To lay claim to the Mr. Olympia title, Jay Cutler knew it would take a massive, conditioned physique. On Feb. 11, 2026, he reflected on the mass-building training cycle that helped him reach the top of the sport.
Cutler had the misfortune of facing off against Ronnie Coleman, who many consider the greatest bodybuilder of all time. After taking runner-up for four consecutive years, he defeated ‘The King’ at the 2006 Mr. Olympia. However, before Cutler could string together a dynasty, Dexter Jackson took his title in 2008.
A year later, Cutler earned the nickname ‘Comeback Kid’ by quad stomping his way to victory to reclaim the Sandow trophy. Now retired, he remains focused on longevity and health, but hasn’t forgotten how he structured training to pack on size.
Jay Cutler Shares His All-Time Best Training Cycle for Mass
In the video, Cutler explained that training one body part a day worked best for him because he could give each area more attention.
“I talk a lot about my training schedule, and what I preferred the most was training one body part a day. When I classify one, I say arms are triceps and biceps, even though it’s two body parts, that’s the same day because it’s really focusing on a body part.”
He noted that the best results came from a three-on, one-off, two-on, one-off training day cycle:
“Legs, the same thing, quads and hamstrings on the same day. I trained on a three-on, one-off, two-on, one-off schedule. Basically, I would always take a day off after back and after legs.
On the first cycle, on that third day would be back. Then, I take a day off and do shoulders. The next day I would do legs and take another day off, and then I would repeat the cycle, with chest and arms or whatever.”
Beyond the specific structure, Cutler shared that recovery and consistency go a long way toward fitness goals.
“For me, that worked the best. Recovery is key. We always look at the gym and say, oh, I’m putting on size training in the gym, but the truth is, getting out of the gym and eating, that consistent schedule, but I always say prioritize your fitness lifestyle.”
“Every day, if you click on Instagram or Snapchat or TikTok or YouTube or Facebook, I’m getting up every morning doing cardio. This morning I did my fasted cardio, 20 minutes elliptical, get the heart rate up, get the metabolism flowing, and then I eat my meals. Then, I come do some weights at some point during the day.”
At 52 years old, he hasn’t slowed down and keeps his metabolism guessing with weight training and cardio.
“Twice a day I’m hitting my metabolism by weight training or cardiovascular. And, a lot of times, I’m doing cardio after weight training too. So, 20 minutes fasted, 20 minutes post-workout, after the weights. Why do I do that? It’s efficient for me. This is what I do. This is my routine,” shared Jay Cutler.
Cutler has been open about the training strategies he used in his prime. He recently broke down how he balanced two-a-day training sessions in the 2000s. He emphasized that he always separated workouts by five hours and ate two meals before returning to the gym.
In his fifties, Cutler has maintained impressive mass and conditioning. He stands by his three-on, one-off, two-on, one-off training day cycle for helping him etch a lasting legacy.
RELATED: Jay Cutler Shows How to Hit Barbell Front Raises for Maximum Mass and 3D Shoulders
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