Dexter Jackson, also known by his cool name “The Blade” is a legendary bodybuilder and is known for his perfect body symmetry and conditioning.
Dexter has won multiple titles namely Mr. Olympia, Arnold Classic, and New York Pro. He has also won 28 IFBB professional bodybuilding awards to set a unique world record.
With only about 10 weeks left for Olympia 2018, The Blade has hit the gym hard and has been extensively doing chest workout.
Dexter started with incline bench barbell press and worked up his way to flat bench presses. He also did one other variant of bench presses.
The next exercise was Incline-Bench DB Flyes and Hammer Strength Incline Machine following that. He did some core exercises to finish off the routine and took some supplements to help recovery from the workouts and repair his muscles.
Advanced chest workout tips from the Maestro
- Flat bench presses of 4 sets of 6-10 reps each.
Dexter gives out chest workout tips by asking to start the routines with bench presses always, preferably with a barbell. He uses explosive upward movements and a slow controlled descent. The grip will be overhand and wrists will be aligned to elbows. Using a machine for heavy weights is also suggested by Jackson as it provides safety and uniformity.
- Hammer Strength Incline Machine press of 3 sets with 6-10 reps each.
In this exercise, Jackson advises to focus on explosive movement and making sure the elbows don’t lock upwards. Focusing on contracting the chest muscles at the top and releasing when going down is necessary for good development. That is why controlling the descent is an absolute must for chest exercises.
- Cable Crossovers of 3 sets with 6-10 reps each.
Stand in the middle of the machine and shift the weight of the body to the front for stable reps. He advises to grasp the handles with palms facing each other and bend the elbows slightly. Keeping arms slightly bent he says to bring the arms together in a downward/inward movement.
- Flat-Bench DB Flyes of 3 sets with 8-10 reps each.
According to Jackson, one has to lie on the bench and put their feet on the floor just like flat bench presses. The next step is to begin with arms straight up over the chest holding the dumbbells, with palms facing each other and elbows slightly bent.
Jackson advises to slowly lower the arms until wrists come to about shoulder level or slightly above them. When using heavier weight it is acceptable to allow an increased, but not extreme or exaggerated, bend in the elbows. The next thing is to adduct (or pull) the nearly-straight arms towards the midline of the body. The focus should be on the chest rather on the hand.
Along with these workout tips by Jackson, one must also make sure that they are following a proper diet and healthy lifestyle to attain optimal results.
Tags: bodybuilder, bodybuilding, chest, chest training, chest workout, exercise, fitness, pectorals, routine
