Dexter Jackson retired from competitive bodybuilding after setting a record for the most Mr. Olympia appearances back in 2020. ‘The Blade’ is of late recovering from the stem cell surgery he underwent to treat his neck pain due to arthritis. And his recent video on his YouTube channel shows him getting back to the gym. 

It was a shoulder day for the 2008 Mr. Olympia, and during his workout session, he got candid about how he manipulated his competitors during his prime. The bodybuilding icon says he would play games with his rivals by keeping his beard intact.

Dexter Jackson’s hidden motive for having a long beard during his training

The Blade was seen laughing in the video when asked about shaving his beard. He later reveals that he would do his whole prep without shaving his beard during his career. “The reason why I did that is because I like to play games with the competitors,” he dropped the truth bomb in the video.

He wanted to “look like an old man, like old homeless dude.” Jackson liked to play games and said it is a mind thing. He wanted his opponents to feel the pressure of getting defeated by an old man. The Blade revealed, “When I walk into the meeting, and I’m like this, and they like, Da*n! I’m about to get my a*s whooped by old man.”

Apart from the mind games, he also didn’t care much to trim the beard off. He was more focused on his training and didn’t worry much about shaving the beard. “ I didn’t worry about cutting my beard off or nothing like that when I was in that focused move,” he added. Jackson’s three-decade bodybuilding career was a planned move too. 

The reason behind Jackson’s long bodybuilding career

With a series of accolades, the bodybuilding career of the 53-year-old is truly inspiring. He did 21 Mr. Olympia shows and 17 Arnold Classics and succeeded to achieve the highest number of bodybuilding titles (under the men’s category), a whopping 29. But there is a reason behind his longevity in the competitive arena.

He participated for so many years so that he could be completely satisfied without an urge to return after retiring. “I stayed in the game that long for a reason, and that’s to get all of this stuff out of my system, and now I won’t look back ever again,” Jackson said, per Fitness Volt.

Read More: “Losing to Dexter Was the Best Thing”: Legend Jay Cutler Makes a Cryptic Yet Motivating Statement on His Bodybuilding Career

Only a few bodybuilders can contribute so much to the sport as Jackson. What are your thoughts on Dexter Jackson’s long bodybuilding career? Let us know in the comments below!

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