Four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler has always had a keen sense of picking the right exercise for the job. The now-retired pro keeps his fitness in check and shares why rope extensions remain a staple in his triceps routine at 51.
The triceps comprise three heads:
- Long Head — runs along the back of the upper arm)
- Lateral Head — creates the coveted “horseshoe” shape
- Medial Head — underneath the long head.
Jay Cutler’s Triceps-Sculpting Weapon
Cutler programmed rope extensions early in his career to find success against titans of the Men’s Open class, like eight-time Olympia winner Ronnie Coleman and seven-time champ Phil Heath.
To start, approach the cable machine with a staggered step, establish a solid foot and body position, and then extend the elbows to a full lockout.
A deep stretch throughout rope extensions enables maximum triceps muscle fiber activation. Studies have shown that the stretch during triceps extensions plays a huge role in hypertrophy. (1)
Stretching those fibers causes more blood flow; you’ll get the growth in the triceps.
—Jay Cutler
Cutler’s choice of the rope attachment is strategic. Letting the hands separate at the bottom of each rep allows a greater range of motion and stronger contractions.
Conversely, a straight bar forces a fixed pronated grip, which could cause joint strain due to a more restricted wrist position. (2) Cutler maintains a fast rep tempo; Cutler affirmed that any rep range — typically 10-20 reps per set — should work as long as it’s within that scope and close to failure
It’s all preference. As long as they grow, it doesn’t matter.
—Jay Cutler
Rope Extension Takeaways
- Stagger Step: Place one foot slightly before the other for stability.
- Body Position: Keep the chest up and engage the core to maintain proper form.
- Full Lockout: Extend fully for a complete contraction.
- Range of Motion: Let the hands separate at the bottom for total muscle activation.
- Volume and Reps: Use a faster tempo and aim for 10-20 reps.
References
- Maeo S, Wu Y, Huang M, et al. Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. Eur J Sport Sci. 2023;23(7):1240-1250. doi:10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35819335/
- Logli AL, Schueler BA, Littrell LA, Kakar S. Pronated Grip View With Wrist Deviation: A Pilot Study on the Effect on Ulnocarpal Relationships. Hand (N Y). 2023 May;18(3):501-508. doi: 10.1177/15589447211028928. Epub 2021 Jul 14. PMID: 34259079; PMCID: PMC10152522. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10152522/
Featured image: @jaycutler on Instagram
