Cutler explained what worked best to build muscle during his career.
Four-time Mr. Olympia Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler put together one of the best on-stage careers in the sport. During his peak, Cutler displayed incredible muscle mass thanks to a strict diet plan and intense style of training. In this post, we share Jay Cutler’s training science based training split that worked best for him during his career for muscle-building.
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“I talk a lot about my training schedule, and what I preferred the most was training one body part a day. When I classify one, I say arms are triceps and biceps. Even though it’s two body parts, that’s the same day because it’s really focusing on a body part.”
Cutler was a bodybuilding icon as a 4x Mr. Olympia spanning from 2006-2010 and a 6x runner-up. At 5’9” tall, he’s still considered one of the best bodybuilders and managed an epic rivalry with 8x Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman. Still, he’s managed to stay in fantastic shape well after retirement. This is because he has remained active in the gym but continues to tailor his meal plan to his goals.
Jay Cutler Shares Best Training Split
Cutler used different methods to build muscle over the course of his career. What he found best was using two off days a week to allow for proper recovery.
- Jay Cutler trained on a three-on, one-off, two-on, one-off schedule. “I would always take a day off after back and after a leg workout“
- On the first cycle, on that third day would be back.
- I take a day off and do shoulders.
- The next day, I would do legs
- Take another day off
- Then repeat the cycle with chest and arms
Jay Cutler would work endlessly to build the best physique possible but understood the important of rest and recovery. This is the reason he would make sure to get two off days into his schedule.
“For me, that worked the best. Recovery is key. We always look at the gym and say ‘oh, I’m putting on size training in the gym.’ But the truth is, getting out of the gym and eating, that consistent schedule, but I always say prioritize your fitness lifestyle.”
Cutler continues to boast an incredible physique to this day. Although a bodybuilder’s physique is often regarded as the epitome of their identity, Cutler consciously prioritized his long-term health over appearance. After retiring from competition in 2013, he significantly changed his training regimen, resulting in a notable loss of muscle mass. However, his workout tweaks have allowed him to stay in optimal shape and healthy into his 50s.
To this day, Cutler keeps his metabolism guessing with different methods.
“Twice a day, I’m hitting my metabolism by weight training or cardiovascular. A lot of times, I’m doing cardio after weight training too. So, 20 minutes fasted, 20 minutes post-workout, after the weights. Why do I do that? It’s efficient for me. This is what I do. This is my routine.”
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