In early 2022, four-time Mr. Olympia and paragon of competitive bodybuilding Jay Cutler began his “Fit for 50” challenge — a personal commitment to getting into the best shape he’d been in since he formally stepped away from the sport in 2013. On Saturday, Aug. 5, just two days after his 50th birthday, Cutler took the stage once by storm once again.
At the 2023 MuscleContest Fit Expo, Cutler joined bodybuilder Regan Grimes for a round of guest posing. Unsurprisingly, Cutler, the man who ended eight-time Olympia winner Ronnie Coleman‘s run in the sport, more than looked the part. Check it out below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CvlOJ4yNt4a/
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Despite being a full decade removed from the sport, Cutler clearly retains his competitive spirit and razor-sharp stage presence. Looking both shredded and eye-poppingly full, Cutler comfortably held his own against Grimes and even took him to school on certain poses.
Bodybuilding as a Sustainable Lifestyle
Having won the most prestigious title in the sport of bodybuilding four times (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010), Cutler is no stranger to the rigors of competitive physique development. However, his “Fit for 50” challenge appears to rebuke the common criticism that bodybuilding — that is, for the purposes of stepping on stage — is unhealthy or even dangerous.
“I want to be able to showcase this transformation. This is a lifestyle transformation … I think I’m around 12-14% body fat and to get right to the 8-6% range, which would be relatively lean, not the 3% that you saw on the Olympia stage,” Cutler said in a YouTube vlog roughly two months prior to his appearance at the MuscleContest Fit Expo.
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Professional bodybuilders knowingly subject themselves to harrowing levels of dietary restriction in order to appear “stage lean.” (1) Prolonged calorie deficits and deliberate dehydration are all but required to reach sub-five-percent body fat; (2) the threshold that most competitors acknowledge as mandatory if they want to bring home a Sandow trophy.
When pushed too far — or for too long — these contest preparation techniques can have disastrous outcomes. But by taking it slow and steady, and sticking to “relatively lean,” Cutler offers a more holistic alternative to the bodybuilding community and looks pretty darn good doing it.
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References
- Helms, E. R., Aragon, A. A., & Fitschen, P. J. (2014). Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 11, 20.
Featured Image: @regangrimes on Instagram