Valentin Bosioc
What better way to start our list than with one of the best known professional bodybuilders of all time? Born in England in 1962, Dorian “The Shadow” Yates was 21 years old when he first started working out after spending six months at a youth detention center. Shifting his focus to the gym, it took Yates around seven years before reaching the pinnacle of the bodybuilding world when he took home his first Mr. Olympia title in 1992. Winning five consecutive titles until 1997, Yates ranks behind Ronnie Coleman, Lee Haney and Arnold Schwarzenegger for all-time Mr. Olympia wins.
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Enjoying the peak of success in the late 1990s, Yates’ career was cut short all too soon in 1997 when several injuries, including torn biceps and triceps, from extensive steroid use took him out of the competition for good. Yates gave up competing (and steroids) and bought a gym franchise with locations in England, California and Las Vegas. Now 54 years old and looking less like a sideshow strongman, Yates is a published author and trainer who spends the majority of his time coaching his son as a professional bodybuilder. Looks like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree after all!
