Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler still boasts huge biceps and forearms in retirement at 51 years old. In his latest endeavor, shared on March 18, 2025, he broke down how to build massive arms with rope hammer curls, laying out his rep scheme and setup.
As a four-time Mr. Olympia, Cutler always understood the sacrifices it would take to reach the top of the sport. After several second-place showings, Cutler dethroned eight-time Olympia winner Ronnie Coleman at the height of his career.
Even since stepping away from the sport, Cutler is dedicated to training, working out seven days a week. Although movements like barbell curls and preacher curls get a lot of attention, Cutler explains below why rope hammer curls have helped him maintain big arms.
“If you wanna build thicker arms you gotta make sure you’re [hitting] the brachialis! Rope hammer curls do a great job targeting this muscle and is gonna help add width to your biceps. Grab the rope, keep it controlled, and get to work!” Cutler shared.
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Jay Cutler Shows You How To Build Thicker Arms With Rope Hammer Curls
In a recent Instagram post, Cutler explained why building the brachialis is essential to having big arms. He emphasized that it gives the arms depth from the side.
“How do we continue to build that brachialis? Now the brachialis is the tie-in between your bicep and forearms. Everyone wants to have dense forearms but more depth from the side.
We’ve done a million dumbbell movements, but I want to show a movement that’s done with a rope contraction. A little step away from the machine.”
To execute rope hammer curls, Cutler says to assume the starting position, move the weight upward, spread the rope at the top, and squeeze for a contraction.
“This is going to be a hammer curl using a rope. Ideally, what we’re going to do is come up in that starting position, keep that tension but when we come up, spread that rope at the top and get that contraction.”
He generally adheres to a 10-12 rep-range for optimal results.
“Do this 10 or 12 times, really get that squeeze, really work that thickness of the forearms and that bicep,” he shared. “Work for that great burn. I like to throw this in my routine every couple of weeks.”
“There’s nothing wrong with big arms,” he adds.
This wasn’t Cutler’s first time offering clutch exercise advice. He recently walked through how to maximize results on the bench press. He argued that lifters can increase their max bench by lowering the weight and increasing the volume, which aligns with his devotion to high-volume training throughout his career.
Cutler stands by the rope hammer curl as an effective workout for building depth to the arms. He prefers to incorporate this exercise every couple of weeks to maximize growth and progress.
RELATED: Jay Cutler Labels Seated Wide Grip Cable Rows As His #1 Exercise for Building a Tapered Physique
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