There’s a saying in bodybuilding, “shows are won from the back.” During the Golden Era, that idea defined champions. While Ronnie Coleman dominated with complete back detail, Jay Cutler stood out with wide, sweeping lats that redefined the back game forever.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the four-time Mr. Olympia explained that one exercise he loves delivers both an excellent back pump and strong lat definition, " You guys know I always talk about reverse pulldowns being something that really helps pull the lats. We talk about the front double biceps pose and how I used to pop the lats out. Well, this exercise is really good because you get that strong pull on the lats.”

Jay Cutler’s focus on his lats was immense. After back-to-back losses to Ronnie Coleman during their peak years, he realized he had to stand out, or the Texas native would chew him out. That realization pushed Cutler for a massive lat development.

Apart from the reverse pulldowns, one of his favourite back exercises was the Meadows row, which he considers one of the most effective when it comes to building a well-defined lat.

“Another variation of a back movement is the Meadows row, named after the late and great John Meadows. I got a chance to train with John back in my career, and I was able to learn a couple of things from him. He has a lot of techniques, a lot of training methods that a lot of top guys use."

He further added, “This exercise, using the T-bar apparatus, you get a bent over position, you use where you load the weights on the bar and really get that contraction.” However, that’s not all, the four-time Mr. Olympia also capitalized heavily on the push–pull split.

Jay Cutler’s Top Three Workouts For Lats

Back in 2023, Jay Cutler revealed on his TikTok handle the top three exercises that helped him build a massive back. Topping the list was the classic pull-up, performed either with added weight or using bodyweight alone. Regardless, either of them would give you a good stretch.

The second exercise is a classic among bodybuilders and one of Cutler’s favorites: one-arm dumbbell rows. This movement is highly effective for back development. As an isolation exercise, it targets the lats one side at a time.

Lastly, there’s the classic pullover, which can be performed using either cables or dumbbells. “You guys are going to be surprised at this one. This is going to be your pullover. Whether it’s with a dumbbell, a machine, or a cable pullover, it really doesn’t matter how you do it. Any kind of pullover movement where you’re going to stretch the lats out.”

Now that you know how to build a defined back, when are you incorporating these exercises into your workout regimen?

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Joyita Das