Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler left the sport on top with no nagging injuries. On Jan. 29, 2026, he explained how he balanced two-a-day training sessions in his prime. He also discussed lifting lighter in retirement and his longevity at 52.
Jay Cutler battled his way to the Olympia throne during the 2000s. He finally defeated Ronnie Coleman in 2006 to become champion. However, just two years later, he dropped the title to Dexter Jackson; this set the stage for Jay’s iconic comeback in 2009. He bested Branch Warren and Jackson en route to the Sandow trophy.
Cutler last competed at the 2013 Mr. Olympia in sixth place. Since then, he redirected his focus to longevity. While he lifts lighter than he used to, the bodybuilding legend maintains lean muscle mass and a conditioned physique. With the training landscape changing daily, Cutler opened up on some of his old-school tactics.
Jay Cutler Talks Old School Two-a-Day Training Sessions and Longevity at 52
In the video, Cutler emphasized that he can still perform all the lifts he used to in his prime.
“I’m younger than you now, but there’s nothing I can’t really do right now. Everything is good, knock on wood. You got to stay active. I don’t train as heavy as you do, though. I train with baby weights.”
He shared that workout routines were simpler in the 2000s, often based on Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s training approach.
“It was simplified. There weren’t as many routines that you read about. Our rep scheme was all the same; it was a spin-off of what Arnold did,” shared Cutler. “Big eating, big training.”
“I always say it’s what I was taught. Chris Aceto taught me that. I watched all you guys do it here when I came as a kid. If you weren’t training twice a day, you were an outcast.”
To balance two-a-day training sessions, Cutler structured his day carefully. He separated workouts five hours apart, then ate and napped in between.
“Five hours in between. The eating was the key. Sleep, so I trained. I’d get up at six in the morning, train by 7:30, first session, go home, eat a meal, nap. Wake up, eat another meal, go back to the gym, 2:30, 3 in the afternoon. Yeah, full-time. Then, go eat two or three more meals, and I was in bed by nine, six to nine,” said Cutler.
Though two-a-day training sessions are less common nowadays, some bodybuilders still utilize them. Mike Sommerfeld worked out twice a day in the lead-up to the 2025 Arnold Classic. His efforts paid off, as he went on to win the contest.
Cutler still trains seven days a week, free of injuries. From two-a-day training sessions to lifting lighter in retirement, he continues to teach his fans how to make gym progress.
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Watch the full video from the Mike O’Hearn YouTube channel below:
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