“I’d Only Have Little Sips for Like 12 Hours”: Retired Bodybuilder Jay Cutler Once Revealed the Challenges of Dehydration When He Competed

Preparing for a bodybuilding show demands a strenuous routine. During competition days, Jay Cutler underwent hardcore training and diet routines that sound brutal in hindsight. Everything from his meal plan to his workout was designed to withstand the extremes. However, he once revealed in a YouTube video on his channel how he would dehydrate himself to look more defined and grainy during contests.

In the video, he unveils one of the crucial steps in bodybuilding competition prep. Dehydrating allows bodybuilders to lose water from their muscles and achieve their desired definition. However, since the athlete was losing water and not replenishing themselves, it would often result in various health problems.

Bodybuilding prep is a taxing process, and Cutler admitted it in the video clip description. He described that his process of cutting down on water before championships involved gradually reducing his intake every day during the final week. His body got accustomed to the lack of water because of this technique.

The goal was to slowly introduce the body to that state instead of eliminating water in one go. Cutting down on water intake abruptly could harm an athlete’s health.

“You kind of cut the water slowly. You don’t just go cold turkey.”

Cutler would begin his week with two gallons and gradually reduce his intake by half a gallon each day. This schedule would go on for a week until the day of the competition when he would only have sips of water every twelve hours.

“I’d only have little sips for like 12 hours. Very very taxing time for me.”

His hard work eventually paid off. One of Cutler’s career highlights was dethroning his onstage rival Ronnie Coleman after his eight-year Olympia streak. Since then, the now 50-year-old has four Mr. Olympia titles to his name. After retiring, Cutler provided the community with bodybuilding insights and tips. These contributions eventually resulted in one of the biggest honors of his life.

Jay Cutler wins the Lifetime Achievement Award

One of the highlights of the Arnold Classic in Ohio was Cutler receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from his idol, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bodybuilding veteran had maintained his shape and form even after turning fifty. His passion for the sport eventually got him the reward he deserved.

The bodybuilding world showered Cutler with congratulatory messages. He penned an emotional note on Instagram, thanking everyone who supported him during the journey. Being involved in the sport for over thirty years, he acknowledged how he made some lifelong friends and partners who got him to the top.