Jay Cutler carefully crafted his physique into a masterpiece to reach the top of the Men’s Open division. In his latest endeavor, he revealed the top three trap-building movements he used to achieve four Mr. Olympia titles during his prime.
Having squared off against Ronnie Coleman on his way to building an impenetrable résumé, Jay Cutler’s name is held in high regard, especially when it comes to discussing the greatest bodybuilders of all time. Not only did he knock ‘The King’ off his throne in 2006, but Cutler remains the only man in history to win back the prestigious Mr. Olympia title after losing it.
A bona fide mass monster, Cutler left the sport with four Mr. Olympia titles but what made his tenure so impressive was the fact that he sailed off into retirement without injuries. With time to enjoy the fruits of his labor, he routinely gives back to the bodybuilding community, offering insightful workouts and technique tips for anyone aiming to level up their fitness.
Jay Cutler’s Top 3 Movements for Bigger Traps
Below, you can find Cutler’s three movements for building the traps:
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- Dumbbell shrugs
- Barbell behind-the-back shrugs
- Upright rows
Cutler said the first exercise to include in your regimen is dumbbell shrugs, an exercise he would perform isolaterally or with both hands.
“Top three movements for traps would be number one, the dumbbell shrug. I would do this either isolaterally, meaning one arm at a time or it would be double. I mean, I trained up to — I mean I was doing 200-pound shrugs at my biggest.”
In addition, Cutler built monstrous traps with barbell behind-the-back shrugs and upright rows, which also added thickness to his rhomboids.
“Barbell behind-the-back shrugs. Great exercise. If you guys aren’t used to doing this, maybe use a Smith machine as your first time doing it.”
“And the last exercise would be the upright row which really would stimulate those traps, those upper rhomboids. Of course, it’s going to bring a little shoulders in, but those three exercises will work best in your routine,” shares Cutler.
‘The Comeback Kid’ hasn’t been the only bodybuilding expert to share advice on how to build beefy traps. Former six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates provided his best advice for building the key body part:
“Dumbbell shrugs,” said Yates. “When working the traps, I always see people shrugging straight up. Missing out on the rest of the trapezius muscle. The traps run down your back and the way to target them fully is by shrugging up and back.
This will engage the mid and lower traps too as well as the upper. Lean slightly forward too rather than standing straight. 40 years of experience in the gym, crafting arguably the best back in the history of bodybuilding… I know what works.”
Well-defined traps give the appearance of a more dense and complete physique from every angle. The next time you’re hitting the gym, give Cutler’s three trap-building movements a try for better gains.
RELATED: 4x Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler’s Guide to a Joint-Friendly Shoulder Workout at 50
Watch the full video from the JayCutlerTV YouTube channel below:
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