During his prime, Cutler boasted shoulders that resembled cannonballs, which helped him greatly in winning the most prestigious titles – including a legendary win over Ronnie Coleman in 2006. Although he’s hung up the competition swimsuit, his training methods are still a goldmine for anyone looking to build muscle.
In one of his recent videos, he shared his perspective on shoulder training and revealed details about his special variation of the sit-up.
Too much strictness can be detrimental
Surprisingly, Cutler points out that focusing too much on perfect muscle isolation may not always yield the best results. Instead, he recommends “flowing” through the movement.
“Sometimes people try to exercise too strictly and isolate the muscle as much as possible at all costs. But I think you need to just go through the motions,” explains Cutler. His secret lies in the hybrid execution of the exercise. “It has to be something right in between – you’re basically doing a forearm raise and a lateral raise at the same time.”
How to do Cutler’s variation in practice?
The basis of this exercise is the seated position. This will give you a stable position, avoid unnecessary body swaying (called cheating) and help you focus better on the muscle itself.
- Sit ona bench and keep your chest high the whole time.
- Range of motion: Do not lead the dumbbells cleanly to the side or straight ahead. The arms should go slightly angled forward. In short, choose an angle that is exactly in between the forearm and the upper arm.
- Weight control and full contraction:
“Choose a weight that you can control. But at the same time, don’t be too strict again so you don’t unnecessarily involve the traps or other muscles in the movement. Look for that full muscle contraction,” advises Jay.
Focus on the side deltas is the key to width
The shoulder muscle consists of three parts (anterior, middle/lateral and posterior head). Although the front naturally occupies the front during this hybrid angle, Cutler emphasizes that the main focus and stimulus should always be directed to the middle (lateral) delts. It is these that give the shoulders that desirable broad look that will make your physique visually more powerful.
“You can’t isolate just one head of the shoulder 100%, but your main goal should be to target that lateral muscle,” adds the legend.
Summary for your training
If your shoulders aren’t growing the way you’d like, stop worrying about extremely strict isolation for a while. Sit down, keep your chest up, pick up some one-armed dumbbells, and try to find a happy medium between forearm and upper arm curls. Jay Cutler has conquered the bodybuilding world with this technique – maybe it’s just the push for new growth your training needs.
THE REASON YOUR SHOULDERS AREN’T GROWING
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