Jay Cutler hasn’t abandoned the exercises that propelled him to the top of the sport. On Jan. 21, 2026, he revealed that narrow-stance squats were critical to his prime leg development.
Legs are key to a complete physique. However, building balanced, conditioned, and full legs can be quite the challenge. Jay Cutler realized this at a young age, and coupled with his genetics, he presented arguably the best lower body the Men’s Open division has seen.
In 2009, Cutler cemented his legacy by winning back the Mr. Olympia title. At the event, he shocked the audience with his iconic quad stomp pose. He held his own with the best for more than 12 years and even today, can appreciate the methods that guided him to success.
Jay Cutler Explains How Narrow-Stance Squats Built His Iconic Quad Sweeps
In the YouTube video, Cutler credited narrow-stance squats for helping him grow impressive quad sweeps.
“Out of all the top bodybuilders, people come to me for advice on legs. I’m not going to lie; a lot of my leg development was through genetics. I had a great sweep on my thighs. I was always a narrow-stance squatter.”
A narrow stance allowed him target the front thighs more effectively. In contrast, Cutler explained that sumo-stance squats work the hamstrings, glutes, and back.
“Narrow stance, meaning I keep the feet closer together. I want to hit more of the frontal thighs, build that sweep. I think when you go a little wider, like a sumo stance, you’re going to work more of the glutes and hamstrings, the hips, which you can use for some of the back training.”
He tries to isolate the quads as much as possible and sticks with 10–12 repetitions.
“Ideally, for me, when training legs, I want to keep everything out of it except the quads. I know that’s impossible, but you have to focus on the frontal thighs.
So you’re going to notice when I squat, watch my stance as I do these, the feet stay closer together, toes forward, and of course, I’m always trying to hit the frontal thighs,” he shared. “10 or 12 reps.”
Despite a quad strain, Cutler pushed through the pain to continue his recent leg training session. At 52 years old, he implements pyramid sets to add intensity to workouts. He admits that his ‘whole training aspect’ is focused on longevity now rather than hypertrophy.
Cutler built some of the biggest and most conditioned legs during the prime years of his career. While genetics helped, he maintains that the narrow-stance squat was a game-changer for gains.
RELATED: 4x Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler Breaks Down 3 Leg Press Secrets To Build Championship Legs
Watch the full video from the JayCutlerTV YouTube channel below:
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