Dexter Jackson "The Blade" (born November 25, 1969) is an American retired IFBB professional bodybuilder and the 2008 Mr. Olympia bodybuilding and 2012 Masters Mr. Olympia champion most popularly known as "The Blade". With 29 wins, Jackson has the most professional men's bodybuilding titles. He has the distinction of winning the Arnold Classic a record five times (2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2015). After winning the Arnold Classic in 2015, he proceeded to place second in the 2015 Mr. Olympia. He is from Jacksonville, Florida. He retired from professional bodybuilding following the 2020 Mr. Olympia.

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

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.