Despite stepping away from the stage in 2020, Dexter Jackson still holds himself accountable in terms of fitness and nutrition. In a YouTube video, Jackson detailed his recent stem cell therapy session, his nutritional plan, and how he’s used testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to preserve his health.
During his illustrious career lasting over two decades, Dexter Jackson was constantly pushing himself at shows and breaking records as an IFBB Pro. While competing actively, Jackson became a five-time Arnold Classic winner, a feat he made possible with conditioning, symmetry, and most importantly, consistency. His tenure saw him face a number of icons such as seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, Kai Greene, and four-time winner Jay Cutler.
In 2008, Jackson would reach the pinnacle of his career by defeating Cutler at Mr. Olympia. He wasn’t able to regain the prestigious title but competed for several years en route to his final contest, which came at the 2020 Mr. Olympia where he finished ninth. Jackson also holds the honor of having won the 2012 Masters Olympia competition.
While fans hoped for his eventual comeback, Jackson appeared in an Olympia TV interview and made it clear he’s not returning nor does he miss the sport. When asked why, Jackson explained that his long career was fueled by the idea that he would have no regrets when he finally stopped competing.
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Dexter Jackson Says Neck Mobility Has Improved Since Stem Cell Therapy
After seeing doctors, Jackson discovered that he had four discs in his neck that displayed considerable arthritis. However, he had positive findings to report after receiving the stem cell treatment.
“Well, they say it takes anywhere from six weeks to three months before you start really benefitting from the stem cell. But when I went over there, got an MRI, they did an MRI on me to check everything, right, found that I had a couple of – four of the discs in my neck that need – that has some arthritis in it as well. I thought I slept on the pillow wrong two months ago and my neck has been bothering me, I mean, I could turn like probably about three-quarters of the way without feeling some pain.
Now I can turn it all away, I’m not saying it’s from the stem cells, it could have just been from rest or maybe it could be, who knows. Stem cells affect people differently, right? Just like anything else. So, it could have been from maybe a little stem cell treatment and rest.”“All I know is I can turn [my neck] all the way now, I don’t feel nothing,” said Jackson. “Hopefully that I got treated, hopefully, it’s now going to prevent me – it’s supposed to, prevent me from getting that way, hopefully, I’ve caught it early. I got stem cell treatments in my neck and back. In my spine, I had arthritis there.”
Jackson Details Diet and Current/Past TRT Use: ‘I Like to be Cautious and Safe’
According to Jackson, he now consumes four or five ounces of protein daily. Conversely, at the height of his career, he ate six-to-eight ounces. Moreover, he reduced his meals from seven to three in retirement.
“Let’s show you how I’m living and eating nowadays,” said Jackson. Shrimp, sometimes steak, I don’t eat like I use to no more. Instead of eating eight ounces or six-to-eight ounces of beef or protein, you know, with my meals, I probably do now, about four to five ounces. Not six or seven meals a day no more, so probably about three meals a day with one of my shakes. And like I said, I don’t do two cups or rice or none of that stuff no more.”
“For 30 years, about 50 grams per meal [of protein] six or seven meals a day. 300 grams or maybe more. Protein has always been around that. I manipulated the carbs depending on off-season versus prep, contest prep right? You have to manipulate the carbs during contest preps so they would go down as low as 150 grams. But on my high days, I was probably eating 100 grams per meal, so 6, 7, 800 grams of carbs a day.”
“I used to eat grits every day for breakfast. Even you get turned off of grits too much because of the mountain I had to eat and how long I had to eat it for. Now, I probably have a baked potato/grits for breakfast depending on how I feel that day. I started doing backed potatoes during the end of my career because it kept my stomach from getting bloated.”
“I started doing TRT about two years ago. I did it off and on for a little bit. I was even coming off. A lot of people think you stay on TRT or HRT or whatever, low test is what that means. You can stay on that forever and you don’t have to come off, but of course, me, I like to be cautious and safe and I would even come off of TRT and just be on it for like 12 weeks… come off that, be off for 12 more weeks. I did that for probably about a week but now I don’t even do that anymore.”
Watch the full video below on Dexter Jackson’s YouTube channel:
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