Written by Kyle Hunt | BEXSci.
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
In the history of bodybuilding, only six guys have won the Mr. Olympia title four or more times. The list includes Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lee Haney, Dorian Yates, Ronnie Coleman, Phil Heath, and Jay Cutler.
Only the best of the best have achieved this feat, and there's no denying that Jay Cutler is the best.
But any discussion about Jay Cutler can't simply end with what he achieved on stage. Because for more than twenty years, Cutler was one of the most famous athletes in the sport, and even a decade after retiring, Jay has 4.5 million followers on Instagram and over half a million subscribers on YouTube.
Clearly, the bodybuilding community still values what Jay says, and for good reason. The amount of bodybuilding wisdom he has is nearly unmatched. Fortunately, he's been generous enough to share this workout and diet wisdom over the years, and you'll find it all in this article.
Table of Contents:
- Who Is Jay Cutler?
- A Brief History of Jay Cutler's Bodybuilder Career
- Jay Cutler's Training Split
- Jay Cutler Bodybuilding Workout Routine
- Jay Cutler Training Secrets
- Jay Cutler's Diet Plan
- How the Average Lifter Can Train Like Jay Cutler
- Jay Cutler FAQs
Who is Jay Cutler?
Jay Cutler was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on August 3, 1973, and was the youngest of seven siblings. He developed a strong work ethic from an early age when he started working for his brother's concrete business at eleven years old. In addition to discipline, working with concrete daily helped Jay build a solid base for his physique to develop.
On his 18th birthday, he began training with weights. Interestingly, even a four-time Mr. Olympia began to lift weights only to look better. However, his love of training developed quickly, and after meeting personal trainer Marcos Rodriguez, who encouraged Jay Cutler to consider competing, he started his bodybuilding career.
At nineteen years old, he competed in his first show, the Teen Nationals, in Raleigh, NC., and from there, the rest is history. He went on to turn professional and win the Mr. Olympia four times. Jay is considered one of the best and biggest bodybuilders of all time.
Jay Cutler Stats:
- Height: 5'9
- Contest Weight: 260lbs
- Off-Season Weight: 290lbs
- Upper Arms: 22 in
- Chest: 58 in
- Thighs: 30 in
A Brief History of Jay Cutler's Bodybuilder Career
Surprisingly, Jay Cutler's bodybuilding career did not start with him on top. In fact, when Jay competed in his first professional competition, the 1998 Night of Champions, he placed 12th. And at his first Mr. Olympia debut in 1999 in Las Vegas, he placed 15th out of 16.
From there, his career started to pick up, although, for several years, he was known for being second best (which is still a huge achievement when you're talking about competing against the best of the best!). Between 2001 and 2005, Cutler finished second to Ronnie Coleman four times in the Olympia competition.
In 2006, Jay started his reign as a four time Mr Olympia winner, finally beating the GOAT, and ending Coleman's reign as champion and his as runner-up. Cutler went on to win the Mr. Olympia contest four times. The years he was the Mr. Olympia winner were 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010. In 2008, Dexter Jackson won the Mr. Olympia title.
In addition to four Mr. Olympia titles, he also won three Arnold Classic contests, the world's second most competitive bodybuilding show. Jay Cutler has appeared in numerous fitness magazines over the years, and in retirement, Jay stays close to the sport.
He is still flying all over the country for fan meet-ups, appearances, and seminars. He also has a supplement line called Cutler Nutrition.
Jay Cutler's Bodybuilder Training Split
During the height of Jay’s bodybuilding career, he followed a three-on, one-off, two-on, one-off workout split. Since back and legs were his two most challenging workouts, each had a rest day after them.
He trained each body part once weekly, ensuring adequate rest before hitting the same body part again. Occasionally, he would split his back and leg days into two sessions.
In the morning, he would do mostly pulldowns, and in the afternoon come back and do rowing exercises. For legs, the morning session would be quad focused, while the afternoon session would be for hamstrings.
Jay Cutler’s Weekly Training Schedule:
- Day 1: Chest and Calves
- Day 2: Triceps and Biceps
- Day 3: Back
- Day 4: Rest Day
- Day 5: Shoulders and Traps
- Day 6: Quads, Hamstrings, and Calves
- Day 7: Rest Day
In retirement, Jay follows a similar workout split. However, his main goal now is to maintain a good physique. He is not trying to break any records or step back on stage, so the volume and intensity are lower.
The Jay Cutler Bodybuilding Workout Routine
Here is Jay's workout routine that he followed to win four Mr. Olympia titles and achieve one of the best bodybuilder careers in history.
Day 1: Chest and Calves
Jay started his training week with chest and calves. The chest was one of the most problematic body parts for Jay to develop early on in his career. His naturally broad shoulders made his chest look small in comparison.
Early in Jay’s lifting career, he was too hung up on how much he could bench press, but over time, he realized it’s not about how much weight you can lift. The key to muscle growth is using good form, controlling the weight, and concentrating on a strong mind-muscle connection.
Sometimes, he would start his workout with calves. However, most of the time, he would do chest first. The chest workout would start with Hammer Strength incline presses. Jay typically started his chest workout with a machine or dumbbell incline press to prioritize the upper chest.
Next, he moved on to flat dumbbell presses for 8 to 10 reps. Jay prefers the flat dumbbell bench over the barbell because, with dumbbells, he can get an increased range of motion. Staying on the same bench, he'd move it to an inclined position and perform dumbbell flys. The form he uses is more of a fly/press hybrid.
After the dumbbell work, Jay would move on to old-school parallel bar dips. Since he weighed 260+ pounds, using his body weight was enough resistance. To finish up the chest portion of the workout, he'd do a barbell decline bench press to hit the lower chest.
Lastly, are two exercises for his calves: standing calf raises and seated calf raises. He prefers to train his calves with the chest because his leg workout already consists of eleven movements, so adding anything more would be too much.
Chest & Calves Workout:
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Hammer Strength Incline Press |
3 |
8-10 |
|
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press |
3 |
8-10 |
|
Incline Dumbbell Fly |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Parallel Bar Dips |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Decline Barbell Press |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Standing Calf Raise Machine |
3 |
12-15 |
|
Seated Calf Raise |
3 |
12-15 |
Day 2: Triceps and Biceps
Day two is everyone's favorite: arm day! Jay loved training his triceps and biceps together vs. with other body parts.
He'd begin the arm workout with the triceps to help get blood into the arm and get a better pump before moving on to the biceps. The training would begin with rope pressdowns. Before getting into the three working sets, he'd do two or three light warm-up sets.
Next up would be a different pressdown variation. Switching the rope out for a straight bar, Jay would lean forward on the straight bar pressdowns and focus on getting his shoulders over the bar to maximize how much weight he can use.
With his triceps pre-exhausted, the third exercise of the day included a classic muscle builder, the close grip bench press. Although Cutler could press a ton of weight, he'd keep the load moderate and focus on maintaining the tension on his triceps.
After CGBP, he'd do three sets of dips at the dip machine. Using the machine variation, he'd keep his torso vertical to maintain the tension on the triceps instead of the chest. Jay finished up the triceps work with skull crushers and reverse grip pressdowns. He did the reverse grip pressdowns one arm at a time to ensure each side worked equally hard.
Cutler started his biceps routine with seated dumbbell alternating curls. He used more momentum than what would be "textbook" form. However, after decades in the gym, Jay mastered keeping the tension on the biceps, even while using a little momentum.
Next up would be a machine incline curl followed by barbell preacher curls. Each exercise put the elbows in a different position, creating a unique stimulus for the biceps.
The fourth exercise in the biceps routine was dumbbell hammer curls. The hammer grip incorporates the brachialis muscle, which when properly strengthened, makes the biceps appear larger. Jay finished up with overhead cable curls, feeling this helped peak his biceps.
Although this arm workout is already high volume, Jay would sometimes add in forearm work as well. On days Jay did forearms, he would stick to two basic exercises: wrist curls and reverse wrist curls.
Tricep & Bicep Workout:
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Rope Pressdown |
3 |
12-15 |
|
Straight Bar Pressdown |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Close Grip Bench Press |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Dip Machine |
3 |
10-12 |
|
EZ Bar Skull Crushers |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Single Arm Reverse Pressdown |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Seated Dumbbell Alternating Curl |
3 |
8-10 |
|
Machine Incline Curl |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Barbell Preacher Curl |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Dumbbell Hammer Curl |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Cable Overhead Curl |
3 |
10-12 |
Day 3: Back Day
Early in Jay’s bodybuilding career, he was stuck in Ronnie Coleman’s shadow. Jay took second to him in the Mr. Olympia contest four times, but taking second place was a blessing in disguise. Losing forced Jay to scrutinize every aspect of his physique.
One area that was most notably lagging behind Coleman was Jay’s back, and he adjusted his routine to hit it hard.
Jay started his back workout with two variations of lat pulldowns. The first exercise was underhand lat pulldowns. Using a standard lat pulldown bar, he would take a supinated grip and pull toward the upper chest. Next, he would do a regular wide grip overhand lat pulldown or use a narrow neutral grip attachment.
The third exercise in the routine was deadlifts. Jay was strong enough to lift a house but often kept the weight at 405 pounds or less to focus on the muscles working.
After deadlifts were old-school t-bar rows, Jay attributes t-bar rows to developing his back thickness. He finished his back workout with three more row variations using dumbbells, a barbell, and a cable attachment.
Back Workout:
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Underhand Lat Pulldown |
3 |
8-10 |
|
Wide or Neutral Grip Pulldown |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Deadlift |
3 |
6-8 |
|
T-Bar Row |
3 |
8-10 |
|
Dumbbell Row |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Barbell Row |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Seated Cable Row |
3 |
10-12 |
Day 4: Shoulders and Traps
Jay preferred a pre-exhaust method for shoulders, performing side raises before heavy shoulder presses. He would do the side raises from a seated position to prevent cheating.
After side raises, Cutler liked to do two overhead press variations. Often, this would include a seated dumbbell shoulder press with a machine shoulder press.
Next, he would do three sets of reverse pec deck to hit the rear delts before finishing up with dumbbell shrugs and barbell upright rows for the traps.
Shoulders & Traps Workout:
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Seated Dumbbell Side Raise |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press |
3 |
8-10 |
|
Machine Shoulder Press |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Reverse Pec Deck |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Dumbbell Shrug |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Barbell Upright Row |
3 |
10-12 |
Day 5: Leg Day
The last workout in Jay Cutler's training week is leg day. Legs are one of Jay's best body parts, and it's easy to see why. Anyone who could make it through this leg day would have to have insane legs.
Cutler started with a couple of sets of leg extensions to warm up. The first working exercise was the back squat, to which Jay attributes much of his leg size. After squats, he would move on to leg presses and dumbbell lunges. If he was at a gym with the space, he'd do walking lunges. If not, he'd opt for reverse lunges.
Next up was hack squats before finishing his quads with leg extensions, this time doing working sets. Jay focused on getting a full range of motion on these, going as deep as possible.
Cutler's hamstring workout included barbell Romanian deadlifts sandwiched between three leg curl variations: seated, lying, and standing. He finished the leg workout with a superset of the adduction and abduction machine.
Leg Workout:
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Leg Extension (Warm Up) |
2 |
12-15 |
|
Back Squat |
3 |
8-10 |
|
Leg Press |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Dumbbell Lunges |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Hack Squat |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Leg Extension |
3 |
12-15 |
|
Seated Leg Curl |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Lying Leg Curl |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Barbell Romanian Deadlift |
3 |
8-10 |
|
Standing Single Leg Curl |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Abduction Machine |
3 |
10-12 |
|
Adduction Machine |
3 |
10-12 |
What about cardio?
Jay did not do much cardio in the offseason. He would jump on the step mill for 30 minutes a couple of days per week.
During contest prep, he would do 60 to 90 minutes of fasted cardio daily.
4 Jay Cutler Bodybuilder Training Secrets
Here are some helpful training tips from Jay Cutler that you can apply to your own workouts.
1) Use High Volume:
If there is one thing Jay Cutler is known for, it is training with extremely high volume. Jay's workouts were legendary.
While it's commonly known that training volume is essential for building muscle, there is also often a misconception that high-volume training leads to overtraining.
Keep in mind Jay built up to his high-volume workouts throughout his career. He started with moderate volume and progressed to the point where he could handle 30+ set leg days. Don't be afraid to do extra work, but add sets slowly over time.
2) Move Fast:
One aspect of Cutler's training that is unique is speed. He would only rest 30-60 seconds between sets, even on the heavy exercises. He did this for a couple of reasons.
One, since his workouts were so high in volume, moving fast was necessary, so he didn't spend all day in the gym. However, more importantly, Jay kept his rest periods short to keep the intensity high. By the end of the workout, Jay was drenched in sweat.
Take a page from Cutler's book and try to get through your workouts a little faster. No one needs to rest for ten minutes between sets. Put the phone down and stop scrolling social media.
3) Focus on Heavy Compound Movements:
To get up to 290+ pounds, Jay focused on basic compound lifts, like the bench press, barbell row, t-bar row, deadlift, and shoulder press.
There is nothing wrong with including some cables and machines in your training, but free weight exercises should form the core of your routine.
4) No Ego Lifting:
One look at Jay Cutler and it's obvious he is a strong dude. However, as a bodybuilder, it's not about how much weight you can lift. Early in Jay's career, he made the mistake of training more like a powerlifter than a bodybuilder.
It wasn't until later on in his career he realized he could get more out of his exercises by using less weight and focusing on technique. The goal is to feel the movement working the muscles in the right areas.
Using less weight is also easier on the joints, which can help you avoid injury and prolong your lifting career.
Jay Cutler's Bodybuilding Diet Plan
At 300 pounds in the offseason, as a competitive bodybuilder, and even to this day, Jay struggles to eat enough food. He's mentioned in interviews that he rarely has cravings and eats only for performance, even stating that the amount he had to eat as a bodybuilder has ruined his taste for certain foods.
Here is a sample meal plan, including a day's worth of eating like Jay Cutler, including macro breakdowns for each meal. It's important to note that many of us do not have the same amount of muscle (or even close to it!) as Jay Cutler, so while you can easily follow these meal ideas, we highly recommend adjusting the macro breakdowns to meet your specific goals.
There's no reason many of us should come close to needing 5,000 calories a day, even when bulking. Use an online calculator to determine your maintenance calories, and then increase this number by 300-500 calories to bulk effectively.
This entire day of eating, based on what Jay Cutler ate as a competitive bodybuilder, comes out to 492g of protein, 643.5g of carbohydrates, 63.5g of fat, and 5,113.5 calories.
Jay Cutler Sample Meal Plan:
|
Meal 1 |
2 cups egg whites |
Nutrition: |
|
Meal 2 |
8oz ground chicken breast |
Nutrition: |
|
Meal 3 |
2 scoops protein powder |
Nutrition: |
|
Meal 4 |
8oz ground chicken breast |
Nutrition: |
|
Meal 5 |
8oz steak |
Nutrition: |
|
Meal 6 |
8oz grilled chicken breast |
Nutrition: |
|
Meal 7 |
8oz steak |
Nutrition: |
Jay would spread each meal out so he was eating every 2-3 hours. His last meal of the day was often his second steak meal.
Steak is a little slower digesting, so eating this meal before bed helps ensure amino acids are in his blood throughout the night. If he were too full to eat a regular meal, he would sometimes have a protein shake instead.
How the Average Lifter Can Train Like Jay Cutler
Very few people are capable of following Jay Cutler's rigorous workout routine exactly. And even if you were able to follow it move for more and set for set, you may not see the same gains that Cutler did. Let's not forget he was a four-time Mr. Olympia champion for a reason.
For those who would like to train like Jay Cutler, but aren't up for a routine as intense as his, there are ways to create a similar training program.
For starters, you can follow his five-day training split, which includes training three days on, one-off, two-on, and one-off. We recommend doing less than Jay from a volume standpoint, but you can still do a high-volume routine. Start with 15-20 sets per muscle group per week and go from there.
Try to get your workouts done faster than usual. Keep your rest periods under sixty seconds.
Jay Cutler FAQs
Any unanswered Jay Cutler questions? Let's answer them here!
How many times was Jay Cutler Mr. Olympia?
Jay Cutler won the Mr. Olympia contest four times.
What is bodybuilder Jay Cutler doing now?
Jay Cutler currently runs a supplement and apparel company called Cutler Nutrition and Cutler Athletics, respectively. He is also a brand ambassador for multiple companies.
How did Jay Cutler make his money bodybuilding?
Jay Cutler made his money by winning competitions, receiving endorsement deals, and making paid guest posing appearances.
How Old Is Bodybuilder Jay Cutler?
Jay Cutler is 49 years old.
Why did Jay Cutler stop competing?
Jay Cutler stopped competing because he lost the enthusiasm to continue to be the best bodybuilder in the world.
Want to learn more about Jay Cutler? Here is an exclusive Q&A with Jay Cutler by SET FOR SET!
Interested in more bodybuilding workout plans? Check out the Chris Bumstead Workout Routine & Diet and the Dorian Yates Workout Routine!
Images courtesy of Jay Cutler's Instagram
Kyle Hunt
Author