Jay Cutler debunks the myth that Men’s Physique doesn’t train as hard as Men’s Open bodybuilding.
Ever since the introduction and success of the Men’s Physique division, it has been the subject of criticism by some vocal fans and even other pro athletes. Multiple reasons are cited, but these critics believe that Men’s Physique is a less prestigious division and doesn’t deserve the same respect. Many Men’s Physique athletes have been offended by this and some, like Jeremy Buendia, have been very vocal about it. In our latest GI Exclusive Vault interview, Jay Cutler not only defends Men’s Physique but also claims that they train harder than some Men’s Open bodybuilders who compete in the Mr. Olympia.
Men’s Physique is one of the most successful divisions in the sport of bodybuilding. This is largely due to a massive interest by potential competitors. Due to it being a more “desirable” or “mainstream” physique – more athletes compete. This brings more revenue and fans to the competitions.
Despite this, there are also many vocal fans and even some athletes in other divisions that harshly criticize the division. Some blame the board shorts that cover up legs as a problem. Others think the smaller physiques are just less impressive than the other worldly Men’s Open and Men’s 212 divisions.
One other major criticism seems to be that, due to the smaller size of physiques, it’s perceived that the athletes in this division trainer less hard. During our conversation with Jay Cutler during the filming of Generation Iron 3, he couldn’t disagree more with that criticism.
We’ve unearthed another segment that ended up on the cutting room floor and is now available in full – showcasing Jay Cutler’s full thoughts on the Men’s Physique division. While he does agree it can be a good starter division as it requires less boundaries to be pushed in terms of size and supplementation, he does not agree with the claims that the Men’s Physique athletes train less hard.
In fact, he thinks that they might even train harder than some Men’s Open pros. Jay Cutler doesn’t name names, but he seems fairly confidently that the top Men’s Physique athletes train harder than some of the Men’s Open Mr. Olympia competitors. He believes that the reason fans believe Men’s Physique don’t train hard is due to the difference in judging criteria. It creates a misconception of how hard the athletes really work.
“So it’s a different judging standard. And that’s why they don’t get the respect because the fans saw the ultimate. So how do you go backwards to, okay, well this is a new division. This a lighter thing,” Jay Cutler states in our interview. He continues:
“They think, okay well, maybe they don’t train as hard or they don’t put in the time. But I can promise you, some of these physique guys train harder than these Mr. Olympia competitors. That’s the truth. And this is the guy – I’m favoritism towards bodybuilding all the way. But I hate to break the news to some of these guys that are competing in the Mr. Olympia. The Men’s Physique guys in that show are out-training you.”
This is information being stated by a 4x Mr. Olympia champion – so it certainly comes with some weight behind it. Jay Cutler thinks that battle of opinion between Men’s Physique and Men’s Open is an imaginary one. They are two respectable divisions through and through.
You can check out Jay Cutler’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive Vault interview segment above. You can also relive the best moments from Generation Iron 3 by owning the film on digital! Click here or on the banner below to stream or download today!
