50-year-old former Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler suggests adding something to your standard barbell curls to boost their effectiveness. While many gimmicky gadgets promise to level up your gains in the gym, the bodybuilding star’s advice actually stems from experience. After using them himself, the Comeback Kid even claimed that making the addition helped build better arms for his 2009 return.

So, what were the additions? Jay Cutler said fat grips were the secret to him avenging his loss on the Olympia stage. “This is a big shoutout to Fat Gripz,” said the 50-year-old for the brand that made fat grip training popular. Cutler revealed that he started using the gadgets to increase the width of barbells and dumbbells after his 2008 loss to Dexter Jackson.

“My biceps were improved,” said the bodybuilding icon. While the former Arnold Classic champion trained in various exercises using Fat Grips, he recommended that everyone try barbell curls. The 50-year-old bodybuilder chose the movement because it is one of the most popular exercises in the gym. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger utilized the barbell curl to great effect, said Cutler.

The four-time Mr. Olympia also said it was ok to load some extra weight and “swing a little,” during the exercise. While Jay Cutler insists on maintaining strict form, he saw no harm in using some momentum if it allows you to curl a bit more weight. However, he didn’t compromise on the recommended rep range and said you should focus on “10 to 12 repetitions.”

Cutler explained that the thicker grips add to the difficulty of the exercise, improving grip strength and size alongside the biceps. Earlier, the Arnold Classic Lifetime Achievement Award winner had also shared other exercises that help increase arm size.

Jay Cutler names his preferred dumbbell curl variation

The three-time Arnold Classic champion said he prefers hammer dumbbell curls as they work both the forearms and biceps. He preferred the variation for a particular pose on stage. “Every single victory, whether I was an amateur or professional, hammer dumbbell curls gave me the width I needed for those side chest poses,” said the bodybuilding icon.

The Hammer dumbbell curl helped Jay Cutler train his brachialis muscle, prominently displayed while hitting the side chest pose. The 50-year-old also said that just like doing barbell curls with Fat Gripz, this would also improve grip strength and overall arm development. While these weren’t the only two bicep curl variations Cutler performed, he got a lot of value out of them. That’s why the champion bodybuilder recommended these to people looking for overall arm growth.