The sport has evolved rapidly since Jay Cutler‘s time on stage. On April 8, 2026, he labeled the Men’s Physique class the biggest division worldwide and emphasized how it’s helped grow the sport.
The Men’s Physique class houses more competitors than any other category in the IFBB Pro League. Known for sporting the best beach bodies, many athletes find this division more attainable than bulking up to compete in the unrestricted Men’s Open class.
In 2025, Ryan Terry cemented himself as a three-time Men’s Physique Olympia. He’s set the standard high, and hopes to eclipse Jeremy Buendia’s record of four titles. Though the prize money for Men’s Physique pales in comparison to the Open division, Cutler hasn’t dismissed its value to the sport as a whole.
Jay Cutler Discusses Men’s Physique Popularity and Challenges, Says It’s the Biggest Division Worldwide
In the latest Raw Talk podcast with Bradley Martyn, Cutler noted how Men’s Physique has helped grow the sport. According to the bodybuilding icon, these competitors deserve more credit and respect.
“Men’s Physique, which Men’s Physique, honestly, the division you were doing in the beginning, is the biggest division worldwide. Those guys don’t get a lot of credit because they have to wear board shorts.”
“They’ve tightened them up, and they’ve shortened them up, but those guys are paving the whole fitness aura of bodybuilding because it’s so popular worldwide. I don’t discredit that. So, like I think those guys, listen, Brad, I think they all work hard.”
Although the Men’s Open might take longer to prepare for, Cutler emphasized that other divisions, like Men’s Physique, require significant practice.
“I think that just because an Open guy is bigger and more muscular, and everyone assumes well, he takes more drugs and has to eat more food, maybe in certain cases, but there’s also these other divisions that bust their ass, and it takes a lot for them to develop. It takes a lot of practice,” said Jay Cutler.
Some legends of the sport aren’t huge fans of the Men’s Physique criteria. Former seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger recently called board shorts ‘bogus’ because they hide the legs. As a result, the 2025 AC Men’s Physique champ Ali Bilal has decided to boycott future Arnold Classics.
Men’s Physique has legitimate international appeal, making it one of the most talked about classes in the sport. For Cutler, he recognizes how it’s helped the entire bodybuilding and fitness landscape.
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