Dorian Yates is still showing how to train safely while building muscle. In a recent YouTube video aired on Dec. 1, 2025, Yates revealed how to save your elbows during triceps training with a simple arm positioning tweak.
A six-time Mr. Olympia champion, Yates defied the odds to reach the top of the sport. Although he didn’t boast the strongest shape or aesthetics, he leveraged his high-intensity training principles to great success. He managed to deny a crop of top-tier athletes a shot at the Sandow trophy, including Shawn Ray, Kevin Levrone, and Flex Wheeler.
From torn biceps and triceps to his recent hip replacement surgery, bodybuilding took its toll on Yates. This is why he values proper warm-up methods and practices that protect the joints and ligaments. Elbow pain is one of the most common mishaps inside the gym, providing Yates the perfect opportunity to share one of his gems about triceps training.
Dorian Yates Gives Elbow-Saving Triceps Training Tip
In the video, Yates broke down how to best perform a lying triceps extension. He warned against bringing the arms toward the chest at the end of each repetition, and said that would be more like a pullover. He emphasized that this simple training tweak can save the elbows from damage over time.
“Do this for your triceps. So you’re here [arms raised], we’re going to go back to here, yeah? Then, come down so it’s like behind your head, and then we come up but we don’t [bring arms down more].
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So it’s not like a pullover. Keep it there, that way it’s going to save your elbows a bit. It may be reduced poundage, but it’s more muscle,” explained Dorian Yates.
This wasn’t Yates’ first time offering key workout advice that prevents the joints from undue stress. He recently unpacked his technique for strengthening the rotator cuff and protecting the shoulder, which can be accomplished by just hanging from a pull-up bar for three minutes before hitting a workout.
“The Shadow” hasn’t been the only big name in the sport to offer useful arm training advice. “The Godfather of Bodybuilding,” Charles Glass, explained how to position the body perfectly to reap maximum benefits from cable skullcrushers and preacher curls.
Yates’ latest triceps tip can help anyone grow muscle safely, which remains a top priority for the UK star in retirement. He warned that keeping the arms from drifting forward at the end of each repetition is key to progress.
Watch the full video from the DorianYatesNutrition YouTube channel below: