WE ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE OUR FUTURE,
and this is exactly what Dorian did…with something he didn’t even
know he had: The Machine Mindset
FROM PRISON TO
PRO SHOW
As a youngster, a skinny
Dorian found himself
behind bars.
But how did the bodybuilding
legend go from a skinny 18-year-
old young man in prison, to a 6x
Mr. Olympia?
What he didn’t realise at the
time was that he possessed an
incredible ability to remain
focused at all costs. Dorian had
a machine-like mindset.
“I knew that if I acquired
training and nutritional
knowledge from top
bodybuilders, I’d stand myself in
good stead for personal
success,” recalls Dorian. “I knew
that if I could apply their mindset
to my own goals, I would
12
FLEX | FEBRUARY 2018
eventually achieve them.
I remember feeling an
uncontrollable desire to push
myself above and beyond what
any other bodybuilder was
doing, but I didn’t yet understand
how to apply this passion.”
Dorian gave up partying and
decided instead to eat clean,
train hard and get to bed by 11pm
each night in order to allow his
body to recover and grow.
“I wasn’t proud of my past,”
admits Dorian. “My new path
needed a solid foundation and I
was resolute in my desire to
become a top bodybuilder. I
wanted to erase my past and
light up my future, and that
fuelled me with an unrivalled
vision.”
In a very short space of time,
Dorian had taken what he’d
learned from guys like Mike Mentzer,
and packed on the dense muscle
mass needed to step out on stage.
The once skinny, directionless teen
had flourished into a man mountain-
smashing his opponents in a line up
and causing a huge rumble in the
world of bodybuilding.
As a result, the WEIDER brothers
invited Dorian to New York for his
first American pro show. At this
event in 1990 named ‘Night of the
Champions’, the British newcomer
placed 2nd to Mohammed Benaziza.
Such an accomplishment was
almost unheard of. Dorian had come
from nowhere and packed on so
much muscle in such a short space
of time. He’d then seemingly
effortlessly placed 2nd in his first
pro show.
“Some people say my route to
stardom illustrates special qualities,