Jay Cutler, the only Mr. Olympia to avenge his loss on the Olympia stage, gave his opinion on training for failure. Among the various training philosophies, training to failure, popularized by Golden Era bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger, remains popular. However, many bodybuilders, like the former Mr. Olympia, don’t recommend doing it.

The Comeback Kid recounted an Instagram video he had received earlier. Jay Cutler explained that a lifter was taking things to “extreme failure,” and used it as an example to warn people about the biggest downside of such training. 

The risk might not be worth the reward

Jay Cutler wrote that he doesn’t train till muscular failure for multiple reasons. However, the one “which really stands out for me… Risk of injury!” Cutler explained. The 50-year-old said someone sent him a video of a person doing hack squats with her trainer or training partner on Instagram. The former Mr. Olympia explained that she had hit failure and couldn’t do more reps.

However, instead of resting, “She was then made to stop and do more reps, this kept going on and on, to the point she was buckling under the weight by the final reps.” The bodybuilding icon said that making a training session intense is one thing, but what she did was taking a “crazy risk.” he explained that going “too far,” could result in devastating injury.

What’s more? Jay Cutler wrote that she could’ve replicated the same intensity safely had she done three or four sets. “It isn’t about whether this (training to failure) works or not, it’s about what is sensible as a long-term solution for you…” Cutler wrote in his newsletter. However, it’s important to note that volume training advocates like Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t take each set to such extreme failure. So, how does Jay Cutler train?

What does Jay Cutler recommend

The bodybuilding legend still trains intensely at 50. Recently, he got in the best shape since retiring from bodybuilding from the Fit at 50 challenge. However, even today, the 50-year-old follows the same approach he did during his prime. Instead of pushing to failure on each set, Cutler recommends progressive overload.

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Every time the Comeback Kid gives fitness advice, he tells people to stick to the hypertrophy sweet spot of eight to twelve repetitions per exercise. Instead of increasing reps, the bodybuilding icon recommends progressing heavier weights when you can comfortably do twelve reps with a given weight.

Arnold Schwarzenegger reached failure through volume. On the other hand, HIT practitioners like Mike Mentzer achieved failure through maximum effort. However, Jay Cutler recommends not going to failure due to injury risk and instead focusing on progressive overload.

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