I Followed Jay Cutler’s 4-Day Mass Split for 8 Weeks — My Body Will Never Be the Same

Jay Cutler’s photos are displayed in more gyms worldwide than any other bodybuilder’s. The four-time Mr. Olympia champ achieved his signature physique with relentless dedication and mastering the art of building muscle mass.

Interestingly, Cutler usually trained four times a week during the off-season to add more size. This approach allowed him to push himself in each session while ensuring optimal rest between workouts.

This four-day mass split sounded too good to pass and I took it on as an eight-week challenge to check if it can deliver results for a veteran personal trainer like me who has over 17 years of training experience under his belt.

In this article, I share the results of this intense, Cutler-inspired eight-week training split and how it impacted my muscle gains. I’ll also walk you through its impact on my muscle pumps and fatigue levels. We have a lot to unpack, so sit tight and read on.

Understanding Jay Cutler’s 4-Day Mass Split

Cutler’s off-season training philosophy centers on one principle: overload. He employed high-volume training to force new muscle tissue growth while ensuring adequate rest between sessions.

I spread my workouts over the week to make sure my muscles had enough time to recover, and I could push myself to the limit in each session. This is what my training week looked like:

• Monday: Chest/ Tris
• Tuesday: Back/Bis
• Wednesday: Rest
• Thursday: Shoulders
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: Legs
• Sunday: Rest

I performed eight to 12 reps and three to five sets per exercise to maximize hypertrophy. My workouts comprised a balance of compound and isolation movements to build size and improve balance and definition.

The First Four Weeks — Diving into the Grind

Make no mistake, just because this regimen involves training four days a week does not mean that it will be easy. I was a little nervous going into the first day of this eight-week program because I had seen Cutler’s training videos and knew that he did not joke around when it came to working out. This was the intensity I was aiming for.

Workout Split: Weeks 1-4

Contrary to what most people think, you do not need to change your exercises each week to maximize hypertrophy. I performed the same exercises for four weeks to allow my body enough time to adapt to the movement mechanics and ignite new muscle growth.

Day 1: Chest/Triceps

I started the workout with the bigger muscle groups while my body was still fresh. Beginning with smaller muscles like the triceps can lead to early fatigue, which can hamper your chest training performance.

Before starting this challenge, I was following a bro split, which typically involves doing 12 to 15 total sets in a workout. Almost doubling the overall training volume overnight hit my body like a freight train.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest (Seconds)
Incline Barbell Press	4	8-12	90
Flat Dumbbell Press	4	10-15	75
Decline Press	3	12-15	60
Cable Flyes	3	15-20	60
Close-Grip Bench Press	4	8-12	90
Overhead Triceps Extension	3	12-15	60
Triceps Pushdowns	3	15-20	45

Day 2: Back/Biceps

The biceps are a supporting muscle group in back exercises, whereas the triceps are a secondary muscle in chest movements.

I employed controlled eccentrics to increase the time under tension and promote muscle protein synthesis. This also helped me prioritize my form, leading to optimum target muscle fiber activation and limiting injury risk.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest (Seconds)
Wide-Grip Pull-ups	4	To Failure	90
Bent-Over Barbell Rows	4	8-12	90
Seated Cable Rows	4	10-15	75
Lat Pulldowns	3	12-15	60
Barbell Curls	4	8-12	90
Hammer Curls	3	12-15	60
Concentration Curls	3	15-20	45

Day 3: Shoulders

Cutler was known for his 3D shoulders, so I decided to train them individually to achieve a similar aesthetic. While I have primarily relied on machines for the training challenge as Cutler preferred them over free weights, I did use dumbbells and barbells on exercises like military presses and lateral raises on a few occasions.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest (Seconds)
Military Press	4	8-12	90
Lateral Raises	4	10-15	75
Front Raises	3	12-15	60
Reverse Flyes	3	15-20	60
Barbell Shrugs	4	12-15	60

Day 4: Legs

Unlike his archrival Ronnie Coleman, who was famous for lifting super heavy weights, Cutler prioritized lifting moderate weights with a picture-perfect form. I followed a full range of motion to maximize target muscle activation and get the best bang for my training buck.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest (Seconds)
Barbell Squats	4	8-12	90
Leg Press	4	10-15	75
Leg Extensions	3	12-15	60
Lying Leg Curls	3	12-15	60
Standing Calf Raises	4	15-20	45
Seated Calf Raises	4	15-20	45

Weekly Training Experience

Without further ado, here is the week-by-week breakdown of my experience with this mass training split:

Week 1

Honestly, I had a lot of nervous energy going into this Cutler-inspired training challenge. The very first workout hit hard, and the muscle pumps were unreal. Every set pushed me to my limits, and I woke up with significant delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) on the second day itself.

Fatigue started to creep in by the end of the week, but the ample rest between the workouts helped me maintain a high training intensity throughout.

Week 2

As my body started adapting to this new training split, I felt stronger in compound lifts and moved the heavier weights with much more confidence. That said, my recovery started to lag even though the muscle pump intensity was almost unchanged. I increased the rest time between sets to allow my muscles more time to recover.

Week 3

I increased my calorie and protein intake to support my recovery and ensure that my muscles had enough raw material to grow bigger and stronger. Remember, you cannot out-train a poor diet.

Adding sodium and potassium-rich foods to my pre-workout diet resulted in insane pumps. A study shows that better muscle pumps can lead to greater muscle gain after a training session. (2)

Week 4

The higher calorie intake and progressive overload started to work their magic as I noticed strength and muscle gain across the board.

However, I experienced sheer exhaustion, especially after the leg day. There were moments this week when I questioned if I could maintain the same training intensity and volume for four more weeks. Nonetheless, I persisted.

I prioritized active recovery techniques like light cardio and stretching on my rest days to speed up muscle recuperation.

Weeks Five to Eight — Pushing the Limits

By Week Five, the initial shock had subsided, and my body was now starting to adapt to this high-volume training challenge. This meant just one thing — I had to turn up the intensity.

Day 1: Chest/Triceps

I switched up the exercises this week to keep the muscles guessing and ensure consistent progress.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest (Seconds)
Hammer Strength Incline Press	4	8-12	90
Dumbbell Flyes (Incline)	4	10-15	75
Cable Crossovers	3	12-15	60
Dips	3	To Failure	60
Skull Crushers	4	8-12	90
Rope Overhead Extensions	3	12-15	60
Single-Arm Cable Pushdowns	3	15-20	45

Day 2: Back/Biceps

My muscle endurance improved significantly during the back half of this Cutler-inspired routine, and I was able to get through these workouts much faster without compromising my training form.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest (Seconds)
Chest Supported Rows	4	8-12	90
Single Arm Dumbbell Rows	4	10-15	75
Face Pulls	3	12-15	60
Straight Arm Pulldowns	3	15-20	60
Preacher Curls	4	8-12	90
Incline Dumbbell Curls	3	12-15	60
Cable Bicep Curls	3	15-20	45

Day 3: Shoulders

Consider these workouts a blueprint and feel free to switch the exercises based on your personal preferences. For instance, you can substitute the Arnold press with machine shoulder presses if you experience better muscle stimulation while performing them.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest (Seconds)
Arnold Press	4	8-12	90
Cable Lateral Raises	4	10-15	75
Reverse Pec Deck Flyes	3	12-15	60
Dumbbell Front Raises	3	15-20	60
Trap Bar Shrugs	4	12-15	60

Day 4: Legs

I hit a new squat PR in the final week of this Cutler challenge, adding 10 pounds to my max. This was a signal that I was moving in the right direction.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest (Seconds)
Front Squats	4	8-12	90
Hack Squats	4	10-15	75
Walking Lunges	3	12-15 (each leg)	60
Romanian Deadlifts	3	12-15	60
Donkey Calf Raises	4	15-20	45
Seated Single Calf Raises	4	15-20	45

Weekly Breakdown

Here is an account of the final phase of this challenge:

Week 5

I was stoked to try the new exercises in the final phase of this challenge and went all out in every lift. Since I was now changing PRs, I recruited a spotter to help me with the heavier lifts. An experienced spotter can help keep you accountable and motivated and significantly reduce the risk of injury during an exercise.

Week 6

Going full-send in the previous week had its repercussions. I now felt more fatigued than ever and decided to implement a deload week to allow my body some time to recover. This involves pulling back the overall training volume and intensity to give my body a break from high-stress lifting.

Plus, I prioritized eight hours of quality sleep each night to maximize recovery.

Week 7 & 8

Since I had used a strategic deload in the sixth week, it was now time to go unhinged in the final two weeks.

In Week Seven, I repeated the same weight, reps, and sets as in Week Five to give my body a taste of what is to come next. My body responded great, which was a sign that it could handle much more.

I concluded this eight-week, four-days-a-week Cutler challenge while lifting close to my PBs and also set new records in several lifts like the squat and bench press.

Results — What Happened After 8 Weeks 

Let’s now talk about the results because this is why we put ourselves through so much pain. Here are my final stats:

Metric	Initial Measurement	Final Measurement	Change
Arm Size (inches)	17.5	18	+0.5
Chest Size (inches)	45	46.5	+1.5
Body Weight (lbs)	190	198	+8
Squat 1RM (lbs)	315	335	+20

The intense muscle pumps that I achieved during these workouts led to lasting muscle size increases. My muscles filled out, and I achieved those coveted round and full muscle bellies.

Also, the discipline required to stick to this training program translated to other areas of my life. My focus and time management improved, increasing my overall productivity and output.

I must add that this high-volume training regime placed significant stress on my joints, especially my knees and shoulders, but this isn’t something that proper rest and recovery cannot fix.

Conclusion

Eight weeks of training like Cutler helped me gain 0.5 inches in the arms and 1.5 inches in the chest. I saw strength gains across the board, with my squat one-rep max increasing by a massive 20 pounds.

As with any other training program, consistency, dedication, and discipline are vital to achieving your physique transformation goals while following this Cutler-inspired routine. Beginners should start small and gradually increase the training volume as they get more comfortable.

If you have any questions about Jay Cutler’s four-day mass split or need help implementing it into your own routine, post them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help!

References:

1. Iversen VM, Eide VB, Unhjem BJ, Fimland MS. Efficacy of Supersets Versus Traditional Sets in Whole-Body Multiple-Joint Resistance Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Strength Cond Res. 2024 Aug 1;38(8):1372-1378. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004819. PMID: 39072654.
2. Hirono T, Ikezoe T, Taniguchi M, Tanaka H, Saeki J, Yagi M, Umehara J, Ichihashi N. Relationship Between Muscle Swelling and Hypertrophy Induced by Resistance Training. J Strength Cond Res. 2022 Feb 1;36(2):359-364. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003478. PMID: 31904714.

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