The Top 5 Olympia Winning Tricep Exercises

Brandon Curry – Triceps Pushdown

The 15th and reigning Mr. Olympia knew that if he was going to reach the summit of bodybuilding he had to stay healthy. So he committed the beginning of his training sessions to prepare the joints and warm up. He told Flex that for triceps, this involved using some form of the cable triceps pushdown.

“Normally, I start my routine with pushdowns. They’re a good starting movement, because they’re easy on the elbows. You can’t be too careful when it comes to your elbows. I have a lot of years ahead of me in this business, so I want to make sure my elbows hold out all the way through and beyond.”

Jay Cutler – Close Grip Bench Press

Cutler may have had the most unique career out of anyone that has held the title. He had to overcome the great Ronnie Coleman to win it and then he had to rebound from losing the title to regain it. Whether it was early in his career or late, Cutler knew compound movements would help him reach the top. When it comes to the triceps, he explained to Flex that the close grip bench press was a must.

“I always do them during my triceps workouts, and the reason is simple: the big benchers, like Kevin Levrone, always have great triceps.”

Larry Scott – Two Arm Overhead Cable Extension

Most bodybuilding fans don’t know the sport without the Olympia. There was a time when the biggest show in the sport was the newest and the first man to emerge victorious was the late, great Larry Scott. While he’s mostly associated with biceps because of the preacher curl, he had another favorite movement for the back of the arm – two arm overhead cable extensions. His reasoning was shared in Scott’s book, “Loaded Guns”.
“It’s the best exercise you will find for packing size on the long head of your triceps.”
Scott had a specific machine where you could rest your arms and lower your head while performing this exercise. A modern version would be to bend over while using a high cable pulley.

Arnold Schwarzenegger – Dips

Go look up the famous photo of the side chest pose of Arnold Schwarzenegger. What does the side chest have to do with triceps? While the chest and bicep obviously stand out, it’s the triceps that make that arm look otherworldly. He credits dips for both his chest and triceps development. The “Austrian Oak” shared with Flex that one way he liked to use dips was as a burnout set.
“Since I could perform many reps with my own bodyweight, dips were a good exercise for doing burnout sets. However, sometimes even my bodyweight was too heavy to permit me as many reps as I wanted to do, especially near the end of a workout. To remedy this, I’d have a partner support my feet (with my knees bent). Of course, assisted dip machines now exist, allowing you to choose how much weight you want aiding you. These machines are especially helpful for drop sets.”

Frank Zane – One Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extension

Between the dynasties of Schwarzenegger and Lee Haney, the title was held by a few different champions. Frank Zane held the title the longest during that time. From 1977-1979, Zane was the man. He wasn’t the biggest onstage but his physique was deceiving because he found ways to make it appear bigger. “The Chemist” knew that the triceps made up two-thirds of the arm and that they each needed attention. Flex found out why he chose the one arm overhead dumbbell extension as one of his go-to moves.
“The one-arm version allows for a better stretch. I execute three sets of 12, 10, and eight reps, upping the weight for each set.”

Sample Olympia Level Workout

Triceps Pushdown – 4 sets of 12 reps
Close Grip Bench Press – 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Two-Arm Cable Overhead Extension – 3 sets of 12 reps
One Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extension – 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 reps
Dips – 2 Burnout Drop Sets to Failure
*Rest for 90 seconds between sets