Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler is lending a helping hand to fans aiming to get in shape for summer. On May 27, 2025, he shared three actionable tips anyone can implement to see progress in just a few months.
What Cutler has accomplished after his bodybuilding career is just as impressive as the four Sandow trophies sitting on his mantle. After retiring from competitive bodybuilding, he’s retained the signature mass and conditioning he’s known for.
He took part in a lengthy physique transformation for his 50th birthday, and the results did not disappoint. Still training seven days a week, Cutler inspires others to take control of their fitness to live more fulfilling and healthy lives. With summer approaching, the Massachusetts native explained how to stack gains before it’s time to head to the beach.
Jay Cutler’s Top 3 Tips to Get Shredded for Summer
In a recent YouTube video, Cutler broke down his three tips to help you get shredded for summer, which you can find below:
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- Start Your Cardio
- Clean Up Your Diet
- Cut Out Alcohol
Whether it’s the bike, treadmill, walking, or swimming, Cutler believes reserving 30 minutes of your day for dedicated cardio will take you one step closer to a leaner physique.
“Three tips to get shredded for summer time. Number one, start your cardio, whether it’s fasted in the morning or you eat your breakfast, get out and walk a little bit, do your bike, treadmill, swim, I’d suggest at least putting 30 minutes into your routine.”
Revamping how you approach your diet could be another needle-mover. Cutler suggested eliminating fast food and opting for frequent, smaller meals to help kickstart the metabolism.
“Number two: Clean up your diet. Cut out all sugars. Cut out your fast foods. Start weighing your food properly. Remember, the more frequent smaller meals is going to be more beneficial. Getting the metabolism faster, creating that furnace in the body, of course, that will lead to leaner gains.”
Lastly, he said to remove alcohol or other things that you know work against the body you’re after. In addition, Cutler shared that setting goals can boost motivation.
“The last and final one, cutting out your alcohol or things you know are necessarily bad. For us adults, it’s definitely cutting out the alcohol. If you want to give yourself a timeline, I think that’s important too, is to give yourself a window of I want to be in the best shape by X date. Set a goal, just like I did fit-for-50 many years ago.”
To achieve peak shape, the former four-time Mr. Olympia explained that most individuals will need at least four months.
“I always suggest at least four months to get in your peak shape so you lose a couple or three pounds a week of body fat and diet yourself down.
Remember, fluid can be very deceiving, so when you want to cut out all those extra things that you ingest that would cause a lot of fluid retention, stay on track, set your goals really high, summer is right around the corner,” he said.
Cutler isn’t the only bodybuilding icon offering useful tips for getting in better shape. 1980s standout Lee Labrada also revealed some pain-free triceps workout tips and variations that can help users achieve maximum growth safely.
Summer is coming, and Cutler is confident his three tips can get you closer to your ultimate goals. He emphasized that cardio, clean eating, and eliminating alcohol are effective levers to pull for progress.
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