Dexter Jackson

Dexter Jackson is an IFBB Professional Open division Bodybuilder/ former Mr. Olympia (2008). He’s the winningest bodybuilder in history, an icon of the sport, and still a top competitor in Open bodybuilding. This is his life story, competition history, diet, training routine, and more.

(IFBB Pro Bodybuilder, trainer)

Athlete Statistics

Full Name: Dexter Jackson (Bodybuilder)
Weight	Height	Age
215 lb (98 kg) (Contest) 235 lb (107 kg) (Off-Season)	5’6” (168 cm)	53 years years
Date of Birth	Era	Nationality
November 25, 1969	1990, 2000, 2010	American

Early Life

Dexter Jackson was born and raised in Jacksonville, Fl. He was one of the six children. Jackson played football in high school and was an exceptional athlete. In addition, he participated in baseball, ran track, gymnastics, and martial arts earning several levels of a black belt.

After his high school years, Jackson learned that he was going to be a father which made him decide that he’d get a job as a cook rather than attending college.

But it was during these years that Jackson discovered his love for training, obviously realizing that he was blessed hence why he was suggested to compete by friends. Shortly after, he competed in some local shows, winning his first-ever competition at age 20 and with only a few weeks to prepare for it.

Jackson went on to become a huge name in the industry, gracing the cover of major fitness magazines such as Flex, Muscular Development, MuscleMag, and more.

Competition and Career

Dexter Jackson earned the nickname, ‘The Blade’ due to his sharp look.

His first NPC (National Physique Committee) competition was the 1992 NPC Southern States of which he placed 3rd in the lightweight category. Jackson earned his Pro card several years later at the 1998 North American Championships after winning the light-heavyweight and overall. He competed at the Arnold Classic the very next year and placed 7th.

Dexter Jackson has won more bodybuilding shows than anyone in the history of the sport with 29 victories to his name. He won the Arnold Classic (Ohio) a record five times (2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2015), and defeated the reigning champion Jay Cutler in 2008 to win the Mr. Olympia title.

This win made him one of only 15 men on the planet to win the title.

Not to mention, he took the title at the Masters Olympia in 2012 at age 43 after having placed fourth at that year’s Olympia.

What’s also very impressive about Jackson’s career is that he finished in the top five at the Mr. Olympia competition from 2002-2018 although he didn’t participate in the 2005 contest. He also holds the record for most Olympia appearances with 20.

At 49 years old, Jackson placed 4th at the prestigious Mr. Olympia competition in 2019. He also won the Tampa Pro the same year and finished 2nd at the 2020 Arnold Classic at age 50.

Earlier this year, Jackson announced that the 2020 Olympia will be his last competition. However, he recently explained in an interview that due to the current health situation, he may consider competing for another year to be able to compete in shows that he wanted too. He noted that he’d like to add the Arnold Classic Brazil to his resume as he hasn’t won that show yet.

Either way, Dexter Jackson has nothing else to prove and is one of the greatest bodybuilding of all time.

His incredible genetics and work ethic have allowed him to be where he is today with accomplishments that no man ever has ever achieved.

Competition history

1992 NPC Southern States, Lightweight – 3rd
1995 NPC USA Championships, Light-Heavyweight – 1st
1996 NPC Nationals, Light-Heavyweight – 6th
1998 North American Championships, Light-HeavyWeight – 1st and Overall (Pro card)
1999 Arnold Classic – 7th
1999 Grand Prix England – 4th
1999 Night of Champions – 3rd
1999 Mr. Olympia – 9th
1999 World Pro Championships – 4th
2000 Arnold Classic – 5th
2000 Grand Prix Hungary – 2nd
2000 Ironman Pro Invitational – 3rd
2000 Night of Champions – 8th
2000 Mr. Olympia – 9th
2000 Toronto Pro Invitational – 2nd
2001 Arnold Classic – 5th
2001 Grand Prix Australia – 3rd
2001 Grand Prix England – 4th
2001 Grand Prix Hungary – 3rd
2001 Night of Champions – 2nd
2001 Mr. Olympia – 8th
2001 Toronto Pro Invitational – 2nd
2002 Arnold Classic – 3rd
2002 Grand Prix Australia – 2nd
2002 Grand Prix Austria – 2nd
2002 Grand Prix England – 1st
2002 Grand Prix Holland – 3rd
2002 Mr. Olympia – 4th
2002 San Francisco Pro Invitational – 3rd
2002 Show of Strength Pro Championship – 6th
2003 Arnold Classic – 4th
2003 Maximum Pro Invitational – 3rd
2003 Mr. Olympia – 3rd
2003 San Francisco Pro Invitational – 3rd
2003 Show of Strength Pro Championship – 1st
2004 Arnold Classic – 3rd
2004 Grand Prix Australia – 1st
2004 Ironman Pro Invitational – 1st
2004 Mr. Olympia – 4th
2004 San Francisco Pro Invitational – 1st
2005 Arnold Classic – 1st
2005 San Francisco Pro Invitational – 2nd
2006 Arnold Classic – 1st
2006 Mr. Olympia – 4th
2007 Arnold Classic – 2nd
2007 IFBB Australian Pro Grand Prix – 1st
2007 Mr. Olympia – 3rd
2008 Arnold Classic – 1st
2008 IFBB Australian Pro Grand Prix VIII – 1st
2008 IFBB New Zealand Grand Prix – 1st
2008 IFBB Russian Grand Prix – 1st
2008 Mr. Olympia – 1st
2009 Mr. Olympia – 3rd
2010 Arnold Classic – 4th
2010 IFBB Australian Pro Grand Prix – 2nd
2010 Mr. Olympia – 4th
2011 Flex Pro – 2nd
2011 Mr. Olympia – 6th
2011 FIBO Pro – 1st
2011 Pro Masters World Champion – 1st
2012 Arnold Classic – 5th
2012 Mr. Olympia – 4th
2012 IFBB Masters Olympia – 1st
2013 Arnold Classic – 1st
2013 IFBB Australian Pro Grand Prix – 1st
2013 Mr. Olympia – 5th
2013 EVLS Prague Pro – 2nd
2013 Tijuana Pro – 1st
2014 Mr. Olympia – 5th
2014 Arnold Classic Europe – 3rd
2014 Dubai Pro – 1st
2014 Prague Pro – 2nd
2015 Arnold Classic – 1st
2015 Arnold Classic Australia – 1st
2015 Arnold Classic Europe – 1st
2015 Mr. Olympia – 2nd
2015 Prague Pro – 1st
2016 New York Pro – 1st
2016 Arnold Classic South Africa – 1st
2016 Mr. Olympia – 3rd
2016 Arnold Classic Europe – 1st
2016 Prague Pro – 3rd
2016 Mr. Olympia Europe – 1st
2017 Mr. Olympia – 4th
2017 Prague Pro – 3rd
2018 Arnold Classic – 2nd
2018 IFBB Arnold Classic Australia – 3rd
2018 Mr. Olympia – 7th
2019 Tampa Pro – 1st
2019 Mr. Olympia – 4th
2020 Arnold Classic – 2nd

Dexter Jackson Training Regime

There are many great videos of Dexter Jackson’s training videos on the internet. So, we chose a few sessions that he did before months out from competing in the 2019 Olympia and 2020 Arnold Classic. He uses a good variety f machines which he has explained is safer for him.

Although, he’ll definitely do free weights as well.

Shoulder workout

Dumbbell side lateral raises
Dumbbell upright rows
Barbell reverse-grip front delt raise
Rear delt fly
Machine shoulder press

Arm workout

Machine preacher curls
Barbell curls
Spider curls
Straight-bar tricep pushdowns
Prone tricep extensions superset w/ machine dips
Incline EZ bar overhead tricep extension superset w/ rope tricep pushdowns

Quad workout

The following is a quad-focused workout that Dexter Jackson did 5 weeks out from the 2020 Arnold Classic. He was connected to a Neubie machine while being monitored; which is an electrostimulation device by NeuFit that helps with muscular re-education, recovery, preventing injuries, etc.

He has noted that training with this device allowed him to get his legs back and he feels no pain in his knees. As a result, he can go pretty heavy with his leg exercises.

Leg extensions
Angled leg press
Machine V squat
Leg press variation

Hamstring workout

‘The Blade’ did the following hamstring-focused workout prior to last year’s Olympia.

Seated hamstring curl – 5 sets
Standing single-leg hamstring curl machine – 4 sets
Lying hamstring curl – 4 sets
Reverse hack squat/deadlift – 4 sets

Diet and Nutrition

Amid the current health crisis, Dexter Jackson posted a video showing what he eats to stay lean and in good shape. He also eats this exact, low-carb meal even when he’s dieting down for a big show such as the Arnold Classic and Olympia.

Jackson made it a point to mention that he does not cut sodium as it helps to keep the full look. So, he doesn’t hold back much with the seasonings. He explained that he only eats a few times per day and in the offseason, he’ll usually eat 4 healthier meals and 2 meals where he’s a little more lenient with his choices.

Meal option 1

Pan-fried chicken breast chunks w/ BBQ sauce
Pan-fried organic Basmati rice w/ soy sauce

Shortly after, Jackson posted another video where he showed what he eats up to two, three weeks before a show.

Meal option 2

1 1/2 cups (70 grams of carbs) of organic, wheat and gluten-free brown rice pasta w/ 6-7 ounces of beef ground beef (you can use any meat or seafood of your choice though), and some organic pasta sauce.

Other Endeavors

Jackson filmed a documentary, Dexter Jackson: Unbreakable that was filmed by Alex Ardenti of Ardenti Films and made available in 2009.

He’s also a coach that conducts lessons for people looking to improve their physiques and has his own NPC bodybuilding show, the Dexter Jackson Classic that’s held annually in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fl.

Additional Information

‘The Blade’ Dexter Jackson is a bodybuilder to cherish if you’ve been fortunate enough to witness his greatness. At 50 years old, he still continues to place very high at major bodybuilding competitions and although he planned for one more show, he may extend his participation for an additional year.

And hopefully, he’ll snag a few more wins to add to his unparalleled resume.