“Why Would I Even Bother Training Traps”: 50-YO Jay Cutler Unveils Why He Stopped Doing Heavy Shrugs

The 50-year-old bodybuilder, Jay Cutler, years ago, defeated the mighty Ronnie Coleman, putting an end to his 8-year-long reign on the Mr. Olympia stage. Cutler’s preparation and methods to build his physique were extremely crucial to the fitness industry. Even after his retirement, Cutler still passes on bits of his experienced guidance about certain workouts. Let us find out what the former Mr. Olympia had to say about trap training.

Cutler usually never mentions trap training because he claims that it comes with a bunch of indirect works, some of which he agrees with. Yet why the bodybuilder does not train for his traps is a concern worth hovering over. Could his age have a major role to play in it?

Jay Cutler asks the fitness community to be smart

Cutler first expressed how trap training always comes with a number of indirect work, including back movements, shoulder movements, and even pull-ups and pull-downs. He stated, “I mean you work some sort of alternate muscles. Most people shrug for their traps. They think that’s the best exercise, which I would agree with.” Furthermore, he also revealed his own way of approaching the exercise, “If I were going to do a trap exercise, it would be dumbbell shrugs or even single-arm dumbbell shrugs to allow that iso-lateral movement.”

But Jay Cutler does not do a lot of trap movement since he realized that he already had a lot of deep trap movement because of his heavy training. He added, “I thought why would I even bother training traps anymore since I quit putting that tension on my spine?” The bodybuilder also added the fact that such exercises also take a toll on the body as one ages. He said, “Heavy shrug moments, I mean as you get older, it’s always a strain on your body a little bit. Especially when you are picking up 200 lbs dumbbells in each or even 100 lbs. It’s gonna cause that compression on your spine so be smart.”

Jay Cutler, however, had once revealed a particular training that he undertook to chase after the throne of his arch-rival. 

How did Cutler prepare to beat Coleman?

Jay Cutler confessed that every individual has their own style and preferences when it comes to training. Yet, he also insinuated how he would try a variety of exercises before stressing on some. In a video where he started explaining how he did both T-bar rows and barbell rows, he also claimed that it helped him beat Coleman. He said, “This is how I chased the best bodybuilder in the world, Ronnie Coleman.”

Cutler also emphasized that one has to go for thickness, front and back when they are opting for T-Bar rows. However, for barbell rows, Jay Cutler personally liked to do a reverse grip or an overhand grip. He noted, “These exercises are the meat and potatoes of all back training.”

What back training exercise do you think is most effective? And how do you approach training your traps? Let us know in the comments below.

READ MORE: “Most Dreaded Time”: 4x Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler Confesses a Shocking Reason for Quitting Bodybuilding