Contest Preparation with Jay Cutler
Clean Machine
There was a time when I would give myself 16-20 weeks to prepare for a contest. In 2006, because I had stayed in shape, I needed only 12. For the 2007 Olympia, I also gave myself 12 weeks, but that time was a little different, because I was actually eating until the contest. At 12 weeks out, I was only about 280 pounds, close to where I wanted to be onstage, so I needed to push it up to about 300 in order to come back down without losing too much size.
A lot of people have a basic misconception when it comes to preparing for a contest—They believe that you need to really lighten up your weights and cut back on your eating dramatically. Pre-contest, these bodybuilders seriously reduce their carbohydrate and fat intake. Of course, it is necessary to cut back a little but if you’re adding cardio to your routine and limiting your energy sources, your body is going to start feeding on muscle once it runs out of fat stores. This happens all the time—those are the guys who look overly depleted at contests.
What you want to do is always train as if you’re in growth mode. Don’t every get it in your mind that you’re going to get smaller—because you will, and probably by losing a good deal of muscle mass. So, for me, cardio is all about boosting metabolism to burn more calories. It means feeding the machine and burning off the excess. I know that when I add cardio to my routine, I’m increasing my metabolic rate, which means I’m using more calories all the time, even when I’m asleep. Not only that, but I find that I don’t have as much of appetite on the days I don’t do cardio, so the cardio actually helps me to eat, which keeps me fuller.
When I’m weighing 295, I’m eating about 6,500 calories a day, comprised of around 1,200 grams of carbs and 350-400 grams of protein. This is all from clean food sources and a couple of protein shakes. I eat healthy fats, like the kind that come from fish, and the only quick-acting carbs I take in are from white rice or potatoes, which I’ll have immediately following my workout. This is so I can spike my insulin level post-workout, which is key to for muscle growth.
The main point, however, is that you should be eating clean all year round—that way, when it comes to contest time, you’re not scrambling to drop a lot of fat and worrying how your body is going to react to dietary changes. You’re a bodybuilder 365 days a year; eat like one even when you’re not within 12 or 16 weeks of a contest.
I eat every 2 ½ hours, which equals seven meals a day. I make sure to get eight to 10 ounces of meat per meal, as well. Plus, I eat about 150-200 grams of carbohydrates per meal. That may sound a lot, but I consumed 800 grams of carbs a day right up until the 06’ Olympia, and I came in pretty lean and dry. Even as far back as the 2001 show, I pretty much whatever I wanted, mostly because I thought I didn’t have a chance of winning the Olympia. I took eighth the year before, so I didn’t put too much pressure on myself to diet like crazy. As it turned out, I took second and almost won.
Sometimes it’s better not to worry too much about the details of your diet and instead focus on upping your cardio. That’s what works for me.
-Jay Cutler
