Written by Ron Harris
29 September 2017

PRAGUE-Dexter-CHEST-feature

The Master of Muscle

Chest Training with the Ageless Dexter Jackson

 

One of the Best Chests in the Biz

When we talk about the best chests in pro bodybuilding, there aren't a whole lot of men today that are mentioned. Certainly Dexter's name hardly ever comes up, but it's not for lack or worthiness. His pecs are thick and full from clavicle to sternum, and splintered with crevasse-like striations. Few chests today stand out the way his does in poses like the side chest and most muscular. It's only because Dexter's physique is so well balanced and proportional that you might not focus on his chest, or any one body part, for that matter. As ironic as it seems, we only tend to laud praise on those with great body parts if they happen to be lacking in other areas, or don't have particularly pleasing shape and symmetry. Since Dexter does, you tend to gloss over just how good individual parts are, which is actually the ideal situation and what all bodybuilders are supposed to strive for.

 

A Proper Foundation

Over the past couple of years in MD, I've been delving into the conundrum of why it is that thick, powerful chests used to be a dime a dozen in our sport and weak pecs were unheard of, whereas now we are seeing more and more lackluster development in competitors even at the highest levels. Dexter's history of chest training only confirms what many others have expounded on, that getting away from the raw basic movements even in beginners is setting the stage for developmental issues related to the pectorals.

 

“When I started out back at the very end of the ‘80s and as the ‘90s were just beginning, guys in the gyms still had that old-school mentality that barbell pressing was fundamental to building a good chest,” Dexter tells us. “On chest day, pretty much everybody would do flat barbell presses, incline barbell, and declines. I don't even recall too many guys using dumbbells. One phrase that really sunk in when I heard the older guys say it back then was 'barbells build muscle.' That's why we all did plenty of barbell rows, deadlifts, military presses and squats, and built a solid foundation of size and strength with them.”

 

Jackson might be seen using dumbbells and the Smith machine today in his chest workouts, but that's only because he's already paid his dues with more than two decades of workouts that featured plenty of barbell work. For those of you still in that stage where you are in dire need of muscle mass, you would be wise to leave the machines alone for the time being and become friendly with the barbell movements.

 

Staying Injury-Free Is Also Key

A vital component of Dexter's longevity and success in the sport is that he's managed to avoid injuries, while his peers have torn various muscles and have had to deal with horrendous pain in areas like their lower backs, shoulders, knees and elbows. This is not simply a matter of luck on The Blade's part. In addition to always taking plenty of time to warm up and using weights that are within his abilities to handle properly, he's also displayed above average common sense over the years. Nearly all of you reading this who have incurred injuries will recall that they didn't simply come out of nowhere. More likely, you felt a weird pain or sensation that was your body's way of telling you something wasn't right. Bodybuilders being stubborn creatures, more often than not we ignored those warnings and kept on training— that's hardcore! It's also incredibly stupid.

 

“Any time I ever felt something that didn't feel right, I stopped the workout,” Dexter reveals. “Not only that, I wouldn't train that area again until everything felt fine again, even if that took a couple of weeks of leaving it alone. People would tell me I was missing valuable training time, but my response was that if I tore a pec or my rotator cuff, I'd lose a heck of a lot more time in the gym.” Now, let's hear Dexter talk about some of the most productive movements you can use to pack on some serious pec beef.

 

Flat Barbell Bench Press

Dexter only got away from this exercise a few years ago, but he credits it with the majority of the development you see today. Though he never trained exclusively for strength and also never used very low reps, he still became quite strong on it, handling 405 for 10 reps at his best, weighing only 240 pounds. This used to be the core exercise of every chest workout for bodybuilders the world over, but in recent years it's falling out of favor due to an infamous reputation for leading to pec tears and shoulder problems. “Those things happen because guys don't warm up enough, they go way too heavy, and they don't use proper form,” Dexter explains. “I never jumped into a heavy weight on the bench press right away, that's insane. Instead I would start with 135 for 15, then 185 for 12, 225 for 10, then start my work sets. My reps were never under eight, and mostly right at 10. You got to remember you're doing this exercise to build your chest, so focus on good contractions instead of worrying about being the guy at the gym who can bench press the most.”

 

Though he does his flat pressing on the Smith machine or a Hammer Strength machine now, it's only because his chest has all the thickness it will ever need. "Anyone who still needs more size should be on that flat bench, period,” he declares. “If you train smart, you have nothing to worry about.” A quick note on the thumbless grip you see Dexter using. Many bodybuilders do find they are able to recruit their chests better with it, but you absolutely must maintain a secure grip on the bar and never let it roll out of your hands. If your grip isn't the greatest, you might want to reinforce it with wrist wraps. And of course, any time you perform the flat barbell bench press, have a good spotter for safety purposes.

 

Dumbbell Press

Dexter has never been too much of a fan of dumbbell pressing for chest, but he recognizes that it's a better option for some. “I've known some guys who were just never able to take their shoulders and triceps out of chest pressing movements until they switched from barbells to dumbbells,” he tells us. “They are definitely tougher to balance, and you can't go as heavy with them, but for some people those are good things,” he notes. One advantage many have found with dumbbells is that they allow you to bring your arms in toward the midline of your body as you press, which can facilitate superior contractions. It should be said that if you are doing any press from a given angle with either a barbell or dumbbells, it's redundant to duplicate the same angle in the same workout with the other. So if you are doing flat barbell bench presses, there is no need to do the dumbbell version also.

 

Dips

Dips are something Jackson has done more so for his triceps than his chest, but he highly recommends them as an alternative to decline pressing, an angle of pressing that's fallen out of favor and use over the years. “Productive chest training is all about hitting the pecs from all the angles,” he notes. “If you lean forward, stress is shifted away from the triceps and put on the chest.” Dips can be incorporated in a couple of different ways in your chest routine. You can either add weight with a belt and use them as a heavy pressing movement, or do them with bodyweight only at the very end of your workout for a final muscle fiber-splitting pump.

 

Cable Crossovers

Dexter believes that a good chest workout needs only two or at most three types of presses, and one flye motion. Normally in his off-season, he prefers dumbbell or machine flyes. When he transitions into contest-prep mode, he's more apt to use the cable crossover instead. “It has a different feel to it, and you can also adjust the pulleys at different angles to feel the chest work in specific areas.”

 

Incline Press

No impressive chest is lacking thickness in the upper portion under the clavicles, yet we see plenty of chests where most of the development is in the middle and lower regions. You should always include an incline pressing movement in your chest workouts, as Dexter does. If you do lack that upper pec “shelf,” Jackson advises beginning all your chest workouts with an incline press. “You're fresh in the gym and you can push as much weight at that time,” he points out. “Another thing I tell guys who need more upper chest is to lower the bar higher up on the chest near the bottom of your throat instead of down close to the nipple line. That puts more stress on the upper chest. If you find that hurts your shoulder joints, try moving the point you lower the bar to a couple of inches.”

 

Build Your Own Treasure Chest

Few of us will ever own a chest that looks like Dexter Jackson's. But that's OK, the man is a genetic marvel of the highest order as evidenced by his stunning pro career. That doesn't mean you can't optimize your chest development by following his lead. Pay your dues with free-weight movements, train smart and safe, and you too can have the very best chest possible. And who knows? Maybe you too can look and feel amazing at the age of 47!

 

Suggested Beginner Routine

Flat Barbell Bench Press          4 x 8-10

Incline Barbell Bench Press      4 x 8-10

Dumbbell Flye or Pec Deck       4 x 8-10

 

Dexter's Chest Routine

Smith Machine Incline Press      5 x 10

Smith Machine Flat Press          4 x 10

Dumbbell or Machine Flyes        4 x 10

 

Dexter's Training split

Monday:           Quads

Tuesday:           Chest and calves

Wednesday:      Back

Thursday:          Delts and hams

Friday:              Arms

 

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