Strong shoulders can improve posture, enhance overall functionality, and boost performance across various sports and activities. In his competitive prime, four-time Mr. Olympia champ Jay Cutler possessed some of the most enormous shoulders in bodybuilding. On Sept. 24, 2024, Cutler shared his shoulder routine and training insights that helped build his iconic deltoids.
Jay Cutler’s Shoulder Workout
- Seated Machine Lateral Raise — 3 x 10-12
- Machine Shoulder Press — 3 x 10-12
- Cable Lateral Raise — 3 x 10-12
- Standing Lateral Raise — 3 x 10-12
- Reverse Pec Deck Flye — 3 x 10-12
- Seated Bent-Over Reverse Dumbbell Flyes — 3 x 10-12
[Related: 2024 Mr. Olympia Preview]
Start With a Machine Exercise
Cutler favors machines over free weights during shoulder workouts as they maintain constant tension throughout the range of motion (ROM). This pre-exhausts the deltoids, helping avoid the need to lift excessively heavy later in the workout.
During seated machine lateral raises, Cutler maintains an upright torso and avoids lifting his elbows above shoulder level, as it tends to shift the tension away from the deltoids and onto the traps.
Iso-lateral Pressing for Fixing Imbalances
Iso-lateral machines effectively rectify muscle and strength imbalances, fostering balanced development.
Cutler uses a Hammer Strength shoulder press machine; he sits facing the back pad. This setup tweaks the machine’s line of pull, resulting in a bigger stretch in the bottom position.
Behind-the-Back Lateral Raises To Limit Momentum
Cutler opts for behind-the-back side lateral raises as they minimize momentum by restricting torso movement. This variation leads to a deeper medial delt stretch, maximizing hypertrophy potential. (1)
[Related: 2024 212 Olympia Preview]
During dumbbell lateral raises, Cutler maintains slight elbow flexion, raises the arms parallel to the floor, and pauses briefly in the fully shortened position.
Experiment With Different Ranges of Motion for Rear Delts
Prioritizing the rear delts helps achieve the coveted 3D shoulder aesthetic. Cutler avoids driving his elbows too far behind the midline, which shifts focus to the rhomboids and traps. He advises experimenting with various ranges of motion and adopting what works best for your biomechanics.
Cutler transitions to seated bent-over reverse dumbbell flyes, maintaining nearly straight arms throughout to optimize rear delt engagement. Bending the elbows transforms the movement into a rowing motion, increasing secondary muscle activation.
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References
- Androulakis Korakakis P, Wolf M, Coleman M, et al. Optimizing Resistance Training Technique to Maximize Muscle Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2023;9(1):9. Published 2023 Dec 29. doi:10.3390/jfmk9010009
Featured image: @jaycutler on Instagram
