Bodybuilder Dexter Jackson implements circuit arm training when training triceps.
Everyone wants impressive guns, right? That’s why bodybuilders aim for massive, defined arms that turn heads. When those biceps and triceps are flexed, it’s a sight to behold that people won’t forget anytime soon. Get ready to make an unforgettable impression with Dexter Jackson’s arm workout.
“The Blade” is the bodybuilding legend whose arm workout we’ll look at in this post. This mass monster retired in 2020 with so many accolades to his name. He’s the bodybuilder with the most show wins, having won 29 shows. He has five Arnold Classic titles and defeated Jay Cutler in 2008 to become Mr. Olympia for that year. He holds the record for the Most Mr. Olympia appearances, having participated 20 times and placed top five from 2002-2018.
The 53-year-old, who got active recently on Youtube, now shares his routines with fans. In a recent post, he did some biceps and triceps training and spoke about retirement and injuries. Let’s look at Dexter Jackson’s arm workout and his tips for training for big arms.
| Full Name: Dexter Jackson | ||
| Weight | Height | Date of Birth |
| 215 – 235 lbs | 5’6” | 11/25/1969 |
| Division | Era | Nationality |
| Men’s Open | 1990s-2010s | American |
You can watch Dexter Jackson’s full arm workout below on his YouTube:
Dexter Jackson Planned to Train Chest
For this video, Dexter Jackson initially planned to train his chest. However, on picking up the dumbbells, he encountered wrist pain which he says he’s experienced for the last ten years.
“I wanted to do chest today, but my wrist it’s got this pain that comes and goes, and I can’t lift a lot of weight. It’ll probably hurt for like two weeks, and then when it’s done hurting, it’ll go three, four, or five months without it hurting anymore. That’s been going on for like ten years of my life. So we’re gonna switch things up; we’re going to go ahead and do arms today.”
He opted for that since you can effectively train your arms with more volume and lesser weight. This will put less stress on his wrists while ensuring he gets good training.
Dexter Jackson Arm Workout
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Drag Curl | 4 | 10 |
| Seated Overhead Cable Curl | 4 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Hammer Curl | 4 | 10 |
| Cable Triceps Pushdown | 3 | 10 |
| Seated Dip Press | 3 | 10 |
| Assisted Machine Triceps Pushdown | 3 | 10 |
| Triceps Ropes Pushdown | 3 | 10 |
Dexter Jackson split his workout into biceps and triceps training. The biceps exercises consisted of curls done using a barbell and dumbbells. He then trained triceps with a circuit quad set (four exercises).
Biceps Workout
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Dexter Jackson did four sets and ten reps of drag curls, seated overhead curls, and dumbell hammer curls for his biceps training. Let’s look at how these exercises build your biceps and Dexter Jackson’s tips on how to do them right.
Drag Curl
A drag curl is a bicep curl variation that uses progressive overload and tension to maximize muscle hypertrophy in your biceps. This biceps brachii isolation exercise builds your arms’ size, appearance, and strength. Drag curls are done with a supinated (palms facing up) grip and either barbells or dumbbells.
Dexter Jackson did this movement with a straight barbell and said it is one of his favorite exercises for building peaks. He advocates curling with the bar close to your body and squeezing when you reach the movement’s top.
“Drag curls, this is one of my favorite exercises…you wanna drag the bar up your stomach, okay? Elbow is way back as far as it can go…You’re squeezing it up top… I’m telling you, the peak is unreal.”
Seated Cable Overhead Curl
The seated cable overhead curl is a biceps isolating exercise that trains the short head of the biceps, which is responsible for building the most size in your biceps. This movement is done with a cable machine which is great for maintaining tension in the biceps. Jackson did this exercise with a dual cable pulley station allowing him to hit a full range of motion.
Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Jackson does four sets of the dumbbell hammer curl to round off his biceps training. This routine is a slight variation of the biceps curl which focuses more on the short head of the biceps because it uses a neutral grip. It works by moving the elbow flexors. A neutral grip while curling targets your forearms more and enables you to use heavier weights.
Triceps Circuit
Dexter Jackson revealed that he uses circuit training when training his triceps and does a quad set three or four times after targeting his biceps. Circuit training is a great way to increase strength and build muscle mass (1). Jackson increases the weights on every set and reveals that he’s been training this way for the past ten years.
“When I do tris, I like to do a quad set, so it’s going to be poor exercises non-Stop. After you’ve finished the fourth, that’s one set, so we’re gonna do full three sets, three to four sets that are depending on how I feel. I’ve been doing this pretty much the last ten years on tris. Get amazing pump.”
Here are the exercises in his triceps training.
Cable Triceps Pushdown
Cable triceps pushdowns build your triceps using elbow extensions. It’s an isolation exercise that works the triceps brachii. This study shows that doing triceps pushdowns with intensity builds all heads of the triceps to a greater extent (2). A cable machine puts your triceps under continuous tension to further contract the triceps head.
Dexter Jackson does the cable triceps pushdown with an EZ bar attachment, allowing him to carry even more weight and increase muscle growth because of the grip position.
Seated Dip Press
The seated dip press is mainly a triceps builder but also works on your pecs and delts. It’s a great way to tone your upper arms, and using the dip machine means that you can choose how much weight to use. Your triceps contract as they press against the resistance.
Assisted Machine Triceps Pushdown
The assisted machine triceps pushdown is another triceps builder done at a dip station. You do this by pressing the machine’s knee pad, mimicking the triceps rope pushdown. Dexter Jackson says that you’ll feel some changes at this point of the routine.
“Push down on this dip assist machine. By the time you get finished with this the tris is going to be on fire, and you still got one more exercise after.”
Triceps Rope Pushdown
Jackson does a triceps rope pushdown to wrap up the circuit using a cable machine and rope attachment. Triceps rope pushdowns target the lateral and medial head of your triceps. They tone the muscles at the back of your arms and help stabilize your shoulders. Dexter Jackson advises that you turn your wrists when doing this exercise for a full contraction of the triceps.
Dexter Jackson’s bodybuilding legacy
Dexter Jackson is the most winningest pro bodybuilder in the history of the sport. He also showcased extreme longevity of his career compared to many who bow out of competition in their 40s.
Before Jackson officially retired from competition – many would question why he kept competing as the newer generations were knocking on the door. We had the pleasure of interviewing Dexter Jackson in 2019 where he discussed his reasoning for not retiring until the right moment personal to him. Check it out below:
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References
- Ramos-Campo, D. J., Andreu Caravaca, L., Martínez-Rodríguez, A., & Rubio-Arias, J. Á. (2021). Effects of Resistance Circuit-Based Training on Body Composition, Strength and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Biology, 10(5), 377. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10050377
- Hussain, J., Sundaraj, K., Subramaniam, I. D., & Lam, C. K. (2020). Muscle Fatigue in the Three Heads of Triceps Brachii During Intensity and Speed Variations of Triceps Push-Down Exercise. Frontiers in physiology, 11, 112. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00112
