Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler has retained most of his mass and conditioning since stepping away from the sport. In a recent YouTube video shared on May 27, 2025, he explained how he used pyramid sets on his chest day to build more complete pecs.
Cutler dominated the sport in the 2000s and dethroned eight-time Mr. Olympia winner Ronnie Coleman in 2006. Ultimately, Cutler left the sport with four Olympia victories. He also secured three consecutive titles at the Arnold Classic from 2002-2004.
His last competition came at the 2013 Mr. Olympia, where he secured sixth place. While he no longer competes at the highest level, ‘The Comeback Kid’ hasn’t missed a beat in retirement. He transformed his physique for his 50th birthday last year and has maintained those gains in 2025.
Jay Cutler Reveals How He Packed on Chest Size with Pyramid Training
Below is the workout blueprint Cutler followed in his latest YouTube video:
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- Calf Raise
- Seated Calf Raise
- Hammer Strength Chest Press
- Hammer Strength Isolateral Bench Press Machine
- Jbell Dumbbell Fly
- Atlantis Standing Fly Machine
Calf Raise
Cutler likes to start chest days with calf work. He sticks anywhere between 10-15 repetitions per set. He used pyramid sets to build his physique, which involves gradually adjusting the weight and/or reps.
“On chest day, I always do calves. I always start with at least two exercises. Depending on where I train, my favorite exercise I start with is the standing calf raise. I do these in a 1-2 motion. If you notice, I do a nice stretch at the bottom, I pop halfway up, and then come all the way up for that peak contraction.”
“I do pyramid the weight up. Like I said, the stretch is really important.”
Seated Calf Raise
To ensure his calves are worked to the fullest extent, Cutler also includes seated calf raises for a well-rounded pump.
“The soleus outside is going to be your seated calf with a bent knee,” explained Cutler.
Hammer Strength Chest Press
In retirement, Cutler is focused on training smart and avoiding injuries. Generally, he prefers to keep the weight moderate to heavy consistently.
“You guys trying to train smart or injury-free or working around aches and pains or injuries, sometimes that can happen as you get a little older. Sometimes, certain cycles of your training, you do have to cycle how heavy you go, but try to stay moderate to heavy consistently,” he said.
Hammer Strength Isolateral Bench Press Machine
He pyramided the weight throughout the bench press machine reps and pushed through three sets.
“We’ll do three sets here. Going to start with two plates aside, and then we’ll do a little pyramiding probably, depending on how this weight feels. I’ll drop the seat down pretty low.”
Jbell Dumbbell Fly
Cutler explained how the Jbells work and shut down concerns about them pulling on the wrist. He prefers these for flies because with dumbbells, sometimes it creates more pressure on fibers in the arm.
“It’s like a bowling ball. You put your hands down inside. When I let these go, your hand falls out of them. I know there was concern about it pulling on your wrist. When you let this go it does have padding around the edge, but it just drops out. What’s nice about this, you get the same feel all the way around.”
“Sometimes when you do flies with dumbbells, if they tilt it tends to drag more pressure on certain fibers of the arm.”
Atlantis standing Fly Machine
Lastly, Cutler finished with the standing fly machine, keeping the platform at mid-range. He said to focus on the squeeze for outer and low pec development.
“This is a selectorized piece. Atlantis makes some amazing equipment. Because you can raise the platform, depending on your height, I like the platform on a mid-range here, I’m about five foot nine, that allows me to really get that contraction and really squeeze and get the outer pecs, the lower pecs [working].”
“This would be a great exercise for that [outer and lower pecs]. The only way to get the chiseled line is to stay on a great diet.”
In addition to maintaining a strict workout schedule, Cutler keeps a close eye on the Men’s Open. Following Nick Walker’s New York Pro win, the 51-year-old explained that ‘The Mutant’ managed to improve the flow of his physique despite some fans counting him out.
Still training seven days a week, Cutler remains committed to the bodybuilding lifestyle. He likes to implement pyramid sets from time to time to keep his routine fresh.
RELATED: Jay Cutler Breaks Down Top 3 Most Common Deadlifting Mistakes & How To Fix Them
Watch the full video from the JayCutlerTV YouTube channel below:
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