Jay Cutler explains how the growth of bodybuilding has led to a less deep lineup of competitors in Men’s Open.
There has been a lot of back and forth conversation about the modern era of bodybuilding and what the future holds. This is specifically focused on the Men’s Open division. Many, including some legends, have stated that today’s bodybuilders could not hold up to the 90s era or earlier. During our interview with Jay Cutler on the set of Generation Iron 3, we asked him about this controversial topic. In our latest GI Exclusive Vault interview, Jay Cutler discusses how the level of competition has fallen due to the expansion of other divisions.
When we film the mainline Generation Iron film series, we have the pleasure of interviewing a large variety of the best bodybuilders both new and old. Unfortunately, we often can’t fit the entire interview conversation into the films. That’s why we are pulling old “vault” interviews from the cutting room floor as part of our GI Exclusive series. With the ongoing controversy and debate about the quality of today’s Men’s Open bodybuilders, we decided to pull an extended interview with Jay Cutler from Generation Iron 3 that discusses this very topic.
Jay Cutler is honest about his opinions but also very logical when it comes comparing eras of bodybuilders. He can see both sides of the coin and then make a thoughtful opinion after weighing both sides. So when it comes to evaluating today’s Men’s Open bodybuilders to previous eras – he doesn’t take the comparison lightly.
First and foremost, Jay Cutler believes that the growth of bodybuilding as a whole has been good for the sport. With more divisions, there are more athletes who can find success in their passions. They are no longer limited by height or genetic deficiencies. Anyone who wants to work hard can find a division where they fit and hopefully succeed.
That being said, Jay Cutler also believes that this has had a negative effect on the Men’s Open division specifically. Cutler is a 4x Mr. Olympia champion and while he has respect for the other divisions – he will always be a Mens’ Open man first.
Looking at the modern era of bodybuilding, he can’t help but feel that the depth of the competition is lacking. There will always be exceptions. Bodybuilders who reign supreme with an amazing physique. But when he looks back at the 90s or earlier – he found that it was less of a given who would win at any show. That’s how excellent the level of competition was back then.
Today Jay Cutler sees that less often. He believes this is directly due to the expansion of other divisions. Now athletes have more options in where they want to fit in. This leads to less competitors pushing themselves to the limit to succeed in the Men’s Open category.
Jay Cutler also looks towards social media as a possible culprit to the shift in modern bodybuilder. Some athletes can now find complete success off the stage – so why bother even competing and putting yourself through the ringer? If an athlete can find fame, success, and revenue through digital means – that’s also a new path that potential Men’s Open competitors can take instead of stepping on stage.
All in all, it seems Jay Cutler isn’t painting this as a bad thing. Instead, it’s just different. Cutler is from a specific era and it’s one he’s fond of by living through it. That doesn’t mean that today’s bodybuilding with more divisions and perhaps less depth in Men’s Open is worse. It’s just a new version. Will it stay that way? There’s no way of telling what the future holds. Regardless, Jay Cutler and most probably many other legendary bodybuilders will continue watching. They are passionate about the sport no matter what form it takes.
You can watch Jay Cutler’s comments in our latest GI Exclusive Vault interview segment above. You can also see Jay Cutler and many more legends in Generation Iron 3 on digital today! Click here or the banner below to get your digital copy.
