Jackson wasted little movement in this methodical chest exercise.
Bodybuilding legend Dexter Jackson is unlikely to be making a formal comeback to competitions like the returning Masters Olympia anytime soon. That doesn’t mean the former 2008 Mr. Olympia champion and 2012 Masters Olympian is neglecting to take care of his fitness, though. If anything, he trains in exactly the way you would expect a retired Dynamo to.
On May 14, 2023, Jackson shared a video on his YouTube channel where he did an efficient but effective chest workout. For the 54-year-old, who clearly values maintaining the elements of his athleticism – at least if various training videos on his social media platforms are any indication – it’s a worthy insight into an icon’s process.
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Jackson’s chest exercises don’t necessarily reinvent the wheel. It’s also not a top-to-bottom workout. From the way the retired athlete executes every move, it’s clear that distance isn’t the focus. It might be more about efficiency and full upper body development. Note: Jackson didn’t reveal the exact weight for each part of his workout.
Here’s an overview of Jackson’s complete chest workout on a set and rep basis:
Dexter Jackson Chest Workout | YouTube channel May 2023
- Hammer isolation flat bench press (four sets of 10 reps)
- Machine Inclined Chest Press (four sets of 10 Representative)
- Arsenal Incline Flye (Four sets of 10 Representative)
- Decline Cable Flye (Four sets of 10 Representative)
Here’s a quick breakdown of every chest exercise Jackson did during the workout.
Hammer isolation flat bench press
Jackson begins his workout with the Hammer Isolation Flat Bench, a compound movement. As with several exercises he uses in his overall training, Jackson performs the movement on a plate-loaded machine. Jackson performs four sets of progressively heavier weight and views this machine bench press as a way to balance his strength.
Machine inclined chest press
In a seamless transition, Jackson next does some incline chest presses. The athlete again trains for four sets of high repetitions, with an emphasis on endurance and tone. Here, Jackson discusses the benefits of training on machines, particularly in terms of relieving joint pain for a retired athlete like himself.
“All the heavy weight dumbbell exercises I used to do really, really tore my joints,” Jackson explained. “So if you have joint pain and want to relieve the pain, definitely try more machine work. This relieves the joints considerably compared to free weights.”
Arsenal Strength Incline Flye
Next, to further develop his upper pecs, Jackson performs a few sets of high-rep oblique flies on an Arsenal weight machine. This also had the added benefit of tensing his bicep muscles to stabilize the weight during the movement.
Reject cable flies
To complete his workout, Jackson finishes another variation of the chest fly, this time at a cable station, while moving his arms from the bottom up at an angle Jackson calls the “descending cable fly.” As the name suggests, this aimed to ensure that every part of Jackson’s pecs received appropriate attention, in this case the lower part.
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Towards the end of the video, Jackson inserted an old clip of him bench pressing 183 kilograms (405 pounds) for eight reps, filmed during his pre-contest for the 2000 Mr. Olympia, in which he eventually finished ninth .
While he may not compete at the high and productive levels of his professional bodybuilding days these days, it’s evident that Jackson’s fitness is still a top priority. For an older character like him, it also seems clear that he’s keen to climb the ladder and reward others with his training knowledge.
Featured image: Dexter Jackson on YouTube
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