Shout Out to Dexter Jackson

The Most Extraordinary Bodybuilder Ever

 Last October 1, ageless Dexter Jackson won the Dubai pro contest, relegating Shawn Rhoden (third place finisher at the 2014 Mr. Olympia) to second place. It was another astonishing step in the most extraordinary ever career of a pro bodybuilder. Now “extraordinary” is not a word to be used casually. But here’s 12 reasons why Dexter Jackson is indeed extraordinary, plus a summation (The Dex-Factor?) of what makes him different.

1.) His pro career began in 1999 and has thus far spanned 16 consecutive seasons, which equals Al Beckles record, who competed as a pro every year from 1977 through 1992.

2.) He has competed in 71 pro contests. Chris Cormier (1994-2007) and Milos Sarcev (1991-2003) share the most pro contests competed in at 72. Jackson will surely overtake that number next year.

3.) He has won 20 pro contests, placing him equal third on the all time winners list with Kevin Levrone and behind Vince Taylor (22 wins) and Ronnie Coleman (25 wins). If we include only open contests and exclude Masters titles, Dexter drops to 18 and Taylor to 16.

4.) He placed in top six in each of the 12 Olympias he competed in from 1999 to 2014 (he bypassed 2005). Kevin Levrone finished in the top six in 12 consecutive Olympias, 1992 through 2003. For top tier consistency only Shawn Ray has a better record placing in the top five in 12 consecutive Olympias, 1990 through 2001.

5.) In winning the 2014 Dubai contest, Jackson, at one month shy of his 45^th birthday, became the second oldest competitor to win an IFBB Open pro contest. Al Beckles was 52 when he won the 1991 Niagara Pro.

 6.) He won the Olympia at his ninth attempt. The longest wait to winning of any Mr. Olympia. Next closest was Jay Cutler who won the Olympia at his sixth attempt.

7.) He is the only man to have won a Mr. Olympia title (2008) and the Masters Olympia (2011 and 2012).

8.) He is still competing six years after he won the 2008 Olympia, the longest continuous career continuation of any other previous Mr. Olympia.

9.) His weight gain is unprecedented: at his first contest, the 1991 Jax Physique Championships, he competed as a 135-pound bantamweight and won that division and the overall. For the 2014 Olympia he weighed in at around 235 pounds. An astonishing gain of 100 pounds of muscle in 23 years.

10.) In 1995 he won the light heavyweight title at the NPC USA Championships but three months later failed to make the top 15 at the NPC Nationals. Its doubtful if a future Mr. Olympia ever placed so low.

11.) In contrast to other competitors with long careers (Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler, Chris Cormier and Milos Sarcev) Dexter Jackson’s physique has not faded as he got older. He’s maybe now as good as he’s ever been.

12.) He probably does less cardio than any other pro as he explains, “You can call it cardio, I don’t. Four weeks before a show I do 20 minutes of cardio every day. But it’s not to burn fat, it’s to boost my metabolism and process food better because I now eat more food than I used to. To me it’s not strictly cardio -- you can call it cardio if you want.”

THE DEX-FACTOR?

 What makes Dexter Jackson so “Extraordinary”? For many bodybuilders it is what they do that makes them successful. In Dexter’s case its maybe what he doesn’t do that has given him his success, his longevity and the ability to improve at 44 years of age after 24 years of working out.

 He doesn’t submit himself to mind-numbing daily sessions of cardio. His workouts last just over an hour and he does not employ any Yateslike intensity techniques. That strategy being one of the reasons why in 24 years of gym action he’s never had a major injury.

 He competes around 230-235 pounds and never goes higher than 250 in the offseason and then allows himself a 10-week contest prep cycle to get in condition. Although he will tell you if a big money contest suddenly appeared he, from a starting weight of 250, could get into shape in five weeks “easy”. Subsequently he’s never had to crash diet and put his body through the rigors of losing 40 pounds during contest prep. Who knows what physical and mental toll such a contest prep onslaught has on a body when it is undertaken year after year? Dexter hasn’t had to do it, which is why he shows up fresh and perky at every contest and is not as some of his peers appear to be -- a couple of knocks away from death’s door.

 The premise being made is that by not going to extremes Dexter has reached, and continues to reach, the extreme level of his sport. Phil Heath is called The Gift, but Dexter is gifted too and he knows it. “ I see so many of the other guys working their ass off doing two hours of cardio a day and measuring every calorie, which is something I don’t do. So do I feel gifted, blessed? Sure I do, who wouldn’t? But I still have to work hard in a concentrated fashion in the gym. I don’t know what the secret is. Maybe taking care of myself, eating properly not doing anything crazy inside or outside the gym.”

He hesitates and then laughs, “I can’t put my finger on it. You know it’s sorta intriguing to me too. But I’m not questioning it. I say Okay, done deal -- I’ll accept it.”

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READ DEXTER'S LONG & WINDING ROAD TO BODYBUILDING HISTORY

SEE DEXTER TRAIN CHEST WITH CHARLES GLASS DURING HIS 2014 OLYMPIA PREP