Jay Cutler Shares His Favorite Exercises for Back, Traps & Calves

Bodybuilding icon Jay Cutler is known for his intense training despite retiring from the sport. In recent videos posted on YouTube, Cutler shared some of his favorite exercises he uses to build the calves, back, and trap muscles.

Four-time Mr. Olympia champion Jay Cutler made a name for himself with his monstrous physique in the Men’s Open division. His fierce onstage rivalry with legendary bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman turned him into a bona fide superstar. He defeated the eight-time Sandow trophy winner in 2006 to score his maiden Olympia victory before racking up three more wins at the annual competition. 

Cutler regularly inspires his 4.6 million followers on Instagram. He updates those with a look into his Olympia-worthy training methods. He also serves as a mentor for up-and-coming bodybuilders. About two months ago, he guided German sensation Urs Kalecinski through a brutal shoulder and triceps workout in preparation for the 2022 Mr. Olympia.

During his run at the top, Cutler was renowned for his insanely detailed arms. He shared the top three exercises he used to build monstrous biceps and triceps. Just a few days later, he followed that session up with another taxing abs workout routine with three hard exercises.

Jay joined forces with Coleman and fitness influencer Jesse James West for a training session while recounting their time competing against each other during a recent YouTube video. 

Cutler has been open about his use of steroids. He detailed how he stays in shape at 49 with the help of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). He revealed that he maintains his regular protocol of using 200 mg of Testosterone Cypionate per week. He also eliminated fasted cardio from his training regimen to maintain more muscle tissue. 

Jay Cutler shares his favorite exercises for back, traps, and calves

Jay Cutler shared some of his favorite exercises that he likes to utilize for training his back, traps, and calves.

Back Exercises:

• Reverse grip pulldowns with shoulder width grip)
• Bent barbell row with reverse grip
• Seated cable row with a close grip handle

“What I like to focus on for back training is reverse grip pulldowns with a shoulder width grip. Second would be bent barbell row with reverse grip and lastly would be seated cable row with a close grip handle. It’s my favorite body part to train.”

Trap Exercises:

Cutler backed the dumbbell shrugs as his variation of choice. He also stressed performing the exercise with the proper form.

• Dumbbell Shrugs: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps

“The best lift for your traps. There’s so many variations of the shrugs and I’ve always stuck to dumbbells for my traps. Focusing unilaterally, pulling with each arm, to really contract. It is a straight up and down movement. It’s not a roll with the shoulders. You want to focus on the form, rep ranges, anywhere over eight, usually around 12. Doing at least three or four sets per exercise.”

Calves Exercises:

So are calf muscles genetic or can they be built through exercise? Jay Cutler shares his three favorite calf exercises, with the standing calf raise being his preferred choice.

• Seated calf raise 3-4 sets of 12 reps
• Donkey calf raise 3-4 sets of 12 reps
• Standing calves raise 3-4 sets of 12 reps

“I only stuck to three movements total during my career for calf training,” he said. “It was Seated Calf Raises, Donkey Calf raises, and my favorite, the standing calve raise. Just like every other body part, I focus on moderate to heavy weight. I focus on 12 repetitions. Remember, it’s all about the contraction. So, really peak contraction and a deep stretch at the bottom.”

Jay Cutler demolished a heavy leg workout last week. He advised his fans to feel the burn when working out instead of focusing on following a set number of reps.

RELATED: Jay Cutler Workout: Train Like a Champion

His lasting impact on the sport continues to shape the next generation of contenders. Men’s Open standout Nick Walker intends to follow in Jay’s footsteps and stay in shape like him post-retirement.

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