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Home » Bodybuilding News » Jay Cutler Reveals How He Built "Gorilla Suit" Shoulders

Jay Cutler Reveals How He Built “Gorilla Suit” Shoulders

Unleash your shoulder-building potential with Cutler's training blueprint.

Phil Blechman
Written by Phil Blechman
Last updated on September 30th, 2024

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)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jay Cutler (@jaycutler)

[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.

More Bodybuilding Content

  • Men’s Open Bodybuilder Regan Grimes Explains How To Build a Wider Back
  • The Mobility Routine Chris Bumstead Uses to Grow His Chest Ahead of the 2024 Olympia
  • Nick Walker Uses “Intensifers” to Improve Muscle Separation and Conditioning For the 2024 Mr. Olympia

References

  1. 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

Phil Blechman

About Phil Blechman

Phil is a native New Yorker passionate about storytelling, bodybuilding, and game design. He holds a BFA from Syracuse University.

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