Men’s Open legend Jay Cutler‘s exercise selections helped him conquer the sport for four years. On Jan. 27, 2026, he compared the deadlift versus the rack pull for bodybuilding training.
Before realizing his full potential, Cutler lived in Ronnie Coleman‘s shadow. The eight-time Mr. Olympia denied him a shot at the prestigious title four times, leaving Cutler holding the silver medal onstage. In 2006, he reached the pinnacle of his career and took out Coleman to kickstart his reign.
Cutler’s time on top was short-lived; Dexter Jackson swooped in and dethroned him in 2008. This set the groundwork for Jay’s legendary comeback. He made massive improvements for 2009 Mr. Olympia, which saw him make history with his signature quad stomp pose. In retirement, he hasn’t forgotten which movements helped him build one of the best physiques the sport has seen.
Jay Cutler on Rack Pulls vs Deadlifts
In the video, Cutler emphasized that rack pulls and deadlifts are two totally different exercises. He believes both have merit in bodybuilding. According to ‘The Comeback Kid,’ he included these exercises every other week, depending on training demands.
“Your standard deadlift versus your rack pulls. Now, two totally different movements. The question is: Is it a bodybuilding movement? Yes, it is. I love doing my deadlifts. Listen, I’m a floor deadlifter. During my training for the Olympias, you saw me doing rack pulls. It really depends on what your routine requires during that time period.”
He added that both exercises can help build back, glute, hamstring, and shoulder strength.
“I used to alternate doing deadlifts every other week, or the rack pulls. I’m not suggesting every single week this is your movement, but these are great core exercises, it’s going to build strength, not only in the back, but the glutes, hamstrings, obviously, your shoulders.”
As for repetitions, Cutler said to keep it around eight.
“They allowed me to hit those crazy back poses. Repetitions, I kept at least eight repetitions, no matter how heavy the weight went, and I did at least three to four sets of this exercise,” he said.
He explained that off-the-floor deadlifts are ideal for working the whole body, whereas rack pulls bias the lower back.
“I think that continuous movement, really incorporating it into your routine, whether it’s off the floor deadlift, really work the whole body, or to really isolate more of your lower back with your rack pulls, that is going to be the ideal movement to really bring in to play, and get that full contraction and of course, bringing the best bodybuilding physique to the stage.”
The deadlift can be tricky to master, even for seasoned bodybuilders. This prompted Cutler to break down three common deadlifting mistakes to avoid. He shared that excessive weight, wrong body positions, and rounding the back are among the biggest pitfalls.
Cutler sported a complete back during the prime years of his career. He credits both of these exercises for helping him achieve a world-class physique.
RELATED: Jay Cutler Breaks Down ‘Skin-Bursting Pump’ Back Workout for Maximum Thickness & Width
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