At 52 years of age, four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler continues to defy convention by maintaining a physique that many would envy. His massive arms have been a staple since his competitive days, and now, in a recent Instagram post, he laid bare the full arm workout he credits for building “the best all-around arms.

In the video, captioned, “Cable curls: Rope or bar? How about both!,” Cutler discusses his preferred methods. emphasizing a blend of ropes and bars to hit the arms from multiple angles and create the density, separation, and size he is associated with.

Having competed at the highest level for years, he now trains to preserve strength, health, and structural integrity. Thus, he begins by laying out the fundamental principle behind his training: variation and tension: “… Now there's a couple movements that I suggest. You can either work with a rope or you can work with a bar on the cable apparatus.”

As he continues to explain, “Now the cables allow you that constant tension,” Cutler is refreshingly candid about his own training style: “What I like about this is I'm a little sloppy with my training, so I actually swing a little bit in my movements, but with the cables, it keeps me a little more strict.”

Cables help him stay strict by providing a smoother, more controlled path and ensuring the muscle remains engaged throughout the movement. He further asserts that the rope and the bar are not interchangeable. When using a bar for curls, Cutler explains that the movement isolates the biceps and allows the lifter to develop what he calls “the real meat of the biceps.” For the hammer curl variation with the ropes, the emphasis shifts toward the brachialis, a deep muscle that runs underneath the biceps and is responsible for arm width. For him, both variations must exist within a single arm routine because “they hit different fibers, different areas of the arm.”

Additionally, he recommends working out in repetition for most sets, occasionally pushing beyond that when chasing a pump or finishing a movement- “You wanna have that full development. Remember, focus on the reps, always eight to 12 repetitions, sometimes a little more. Get that constant tension and build defined, bigger arms.”

This sustainable routine speaks to his legacy as even decades after his competitive stint, Cutler remains dedicated to pushing his craft.

So, what is your opinion on this recommendation? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Written by

Joyita Das

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi