7 exercises that Jay Cutler prefers in his routine

Jason Isaac Cutler aka Jay Cutler is a world-famous retired American professional bodybuilder.

He's an IFBB pro, fou-time Mr Olympia winner and has appeared on several fitness magazine covers, including Muscular Development, Muscle and Fitness. Cutler is also the founder of a bodybuilding supplements company – Cutler Nutrition.

When it comes to building muscle mass, this bodybuilder swears by high-intensity workouts. For him, it’s all about training for the pump through high-volume exercises.

Jay Cutler’s workout generally includes exercises with a lot of legs, arms and back workouts, and he does not stop till all his muscles are exercised evenly. He performs six to eight exercises and 30 sets per muscle group in a single exercise. While his arm workouts are a little light, his back and legs routine is intense and really hard.

Exercises Jay Cutler Prefers In His Workout Routine

Here's a look at seven exercises:

1) Standing Machine Calf Raise

For leg muscles, Jay Cutler prefers standing and seated machine calf raise and attempts a faster tempo to get enough contraction in his calf muscles in each rep. This exercise primarily targets the 'show' muscles of the calf, also known as the gastrocnemius muscles.

Here’s how you do this amazing leg exercise:

Stand in front of a calf raise machine, and adjust the shoulder pad according to your height.
Step under the pad, and keep your feet on the platform. Make sure to keep your toes pointed ahead, and allow your heels to hang.
Slowly extend your knees and hips to lift the shoulder pad, and lower your heels by flexing your ankles till your calf muscles are extended and stretched fully.
Return to the start, and perform the desired number of repetitions.

2) Dumbbell Chest Press

For his pressing movements, Jay Cutler uses a pair of dumbbells and prefers a dumbbell chest press exercise to isolate his limbs.

Here’s how to do this exercise:

Lie back straight on a bench, and hold a dumbbell in each hand to the sides of your shoulders.
Press the dumbbells above your chest slowly by extending both your elbows at the same time till your arms get fully straight.
Bring the dumbbells down, and repeat.
Make sure not to touch the weights at the top.

3) Standing Cable Flye

Flyes are one exercise every bodybuilder includes in their upper body strength training, and Jay Cutler is no different. This exercise targets the chest, shoulders and triceps and is one of the best exercises to increase your chest muscle mass.

To perform this exercise:

Set the pulleys at your shoulder height or slightly above. Choose the desired weight.
Hold both the handles with a tight grip, and move a step forward.
Press the handles while extending both your elbows and flexing your pecs.
Slightly bend your elbows, and use your entire shoulder joints to allow your arms to open.
Return to the start by using your pecs, and bring the handles back together at your chest height.
Repeat.

4) Dumbbell Flye

For his lower and outer chest, Cutler prefers dumbbell flyes to accentuate his chest muscles and uses 50-pound dumbbells.

Here’s how to do it:

Lie on a bench, and keep your feet on the floor.
Hold the dumbbells above your chest, and make sure to keep your palms facing each other.
Lower the dumbbells in an arc to your sides, and use your pecs to reverse the motion back to the start.
Keep your elbows slightly bent, and do not flex or arc your spine.

5) Single-arm Machine Biceps Curls

For biceps, Cutler prefers machine curl training and trains one arm at a time. While doing this exercise, he looks in the opposite direction of his working arm, as that allows for a more intense contraction in his biceps.

To do this exercise:

Sit down, and keep the back of your arms on the curl machine’s pad just in front of you.
Hold the handles, and curl them up towards your shoulders.
Slowly lower them back down, and repeat.

6) T Bar Row

Cutler prefers performing rows instead of pulldowns for his thick muscled back. This exercise requires using a neutral grip with palms facing each other, making it one of the strongest positions for pull exercises.

To do a T bar row:

Load one side of a barbell with weight plates, and place the other end in the corner.
Straddle the barbell, and grip it towards the weighted side.
Slowly pull the barbell to your chest, and keep your elbows close to your body.
Squeeze your shoulders together at the top movement, and slowly lower the bar to the start.
Repeat.

7) Dumbbell Alternating Hammer Curls

Jay Cutler practices dumbbell alternating hammer curls for his forearm muscles, as it uses a hammering motion that helps isolate the biceps and develops bigger arms.

Here’s how you do this exercise:

Stand tall keeping your knees slightly bent and your feet at shoulder distance.
Engage your abs, and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
Extend both your arms at the sides of your body, and keeping your elbows locked, raise your right arm in an arc motion towards your right shoulder.
Hold for five breaths, and return to the start.
Repeat the exercise with your left arm.

Watch Jay Cutler's leg workout here:

Jay Cutler rarely fails to complete his reps and sets. He generally does eight to 12 reps and performs more sets when he feels the need to challenge himself harder.