There’s always a pre-conceived ‘right way,’ and ‘wrong way’ of performing an exercise, but when four-time Mr Olympia Jay Cutler tells you to try something backwards, you’d be foolish not to turnaround and give it a go. A prime example of Cutler’s ability to think outside of the box was illustrated in a recent Instagram post when the bodybuilding icon flipped his machine triceps dips. But why does he do it?

“Now the machine is a little different,” explained Cutler. “I feel like I can lock-in with a machine, because of the different grips. That’s one ideal reason why I like using machines,” explained the Olympia legend in a recen post for his 5.6 million Instagram followers.

While traditional dips rely on stabilizing muscles like the lats and core to support our body weight and stop us from swinging side-to-side, the triceps dip machine isolates the triceps muscles in a more targeted fashion, while also making it easier to add weight. During the course of his demonstration, the big man wasn’t suggesting that body weight dips are a lesser exercise than the machine-based alternatives. Far from it. This icon knows that they provide additional benefits such as improved stability, but machine triceps dips do allow for a more specific workout when it comes to building the heads of the triceps, with features like an adjustable seat to help find your peak position. And, with more angles to be explored, the “Quad Stomper” led the way.

Why Jay Cutler Sits Backward on the Triceps Dip Machine

Cutler explained to his followers that a varied approach to triceps workouts is essential, because this means that you will be putting your body into different positions to work the fibers from different angles. But in order to find an angle that most hadn’t even considered, Cutler flipped his dips. “I’m actually in the machine backwards just because I feel like I can get more lock on that triceps right there,” he explained. “So, each position, a little hold at the bottom for a second, really get that contraction, lock-in.” By sitting backwards, Cutler grips the handles from a different angle, with his thumbs higher, more akin to a hammer grip. When sitting forward however, the thumbs point towards the floor.

While demonstrating this tactical triceps move, Cutler provided some additional tips. “Now remember, we want a steady motion with this,” he advised. “It’s one of the few movements that you actually lock-out. And what I’m trying to build is more thickness to the triceps. So, I’m really trying to build that horseshoe (shape)…. Now the weight doesn’t have to be crazy, just gotta get that feel, that crazy pump, and make your side-triceps your best pose.”

If you are ready to go back to the future with this Olympia icon, give it a try for yourself.

For more innovative movements, follow Jay Cutler on Instagram, click here.