Jay Cutler’s lower body is still pulling its weight since stepping away from bodybuilding. On Feb. 2, 2026, he showcased his quad and hamstring leg workout to keep his legs massive at 52.
For a moment in bodybuilding history, it looked like Jay Cutler would always be the bridesmaid at the Mr. Olympia. He took runner-up behind Ronnie Coleman four consecutive years before realizing his full potential. In 2006, he dethroned ‘The King,’ setting the stage for a long dynasty.
However, Cutler’s reign was cut short; Dexter Jackson unseated him as champion in 2008. Once a champion has lost his title, winning it back has proved much more challenging in the IFBB Pro League.
It was a challenge Cutler embraced. The 2009 Mr. Olympia saw him not only win back the Mr. Olympia crown, but also showcase his quad stomp, a shot celebrated and replicated by active competitors today. With time in retirement, he walked fans through one of the workouts keeping him in shape.
Jay Cutler’s Mass-Building Leg Routine at 52
Find his exercises from the video below:
- Seated Hamstring Curl
- Standing Leg Curl
- Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Deadlifts
- Walking Lunges
- Lying Hamstring Curl
- Leg Extensions
- Inverted Leg Press
- Pendulum Squat
- Standard Leg Press
- Hip Thrusts
Seated Hamstring Curl
Cutler appreciates how he can adjust the seated hamstring curl and used a pyramid training system throughout the workout.
“This is one of my favorites just because of the adjustments. Everything is on medium. I go for the most stretch you can actually go with this. We’re going to start with 130, we’re going to pyramid up 145-160, so maybe we’ll do a couple of feel sets, and then three working sets to really get that contraction.”
Standing Leg Curl
He used the standing leg curl to isolate the hamstrings as much as he could.
“What I like about this is, I think of the hamstring as a bicep; basically, the bicep muscle of the hamstring, so really get individually focused on that one singular spot.”
Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Deadlifts
While dumbbell stiff-legged deadlifts weren’t commonly used during his tenure, he includes them now for hamstring development.
“It’s funny because when I started in ’91, training, no one ever did dumbbells. I was doing dumbbells in 2009 when I was really trying to pay more attention to what my training was, which was weird. That was kind of late in my career.”
Walking Lunges
Next, he moved on to walking lunges, prioritizing glute growth.
“I’m really focusing on my glutes and hams on this, not necessarily my quads,” he explained.
Lying Hamstring Curl
He pushed blood into his hamstrings one last time before moving to quad-focused exercises.
“Get that blood flow back in there, and that’s going to finish off the hamstrings, hopefully at least 8-10 reps, but going for 12, full contraction, and power through.”
Leg Extensions
He approached leg extensions differently. Instead of bracing the bars for support, he’d rather place his hands on his quads to feel the contraction.
“If it hurts, I don’t really like to do it. What I like to do is not hold on. I keep my hands on my quads so I can feel the contraction.”
Inverted Leg Press
The inverted leg press is a staple for Cutler. He keeps his feet lower on the platform to place more stress on the quads.
“It’s always in my routine, 10 or 12 reps, inverted leg press. A lot of different variations of this. Some of them have a really flat base to it, some have a curved.”
“I’m trying to put my feet a little lower on the platform to give it more stress on the quads.”
Pendulum Squat
He said the pendulum squat is one of his tougher quad exercises of the day:
“This is an exercise I’m going to focus on three sets. It’s almost impossible not to work the quads. It’s the hardest exercise, depending on how hard you go. We’re not going super heavy,” he said. “Really trying to get that tension onto the quads and bury my foot position a little bit.”
Standard Leg Press
Focusing on mind-muscle connection, he finished his quads off with the standard leg press machine.
“Really getting that contraction. I think this is a really great exercise for the legs as long as you can put your mind to working the quads and take your hamstrings out of it.”
Hip Thrusts
For targeted glute work, Cutler ended the workout with a few hard sets on the hip thrust machine.
“You can see me shake, you can see the weakness, right? Nice burn. This is one of those exercises I get a burn out on. I push myself because I only do one movement [for targeting glutes]. I think this is the one that I do that gets a nice burn to work the upper shelf.”
At 52 years old, Cutler is the picture of longevity. He still trains seven days a week and has no major injuries. He believes routines like this one have helped him stay athletic and in shape since retiring from bodybuilding.
RELATED: Jay Cutler Explains How He Balanced Two-a-Day Training Sessions in His Prime, Talks Longevity at 52
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