Jay Cutler reached the top of the sport with easy-to-understand training practices that were critical to his success. In a recent YouTube short, the bodybuilding legend opened up on ab training and which exercises are best for building a tighter and more defined midsection.
Like many other bodybuilders, Jay Cutler believes that ab training is often overlooked and even ignored by athletes. Since a lower body fat percentage threshold is required to make abs visible, many neglect training various muscles in the torso.
For Jay Cutler, the only man to dethrone former eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman, ab exercises were essential. Cutler trained them daily throughout his illustrious reign, and he remains the only bodybuilder in history to win back the prestigious Mr. Olympia title in the Men’s Open, a feat he made possible in 2009.
Even though Cutler’s legacy was largely built off his shredded lower body, ‘The Comeback Kid’ always prioritized ab training. In addition to underscoring rep ranges, Cutler explains below which three exercises he favored most for building a tighter midsection.
Jay Cutler: ‘The Most Overlooked and Undertrained Body Part Is Going to Be Your Abs’
Cutler was dedicated to ab training throughout his career and understood its harmony with posing.
Cutler’s Main Exercises for Ab Training
- Hanging leg raises
- Two crunch movements (rope crunch, machine crunch)
“The most overlooked and undertrained body part is going to be your ab training. Everyone knows I was crazy about my ab training.
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I always did abs at least every other day, especially training for a competition. A lot of the posing is going to come into play when you show off your abs. And of course, your definition has to be on point, right?”
Cutler preferred three exercises for his ab training routines, though added that abs won’t be visible without a low body fat percentage. He also shared that focusing on more repetitions, ideally in the 15-20 rep range would be best.
“Your body fat needs to be you know, eight, six percent or below in order to show ab definition. So, ideally I like to do three exercises for my ab training.
The hanging leg raise, some sort of a crunch, rope crunch, machine crunch, anything that really stimulates the abs. Focus on more repetitions, 15-20 repetitions but do not neglect ab training,” Jay Cutler shared.
This wasn’t Cutler’s first time sharing insider tips on sculpting defined abs. The bodybuilding icon has maintained a consistent stance on training this body part over the years, emphasizing that when working on abs, ‘You’re trying to condition them, not build muscle.’
Often utilizing sit-ups, rope crunches, and hanging leg raises during his bodybuilding tenure, Jay Cutler can’t imagine building a Mr. Olympia-caliber physique without these exercises. Having retired in 2013, Cutler’s devotion to training and bodybuilding is on full display every time he offers tips to his broadening fanbase.
Check out the full video from the JayCutler TV YouTube channel below:
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