Jay Cutler’s Top 3 Exercises for “Barn Door” Lats

Two of Cutler’s three favorite lat exercises are crowd favorites; the last one might surprise you.

Last updated on November 4th, 2024

Four-time Mr. Olympia winner Jay Cutler was “known for his width.” Crafting a back wider than a barn door is no small feat — to succeed, you need to know which lat exercises are worth your time, and which to take out behind the barn.

• When it comes to building a wide back, Cutler thinks the three best exercises for width are the pull-up, dumbbell row, and dumbbell pullover.

We’re going to break down Cutler’s rationale and give you step-by-step instructions on how to perform these three exercises so you can beef up your lats in no time.

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Jay Cutler’s Top 3 Lat Exercises

Cutler may have gotten his flowers for his iconic “quad stomp” pose at the 2009 Mr. Olympia, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a bonafide expert at back training. Let’s run through his three favorite exercises for lat width:

1. Pull-Up

According to Cutler, a wide-grip pull-up, even without weight, is one of the best exercises for lat width out there. “I had heavy enough legs where an unweighted pull-up was enough for me,” said Cutler, but you may want to opt for the weighted version if you’re on the lighter side or have experience with bodyweight training already.

You’ll Need This: Pull-up bar, lifting straps (optional), chalk (optional), dip belt with plates or dumbbell (optional)

1. Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand, wide grip outside your shoulders.
2. Hang from the bar until your arms are straight and your shoulders elevate toward your ears.
3. Pull yourself up by depressing your shoulders and driving your elbows down and back.

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2. Dumbbell Row

Cutler rated the dumbbell row as perhaps his favorite back-building movement. It’s a wise decision — dumbbell rows allow you to hammer your upper back, quick and dirty. As a bonus, bracing against a weight bench will reduce some of the stress placed upon your lower back.

You’ll Need This: Dumbbell, weight bench, lifting straps (optional)

1. Set up on a weight bench with your working arm hanging down, same side leg kicked out behind you for stability, and your non-working arm bracing against the bench.
2. Grab the dumbbell with your working arm and row it up and back.
3. Pull until your upper arm comes in line with your torso, then lower the weight back down.

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3. Dumbbell Pullover

Cutler shares something with another Mr. Olympia winner; seven-time champ and bodybuilding’s modern godfather, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Both athletes adore the dumbbell pullover. It’s one of the few ways to isolate your lats with free weights, so you’d better know how to do it.

You’ll Need This: Flat weight bench, dumbbell

1. Lie on your back on a bench with your feet either on the end or planted firmly on the floor.
2. Hold a dumbbell above your chest with both hands clasped around the edges of the plate; the handle should “point” down toward you.
3. Keep your elbows mostly straight but not locked and lower the dumbbell behind your head until your arms are parallel to the floor.

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References

1. Pedrosa GF, Lima FV, Schoenfeld BJ, Lacerda LT, Simões MG, Pereira MR, Diniz RCR, Chagas MH. Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths. Eur J Sport Sci. 2022 Aug;22(8):1250-1260. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2021.1927199. Epub 2021 May 23. PMID: 33977835.

Featured Image: @jaycutler / Instagram