“Focus on the Growth”: What Is Adequate Recovery Time for Muscles, Jay Cutler Answers

Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler has decades of training experience under his belt but still refers to research when giving advice. While many people would trust him, Cutler backed up his opinion by talking about rest periods in between each training session. The former Mr. Olympia answered the common fan question by taking one body part as an example. 

Everyone likes to train biceps as it’s one of the most aesthetic muscles. However, Jay Cutler said that you shouldn’t train your biceps too much in the gym, especially if you use high volume. “If I was going to train my biceps, I would give myself five to seven days rest in between,” said Jay Cutler. This means the bodybuilding veteran trained biceps only once a week.

While some might find it surprising, this is also why the 50-year-old recommends not copying the routines of your favorite bodybuilders. “Always focus on the growth,” was the motto Jay Cutler recommended everyone to follow. Yet, he also revealed the minimum recommended hours in between training sessions according to research. “You need 72 hours,” said the Comeback Kid.

Jay Cutler explained that resetting for 72 hours was essential for those who practice volume training as it’s quite fatiguing. “Not to say you can’t shock the body and train it you know, several times,” said the bodybuilding icon. However, he also told people to stay away from overtraining. The 50-year-old reminded everyone that the muscle grows during recovery.

However, if you train and do not let a muscle group fully recover, it may also hinder growth. The bodybuilding veteran also asked people to monitor their routine to ensure they don’t overtrain. During his prime, Jay Cutler resorted to a mix of intensity and volume, and today, he tells others to do the same.

How Jay Cutler achieved his Olympia winning physique

The former Mr. Olympia regularly gives fitness advice on social media. However, the 50-year-old always recommends people focus on the 8 to 12 rep-rage in all his videos. The Cutler Nutrition founder does so because if someone cannot hit 8 reps, they should lower the weight. Meanwhile, if someone crosses the 12 rep mark, they should increase the weight.

According to legendary bodybuilders like Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman, and others, the 8 to 12 balanced intensity with volume. While other training styles like high-rep volume training or High-Intensity Training (HIT), Cutler achieved his Olympia-winning physique by striking a balance.

However, your training style won’t matter unless you give your body enough time to recover. It may also lead to injuries in the gym. These were the points Jay Cutler emphasized in his video.