Larry Scott – The First Mr. Olympia!
Larry Scott – you know he was the First Mr. Olympia in 1965, right? Fast-forward to today – did you watch the 2026 Olympia? That’s the inspiration for a new Series – the Olympia Series! In this first article – a 2-Parter – of this exclusive new Series, I will provide the training routines plus the nutritional and supplement plans of every Mr. Olympia – and we begin with Larry Scott, the very first title-holder. Plus I will also cover some of the newer Divisions, which did not exist back at the beginning of this classic Super Bowl of Bodybuilding. With that said, jump right into Part 1, then check out Part 2!
The Olympia Series – Larry Scott – A Quick Recap!
| Core Category | Core Strategy | Execution |
| The Routines | 3 Day Full Body6-Day Training Split | Mon/Wed/Fri – 8 ExercisesWorkout on Days 1, 2, 3, repeat, rest on Day 7. |
| Set and Reps | Size | Scott used reps ranging from 5-8, 6-8, 8-10 and 10-12. He used higher reps on calves (15-20) and up to 150 on abs |
| Intensity Techniques | Scott used supersets and burns | Scott would often superset biceps exercises and also do burns at the end of a regular set. |
| Tempo & Rest | Continuous Tension, No Pausing | Vince Gironda-inspired 2-0-2 tempo, rest between sets unknown, but Gironda advocated 90 seconds. |
| Protein Ingestion | High Protein, Used EarlyMilk & Egg Protein Powder | Scott would mix the powder with heavy cream and milk for a high calorie, high protein homemade gainer. |
| Nutritional Approach | Gironda-Inspired | Scott followed the Gironda high protein, high fat, low carb nutritional plan. |
Larry Scott – The First Mr. Olympia
Larry Scott went from a 130-pound skinny kid with narrow shoulders to a 190-pound champion bodybuilder. Not the likely genetics of a champion – but he started his bodybuilding career in 1959 and made waves immediately, winning contest after contest, including the IFBB Mr. America in 1962, the IFBB Mr. Universe in 1964, and then the first two Mr. Olympia contests in 1965 and 1966. After he retired, he started an equipment and supplement company. Also, once the internet hit, he developed an online presence with the creation of his website. For me, that screams business-savvy when many old-school guys might have shunned technological progress.
Scott’s Training Philosophy
Scott was heavily influenced by the “Iron Guru” Vince Gironda, a trainer with a unique perspective on what worked and what didn’t. Scott moved to California in 1960 and trained under Gironda in his Studio City gym. Vince was famous for his unorthodox methods, and the fact that Scott and Arnold worked with him.
This was at a time when Joe Weider was trying to tie his name to everything and everyone related to bodybuilding. Weider and Gironda were often at odds with each other. Even so, a number of celebrities trained at Vince’s gym, and Scott was heavily influenced by him.
Larry’s 3-Day Full Body Split
Larry used this routine when he was first starting out. It’s a 3 day full-body routine, which was pretty typical back then. He only used one exercise per body part for about 6 sets. This is actually similar to the type of training a number of famous bodybuilders have done at one time or another. Reg Park trained this way, and Arnold’s “Golden Six” routine comes to mind as well.
Larry used a few more exercises and slightly higher reps than, say, Park. Most of Scott’s exercises were performed using 6-8 reps with 15-20 reps for his calves and then an insane 100-150 reps for bent knee leg raises.
Workout Schedule
Day 1 – Full-Body Routine
Day 2 – Rest
Day 3 – Full-Body Routine
Day 4 – Rest
Day 5 – Full-Body Routine
Day 6 – Rest
Day 7 – Rest
3-Day Split (Mon/Wed/Fri or Tues/Thurs/Sat)
Squats
6 Sets x 8 reps
Bench Press to the Neck
6 sets x 6-8 reps
Calf Raises
6 sets x 15-20 reps
Behind the Neck Press
6 sets x 6-8 reps
Lat Pulldowns
6 sets x 8-10 reps
Barbell Tricep Extension
6 sets x 6-8 reps
Preacher Curls (also called Scott curls)
6 sets x 6-8 reps
Bent Knee Leg Raises
1 set x 100-150 reps
This is a simple routine that could be used by beginners and older lifters. There is no mention of what Scott did for warm-ups, but if you try this routine, be sure you warm-up first. Do not go into your heaviest sets cold.
There’s also no mention of tempo, but in general Scott used the Vince Gironda-suggested continuous tension-style reps with a tempo of 2 seconds concentric, no pausing, and a 2 second eccentric.
Larry Scott’s 6-Day Body Part Split
This is a more advanced routine with Scott training 6 days with 1 day off. This routine is similar to what many Golden Era guys (like Arnold) were doing. This routine is thought to be inspired by Gironda. In this routine, he’s using higher reps on many exercises, and doing more exercises per muscle group.
Workout Schedule
Day 1 – Chest and Back
Day 2 – Shoulders and Arms
Day 3 – Legs, Abs, Forearms
Day 4 – Repeat Day 1
Day 5 – Repeat Day 2
Day 6 – Repeat Day 3
Day 7 – Rest
Day 1 – Chest and Back
Chest
Wide-Grip Barbell Bench Press
5 sets x 5-8 reps
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
5 sets x 5-8 reps
Parallel Bar Dips
5 sets x 10-12 reps
Incline Dumbbell Flys
5 sets x 8-12 reps
Decline Dumbbell Flys
5 sets x -12 reps
Push-Ups
As many reps as possible
Back
Wide Grip Chin-Ups
5 sets x 5-10 reps
Hanging Scapular Rotation From Bar
5 sets x 10-12 reps
Single-Arm Lat Pulldowns (Use a Uni-Lateral Lat Machine)
5 sets x 8-12 reps
Seated Cable Rows
5 sets x 10-12 reps
Crossbench Dumbbell Pullovers
5 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 2 – Shoulders and Arms
Shoulders
Standing Overhead Barbell Press
5 sets x 5-8 reps
Dumbbell Scott Press (a Vince Gironda-inspired Shoulder Press)
5 sets x 5-8 reps
How to do the Scott Press:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells using a palms-out grip.
- Lift to head height keeping your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Press (with a slight outward twist of the wrists) the dumbbells while maintaining a bent-elbows position.
- Your range of motion is only about 2 inches.
Barbell Front Raises
5 sets x 10-12 reps
Dumbbell Lateral Raises
5 sets x 10-12 reps
Rear Delt Raises
5 sets x 10-12 reps
Arms
Scott Curls (Preacher Curls, feel free to use an EZ-Bar, Straight Bar, or Dumbbells)
5 sets x 10-12 reps
This is the exercise that Scott relied on to build his huge biceps. He often used the back of a flat bench, but ultimately he used a preacher bench, and both the bench and the exercise are often named after him).
Single Arm Biceps Curls
5 sets x 10-12 reps
Barbell Overhead Triceps Extension
5 sets 10-12 reps
Single Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension
5 sets x 10-12 reps
Reverse Barbell Curls
5 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 3 – Legs, Abs, Forearms
Legs
Barbell Squats (Narrow Stance)
5 sets x 5-8 reps
Hack Squats (Scott did these using a barbell)
5 sets x 5-8 reps
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts (Barbell)
5 sets x 5-8 reps
Leg Extensions
5 sets x 10-12 reps
Standing Calf Raises
5 sets x 15-20 reps
Abs
Sit-Ups
3 steps x 15 reps
Bent Knee Raises
3 sets x 15 reps
Leg Raises
3 sets x 15 reps
This is a much more involved routine than the 3-day full body Scott used. You may want to insert a recovery day in the middle of the split. There’s no mention of warmups, but I suggest performing 3 light sets of your first exercise as a warmup before going into your working sets.
Of course, make sure you warm-up thoroughly. In addition, perform full reps using the 2-0-2 tempo as noted above, and make sure you’re using a weight that lets you fail in the prescribed rep range (or at least come within 1 rep of failure).
Summary
That’s Part 1 of the new Olympia Series – Larry Scott, the very first Mr. O. In this article, we looked at two very different routines that Scott did during his bodybuilding journey. In Part 2, I will cover the exercise he is known for, provide a specialized bicep routine, and cover nutritional and supplement tips with some Scott additions. So jump to Part 2 and get going – but first, stop by illpumpyouup.com and see everything we have to offer!
References:
By Jim Brewster