Veteran bodybuilder Dexter Jackson has created a lasting legacy in the sport with some spectacular performances throughout his competitive career. A few years into retirement, Jackson is still pushing himself in the gym to an extent where he has to remind himself it is not as serious anymore!
One of the most prominent names in the 2000s and 2010s bodybuilding era, “The Blade” has five Arnold Classic titles to his name, winning this second-most prestigious bodybuilding competition in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, and 2015. He was also a perennial Mr. Olympia contender that pushed dominant champions like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler the way only a handful of other competitors could. In 2008, Jackson even managed to push Cutler off the pedestal and take home the sole Mr. Olympia title of his bodybuilding career.
The 53-year-old is one of the rare athletes that have enjoyed performance longevity and competed well into his late forties before deciding to call it quits. A ninth-place finish at the 2020 Mr. Olympia marked the end of his 22-year-long pro career. Although there was speculation about him competing in the returning Masters Olympia competition, Jackson has made it clear that he has no intentions of wearing the posing trunks again.
Staying in shape and maintaining overall health is the primary goal of his training. However, he is a passionate bodybuilder all the way down to his core, and that nature was on full display in Jackson’s recent back training session. So let’s check out how he trained in this workout.
Dexter Jackson goes through a back workout
Hammer Strength Machine Low Row
Jackson admitted to not having trained his back seriously in quite some time. He started the training session with low rows on the Hammer Strength plate-loaded low-rows machine to get a good warm-up. After packing a few serious sets of the movement using incrementally heavier weights, Jackson went on to take on the heavier lifts of the session.
Seated Row
The five-time Arnold Classic champion next worked the back muscles on a plate-loaded machine with a swivel handle which enables a more natural movement of the arms during the exercise.
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
After putting up with the two horizontal pulling movements, the legendary bodybuilder trained his lats with this compound movement. After performing the first set of the exercise with furious intensity, Jackson made a conscious decision to tone it down a notch as he sometimes has to remind himself that it’s not competition anymore.
“Sometimes, I still find myself training too hard. I have to tell myself to back off a little bit homie – it ain’t that serious no more! But I’ve been doing it for so many years… over 30 years of training like this. So I get why some people can’t let certain things go, you know. I can let it go. That’s why I can tell myself to back off, and I listen to myself. Some people don’t listen to themselves,” Jackson said.
After getting a few sets of lat pulldowns under his belt, Jackson jumped into the next exercise.
Seated Cable Row
Another variation of rows followed next, and the 53-year-old bodybuilder performed the movement on the cable machine with swivel handles. This movement added the last bit of stimulus to the back, as Jackson called it a day in the gym after a few sets of the exercise.
In totality, Dexter Jackson’s back workout consisted of:
Jackson revealed that he has been suffering from arthritis of the back for a while now. However, he will head to Columbia soon to get stem cell therapy to address the problem.
“I’m gonna be 100 percent 20 again…!” Jackson stated.
Jackson has set a positive example for younger bodybuilders in his retirement. A huge and muscular physique is an integral part of a bodybuilder’s identity. Many of them carry the colossal muscle mass into the later years of life despite being aware of its health risks. However, The Blade has let go of the heavy physique and significantly downsized in favor of longevity and quality of life at this stage of his life. Fitness Volt wishes Jacson luck with his upcoming stem cell treatment.
You can watch the full workout video below, courtesy of Dexter Jackson’s YouTube channel: