“Always Been My No. 1”: 4x Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler Reveals His Go-To Hamstring Exercise on Leg Days

The four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler has been sharing the strategies and routines that led to his victories and continues to follow them even into his 50s. Now, he advises incorporating seated curl exercises into your routine to build impressive hamstrings.

In an Instagram video, the bodybuilding legend shared an interesting tidbit about his dedication to this exercise. Cutler recalled that while living in Worcester, Massachusetts, in his younger days, he would drive 25 minutes to a gym in Framingham just to use a specific seated leg curl machine.

The comeback kid highlighted the importance of seated leg curl, admitting, “This has always been my number 1 exercise.” This underscores the exercise’s importance in his routine. “At the time, it was a Flex, called a ham tractor. Now, it’s a Life Fitness,” he recalls. This machine was crucial enough for him to bypass a gym right next to his house.

Why the seated leg curl? For Cutler, it’s simple: it delivers results. “It just seems to target my hamstrings. I got a crazy pump after doing this one movement,” emphasized Cutler. This exercise is always the first movement in his leg day routine for its effectiveness. Cutler’s approach is methodical. He starts with one or two feel sets followed by three working sets, focusing on 10 to 12 reps each.

His starting weight is about 130 pounds. Consistency in reps is key for him, whether it’s a warmup or a working set. Cutler contended that “The high reps, sh**, it doesn’t help anything. It keeps, you know, everyone thinks, ‘Oh, you get caught up if you do more high reps’. Misconception!”

Cutler emphasized that sticking to lower reps doesn’t mean sacrificing intensity. Instead, it allows for better focus and muscle engagement. His dedication to the seated leg curl demonstrates how a single exercise, done correctly, can make a significant impact on muscle development. In addition to seated leg curls, here are Cutler’s few leg day exercises.

Jay Cutler unveils exercises to boost overall leg gains

The 50-year-old once shared a snippet of his leg day routine, starting with seated leg curls.“I start with seated leg curls. I do three sets there,” Cutler explained, establishing a strong foundation for his leg day. Cutler then moves to standing leg curls, followed by stiff-legged deadlifts, and walking lunges to target quads, glutes, and hamstrings, creating a well-rounded approach to muscle engagement.

As the intensity ramps up, Cutler includes leg presses and lying leg curls, often using high-legged platforms during presses to keep things challenging. “Listen, you’re going to work indirectly some quads in there,” he hinted, showcasing his dynamic approach. The grand finale? Leg extensions and the squat machine, with a special nod to the Roger squat, a move Cutler passionately endorses. Before revealing his full routine, Cutler also provided instructions on performing these leg-day exercises for maximum effect.

For those looking to boost their hamstring and overall leg gains, following Cutler’s advice might just be the game-changer. Let us know if you tried these exercises and how they affected your overall gains.