Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler moved on from professional competition years ago but always has his finger on the pulse of the sport. He’s not lost his passion for fitness and is currently working towards a body transformation challenge. In a recent video posted on YouTube, Cutler talked about his similarities to Strongman icon Brian Shaw and shared his thoughts on the upcoming 2023 Pittsburgh Pro and lowering his carb intake to get leaner for the ‘Fit for 50’ challenge.
Jay Cutler first made headlines for his insane muscle mass, size, and overall proportion as a Men’s Open competitor in the IFBB Pro League in 1999. He racked up three Arnold Classic titles and graced the covers of several magazines in the early 2000s. His fierce rivalry with legendary bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman elevated his star power.
Cutler fell short of the eight-time Mr. Olympia on four occasions before finally securing his maiden Sandow trophy in 2006. He added a successful title defense the following year and reclaimed the title in 2009 by dethroning Dexter Jackson. With four Olympia wins under his belt, Cutler hung up his posing trunks after a final appearance in 2013.
Earlier this year, Cutler gave his take on using steroids and cycling on and off gear to achieve the results he wanted. However, he stressed the importance of being consistent with training and nutrition to sculpt the ideal physique regardless.
The 49-year-old offered some of his best workout tips on developing a gigantic chest two months ago. He recommended feeling the contraction in each movement and laid out the exercises he liked to utilize for the training session. He’s currently gearing up for the ‘Fit for 50’ body transformation challenge he set for himself. He shared an impressive physique update where he showed off his monstrous package as part of the challenge.
Jay Cutler draws a likeness to legendary Strongman Brian Shaw
In a recent YouTube video, Jay Cutler found similarities between Strongman legend Brian Shaw and himself after the 2023 WSM.
Legendary strongman Brian Shaw is one of the most successful strength competitors of all time. He won four World’s Strongest Man contests (2011, 2013, 2015, 2016) and competed in the finals of the competition for a historic 16 times. He stands as the fourth most decorated strongman in history with 26 titles.
Shaw was last seen in action at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man a month ago. He revealed he contracted an infection that resulted in him nearly losing his leg while getting ready for the event. He detailed how he overcame the setback and identified the infection as a severe case of leg cellulitis. Fortunately, he recovered in time and made his way to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the show.
The 41-year-old completed his final WSM showing with a record-breaking performance on the Stone-Off to get his entry into the finals. In the end, he finished the event in seventh place. Following the result, Shaw admitted age may have factored into his performance and called for a change in the format of the show last week.
“It sounds like he’s got a lot of great things going on that his transition will be similar to mine,” said Cutler. “It’s kind of funny because we have a lot of similarities in our career, four times champ, and I finished six my last. So when you were saying he finished seventh I was like I got six the last one.”
Matt: “We always joke about that. There’s Brian Shaw and Jay Cutler, both got three Arnolds. You guys are so alike. Me being around both of you I see the similarities, it’s almost eerie. It’s like he’s the Strongman version of you.”
Coleman was left stunned after watching some of Shaw’s most insane lifts in Strongman contests earlier this month.
Cutler shares his expectations for the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro
Many of the top Men’s Open contenders will take their talents to the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro for guest posing appearances, including Olympia runner-up Derek Lunsford, fellow standout Nick Walker, former two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay, and freshly minted Arnold Classic champ Samson Dauda.
Jay Cutler believes Ramy has the most pressure on his shoulders given his dethroning at the 2022 Mr. Olympia and expects Lunsford to make a statement another time after his previous Pittsburgh Pro showing last year.
“I think Derek’s going to wow people again. I think Nick’s on a mission. I saw he’s starting prep. Will Ramy show up and what will he look like? I think that’s the big question. I think Ramy will be big as hell and Samson will be big. We’ve seen some pictures of him. He’s going to scare some people. So, I think Ramy will be huge, Samson will be huge, Nick will be huge, Derek will be crazy and better condition than last year because he’s going to have more muscle.”
“I expect the house to come down man. I wish I was going to be there.”
Cutler reveals goal for ‘Fit for 50’ challenge
Jay Cutler opened up on his ambitions for the ‘Fit for 50’ challenge. While he has no intentions of coming back to competition, his aim is to get leaner.
“I’m making a priority to get my workouts in so I eat one meal. I haven’t done cardio fasted I stopped doing that. I did a little bit after training today so I try to get the training in to get in front of everything else so it’s done.
“That’s what I kinda dealt with when I downsized. That’s the difference like I look good in certain but in my back the muscle’s not filling out the skin so I feel like sometimes when I stand I have little folds and stuff. I’m hoping that what’s going to do over this time of dieting, it’s going to shrink that a little bit but also give me a little more fullness to the muscle where I don’t really want to get a lot bigger but I really think the nutrition is going to play the key in this and having enough protein and obviously carbohydrates mixed in there but I’m trying to scale back. I would like to do a little lower carbs even though I was a huge carb advocate just because I got bigger on that where I’m not trying to be bigger. I’m just trying to be leaner so that’s kinda the goal by the time I finish this thing.”
Jay Cutler is confident he could significantly improve his physique with proper nutrition, training, and only using TRT (testosterone replacement therapy). Last month, he compared his training style to that of six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates. In stark contrast to Cutler’s volume-heavy approach, Yates would push himself to near failure each time he worked out.
Last week, Cutler identified a need to add volume in certain areas of his physique. He’s been consuming a high-protein diet along with regular workouts to achieve the goal.