{"id":25517,"date":"2026-07-24T19:08:34","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T19:08:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=25517"},"modified":"2026-07-24T19:08:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T19:08:34","slug":"hany-rambod-revisits-jay-cutlers-2009-fst-7-back-workout-explains-what-still-works-today-fitness-volt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=25517","title":{"rendered":"Hany Rambod Revisits Jay Cutler’s 2009 FST-7 Back Workout, Explains What Still Works Today \u2013 Fitness Volt"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Legendary bodybuilding coach Hany Rambod believes Jay Cutler\u2019s training has aged well. In a July 24 YouTube video, he revisited Cutler\u2019s 2009 FST-7 back workout and shared which techniques still hold up.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

After finishing runner-up behind Ronnie Coleman<\/a> on four occasions, Cutler finally seized the Mr. Olympia throne. His high-volume training approach was highly effective in the Men\u2019s Open class, helping him notch wins over top-tier talent, including Coleman, Victor Martinez<\/a>, and Dexter Jackson<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2008, Jackson caught Cutler slipping and won his lone Mr. Olympia<\/a> title. This set the stage for Cutler\u2019s comeback, and he put a stamp on it with his iconic quad stomp pose<\/a>. Earning the \u2018Comeback Kid\u2019 nickname, Cutler went on to win four Mr. Olympia titles before retirement. Having looked back on their FST-7 training<\/a> sessions, Cutler\u2019s coach, Rambod, doesn\u2019t believe he\u2019d change much today.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hany Rambod Details Why Jay Cutler\u2019s 2009 FST-7 Back Workout Still Holds Up\u00a0<\/h2>\n

In the video, Rambod shared that Cutler used rope over the straight bar on cable pullovers for a greater range of motion.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe\u2019re talking about range of motion. So, again, I do agree with this still. The reason why the rope was so popular for me was so that, originally, you see a lot of bodybuilders in the \u201970s, \u201980s that would use a straight bar. If you\u2019re using a straight bar, you would stop right at your belly button because the bar is going to create a limitation to how far your arms can go back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The FST-7 training system uses seven sets with just 30 seconds of rest each. Rambod explained that this strategy was key to sculpting bubbly muscle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cAs Jay was training, he was already very big into volume, but what we did was we focused on particular exercises and also doing FST-7 sets, which would be the seven sets with 30 seconds of rest to increase blood flow to try to work on that round, bubbly muscle that I was always big on.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He added that Cutler\u2019s use of body momentum on lat pulldowns might raise eyebrows today, but said he wouldn\u2019t change it because it was effective:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cLat pulldowns, again, Ronnie was at the peak of his career right before this. As you are looking at him doing very heavy weights, Jay also a bigger a guy, 300 pounds here, using heavier weights; you\u2019re not too worried about your worried about nowadays, which is, hey, do I need to be perfect with my form?<\/p>\n

Some people are going to ask me whether or not the body English I would go back and change or not, and to be honest with you, I wouldn\u2019t because it worked,\u201d Hany Rambod said<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Lastly, Rambod warned that most people can\u2019t recover from intense FST-7 sets, and should stick with just one or two exercises weekly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cOne thing about the FST-7 sets, I don\u2019t recommend them as much as I used to. The reason for that is most people can\u2019t recover from crazy FST-7 sets all the time. Doing one to two exercises a week is the maximum I would recommend for someone to do FST-7 sets nowadays.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

With the 2026 Mr. Olympia approaching, Rambod has been open about how athletes should approach supplementation<\/a>. In addition to creatine for enhancing workout performance, Rambod deemed ashwagandha the most underrated for fitness and bodybuilding goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cutler remains one of the biggest ambassadors for the sport. After revisiting their old-school FST-7 workout, Rambod believes much of Cutler\u2019s training would hold up today.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong>\u00a0FST-7 Training Founder Hany Rambod Shares His Best 3 Exercises for Bicep Growth<\/a><\/p>\n

Watch the full video from the Hany Rambod YouTube channel below:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n