New Year’s resolutions in the fitness world are extremely common. Many on their fitness journeys utilize the calendar reset as an extra reason to stay disciplined, set new goals, or find motivations lacking in the year prior.
Four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler is no different. On Jan. 9, 2024, Cutler took to his YouTube channel to share his goals for 2025 before a shoulder training session, where he shared his top exercises for bouldering 3D delts.
I have a new New Year’s resolution every week.
—Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler’s Top 4 Shoulder Exercises for 2025
- Incline Chest Press Machine
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise
- Front Raise
- Rear Pec Deck Flye
- Face Pulls
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1. Incline Chest Press Machine
Cutler warms up with two sets on a Nautilus incline chest press machine with two 45-pound weight plates on each side. His early movements attempt to establish his mind-muscle connection. He stops short of locking out his elbows for each rep in the 10-to-12-rep range, ensuring the stimulus is wholly on the front delt.
The benefit of the Nautilus machine is that the line of press dictates the movement of a narrower press toward the top as the muscle fibers contract.
2. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Cutler performed his dumbbell lateral raises while seated upright on a weight bench. He opened with 35 pounds in each hand for 10-to-12 reps, programmed for three to four sets.
Though Cutler typically performs lighter lateral raises before his working sets to pre-exhaust. He is not afraid to swing his body for a small bit of momentum as he guides the lift from the elbows. His arms just eclipse parallel with the shoulders at the top of each rep.
Cutler’s training is instinctive, considering several factors to dictate his programming, including his stress levels, sleep quality, the time he has to train, travel recovery, current diet, etc.
Cutler advanced to 40 pounds per hand for his second set of seated lateral raises, scoring 12 reps. He repeated for his third set.
3. Front Raise
Cutler performs his front raises with variety, sometimes with a barbell and other times on a cable machine. Within that, he swaps between attachments, from handles to ropes. In 2025, he’s lying prone on an elevated incline bench (approximately 45 degrees) and using dumbbells.
The lower pec lays along the top edge of the weight bench. Cutler’s goal with each rep is for his arms to reach parallel to the floor.
Cutler’s initial instinct is a 60-to-70-pound barbell as a front raise opener. He adjusted to 35-pound dumbbells in each hand. There is a potential trap of feeling in the traps toward the top of the movement, so remain keen on maintaining the stimulus in the front delt.
I judge my workouts by how pumped I get.
—Jay Cutler
4. Rear Pec Deck Flye
Cutler feels his rear delts are the most atrophied muscle since his elite contest days. He keeps constant tension on his rear delts for 12 reps when performing standard rear delt flyes.
Cutler doesn’t consider the reverse pec deck flye a “strong exercise,” suggesting it doesn’t require a lot of weight to achieve the target stimulus. His first set was 130 pounds, and he didn’t feel it necessary to increase on the following sets.
5. Face Pulls
The final exercise was face pulls with a rope attachment on a cable machine. In a staggered stance, Cutler flared his elbows as he pulled the rope to his forehead on each rep.
Cutler completed three sets of 12 to 15 reps, visualizing the rear delts pulling the weight. He did not sustain a pause at the top of each rep.
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Featured image: @jaycutler on Instagram
