Mr. Olympia Champion Jay Cutler’s Updated Arm Training

Jay Cutler’s Mr. “O” Arm Workout

Cutler stirred up a “Thavage” bowl, named by six-time, reigning Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead, for his pre-workout meal. It features lean ground bison and roasted sweet potatoes. Cutler rotates that with his namesake cuisines, the “Jay Cutler Signature” and “Sloppy Jay’s.” They fuel his workouts like his updated arm training that his Mr. Olympia successor.

Triceps Pressdowns Like “The Gift”

Cutler credited seven-time Mr. Olympia champ Phil “The Gift” Heath for inspiring his inclusion of one-arm reverse-grip cable pushdowns. “Try this to tighten up the triceps,” Cutler recommended. Using lighter weights, he bent forward and flexed fully by extending his arms through his full range of motion.

Best Triceps Movements for Mass

Cutler swapped to long bar pressdowns, his primary mass-builder; using the unconventional form of leaning over the bar with a wide grip and flaring his elbows in a split stance. “Critics say it’s wrong, but these arms speak for themselves,” the legend asserted.

• For a tip: Keep the head forward to press symmetrically.

A key variation involves leaning back on a slightly inclined bench while standing with a pair of dumbbells overhead. This achieves a better triceps stretch during overhead extensions, and maximizing the stretch grows the triceps significantly. (1)

Cutler’s Favorite Curl & Spiders for the Win

Cutler replicated the growth stimulus with alternating dumbbell curls slightly reclined — his go-to biceps movement. “I focus on the contraction; it’s a very short motion to get the pump,” he demonstrated, not curling to the top to maintain tension.

“This is one of the main exercises when training for the Olympia. From day one, I preferred dumbbells.” Cutler uses momentum and full arm extension. Avoiding long pauses with minimal to no tension on a muscle optimizes gains. (2)

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References

1. Maeo, S., Wu, Y., Huang, M., Sakurai, H., Kusagawa, Y., Sugiyama, T., Kanehisa, H., & Isaka, T. (2023). Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 7(7), 1240–1250. doi:10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279
2. Goto, K., Ishii, N., Kizuka, T., & Takamatsu, K. (2005). The impact of metabolic stress on hormonal responses and muscular adaptations. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 6(6), 955–963.