Name: Ahmed

Q: What are the best supplements that I can use for potential lean muscle, and how should I use it throughout the day? Thanks.

“First you need a good protein powder and Nitro-Tech Hardcore is the best. Take a couple of scoops two or three times a day. ANABOLIC HALO is also another incredible product for muscle growth – it makes you anabolic so your body has no choice but to put on muscle. I take it right after my workout.”

Name: Larry G.

City: Corpus Christi, TX

Q: When did you start working out and what workouts did you do? What did you eat?

“I started working out in 1990. I didn’t know what I was doing back then but I went to the gym everyday, and as long as I hit each body part twice a week I was reaching my goal. As for food, I ate pretty much anything – I didn’t have a nutritional plan.”

Name: Pete

City: Worcester, MA

Q: Dexter, I am a big fan and would like to know what your favorite MuscleTech product is.

“Meso-Tech, Nitro-Tech Hardcore and ANABOLIC HALO are my favorites.”

Name: Chris D.

City: Chicago

Q: I have been low carbing for 2 weeks now and I am HURTING – 50g on off days and 120 on training days. Protein is at 225g everyday. Can you tell me what your carbs and protein look like when you’re cutting? Like you need to anyway!

“I never go below 100 grams of carbs and at my highest about 200 grams. For protein, I take in 300-350 grams.”

Name: Nik C.

City: Harrisburg, PA

Q: Do you use straps when training heavy?

“Yes, I use straps when I train heavy.”

Name: Greg K.

City: Wichita, Kansas

Q: I’m getting ready for my first bodybuilding contest. Could you give me any tips in training and dieting? Thank you.

“Train smart and stick to it. If you have a fast metabolism train with heavy weight and low reps. Use a high protein and moderate carb diet and just work your butt off.”

Name: Randy

Q: I want to become a good bodybuilder. Any advice on how to do this?

“Train hard and be consistent. Don’t cut corners and be patient. With hard work and dedication you will get where you want to go. Train 4-5 times a week and eat 5-6 small meals a day. Make sure you get lots of rest and just keep plugging away at it.”

Name: Peter

Q: How big are your arms?

“My arms are 22 inches.”

Name: Peter

Q: What is your secret to a great chest?

“Make sure you use different exercises to develop your whole chest. Do incline and decline and hit the chest from different angles. “

Name: Anthony B.

City: Stillwater, OK

Q: This is not a question but a fact, and you are tha big dogg of bodybuilding! That’s all there is to it! You never slack off and become an off season slob! I don’t know one person that wouldn’t take your physique.

“Thanks bro!”

Name: Rostimo

City: Sofia

Q: I was wondering how long your training sessions are? Also, what’s your diet like and what supplements are you using?

“I usually train about an hour and no longer than one hour and fifteen minutes. As for my diet, I eat every 2-3 hours – chicken, steak, rice etc. One of my meals is whatever I want so if I want to add pizza at night, that’s cool. For supplements, I alternate between MuscleTech products, but I generally use Nitro-Tech Hardcore, LEUKIC Hardcore, and Hydroxycut Hardcore.”

Name: David Herndon

City: Auburn, NY

Q: I’m 36 years old and just getting back into working out. Is there a MuscleTech product that you can recommend to help build muscle mass?

“I’d recommend LEUKIC Hardcore, Hydroxycut Hardcore and Mass-Tech. It has a load of musclebuilding calories and protein so you can’t go wrong.”

Name: Matt Wilker

City: Lebanon

Q: I just started the Cell-Tech Hardcore and Nitro-Tech Hardcore stack and I need a new work out because I really want these supplements to work and my workout isn’t cutting it anymore. So, if you could, do you think you could provide a copy of your workout? Thank you.

“Sure. Check out my profile on muscletech.com, and download my training routine.”

Name: Tyler

City: Scranton

Q: Besides Jay Cutler, who is your biggest competition in next year’s Olympia?

“I’ve beaten everybody else and Jay is the only person I haven’t beaten and he’s the Mr. Olympia so he’s the man to beat. I don’t look behind me, I only look what is in front of me.”

Name: Jor-El

City: Chicago

Q: So I’ve been training well and eating well. I have gained muscle and mass but I have yet to see cuts and tone in my arms and chest. What is missing?

“Try Hydroxycut Hardcore for fat burning and tighten up the diet a bit more, and probably cut back on the carbs – maybe fluctuate the carbs (high and low days). You should do some type cardiovascular activity. Working out by itself won’t get you into lean condition by itself, you need to do cardio.”

Name: Brian M.

City: Tampa

Q: I am trying to play safety for football this year but I am also trying to gain weight. I weigh 130 pounds and am taking Mass-Tech and Nitro-Tech and eating a lot. I am trying to put on at least 25 to 30 pounds this year; can you please give me advice? Thank you.

“First of all you’re taking two great supplements so that’s good. You should also up your meals if you’re trying to gain weight. Eat four times a day and take two servings of Mass-Tech a day. Give it some time and don’t give up – keep plugging away!”

Name: Big Mike

City: Akron, Ohio

Q: Hi Dexter, about 3 months ago I weighed about 350 lbs. I’m about 6 feet 5 inches tall. My goal is to drop my weight to 250 lbs., lose fat and develop more muscle by June of 2008. Right now I run one mile everyday. When I’m at the gym I do sit-ups, bench presses, curls and ab crunches. Since I’m trying to lose weight, is it advisable for me to do any weight lifting at this time? Can I implement the use of supplements such as creatine to aid muscle growth? Let me know what you think!

“Of course! And get a good fat burner like Hydroxycut Hardcore to keep your metabolism high. Hit the gym hard and do cardio five to six times a week.”

Name: Brian J.

City: Washington, DC

Q: I am about the exact height as you but 15 to 20 pounds lighter and am extremely massive. I call it genetics but I want my body to look like yours. I would also like to become a bodybuilder, what can I do?

“Keep doing what you’re doing. You won’t have the same body as me because of different genetics but you can get make your body the best it could ever be if you apply yourself in the gym, and with eating and sleeping. Once you apply all of those, that’s when you become a bodybuilder.”

Name: Daryl W.

City: Matoaca, VA

Q: Is it possible to be 38 years old, and just start lifting weights and bodybuilding to become a pro and make it in the IFBB?

“Sure it is. Anything is possible especially with the supplements out there today like MuscleTech supplements. With hard work and proper supplementation, anything is possible.”

Name: Evan F.

City: Bedford Heights, Ohio

Q: I’m really having trouble trying to get stronger and put on muscle. Could you tell me what I need to do? And also, how can you get stronger for your bench workout. Thanks a lot.

“You gotta change it up sometimes. Also you may be overtraining so make sure you’re getting enough rest. Train each body part once a week and put everything you have into each workout. Try to get find a workout partner if you don’t have one. That way you can go as heavy as possible, and try to increase the weight every month or so. Also make sure you’re eating a lot of good foods. If you can put on some size, you’ll probably get stronger too because the bigger you get the stronger you get also.”

Q: You have been dubbed “The Blade” for much of your bodybuilding career. When and where was this nickname born?

“I think it was about 2000. Actually, I had two names at first. One magazine called me ‘The Blade’ and another called me “Action Jackson.” ‘The Blade’ prevailed.”

Q: Over the years, bodybuilding has become such a mass game that it is difficult for smaller, more aesthetic guys to get recognized on the Olympia stage. What is your opinion about possibly implementing a weight class for future IFBB events?

“Well, I would love to do that if the prize money is the same, but if they change the prize money and the lighter guys get less, then it’s not worth it. If there is a smaller class and there’s $100,000 up for first place, then let’s do it!”

Q: What kind of music do you listen to when working out?

“I just listen to whatever’s playing in the gym. I don’t bring my own music or anything.”

Q: By having one of the best physiques in the world, you must get approached by tons of fans and aspiring bodybuilders asking what supplements you take. What do you tell them?

“Well right now I’m on Team MuscleTech and I only use MuscleTech products. That’s a big reason why I came back to Team MuscleTech, because of the results I was getting and the results that I missed when I was not with them. It’s a blessing to be able to come back. The products are top of the line and I’ve always felt I got the best results from using MuscleTech products.”

Q: What are the top three exercises that you, as a bodybuilder, need to be successful?

“Flat bench, squats and bent over rows or deadlifts are needed to be successful.”

Q: What do you do to maintain your focus and motivation on days when you feel sluggish?

“I just think about all those other competitors out there that are talking all that trash. [Laugh]. That’s what keeps me motivated; I don’t want to let any of these younger guys catch me. I’m a veteran now.”

Q: This year’s Mr. Olympia is one of the most anticipated competitions in history due to the fact that anyone, including you, can claim the Sandow. What are your thoughts on this?

“Realistically, it’s very hard to beat Mr. Olympia so I feel it will be hard to de-thrown Jay, but anything can happen.”

Q: Exactly how many weeks out from the Olympia do you begin your pre-contest training routine?

“I start my pre-contest diet 10 weeks out from the show and my training stays the same.”

Q: As a famous bodybuilder, do you find it difficult to train at commercial gyms, especially during times of pre-contest preparation (such as for this year’s Mr. Olympia), or do fans generally leave you alone during your training sessions?

“I’m the type of guy that’s not so serious in the gym anyway, so if someone comes up and asks me a question, it’s all good. I like to talk in-between sets because I’m not the really serious type. That gets old and that was back in the day when everything was serious – I’d live, sleep and eat bodybuilding. Things are different now, I’ve learned to mellow out and it feels good to talk to your training partner and have conversations when you’re in the gym. I train at 11 in the morning and the gym’s never really that packed. Any machine I need to use is normally open and I train in the morning to avoid all the traffic later in the day.”

Q: With many successful years as a top tier bodybuilder behind you and many more years ahead of you, what are your plans for life after bodybuilding?

“I’m looking to open up my own personal training facility here in Jacksonville, Fla. I’ve got the first annual Dexter Jackson Classic coming up in August and I’ve been trying to focus on getting into a little bit of real estate over the past few years. Bodybuilding has made it hard to get into it. I’m getting closer to the end of my career and that’s when I have to kick myself in the butt and just get up and do it. It’s like how I did my show this year. I’ve wanted to put on a show for years, so I took time off after the Arnold and that allowed me to actually get it together.”

Q: As a bodybuilder you need to eat every two to three hours, which is not always easy to do. Which meal replacement supplements do you find work best to give you the proper nutrients you need to tide you over until your next meal?

“Meso-Tech MRPs work the best for me and I’ve never gotten better results with anything else. Put it this way – and this is the honest truth – I’m heavier than I have ever been … ever! I’m 243 pounds and I’ve never been over 240 pounds before. The most I’ve ever weighed is 238 pounds, so something’s working!”

Q: What is the worst injury that you have experienced while training for a competition?

“I’ve never had a serious injury, so the worst I’ve probably had is that I’ve tweaked one of my lats, but never torn anything. I just took four weeks off to rest and I was good to go. I listen to my body and that’s why I’ve never had a serious injury. If I feel something coming on, I lay off until it heals. People are scared to take time off because they think they are going to lose size in that particular area, but muscle has memory and it’s going to come right back. That’s my motto: If something is feeling funny, just lay off until it heals.”

Q: Overtraining can become a serious trap that overenthusiastic bodybuilders tend to fall into and these individuals just end up compromising muscle mass rather than enhancing their physique. What advice do you have to offer in regards to maximizing muscle growth?

“First of all, you need to listen to your body and if you get to a sticking point where you’re not putting on any muscle and it’s been a month since you’ve put on a pound, then something is wrong. You have to start changing your nutrition and you have to change your workout regimen. If you’re just starting out and you hit the gym everyday, you’re going to put on some weight, that’s automatic. But then you’ll come to a sticking point and that’s when you need to back off and give your body some rest. My rule is to train each body part once a week and no more than twice per week. You want at least 72 hours between training the same body part.”

Q: Your motto is “Never say never.” What do you have to say to everyone who is focusing on the Cutler/Coleman standoff and ignoring potential candidates such as yourself?

“I didn’t know that everyone was focusing on Cutler and Coleman, because it seems that everyone is always focusing on me! The main thing I hear from everybody is, ‘I’m gonna beat Dexter, I’m gonna beat him!’ ”

Q: What aspect of your physique do you think distinguishes you from the rest of the pack?

“I would have to say my overall condition and my overall package distinguishes me from the rest of the pack.”

Q: Do you enjoy all the attention that comes along with being one of the premiere bodybuilders in the world, or are you a more reserved individual who enjoys his privacy?

“I don’t let success go to my head and I’m a really grounded person. Getting attention all comes with my job and I love meeting and greeting all my fans and signing autographs. It’s all good.”

Q: For all the aspiring bodybuilders out there who are dying to know, if you had to choose the three supplements that contributed most towards your off season progress, what would they be?

“Definitely Nitro-Tech Hardcore, Hydroxycut Hardcore and Aplodan.”

Q: Can you give us a brief breakdown of your weekly weightlifting routine during the off season?

“I wouldn’t say I was trying to maintain size, but I think that I am pretty much maxed out with putting on size without destroying my physique. I just try to lift heavy to keep my fullness and size. If I don’t lift heavy, I risk loosing my size. I hit each body part once a week. It works for me.”

Q: It is well-known around the bodybuilding world that you do little to no cardio. What is your secret to staying so lean in the off season and hitting the stage so shredded?

“No, it’s not quite true anymore. I never used to do cardio, but now I have to do cardio. Not much, maybe just 30 minutes, five days a week pre-contest. I don’t do cardio in the off season though.”

Q: With seven Mr. Olympia contests under your belt, is there anything that you will do differently to prepare for this year’s show?

“I’m just going to try and come in the best I can. I will be 100 percent and that’s the best I can do.”