more). Adaptation: reinforce to handle stress better. Not linear forever; first 18 months: 20-25lbs natural muscle. Then diminishing returns.
Train hard 5-6 weeks, deload 2 weeks submaximal (light weights, no failure, blood flow/maintenance) or 1 week off (2x/year). Gym clients plateaued: week off → stronger upon return (rest rebuilds).
Pump misconception + high-volume myth deterred public from training (now changed, beneficial).
Natural trainees (no HRT/anabolics): start 2-3 whole body sessions/week. First: learn movements correctly (no failure). Teach mechanics (pecs: arms down/across; lats: upper arm down/back). Light perfect sets for feel/contract/squeeze. Maintain form when hard (brain cheats for ease). Body works as unit normally; isolation fights mechanics.
After ~2 weeks: push to failure.
Guy with diabetes, liver problems, overweight: Dorian challenge - train 3x/week 45 min + low-carb diet 1 month. Results: out of pre-diabetic (normal blood sugar), liver enzymes normal (from 3x normal; fatty liver resolved). Lost 5-6kg body fat. Doctor advised no fat for fatty liver (wrong; due to uncontrolled blood sugar). Doctors study nutrition trivially (1 afternoon).
Split: 3 workouts hit everything 1x/week.
Mentzer: each body part 1x/week (legs, calves 1-2x; shoulders/arms/chest/back separate days: legs/chest/back/shoulders+arms). Huberman initially skeptical; realized indirect hits (arms from chest/back, whole body from legs/nervous system stress).
After 6 weeks: plateau common; rest then resume.
Studies: muscle protein synthesis peaks ~48 hours post-training → hit every 72/48 hours. Huberman tried: regressed. Back to 1x/week direct + indirect: progressed. Dorian: lab science irrelevant if impractical. Questions meta-studies (methods/populations?).
Casey Viator study: 65lbs muscle in 1 month (<1 hour/week training, whole body sets to failure). Underweight post-illness (muscle memory), but rapid vs. Arnold: dieted to 210lbs for Stay Hungry, back to 230lbs for Mr. Olympia (3 months).
Dorian Yates compares his training logs to modern studies claiming not to train to failure and to keep reps in reserve. He is unfamiliar with these studies and questions their methodology. Studies often use college students doing leg extensions and quadriceps biopsies, rarely compound multi-joint movements.
But if it doesn't work in practicality, does it really matter?
High-Intensity Training (HIT) for Muscle Gain and Longevity
Yates, now 50, and interviewer nearly 64, discuss HIT (high-intensity, lowish volume): train each muscle once per week focusing on intensity, back off for 2 weeks every 6 weeks. Benefits include less pain, more energy for life outside bodybuilding. Constant aches from overtraining are unnecessary for most.
For health benefits (counter 1% yearly muscle loss post-40 affecting metabolism, sugar processing, bone strength):
- 45 minutes twice a week suffices.
- 8-10 full-body exercises: 1 chest, 1-2 back, 1-2 legs, optional biceps/triceps (pressing covers them).
- Eat properly.
Proven with clients, e.g., one did nearly 1 hour 3x/week including cardio.
Efficient Cardio: 6-Minute Air Bike Sprints
- Warm-up 1-1.5 min.
- 20s all-out sprint (target watts to beat), slow recovery 1 min.
- Repeat x3: third sprint exhausting, can't breathe after.
- Engages push/pull/legs.
- Matches 45 min steady-state cardio benefits (ref: One Minute Cardio book, actually 6 min total).
Do you want to spend six minutes? Do you want to spend 45 minutes? I rather do the six minutes.
Add long cardio if desired (e.g., mountain biking), but 2x/week weights + sprints + diet changes life. No time excuses.
Ultra-elite bodybuilder but practical advice stems from blue-collar Birmingham upbringing: full-time work while building career, no luxury for endless training/recovery/nutrition (e.g., no grass-fed meat from south of France).
British Champion Story
Won British Championships (3,000 audience, rowdy crowds, buses from gym). Went home to council estate (projects): no car, no carpet, mattress on floor, barely working TV, just trophy.
Wow, look, I'm British champion, but nobody gives a [__] really.
Bodybuilding community cared, but no immediate payoff. Took 5 years of 100% dedication to turn pro. Starting with nothing: no help until success, then transactional support.
First car at 25 (friends at 18-19). Didn't feel deprived: mission to change life via bodybuilding was powerful.
Independent Learning and Logging
Avid reader since 10: obsessed with topics. Read Mike Mentzer, Arthur Jones vs. gym peers watching videos. Independent personality: experiment, analyze.
Logged every workout 1983-1997: sets/reps, diets, anabolics (type/duration). Analyzed what worked. No time to waste: bodybuilding as road out, no skills/family.
Monthly reviews: current status, realistic next-month goals. Methodical, analytical, logical.
Early Sense of Destiny
Felt destined for high achievement pre-bodybuilding.
- Bruce Lee inspired physique/strength: push-ups, school weight training, bodybuilding magazines.
- Left home 16, paused until proper pursuit.
Detention center (wrong place/time, street riots): strongest among 300 (only heavier guy beat him), lean with abs. Prison officers: "You should do something with this."
Never want to be in a place like this again... become a number.
Others accepted jail life; he didn't. Post-release: job, apartment, stability, then bodybuilding (date logged).
Training Notebooks
Detailed: warmups, sets/reps, daily feel (e.g., overtrained from work, back off intensity despite 3 days/week). Early logs childish ("go for it, mass and power").
Interviewer keeps logs inspired by Yates/Mentzer. Documents prevent forgetting; social media queries require checking (sometimes differs from memory).
Mother: educated (private school). Father: working-class car mechanic/maintenance engineer (Rover plant), bought small farm, learned to fly Cessnas (flew with Yates at 4-5). Above-average intelligence/drive in stratified 1970s England class system.
Lost father at 13 to heart attack. Logical/engineering from dad; mom more emotional.
If life's comfortable, you won't put yourself through this [__]. A lot of work, dedication, sacrifice over many years.
7 years to pro (quick); another 7 as pro.
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Online obsession with quick TRT/steroids (gear)/peptides/HRT for youth.
Yates: Started 1983 at 180-185 lbs lean (low BF, thick joints, athletic; genetics: kids had abs at 11). 6 months: 195 lbs, won local contest (no diet/steroids) beating 2nd/3rd place users.
Natural to 210 lbs: bench 3 plates aside x3-4 reps. Wanted IFBB (all using), first cycle: 20mg Dianabol/day 6 weeks (to ~230 lbs), then Anavar for contest. 30 lbs natural in 1.5 years.
Won IFBB novice; officials: better than top heavyweight. Invited to British team/World Championships 2 weeks later vs. Berry DeMey (top Olympian), Mat Mendezola (top US amateur): 7th place.
Broke, borrowed £20 for taxi to team selection.
Advice for Non-Competitors
Maximize natural training/nutrition first (like boxing: avoid head hits unless pro). Gear for competitive sport only to level playing field.
It's my opinion and the way I looked at it was like I'm going to do this as a sport, right?
Dorian justified steroid use because everyone else was doing it as a professional starting in 1990. He was two-time British champion and overall British champion in 1988, earned his pro card, and his first pro contest was Night of Champions, second or third below Mr. Olympia. To qualify for Mr. Olympia, one had to win a pro show or place top three (rules then). Pro cards were tough to get then, unlike now where they are given out freely, diluting value.
He set a personal test: go to Night of Champions; if not top five, stop steroids and competing as genetics limit reached. Observed bodybuilding history: great champions were great from the start, not improving from 12th to winner in Mr. Olympia. Had a gym, making okay money, young son—sacrifice justified only if competitive potential proven. Got second place, so continued as professional, earning more money than anyone he knew.
Advice to a 20-year-old: Get as far as you can naturally, then reassess.
Gains from anabolics are temporary; lose them when stopping. It's a merry-go-round: hormones crash, mental depression follows, leading to cycling back on.
Everyone should make own choices, but consider risks: physical and mental health (many in sport have issues, especially women on high doses now).
Age of instant gratification: men compare to women getting breast implants, lip fillers, Botox—why not anabolics for beach abs? But gains not sustainable; long-term use risky for health.
Dorian in good health now at 63-64 after lifestyle changes to recover from pro career stress. Many competitors dead.
Is it worth the risk? That's their question, but my opinion: no.
Host notes Dorian's rational, grounded approach: top five benchmark to continue.
Relates to dad's early death. Friend with three daughters happy; sons feel pressure to fill father's shoes, compete with dad.
Host reflects: went through friction with dad, grew him, pushed harder to match or exceed success.
Dorian: every situation can go two ways. Son found it tough, confided in wife. Told son: don't compete with me in bodybuilding, but apply discipline and hard work elsewhere.
Son did bodybuilding, considered competing (could do well), but sensitive (unlike Dorian's thick skin). Warned: win = 'Dorian's son won'; lose = 'How could Dorian's son lose?' Supported if pursued, but son chose not to compete, trains people instead. Both kids in fitness world.
Competitive world tough; few reach top successfully. Now more ways to earn (online coaching) as fitness industry bigger. Purist bodybuilding less popular; more gym fitness, CrossFit, MMA, Fitness Olympia, etc. Bodybuilding peaked in 80s/90s as novel.
Movie bodies now bodybuilderesque, mainstream steroids (rappers, stars for roles—not natural in 2 months). In 1980s, public unaware until Ben Johnson positive test. Now cosmetic like women's enhancements.
Host drawn to Dorian via Mentzer, extracted drug-free benefits for tall skinny kid. Noticed mellow, quiet thick skin, punk rock/Oi music, tattoos—different from bodybuilding community.
Training videos striking: mellow guy unleashes extreme intensity.
Intensity doesn't come from nowhere. What's your internal narrative?
Preparation ritual: review last week's training, plan today's, visualize. OCD: specific clothes, ironed (lowers cortisol 40% per recent study—didn't know, just ritual). Friend in New York baffled.
Fuck you motivation: to school teachers saying he couldn't succeed, to everyone. Channel anger, negative emotions as fuel.
Post-gym: chilled, slayed dragons, hacked enemies with sword—mastery over self (dieting too, overriding hunger instincts). Maybe overdid, ignoring pain en route to Olympia.
Transform negative energy alchemically into positive. Stayed in Birmingham 6 years as Mr. Olympia for focus, same gym, avoiding US distractions despite money/opportunities. Dictated terms by then.
Host: transmutation of anger (e.g., 3rd grade jacket insult as fuel).
Use it for fuel. Take anger, negative things, change to positive.
Elite athletes rarely from comfortable wealthy families—need hunger to prove self.
Young Dorian rejected local life: mate, kids, work-repeat. No real family model (parents together for 60s sake/kids, separate lives, no family meals).
Theory: unconscious sense of lifespan (barring accident/injury). Steve Jobs biography: mission-driven, odd (LSD, scream therapy, objects with personality), sensed short life, died young of pancreatic cancer.
Dorian fatalistic? Dad died 42, mom's next husband 44 (both heavy smokers, no exercise, alcohol, poor sleep, no sun). Now 63-64, healthy, changed habits.
Live best day-by-day like dogs: present, no past/future worry. Book by end-of-life care worker: regrets = not doing loved things, not expressing love enough. Zero wished worked harder.
Make most of each day; it's going to end. We continue in some form—already everywhere, tuned to this channel now.
Logical career: step-by-step, low-dose anabolics amateur (low risk). Pro level higher, GH late 80s/90s (not early danger). Real risks: body weight, high BP, inflammation, diuretics (instant death if overdone).
Mohamed Benaziza (short, muscular, 2nd to Dorian at first Night of Champions) died on tour from extreme water/diuretics manipulation. Olympia tested diuretics 1996 (after deaths), but dropped after legal challenge.
Steroid testing 1990 Mr. Olympia: Lee Haney won (maybe 20lbs down, beat Lee Labrada; fans upset at smaller sizes—dropped testing).
Telltale signs: leanness, neck vasculature. Genetic freaks like young Dorian, or Nima (Mark Bell's friend, long bellies, natural lean, trains hard).
Bodybuilding like free solo (Alex Honnold, El Cap), Red Bull athletes, street skateboarding (no helmets, cultural): pushes human limits, inspires normals on body potential via tech/pharma.
New US nutrition guidelines invert pyramid: limit grains, emphasize fruits/veg/meat/eggs—bodybuilding/fitness ahead 20 years on insulin management, low sugar.
Progress from real-world pioneers, not unis. NHS conference: doctors get 2hrs nutrition in training (high school level insufficient); now studying more, but pushed plant-based (lacking key nutrients).
National Health Service now prioritizing nutrition study.
A plant-based diet lacks certain nutrients, requiring supplements. Animal-based diets provide nutrients naturally but raise cholesterol concerns. Better to choose a diet with built-in nutrients.
Competitive bodybuilding is the peak of an iceberg, an extreme. Basic principles apply to health improvement: proper hormones, muscle mass for health benefits, avoiding medications for blood sugar and blood pressure.
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Huberman paid $100 for online consult with Mike Mentzer in high school, wired money while working at skateboard shop. Mentzer barked when speaking but had underlying kindness. Methods worked.
Mentzer advised: stay away from anabolics, learn to enjoy training really hard (his words). Encouraged reading philosophy, Ayn Rand objectivist epistemology. Told Huberman to focus on school.
Mentzer: "90% of what you're learning is completely wrong, and the worst part is they don't realize they're wrong. But the 10% that's right, those are the gems that you build off of."
As scientist/podcaster, Huberman confirms this. Mentzer yelled but had gems. Also said: "You're not Dorian Yates, so don't try to be." Advise to take benefits without emulating exactly.
Those grainy transformation photos sparked aspiration in millions: "Holy shit that's possible."
Photos taken one week post-1992 contest (off-season smaller) vs. 1993 same gym spot. 1993 photos sent to magazines by friend, better camera, freaked everyone out, including Yates.
Peter McGough (Weider magazines editor, English friend) showed photos casually; staff went white, demoralized competitors six weeks out.
1992-1993 Mr. Olympia: appeared 17lbs muscle gain, but actually 6-7lbs as Olympia-level athlete. In 1992, sacrificed size to get shredded (5-6lbs lighter six weeks out, kept dieting). 1993 avoided excessive sacrifice.
1992 post-contest photos (lost muscle) vs. 1993 made it look night/day. Pictures developed weekly for analysis (no iPhone).
Joe Weider: brilliant marketer, popularized bodybuilding via Muscle & Fitness, etc. "Training for Champions" despite limited training knowledge.
Yates' unique approach changed sport: before/after Dorian.
Thrived on underdog motivation from streets/England vs. Americans. Got 2nd to Lee Haney, who retired, making Yates favorite.
Struggled initially without underdog edge, but reframed: "Somebody's got to be Mr. Olympia. Do you know anybody more dedicated? I deserve it."
Not social, no judge schmoozing, just trained/disappeared (called "the shadow").
Dopamine is all about the pleasure of pursuit, not the pursuit of pleasure.
Post-peak: defending champion vs. climbing. Rotate mindset: no one takes this from you, stay bulldog, don't get comfortable (Rocky reference: Mr. T kicks ass when Rocky relaxes).
Trained same gym with friends, no superstar treatment. Avoided distractions for longevity. Post-Olympia: intensive media week, then disappear (no social media needed).
Loved mission but intense tunnel vision; few smiling photos. 1997 felt like Groundhog Day/job; pondered post-career.
Wise to let go; observed athletes struggle clinging to past glory for income.
Tunnel vision high from daily battle/chase (dopamine). Competition once/year, but year-long tunnel.
Best friend: now present/engaging post-career.
Life impact: met wife (competitor), inspires many ("saved my life"). Selfish pursuit became inspirational.
There was a plan you weren't aware of.
Mentality: had to do it, life depended on it.
Yates inspired unconventional approaches: low-volume high-intensity training opposite to norms. Trust experience, try margins safely, discard noise.
Iconoclasts face friction but persist: "I had to do it."
Post-career: depression common in extreme athletes from lost goal/dopamine/purpose. Gym no longer has mission.
Similar to empty-nest or retirement depression (bank worker at 60 loses routine).
Reframed: gained freedom (no 11pm bedtime year-round). Financially secure, pursued loves: sponsored mountain gorillas (Rwanda/Uganda, ~600 left), gorilla trekking safari.
Business/kids not exciting. Took years to explore: "I'm whatever I want to be." Not defined by Mr. Olympia/scientist; roles are temporary.
Always independent: questioned high-volume training at 21, found brief better.
Mentzer rigid, extreme (train every 10-12 days), unhealthy (smoked, overweight, no exercise). Carried bitterness over 1980 Olympia (Arnold win), disillusioned.
Told Huberman: Arnold wouldn't like him because "you're better than him." Carried grudge despite Arnold's success.
Mentzer wanted to be a winner, the winner more than
Speculating on someone named Mike (possibly Mike Tyson based on context), who smoked cigarettes and let himself be out of shape post-championship. Not a psychologist, but he wanted to be a winner more than loving fitness/training. Fortunate to be good friends with Rick Rubin, who worked with artists who pursued music/comedy for love/admiration, not the craft itself. Artists crushed by criticism needed adoration, possibly from lack of love as kids. Mike might have needed championship to validate something, not truly about bodybuilding or health.
"Just go back and make music."
Rick brilliant at recognizing people doing the thing for the thing vs. external validation.
Dorian's impression: Mike's pursuit wasn't about health or competitive level, though one can be healthy while smoking.
Dorian's Love for Training and Current Approach
Loves to train: hike, bike, Pilates, yoga, boxing, etc. Nothing competitive now. Exercise is vehicle for physical reality experience. Wants functionality, good quality of life, be healthy for kids. Does something every day, different things. Lifts moderate weights 2x/week due to injuries: torn bicep (right side), torn tricep tendon, shoulder issues. No pain, mechanically right side stronger than left. Looks lean/strong, maintained height.
Actually got taller: from 5'10.5"/5'11" (178cm?) to 183cm (6 foot) measured for orthotics. Not bone growth, but better posture from Pilates, functional training, resetting shoulders back. Less curvature, no text neck, shoulders not forward (common in lifters/boxers from big pecs/lats). Did yoga 7 years, Pilates. Hip replacement 14 months ago, no joint pains.
Trains for needs: good cardio (sprints, outdoor bike), not excessive. Weight training to maintain, not build. No fixed split: upper body 1x/week, lower 1x/week. Pushing/pulling. Chest/shoulders light due to injuries (dumbbell press). Lower body: no compounds like heavy leg presses (legs still big, no lower injuries, maintained muscle). Does bike, Bulgarian squats light weights one side at a time. Risk of injury not worth it if can't touch toes.
Muscle mass maintained with little stimulation.
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Longevity Training: Cardio vs. Strength
For lighter-boned people (ectomorphs?), emphasize cardio more, strength less? Dorian did lots cardio/Pilates/yoga, minimal resistance.
Body types (endomorph, ectomorph, mesomorph) not discussed much now. Dorian had excessive muscle: at 250lbs on TRT + training, high BP triggered change. Ate bodybuilder-style (frequent chicken/rice). Switched lower protein, more plant-based to lose weight/muscle for health/ego check. Others concerned he looked skinny; he didn't care.
Carrying lots of weight (even muscle) not ideal aging. Down to 230lbs, now higher protein/fats, less carbs, intermittent fasting (12-10pm window, 2 meals + shake). Feels great.
Conscious breathing via yoga: produces DMT-like states. Nose breathing vs. gym mouth gulping. Whole body consciousness: speak to cells/organs. Previously only exterior muscle focus. Health mind-driven; unresolved trauma causes disease (friend with 3 cancers believes trauma-based). Shame/pain holding leads to disease (Type A personalities prone to heart attacks).
Not ongoing psychonaut, but explored deeply then exited. Post-1997 Olympia (last win), reframed 1998-2000 amid personal turmoil: nephew died at 15 in house (no explanation), marriage falling apart. Needed reorganization.
Tried DMT (farmer grade from California friend) after reading DMT: The Spirit Molecule in Amsterdam (no internet). Smoked: saw behind reality (construction, numbers, geometry, everything connected/one, temporary experience, no time).
2012 London Real podcast (early/small): mentioned DMT, went viral. People approached for that, not bodybuilding.
Led to Ayahuasca camp invite Costa Rica (headliner, but private during ceremonies). Did once in Spain first. 3 camps, 20 people each, 4 sessions/week: ~20 ceremonies. Each different, learned something. Not psychedelic tourist; once message received, put down receiver.
Helped others. Takeaways: everything one thing (Rumi: not drop from ocean, ocean in drop). Ocean spray analogy: drop thinks separate, returns to ocean. All connected, separate experiences. Reality mental/imagination, doesn't exist without observation.
Psychedelic Analogies
- House windows limit yard view vs. full field.
- Room (reality) + trampoline bounce sees over wall to bigger world; perspective shift irreversible.
Caution: predisposition to psychosis. Good camps vet medically (Costa Rica had doctors). Research facilities/shamans (family-trained, decade prep). Spain wild west.
Data: psilocybin depression, MDMA therapeutic PTSD/alcohol/substance abuse. All aim brain plasticity (therapy, exercise, pills, psychedelics). Creates peace.
UK professor (ex-gov): MDMA safer than horse riding statistically; fired. Now independent studies psychedelics/brain activity/depression. Camps helped depression; unpleasant at times, but life-changing.
Post-camp: diet restrictions clear junk files from brain computer. Ideas/inspiration surge, then normalize.
Brain Activity
England-funded experiments: brain 30% lit up normally, psychedelics activate dormant parts, lateral default mode network connections. Changes perspective/thinking/perception.
You feel like your computer's just been upgraded. Defragged as they say.
There are interesting findings on schizophrenia. Exceptions exist, but schizophrenia is rare near the equator due to sunlight. Certain winter infections make people more prone, occurring closer to the poles. Theory: long wavelength light (reds, oranges, yellows) provides protective function on mitochondria during certain pregnancy stages. Genetic and environmental components: identical twins don't always both have it. Sunlight amount is statistically impressively protective.
I think overall health, the sun is essential. I've talked about it before... ridiculous joke how we've been told to be scared of the sun when it's the giver of all life on the planet? Somehow it can be bad for us.
If you go in the sun and start to get burnt, get out of the sun. Throw on clothing, put on a hat.
Pale skin naturally, like a bottle of milk. In Spain, nutrition improved (better fruits/vegetables). Slowly introduced to sun: now can stay out all day, might get reddish but no burn. Feels much better in sun. People from England move to Spain for that. UK vs Spain: 6-7 year life expectancy difference. Sun is key, maybe food too.
Dopamine synthesis from tyrosine via rate-limiting enzyme tyrosinase. Dopamine: feel good, motivated, correlated with sex hormones, responsible for skin pigmentation (e.g., arctic fox white in winter, brown in summer via dopamine pathway). Feeling good in sun via dopamine and melanin pathways.
Recent study: glucose tolerance test in sunlight (even on back) boosts metabolism ~29%, improves blood glucose/insulin regulation. Long wavelength light penetrates body, charges mitochondria. Documented in studies. Glenn Jeffrey (University College London, pale Brit): more sun time = longer life, better blood glucose, etc. Opposite true: too much LED light, not enough sun damages mitochondria (big effect). Beyond vitamin D production (from UV light they say is bad). We've been sold a bill of goods about sun.
In next 10 years, sun myths go same way as "lifting weights turns to fat" (told for decades). In 80s, few women lifted fearing getting too big. Women in gym: pump is as big as you'll get in months; quit for two weeks if scared.
Live by beach in Spain, outside a lot: vitamin D tested at 35. Some don't convert/produce vitamin D well, need supplement (genetic component).
Early correspondence: episode on cannabis worried about psychotic risk, but possible medical uses. Had Peter Attia on podcast (didn't touch subject). Stance: seen benefits, but high THC problematic for psychosis predisposition.
Dorian's experience positive. Background: Birmingham, Jamaican culture (smoke, tea for protection, menstrual pain/PMT). Smoked occasionally while training. In Amsterdam, read studies: massive health benefits from THC/cannabinoids (counterintuitive).
Peter Attia on lungs: like nicotine/tobacco? Unaware of 25-year UCLA study by Dr. Donald Tashkin: cigarette smokers, cannabis smokers, controls.
Tashkin Study Results
- Cigarette group: loss of lung function, increased cancers.
- Cannabis group (heavy daily 25 years): some negative (heat/tar irritates airways, reduces antioxidant layer, more susceptible to infections like bronchitis statistically). But: slight increase in lung capacity vs non-smokers. No cancers.
After 30 years daily smoking, fitness eval in Brazil: biological age 38, excellent breathing/heart rate recovery.
Wonder if THC or smoking; edibles? Rick Simpson RSO oil (cured skin cancer by mistake, gave away free in Canada, persecuted, now Europe). Documentary Run from the Cure. Dr. Sanchez (University of Madrid): lab videos of THC eating cancer cells.
2026: breaking ground on psychedelics, compounds, nutrition. Optimist due to open discussions. Initial breathwork explorers like Stanislav Grof run out of universities as counterculture. Now, lab published peer-reviewed studies on breathwork for anxiety, sleep.
You can manipulate your brain and body with breath work. You can really shift your state.
Cannabis: seen benefits in life/real people, thousands online (e.g., glaucoma: reduces eye pressure, established in ophthalmology).
Driven guy, now has on/off switch (was all gas). Some become amotivated ("I'll do tomorrow"). Theory: if driven, cannabis relaxes; if lazy, amplifies.
Endocannabinoid system test (swab): likelihood negative effects 1-10. Dorian: 1/10. Wife: paranoid from little cannabis (married 12-13 years). Varies by endocannabinoid system/personality. Beneficial for driven/disciplined/hyperactive types.
NFL/NBA survey: 70-80% daily cannabis use. Elite athletes, highest paid; owners wouldn't allow if negative. Players: smoke blunts before games, play/recover better.
It's good to hear... varies by person. Your wife not for her. For you. Varies by profession, drive.
Variation like dogs (size, temperament, food allergies). No 100% rule.
Negative image from 100+ years propaganda. Medicine in 1900 America, shelves for many things. Queen Victoria used for period pains. Pharmaceutical industry: movies like Reefer Madness (smoking sends crazy; white woman smokes, sleeps with black men).
Stronger now: higher THC bred (like dogs), lower CBD (balances THC). More edgy.
Guest Chris McCurdy (Florida scientist): pharma bioprospectors find local plants, extract molecules for potent effects. Kratom, coca: natural balanced stimulant/relaxant (chewed leaves mild like coffee; did in Peru at Machu Picchu). Isolate high-dopamine molecule (cocaine/kratom synthetic). US tendency: amplify addictive effect, demonize natural plant (can't patent).
Cannabis: natural plant, bred stronger but not synthetic. Farmers can't profit natural; alter loses balance.
Internet solves plant vs isolate discussions, cannabis/psychedelics/TRT/steroids. New era: search info differently. In Amsterdam, alt books unavailable in England. Now fingertips: check studies yourself.
Wife is athlete. Women want stronger, bit more size (not overall): train differently from men? No. Same muscles, same rules: overload to grow. Limited by low testosterone.
Nonsense: "don't want bigger, want toned." No such thing: means firmer = build muscle, lose fat (same arm size, leaner/shapely composition). Bodybuilding = resistance/weight training: build muscle, lose fat to change shape. Yoga/Pilates: mobility/internal, not appearance change.
Don't worry too much muscle unless genetic outlier/high T. Competition girls (even bikini class, introduced as women too big): all on steroids. Won't happen by accident.
Resistance training applies the same for women as for men: stress, adaptation, recovery. Women may add extra work on glutes. No voodoo—simple facts.
Industry makes training complicated to add perceived value. Trainers change routines every 4-6 weeks despite same effective exercises; hinders tracking progress. Clients demand changes, good for business but not truth. Hard to sell drive, hard work, sweat, push yourself.
There's a beauty in pushing yourself. Once you overcome something, you feel more confident and stronger to overcome something again.
Gym mirrors life: if you quit when tough in gym, you'll do same in life. Builds resilience, confidence, strength that transfers everywhere. Bodybuilding is more than big muscles and competitions—lowers cortisol, mental benefits.
During bodybuilding career, contracted with Weider company to promote in magazines. Wanted deeper involvement in supplements but denied. Built DY Nutrition independently with partner, now with pharmaceutical facility in Europe. Targets bodybuilding in Europe/Middle East, shifting to health, wellness, longevity. Two phases: bodybuilder Dorian vs. 60s Dorian focused on quality of life supplements. Launching in US soon; first product Blood and Guts pre-workout (with creatine), something special upcoming.
Conventional: whey protein, creatine, glutamine, pre-workouts.
Life as God playing hide-and-seek with itself—consciousness experiencing physical reality. All same consciousness in plants, animals, humans having individual experiences. Doesn't end; energy persists like TV signal after set off. Live fully: seek adventure, experiences.
We're all the same thing having all these experiences at the same time if you want to call that God.
Cannabis aids deep thinking, breaks mental boxes. Now most balanced, peaceful; spread love—creation is love.
Hosts camps 1-2x/year for 6 people: DY HIT training certification (high-intensity training methods, theory, gym). Renaming to DY Experience—beyond training, deep interactions reveal character under stress for guidance. Helps kids, others from experiences. Realized true purpose: inspire/help after achieving fame, trophies, money.
I feel peaceful. I feel balanced. That's my role now: inspire and help from experiences and knowledge.
Inspired millions via accomplishments, insights. Shared tastes: Blondie (met Debbie Harry 1990 New York gym), punk over swimsuit models, hack squat preference.
Trained back at Gold's Gym Venice—brutal, awesome (video linked). Upcoming training: intense, e.g., leg press to failure.
You're not going to die. But if you do, you won't know about it.
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