If you’re looking to build bigger, bolder shoulders, listen to “Sloppy Jay.”
A tongue-in-cheek nickname paying homage to his unconventional lifting form, Jay Cutler embraced the light-hearted criticism en route to four Mr. Olympia titles. Admittedly not the embodiment of textbook technique, Cutler still understands more about building muscle and sculpting a stage-worthy physique than just about anyone has forgotten.
Boasting boulder-esque delts in his prime, the 2021 International Sports Hall of Fame inductee shared his game plan for developing massive shoulders in a YouTube video published on Oct. 23, 2024. Check it out below:
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Jay Cutler’s Intense Shoulder Workout
What does it take to build championship-level shoulders? Although Cutler no longer boasts the same size or striations that helped him capture four Olympia crowns in a five-year span, his exercise selection and training methodology should put you in the driver’s seat to develop well-rounded delts.
Before we dive into the details, here’s a quick overview of Cutler’s shoulder workout:
- Standing Shoulder Press
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises
- Incline Bench Front Raise
- Rear Cable Fly
- Reverse Pec Deck
Although he doesn’t train at the same intensity as he did during his heyday, the 51-year-old still sticks by time-tested principles and staple exercises that helped him thrive in the early 2000s. Cutler’s used this session to highlight key points that can help anyone enhance their shoulder development.
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Stand Tall For the Overhead Press
While you can also use dumbbells or machines, Cutler’s preferred method for the overhead press centers around a barbell. Despite misconceptions that this method leads to a thicker midsection, the four-time Mr. “O” quickly quelled those concerns, stating he enjoys the amount of core involvement in this position.
It put a lot of tension on my rear delts, on my rhomboids, on my traps. It really put a lot of strain on my shoulders.
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Interestingly, Cutler doesn’t fully lock out his arms. However, there’s a method to the madness.
“I really feel the muscles getting that work without doing that full lockout at the top,” he explained.
Don’t Downplay the Dumbbells
Next, Cutler went with a pair of dumbbell-based delt exercises. Working with a pair of 40-pounders, he offered some advice for fueling up he pumped out a set of lateral raises.
If you can train after three or four meals your pumps are going to be that much better.
Cutler got off his feet, setting up on an incline weight bench for chest-supported front raises to hit his anterior delts. Here were some key takeaways:
- Cutler performed three sets of 12 reps—an ideal range for muscle hypertrophy.
- Bring the weights parallel to the floor
- Emphasize the contraction at the top of the movement
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The Key to Crazy Rear Delts
The blueprint for balanced shoulders must include targeted rear delt work, too. Cutler took care of that with reverse cable flys and the reverse pec deck machine.
If those rear delts are popping, it’s going to give you that much more width.
With his last “O” victory coming in 2010, Cutler has seen some obvious changes in his physique. In particular, he doesn’t have nearly the same “pop” in his rear delts that helped him dominate on stage. However, he noted back exercises like barbell rows, seated cable rows, lat pulldowns, and pull-ups involve plenty of rear delt movement.
Once Cutler wrapped up his lifts, he circled back to the role nutrition plays in making #gains.
The progress or the performance in the gym after four meals is crazy compared to one meal.
So, while there’s no guarantee Cutler’s blueprint will transform you into an Olympia-level mass monster, your shoulders should become bigger and stronger by following in his footsteps.
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Featured image: JayCutlerTV / YouTube
