Bodybuilding icon Ashley Kaltwasser trumped over fellow legend Dexter Jackson as the most winningest athlete in the history of the sport. In a recent Prime Time Muscle episode, Olympia judge Terrick El Guindy and bodybuilding Hall of Famer Chris Cormier shared their analysis and comparison of Jackson and Kaltwasser’s careers.
Dexter Jackson first gained attention for his insane muscle mass, detail, and conditioning levels in the IFBB Pro League Men’s Open division. He made a splash in his debut at the 1999 Arnold Classic and placed seventh. He proved to be one of the most consistent and disciplined athletes in the game with regular competitive appearances.
In 2005, Jackson took home the top prize at the Arnold Classic. He successfully defended the title the following year in 2006. Besides the Arnold Classic, he was a mainstay of the Open class at the Olympia contests from 1999 to 2020. Jackson was at the height of his powers between 2002 and 2010, always placing in the top four at Olympias. After placing third at the 2007 event, many counted out Jackson’s chances at the win. However, Jackson came back stronger and dethroned former four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler in 2008 to win the coveted Sandow trophy.
‘The Blade’s final appearance came at the 2020 Mr. Olympia, where he placed ninth. He hung up his posing trunks with a record five Arnold Classic titles under his belt.
Dexter Jackson continues to work out regularly. He gave fans a look into a brutal back workout in April 2022. Then, he followed up with a jacked physique update showing off his biceps in an intense training session.
The 53-year-old left the fans in awe of his lean physique in another update last October. Last month, Jackson ignited rumors of a potential return for the Masters Olympia with a ripped workout update.
Olympia judge & Chris Cormier share analysis of Dexter Jackson’s insane career
In a recent YouTube video, Olympia judge Terrick El Guindy, Tim Wilkins, and Chris Cormier lauded Dexter Jackson for his insanely successful career in a comparison with Ashley Kaltwasser.
“Ashley has just surpassed Dexter on the wins,” said Wilkins.
El Guindy: “She currently has 37 pro victories.”
“Now, Dexter was the winningest bodybuilder of all time with the male,” El Guindy said, “Obviously, we can look at it and say possibly male bodybuilding is a little bit of a harder enterprise than Bikini. You gotta come in with striated glutes like Dexter did. You gotta add a lot of muscle and Dexter has done that. But Ashley Kaltwasser has done something that… 37 pro victories.”
Cormier argued Jackson’s run was more impressive due to the nature of the competition he was in combined with a lack of as many shows as now.
Cormier: “If you’re talking Bikini, you’re talking more like the beauty, the aesthetic of the body. It’s not like you’re trying to force a lot of mass, forcing a lot of food down your throat, going through the grueling workouts, the posing rounds, all this stuff. But if you look at Dexter Jackson’s whole cabinet of wins is probably filled with eight Arnold Classics, he’s got Mr. Olympia title under his belt, competing all around the world from Australia to the Iron Man. I don’t know all his wins off the top of my head but I guarantee you he won the shows.”
“It’s a higher degree of difficulty and then even in the later part of his career, he was still beating some of the guys that’s actually competing at high level right now,” said Cormier. “He was beating those guys. I know he thinks he was looking the best but that wasn’t the same Dexter Jackson I was going against. That guy was etched out, that’s when we gave him the name ‘Blade.’ These guys then were still getting beat by Dexter and it wasn’t even the Dexter I went up against. I call him the Jordan of bodybuilding.”
El Guindy: “Dexter Jackson’s first bodybuilding show was in 1992. His last one was in 2020. That’s 28 years of bodybuilding.”
Cormier: “Just depending on how it’s going to play out but I don’t think anyone in this lifetime that we know of is going to be [breaking Dexter’s record].”
Last month, Dexter Jackson confirmed he had no intentions of making a comeback to competition. He reflected on his career and stressed the importance of recovery and machine training for longevity. Then, he crushed a brutal arm workout while teasing a mystery project.
Ashley Kaltwasser has been a force to reckon with in the Women’s Bikini division since conquering the Olympia title in her 2013 debut. She went on a dominant run over the next three years that saw her win the 2014 Arnold Sports Festival, and the 2014 Toronto Supershow, and extend her Olympia reign with two successful title defenses. In 2016, Kaltwasser lost the Olympia title and dropped down to the fourth place.
Having maintained a packed competitive schedule, Kaltwasser took to the sidelines for the 2017 season and returned in 2018. From 2018 to 2020, she slipped down the ranks in Olympia contests but continued to rack up trophies in other shows such as the 2018 Vancouver Pro and 2019 Mile High Pro.
In 2021, Kaltwasser put her foot to the gas as she competed in 14 shows throughout the year, winning eight and never placing out of the top four. Her impressive streak continued last season with another 12 contest participation. She scored gold in seven, including the 2022 Arnold Classic UK.
Kaltwasser opened up about her reasons for staying busy as a competitor last month. While many enjoy taking a longer off-season, she likes to be active to stay motivated for prep and not miss out on any opportunities.
The 34-year-old offered her expertise on improving contest preps a few weeks ago. She went over the common pain points of combating bloating, managing water and sodium intake, and hunger cravings.
Wilkins & Olympia judge says Ashley Kaltwasser can win another 15-20 shows
Wilkins and El Guindy heaped praises on Kaltwasser for her extraordinary track record and believe she could cement her status as the greatest with another dozen or more titles in the next few years.
“This competitor, Ashley Kaltwasser, she’s a track and field star in the state of Ohio,” El Guindy said. “Her ability to maintain the great conditioning weekend after weekend, display incredible physique, and continue to win shows is impressive. She is the winningest bodybuilder of all time. She’s got 37 titles.”
“Ashley Kaltwasser had the ability to do possibly 10 or 15 shows a year and win a lot of them. Dexter had to do it for a long period of time.”
Wilkins: “If she’s got five more years doing 3-4 shows a year plus the O, she’s a lock to win 3 or 4 of those shows. She could end up with another 15 to 20 wins and cement that untouchable.”
Guindy: “I think that’s the goal. I talked to her coach Adam Bonilla and he’s got great athletes but Ashley is the main horse there. His intention with her is to win as many as possible. She’s not slowing down guys. If she won 10 shows last year, she wants to win 15 this year.”
Ashley Kaltwasser offered some of her best tips on maintaining proper nutrition on show days earlier this month. She recommended eating light foods and not consuming too much protein to ensure an empty stomach.