Jay Cutler has won three Mr. Olympias (2006, 2007, 2009) and finished second a record five times (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008). He shares his ideas about strengthening the mind-muscle connection as well as how he tops out his traps.

CUTLER ON MINDING YOUR MUSCLES

• “Do not think of the weight going up and down; instead, visualize your muscle tightening and firing during the contraction, then resisting and lengthening during the extension.”
• “To reinforce the mind-muscle connection, I practice posing the muscle I’m working between sets.”
• “Go with your own instincts. There’s not always a right or wrong way of positioning for an exercise. Find out what works right for you and your structure.”
• “Work the muscles, not the weight.”