The GODS of SHRED
90 MD musculardevelopment.com July 2019
JAY CUTLER
Ronnie was thus no match for a blindingly ripped
Jay, and Jay in fact beat him in the judging (Ronnie
rallied for the fi nals and kept his title). The second
time Jay came in with insane cuts was when he
made history in 2009 by being the only Mr. Olympia
champ to win his title back, having lost his to Dexter
in 2008. Jay’s fantastically shredded physique was
immortalized in the famous “quad stomp” photo
that we ran as a cover shortly aft er in MD. Those
who were in the audience at the 2009 Mr. Olympia
will never forget what was probably the greatest
comeback of an Olympia champ, ever. It was made
possible because Jay and his coach Hany Rambod
didn’t worry about coming in huge and full but
focused instead on bringing freaky condition.At the risk of giving you all déjà vu, much of what I just said about Ronnie could
also apply to Jay Cutler. Jay was one of the thickest men the sport ever saw when he
competed anywhere from 265 to 280 pounds at 5-foot-9, but aside from his quads and
abs, which were always ultra-lean, Cutler didn’t show a lot of clear separation and detail.
As with Ronnie, there were two distinct occasions when Jay caught lightning in a bott le
in terms of his peak, and they also, and not coincidentally, happened to be when Cutler
came in lighter and more streamlined. The fi rst was at the 2001 Mr. Olympia contest. Jay
had moved up to eighth place in 2000 from 15th at his Olympia debut in 1999, but he was
still not a pick on anyone’s list to overtake Ronnie. Jaws dropped and gasps were heard
when Jay took the stage looking like he’d been carved out of stone. His waist was tight
and narrow, and Jay’s entire physique was crisp and dry. Ronnie, on the other hand, was
burnt out from the Arnold six months prior. This was the infamous Olympia where he
had been ready to forfeit and head to the ER as he felt close to death, until Chad Nicholls
convinced him to drink a gallon of water and see how he felt. An understandably watery
Jay’s fantastically
shredded physique
was immortalized in
the famous “quad
stomp” photo on the
cover of MD.