Nearly a decade into his retirement (2013), bodybuilding great Jay Cutler stays a outstanding voice within the energy sports activities sphere. On the time of this writing, the four-time Mr. Olympia Champion (2006-2007, 2009-2010) maintains a YouTube channel with 546,000 subscribers and has over 4.2 million followers on his Instagram profile. With these sizable platforms, Cutler strives to share a few of the data he gained from his completed profession.
A current YouTube video posted to Cutler’s channel on June 12, 2022, exemplifies how the previous bodybuilder desires to go on knowledge away from the stage whereas concurrently taking good care of his again in retirement.
[Related: The Best Back Workouts For More Muscle, For Strength, For Beginners, And More]
Among the extra notable tidbits embrace Cutler evaluating his present coaching course of to meditation. Plus, whereas he’s nonetheless far bigger than an “common” human being, the 48-year-old doesn’t need to preserve the dimensions that helped catapult him to the higher echelons of bodybuilding.
All in all, it’s an illuminating perception into the thought strategy of one of many sport’s distinguished names.
A Completely different Mindset
Up to now, whereas he was nonetheless an lively competitor, Cutler alludes to how he would push himself to construct mass and muscle. The bodybuilder says he would typically push himself extraordinarily exhausting, however he is aware of he doesn’t have to do this anymore.
Cutler doesn’t have to keep up his measurement as a lot as he focuses on merely coaching to remain lean when within the fitness center.
“Once I need to get right down to my enterprise and meditate with what I name my ‘coaching meditation’ now,” Cutler says. “… You know the way you used to go to the fitness center, and you’d prepare and also you’re like, ‘ah, I need to push this a lot weight. I need to get pumps. Oh, I’m doing chest; I need to see how full my chest can get.’ I mentioned okay. What do I’ve to do to keep up a good physique at my age and keep comparatively lean and never be massive? If that is sensible, I simply don’t need to be massive.”
Cutler’s mindset is comprehensible. It takes a number of dedication and effort to maintain the world-class physique of a champion bodybuilder. As he approaches age 50, he may nonetheless need to be in respectable form, however he doesn’t need to pull out all of the stops to fulfill a particular aim or measurement — like his previous competitors physique weight. As an alternative, he performs it by ear.
“Regardless that everybody appears to be like at me and says ‘what are you speaking about, you’re already massive,” Cutler explains. “Nevertheless it’s not corresponding to the imaginative and prescient I had of being 300-pounds. However that’s not what I need to be anymore. All of us have completely different targets and mindsets for why we go to the fitness center and prepare. And mine proper now, it’s a way of reduction for me. It’s a way of, okay, I had a busy day, and I’m going to go prepare. As you already know, it’s a bit of instinctive. I don’t have a time.”
[Related: Deloading 101: What Is A Deload And How Do You Do It?]
So far as his method to high quality relaxation away from the stage, Cutler notes that he typically tries to get up naturally now. Even nonetheless, it appears the previous bodybuilding star maintains some semblance of a regular morning routine.
“I do sleep, however I don’t like getting up at a compelled time,” Cutler elaborates. “Tomorrow I’ve to rise up at 3:30 a.m. to make the flight. I obtained to depart by 5. In order that solely provides me an hour and a half to prepare dinner breakfast and do what I must do … bathe, and odds and ends earlier than I depart.”
Cutler’s Quantity Again Exercise
As soon as Cutler explains how he trains in retirement, he outlines a fast set of again workout routines centered round quantity. The whole exercise is as follows:
Hammer Energy Entrance Lat Pulldown Machine
Units and Reps: 2-3 x 10-12
Earlier than hopping on the Hammer Energy entrance lat pulldown machine, Cutler notes that he doesn’t need to “drag the video on too lengthy” along with his exercise. Cutler says he desires to take it straightforward on his lat muscle tissues whereas nonetheless getting the trademark “pull” of the train.
“I actually just like the pull on this,” Cutler says. “We discuss popping the lats for the entrance double bicep. I’m sort of duplicating it regardless that my lats are so much smaller proper now.”
Hammer Energy Chest Supported Row
Units and Reps: 2-3 x 10-12
After working his lat muscle tissues, Cutler asserts that protecting his grip within the heart of the Hammer Energy row machine will give him higher contraction and, in flip, extra of a problem.
“I’m truly going to drag with my lats,” Cutler says. “The movement is to essentially get a contraction, and I’m going to grip this within the center. If you grip it a bit of larger, it’s a bit of simpler, to be sincere. I’m going to maintain my palms within the lifeless heart. I’m going to maintain my chest up and simply pull again.”
[Related: Build Back Muscle And Work Up To A Pull-Up With The Lat Pulldown]
Bent-Over Row with Barbell
Units and Reps: 2-3 x 10-12
Cutler’s bent-over rows with a barbell include a level of endurance throughout this exercise.
Bear in mind that is free weight. Bear in mind, very sluggish.
Machine Lat Pull Down
Units and Reps: 2-3 x 10-12
Returning to his lats, Cutler retains it easy with the identical purpose of high quality quantity on the extra conventional variation of lat pulldowns.
Seated Cable Row
Units and Reps: 2-3 x 10-12
In a constant hallmark of this routine, Cutler as soon as once more suggests a excessive quantity with good method on the seated cable rows.
Mendacity Dumbbell Pullover
Units and Reps: 2-3 x 10-12
To conclude the video, Cutler elects to roll with some mendacity dumbbell pullovers. He says he likes the train due to the best way it pulls on his lat muscle tissues and due to its grip versatility.
“Alright, so take note of that grip,” Cutler begins. “If I used to be going to do chest, I’m going to grip the dumbbell like this, I’m going to do like a diamond. For the again, I truly grip it like this. My hand goes round like this [Cutler balls a fist into the other]. That method, I pull right here, and it pulls on the lats.”
[Related: How To Do The Single-Arm Dumbbell Row For Bigger Lats]
Consistency In Retirement
Even when Cutler doesn’t push himself like one in every of bodybuilding’s elite athletes anymore, Cutler can nonetheless boast a stellar physique. On the identical time, as he will get older, it appears the legend’s targets are extra about long-term well being moderately than including measurement and pushing his physique to its limits. Now that he doesn’t commonly put on posing trunks, Cutler appears free to take any method he desires in his coaching.
Featured picture: @jaycutler on Instagram
