What is a Blood & Guts working set?

Warm-up sets, then one all-out set — often with a forced rep, rest-pause, or drop. Log only that working set as the progress number. If you stop with reps in reserve, you are not running HIT.

How many days per week did Dorian Yates train?

Four hard days with rest between them. Chest/biceps, back, shoulders/triceps, legs. Not a daily bro split. The rest days are the program.

Is Yates HIT better than push-pull-legs for a UK gym?

HIT wins if you have 45 minutes and can push one set honestly. PPL wins if you like more sets and a London peak-hour rotation. Log either — do not mix both in one week.

Illustrated icon of Dorian Yates for the Blood & Guts HIT workout log

United Kingdom · 6× Mr. Olympia

Dorian Yates Blood & Guts — 4-day HIT log (one working set)

Birmingham, England. Six Olympia titles (1992–1997). Blood & Guts HIT: few sets, all-out intensity.

High-protein Yates meals around one hard session

High protein, controlled carbs, little junk. Meal timing around the one hard session of the day.

Calories: ~3,500–4,500 kcal
Protein: 250–300 g
Carbs: 300–450 g
Fats: 50–70 g

Meals

Meal 1. Eggs, oats, fruit
Meal 2. Chicken, rice, vegetables
Pre-workout. Lean meat, rice or potato
Post-workout. Whey, banana or rice
Meal 5. Fish or beef, vegetables, small carbs
Meal 6. Casein or cottage cheese

He kept protein high year-round. Carbs rose on training days and fell when fat loss was the job.

Blood & Guts 4-day HIT: warm-up, then one set to failure

Warm-up sets, then one working set to failure. Forced reps, rest-pause, or a drop set. Then stop.

HIT · 4 days

Day 1 — Chest / biceps

Incline press1 work set to failure
Machine press1 work set
Flye1 work set
Barbell curl1 work set

Day 2 — Back

Nautilus pullover1 work set
Hammer strength row1 work set
Deadlift1 work set
Hyperextension1 work set

Day 3 — Shoulders / triceps

Smith press1 work set
Lateral raise1 work set
Rear delt1 work set
Pushdown / dip1 work set

Day 4 — Legs

Hack or leg press1 work set
Leg extension1 work set
Leg curl1 work set
Stiff-leg deadlift1 work set

Rest days between sessions. If the working set is not truly all-out, the whole method fails. Not a volume program.

How to log HIT without wrecking recovery

Write the working set in the log: load, reps, rest-pause or drop. If the set was not truly all-out, the method is just low volume. Rest days stay rest days. Busy lifters can use this 4-day grid instead of six-day PPL.

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FAQ

What is a Blood & Guts working set?: Warm-up sets, then one all-out set — often with a forced rep, rest-pause, or drop. Log only that working set as the progress number. If you stop with reps in reserve, you are not running HIT.
How many days per week did Dorian Yates train?: Four hard days with rest between them. Chest/biceps, back, shoulders/triceps, legs. Not a daily bro split. The rest days are the program.
Is Yates HIT better than push-pull-legs for a UK gym?: HIT wins if you have 45 minutes and can push one set honestly. PPL wins if you like more sets and a London peak-hour rotation. Log either — do not mix both in one week.

Simplified from widely published Blood & Guts material. Not official, not medical advice. HIT to failure is advanced.