Dexter Jackson - A Return To Sanity

[pumpingiron76]

Dexter Jackson - A Return To Sanity

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It was so great to see a classicly sculpted, aesthetic yet massive bodybuilder like Dexter win the Big O this year. Congratulations to the IFBB for finally doing the right thing and actually penalizing the freaks for showing disproportionate size, lack of symmetry and unnatural muscularity with freakish appearances.

Dexter is the greatest bodybuilder since Lee Haney and deservedly owns his place right up with the real greats like Haney, Arnold, Zane, Franco and Scott.

Looking forward to Dexter Jackson enjoying a long reign as Mr. Olympia, perhaps even break Haney's record and let's hope that the sport of bodybuilding moves back into the right direction with more Dexter Jackson types

[FullROM]

Dexter Jackson - A Return To Sanity

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It was so great to see a classicly sculpted, aesthetic yet massive bodybuilder like Dexter win the Big O this year. Congratulations to the IFBB for finally doing the right thing and actually penalizing the freaks for showing disproportionate size, lack of symmetry and unnatural muscularity with freakish appearances.

Dexter is the greatest bodybuilder since Lee Haney and deservedly owns his place right up with the real greats like Haney, Arnold, Zane, Franco and Scott.

Looking forward to Dexter Jackson enjoying a long reign as Mr. Olympia, perhaps even break Haney's record and let's hope that the sport of bodybuilding moves back into the right direction with more Dexter Jackson types

You forgot to add Yates and Coleman

[pumpingiron76]

Didn't forget anybody. Was referring to the true greats of bodybuilding, not the freaks.

[pumpingiron76]

Didn't forget anybody. Was referring to the true greats of bodybuilding, not the freaks.

[FullROM]

Didn't forget anybody. Was referring to the true greats of bodybuilding, not the freaks.

Just saying but were you aware that King Ron Coleman has 8 Olympia's?

Dorian 'Deisel' Yates has 6.

Were you in jail or living on a desert island the whole time and genuinly are not aware of these 2 fine atheletes?

[pumpingiron76]

I am aware of the their title wins. But before replying again, please read the title of my post


DEXTER JACKSON--- A RETURN TO SANITY

And once again, I was referring to the real greats in this sport. I do not consider the people you mention as greats. In fact, I feel that they have done more to take the sport backwards and set it up for ridicule than anything.

Once again, thanks to the late Ben Weider and the IFBB for ending the insanity and hopefully getting rid of the FREAKS once and for all.


Long live the King! King Dexter Jackson symmetrical, aesthetic and massive!

[Duckenheimer]

Didn't forget anybody. Was referring to the true greats of bodybuilding, not the freaks.

While I commend Mr Olympia judging finally prioritising aesthetics, and was incredibly happy to see Dex win, this man is a true great. Far superior conditioning, proportions and aesthetics to the likes of Colombo and Scott IMO, though obviously more developed (~freakier)







Coleman 98' was the classiest Olympia physique there is, IMO.
Taking into account that he was the best well lined bodybuilder in the world at one time, and the best mass monster in existence later on, it's fair to call him a true great, even if you're not a fan of either incarnation.

[_XYDREX_]

Once again, thanks to the late Ben Weider and the IFBB for ending the insanity and hopefully getting rid of the FREAKS once and for all.

the weiders havent been active in high-level decision making in the ifbb for many yrs now. we do know that they are the ones who initiated mass-monster worship. its likely that the new ppl in charge were the ones who began moves to phase it out.

[ChampKind]

i dont think dex is really that much different than Coleman in terms of being a freak. He is shorter and therefore has a smaller frame but its not apples and oranges, both coleman and dex have a wow factor about them

[pumpingiron76]

Dex is better proportioned and more symmetrical than Coleman could ever hope to be. Dex, like Larry Scott in his time, has the aesthetic physique developed to only a slight extreme but has incredible shape and balance. Coleman, Cutler, Oliva in his time etc. all developed themselves to an extreme
and at the expence of shape, proportion and symmetry.

Arnold, Reg Park and Lee Haney also had the massive but aesthetic look. Frank Zane had the aesthetic but smaller physique. I would love to see the Zane physique come back. It would be great for bodybuilding.

Ben Weider made the anouncement at the last Mr. Olympia of the new direction for the IFBB. Let's hope it sticks.

[stealth_swimmer]

While I commend Mr Olympia judging finally prioritising aesthetics, and was incredibly happy to see Dex win, this man is a true great. Far superior conditioning, proportions and aesthetics to the likes of Colombo and Scott IMO, though obviously more developed (~freakier)







Coleman 98' was the classiest Olympia physique there is, IMO.
Taking into account that he was the best well lined bodybuilder in the world at one time, and the best mass monster in existence later on, it's fair to call him a true great, even if you're not a fan of either incarnation.

oh goodness gracious, son! Great pics there.

Dex is better proportioned and more symmetrical than Coleman could ever hope to be. Dex, like Larry Scott in his time, has the aesthetic physique developed to only a slight extreme but has incredible shape and balance. Coleman, Cutler, Oliva in his time etc. all developed themselves to an extreme
and at the expence of shape, proportion and symmetry.

Arnold, Reg Park and Lee Haney also had the massive but aesthetic look. Frank Zane had the aesthetic but smaller physique. I would love to see the Zane physique come back. It would be great for bodybuilding.

Ben Weider made the anouncement at the last Mr. Olympia of the new direction for the IFBB. Let's hope it sticks.

Dex is NOT better proportioned than Coleman. Ronnie's excellent lat development gave him a better taper. When his waist was in control he had a great X-frame. I prefer Dexter cus of his overall look and it's just what i prefer, but as far as bodybuilding criteria go, Ronnie totally beat him out when he was at his best.

[pumpingiron76]

Dex is NOT better proportioned than Coleman. Ronnie's excellent lat development gave him a better taper. When his waist was in control he had a great X-frame. I prefer Dexter cus of his overall look and it's just what i prefer, but as far as bodybuilding criteria go, Ronnie totally beat him out when he was at his best


Proportion means equality between bodyparts. Coleman's lats are way overdeveloped and out of proportion to other bodyparts. His symmetry (right to left) is also out of balance and he is not aesthetic. Dex is way better. So was Lee Haney.

[pumpingiron76]

amen

[pumpingiron76]

An Open Letter to Arnold Schwarzenegger

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An Open Letter to Arnold Schwarzenegger From Steve Reeves

Dear Arnold:

As you are well aware, the state of bodybuilding is in crisis. Competitors are killing themselves taking drugs that they believe they need to win shows that ultimately count for nothing in either their careers or their lives

I know that you love the sport of bodybuilding as much as I do, because you grew up in an era when being a bodybuilding champion meant something. It stirred heroic and noble images in your young mind of how a man could and should look and how vibrant and virile such a man could be. I know because these were the same images that first caused me to pick up a barbell and to seek to better not only my physique, but my life through physical culture (healthful living and bodybuilding)

Bodybuilding-real bodybuilding-is what I've just described. It can, and has, proven to work wonders in creating real men of substance, as opposed to what it's now become-a creator of men of real substance-abuse. It can and has opened doors-particularly to you and me

We both went on to enjoy successful careers in film and made substantial sums of money, directly as a result of the physical benefits that our bodybuilding training provided

And that is why I am now appealing to you to join forces with me and provide a voice that will be heard by the governing authorities in bodybuilding. The steroids and drug use has to stop and it will not stop as long as we condone its use by turning a blind eye to it

I was out of the game for over 40 years; I turned my back on competitive bodybuilding because I couldn't bear to watch it become overrun by drug pushers, publishers and promoters who don't give a damn about the welfare of either the sport or the athletes who participate in it, and whose sole concern lies in selling fraudulent nutritional supplements, inferior equipment, and dispensing bogus training advice and selling tickets to bodybuilding events

I wish to appeal to the young, star-struck youth within you that first became enraptured by the real bodybuilding experience. You've mentioned that both myself and, more importantly for you, Reg Park, were your heroes while you were growing up in Austria. Reg Park was a great champion, just as you were. But where are the great role models for today's youth? What do you see in today's "champions" that personifies the attributes of a champion? Where is the grace under pressure? Where is the giving back to the community? Where is the one current bodybuilding champion that you would want to instruct your children?

And this isn't the fault of the athletes, they're simply trying to achieve and maintain a highly artificial standard of muscle development that is not natural and definitely not enduring. And, if the muscle you build only stays with you as long as you're getting your synthetic hormone shots, what good is it?

As the promoter, along with your long time friend, Jim Lorimer, of what is generally considered the best bodybuilding contest in existence, the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic, you have the power to lead by example. Despite what you read in the Weider magazines, your show is the king of the hill--not the Olympia. You know it, Jim Lorimer knows it, the bulk of the competitors know it and, more importantly, the IFBB knows it

The reason I know that you are still as enthusiastic about bodybuilding as I am is simple: you could have turned your back on your roots the minute you became one of Hollywood's highest paid actors, but you didn't do that. After all, you've earned the right after years and years of gut-busting workouts to walk into the sunset with your seven Mr. Olympia trophies and retire from the sport altogether, content in the knowledge that your inspiration would serve to fuel the workouts of several generations of new bodybuilders the world over. Instead, you continued to support, promote and herald the benefits of bodybuilding for all people. The cynics will say that you did it to make a buck, but the wise know better; one film would yield you the equivalent of promoting 40 years worth of these contests, and yet you still continue to promote them. That can only be explained by one thing--a genuine interest in the sport. I salute you for that, so don't let these fanatics trample underfoot the sport that you've been an integral part of and helped to sustain all these years. They've ridden on your coattails long enough, now it's up to you to take control of the future of this sport

What am I suggesting? Simply this: Insist that the IFBB mandate drug testing (and real drug testing for real bodybuilding drugs, not the joke of "*******" and "nubane" they tried to pass off as bodybuilding "drug testing" at last year's Mr. Olympia) in all of their shows. At the very least, you can insist that your show is drug tested. The IFBB will listen to you; not only do you put substantial money in their pockets in sanctioning fees, but without question you have been their most eloquent spokesman. Failing this, form your own federation; one that has new, objective, quantifiable standards for building-not the biggest physique or the "freakiest"--but the best proportioned, most inspirational and the healthiest

The IFBB will listen to you; not only do you put substantial money in their pockets in sanctioning fees, but without question promoters such as Arnold have been their most eloquent spokesman. Unfortunately, I believe, that these organizations been using bodybuilders with big followings to grease the skids of their money machine and body building - the sport we know and love - has been allowed to go to hell in a proverbial basked

Here's what I'm suggesting as criteria for all future body building shows; first of all, let's make a prejudging actually count for something more than an opportunity for the judges to glad-hand on another and play follow the leader. Let's implement real, tangible physique standards that can be adjudicated by an objective measure. for this, the judges will require a tape, a bodyweight scale and a calculator and thats it

And here's how I purpose that they use the:

PROPORTION & SYMMETRY IS THE STANDARDS

Height Optimal Weight

5'5" 160 lbs.
5'6" 165 lbs
5'7" 170 lbs
5'8" 175 lbs.
5'9" 180 lbs
5'10" 185 lbs
5'11" 190 lbs
6' 200 lbs
6'1" 210 lbs
6'2" 220 lbs
6'3" 230 lbs
6'4" 240 lbs
6'5" 250 lbs

The above figures are calculated with a medium boned person in mind. if you have heavy bones, you can add 10 pounds to the calculations and if you have light bones, you subtract 10 pounds. These are the figures that I have arrived at after studying the physiques of many champions in many sports

Once a person exceeds his ideal weight for his height, he becomes out of proportioned and not only no longer possesses a symmetrical proportioned physique, but doesn't function optimally, either. additionally, I believe if the emphasis shifts off size for the sake of size and returns to proportion and symmetry, not only will the physique look better, but it will negate the need for anabolic steroids, growth hormone injections and other heavier drugs that serve nbo purpose other than to build tissue. In fact, a person who came in heavier will be penalized for it as he would have destroyed his optimal height - to -waight ration for attaining symmetry


However, the bodyweight to height ratio would be the sole criteria for adjudication a physique. Since we also posses a bone structure that is in most cases in proportion to our height , I have further developed a method of prescribing the optimal proportions for each individual based on height and bone, size that will result in perfect symmetry

Proportion Chart

Muscle to bone ratios:
Arm = 252% of wrist
Calf = 192% of ankle
Neck = 79% of head
Chest= 148% of pelvis
Waist= 86% of pelvis
Thigh = 175% of knee


The proportion chart was calculated for men and these percentages can very from one person to another. The above proportion guidelines are calculated to be maximum measurements for a well developed, balance and symmetrical physique


I believe that if these standards of proportion were adopted and implemented by judging panels, body builders would soon have no reason to use steroids and other drugs, because their pursuit for growth for the sake of growth would actually destroy the symmetry

Any and all muscle growth should be purposeful i.e balanced or correct a muscular deficiency or lack of proportion. if, for example a competitors calves are to small for his arms, he would know - instantly - by looking at the chart when he needed improvement. No longer would there be post-contest cries of 'what are the judges looking for

A judge would simply take the measurements of height and limb circumference, contrast them with bodyweight and mark the competitor accordingly - allowing the competitor to know instantly whether or not he had made improvements in his physique or errors in his training and diet - allowing for the the first adjudicating method that was completely objective and quantifiable, not subjective and confusing. In any event, please consider my contribution in the battle to bring body building ( and bodybuilders) back to their senses

For the last 20 or so years, the image of the ideal male physique has been and continues to be distorted by bulk crazy judges. Not only that, but all of this is perpetuated by the majority of the bodybuilding magazines for their own financial gains. Disappointingly, this is done with little, if any regard as to what impression the bulky image they are promoting and encouraging has on the uninitiated person on the street

Too much size doesn't make a good impression or gain admiration and respect for the sport of bodybuilding.As I look back on the who have come and gone, I just can't help think that they could of done a better promoting and popularizing weight training if only they hadn't succumbed to the muscle magazine BIGGER IS BETTER AND BULK IS BEAUTIFUL. the bottom line is is the majority of the blame for this craziness should be placed on the judges who emphasized bulk, under the guise of proportion, and sorely neglected the absolute beauty of the human body that is balanced and symmetrical

I'm telling you straight; if the judges had of concentrated more on judging proportion and symmetry, along with muscular definition and size, and judged with a uniformity of standard, the Schwarzenegger's, Olivas, Nubrets and other of that caliber would still have been great physique stars. The big difference is that others would't have to spend so many years taking growth -enhancing substance to gain that extra bulk to become champions

Arnold, let's work together to put this derailed train back on the tracks and take this sport back to the glory and prestige it once enjoyed and can enjoy again. It won't help us personally, we're no longer competing, but it can be beneficial to the thousands of bodybuilders yet to compete; those who are just now coming along and who will be competing in the years to come

Let's give them a sport that has integrity and honor-and a method of training that will not only give them wonderful physiques, but also provide them with a lifetime of health and vitality and peace of mind

Yours Sincerely,

Steve Reeves

[albert1960]

5/6 and 235 lbs and you call that a return to sanity? I think what really happened is that we have seen so many freaky physiques for so long that when a less freaky guy like DEX comes along, we call that aesthetic. Dex is better but still not what I call aesthetic.