“He had to stand next to Ronnie Coleman’s back for basically a decade.” Bodybuilding coach Joe Bennett critiqued four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler’s back training in late November 2024. Cutler achieved legend status after ending Coleman’s eight-year reign as Mr. Olympia in 2006. Cutler won again in ‘07, ‘09, and 2010.
In the breakdown, Bennett targeted four aspects of Cutler’s training and highlighted their pros and cons:
- Pulldown Grip & Protraction
- Bent-Over Rows
- Grip: How Wide to Row For Lats?
- Chest-Supported Rows With Weak Erectors
[Related: The Anatomy of Your Back Muscles, Explained]
[Related: Total Sets Matter More Than Number of Workouts; New Study Reveals Optimal Muscle Training Frequency]
Bias Lats Over Thickness
“Most [Bodybuilders] should bias lats over thickness,” Bennett asserted. “Lats are so important for so many poses” since the V-taper — shoulder-to-waist ratio — is a focal point in bodybuilding contests.
1. Pulldown Grip & Protraction
In his heyday, Cutler built massive lats with pulldowns. Bennett approved any pulldown variation, but the finesse is in technique/ Using a shoulder-width, neutral grip (palms facing in) optimizes pulling strength, range of motion, and stretch.
If a hand position works better, use it. “Think arm path first and grip second,” Bennett said.
The key to growing lats is protraction, or reaching forward as much as possible for a maximal stretch. Bennett insists this is more important than the angle of the arms when extended overhead, though they shouldn’t end completely vertically. Optimal gains occur when muscles are lengthened against resistance. (1)(2)(3)
2. Bent-Over Rows
“I have never seen someone get world-class erectors without being bent over in some way, shape, or form with a lot of weight,” Bennett divulged.
The spinal muscles, responsible for lifting the torso upright, are often overlooked by the average gym-goer but are crucial for back thickness. Though Bennett posits that Romanian deadlifts (RDLs) are a slightly superior erector movement, bent-over rows are better for overall upper back development.
Bennett demonstrated Cutler’s perfect bent-over row form: his torso slightly upright, the barbell dropped low, and he paused at arm’s length to avoid momentum.
3. Grip: How Wide to Row For Lats?
Cutler’s hands were slightly wider than his shoulders, typically how most people row comfortably. Flare the elbows to bias the upper back and rear delts.
Though a narrower grip biases more lats, Bennett urges against it. “[Bent-over rows] are a very, very limited range of motion,” they fail to challenge the stretched position.
4. Chest-Supported Rows With Weak Erectors
Other muscles will take over if your hips and erectors are weak during standing bent-over rows. Chest-supported rows, lying chest down on an incline bench, can fix that by stabilizing the torso and eliminating momentum.
Bennett cautioned that training these unilaterally could thicken the obliques, but grabbing the bench underneath, as Cutler did, can help avoid that.
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References
- Maeo, S., Wu, Y., Huang, M., Sakurai, H., Kusagawa, Y., Sugiyama, T., Kanehisa, H., & Isaka, T. (2023). Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. European journal of sport science, 23(7), 1240–1250. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279
- Pedrosa, G. F., Lima, F. V., Schoenfeld, B. J., Lacerda, L. T., Simões, M. G., Pereira, M. R., Diniz, R. C. R., & Chagas, M. H. (2022). Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths. European journal of sport science, 22(8), 1250–1260. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2021.1927199
- Kassiano, W., Costa, B., Kunevaliki, G., Soares, D., Zacarias, G., Manske, I., Takaki, Y., Ruggiero, M. F., Stavinski, N., Francsuel, J., Tricoli, I., Carneiro, M. A. S., & Cyrino, E. S. (2023). Greater Gastrocnemius Muscle Hypertrophy After Partial Range of Motion Training Performed at Long Muscle Lengths. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 37(9), 1746–1753. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000004460
Featured image: @jaycutler on Instagram
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