Name: Emmanuel N.

City: Miami

Q. What was the first thing that went through your mind when you were announced the winner of Mr. Olympia 2006? And what advise would you have for an upcoming bodybuilder like myself?

“I couldn’t believe I actually won – it was amazing. Just stay with it and always believe in yourself and do everything 100% so there is no second guessing those achievements. “

Name: John

City: Utah

Q. Do you ever take any time off from lifting? Like a week or two off after a competition of when you go on vacation?

“I took a couple months off after the past Mr. Olympia and didn’t train during that time, so once in a while I will take a break.”

Name: Mark

City: FOB Falcon S Baghdad, Iraq

Q. Jay what are the chances you will visit the troops in Iraq? Congrats on the back to back wins at the O! Nice gym here at the Falcon!

“I can’t really travel too much now because I’m going to start training for the Olympia but any chance there would be to go there would be in 2009.”

Name: Michael F.

City: Kinston, NC

Q. In working your back, what exercises and sets x reps have you found to put on the most mass in building such a broad and thick back?

“I’ve found that heavy row movements such as the T-Bar row, one arm dumbell row, bent barbell row, and deadlifts put on the most mass for the back. I shoot for an 8-10 rep range and a maximum of 20 sets total.”

Name: Nick G.

City: Lakewood

Q. How much can jay cutler curl?

“I’ve never maxed out on curls.”

Name: Bill

City: Lakewood

Q. Do you have confidence to win the next coming Mr. Olympia, and what’s the plan?

“Absolutely! There’s no real game plan yet as the preparations haven’t started but I’m training like I have been for the past 16 years – hardcore. I’m training hard and dieting and making sure my body has the nutrients to perform.”

Name: Michael S.

City: Katy,Texas

Q. Jay I was just wondering how u keep your core in such good shape and maintain abs along with having your great weight and mass?

“I stay on a very strict diet and I train really hard. My supplement program is great and I’m always on my game 24-7 whether I’m off-season or in-season.”

Name: Raul R.

City: Bronx, NY

Q. For taller bodybuilders like myself, it seems harder to get my arms huge. Everything else is fine but my arms just don’t seem to grow as fast as everything else. What do you I should do?

“You have to focus more on isolation movements rather than standing curls. Do more preacher curls and concentration curls so you can focus more on the peak contraction rather than the standing movements. Standing movements incorporate the shoulders and that can have you sometimes skipping over hitting the bicep itself. Anything where you elbow is in a fixed position is more beneficial for a guy that is tall.”

Name: Will B.

City: Ladson

Q. I work out at home with free weights, what’s the most effective workout for triceps?

“If you have a bench you can do close-grip bench presses, over-head extensions where you back can be fixed against something – almost like a French press where you’re lying down on the bench. You can also do kick-backs with the free weights and tricep dips off the bench itself without any weights.”

Name: Adam

City: Del Rio

Q. When bench pressing, should you go all the way to your chest or should you stop when you reach 90 degrees and then come back up?

“You want to stop about two inches shy of the chest. That way you can keep most of the tension on the chest and rather than the triceps or shoulder. You always want to stop short of the chest to keep the contraction on the chest.”

Name: Rob B.

City: Dayton

Q. When you start feeling burned out at the gym, what can you do mentally to get you past that stage, besides taking a few days off?

“You can regroup by watching videos or doing things that motivate you. Switch gyms or the times you train. Sometimes for me I get burnt out training in the morning so I train later at night when I have more food in the body and can get better pumps. Usually changing gyms or the time you train at will help. “

Name: James R.

City: North Babylon

Q. What do most of your calories consist of when mass-gaining? How much protein, carbs, fats, etc.?

“When I’m massing up I take in at least 300-350 grams of protein and 900-1200 grams of carbs. The only fats I get in are from the foods like chicken breasts, steak and the two whole eggs I eat every day. I don’t really track the fat intake but I would say I eat about 10-15 grams of fat per meal with the amount of meat that I eat. In total I take in about 6000 calories a day roughly.”

Name: Evan

City: Springfield

Q. What would you suggest for adding pounds of muscle in one month?

“Get plenty of rest, eat every one and a half to two hours and train 5 times a week.”

Name: Marko

Q. Hey Jay, I noticed you tend to use explosive/fast reps with a shorter range of motion. Why is this?

“It’s safer for me to use a shorter range of motion when I train heavy because the risk of tearing as muscle is lessened. Using a short range of motion allows me to pump the muscle without endangering a tear.”

Name: Zach

City: Boston

Q. At what age did you start training and at that time, what made you think you could become a successful bodybuilder?

“I started training at 18 years old and put on weight so fast. I basically won every contest I entered after that.”

Name: Greer

City: Spanish Fork UT

Q. I am currently enrolled in the POST Police Training Academy. What can I do to keep some of the hard earned muscle mass with all of the running they put us through? Any nutritional tips? I’m currently 300 Pounds and they want me down to 270. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanx. Congrats on 2 in a Row!

“Your diet should be low in fat. I would suggest a whey protein supplement like Nitro-Tech Hardcore before and after workouts. Also, make sure you’re getting your meals in every few hours to keep your metabolism elevated.”

Name: Anthony

Q. I’ve noticed that you have very large triceps, what are a few key exercises you use?

“I do mainly press downs and machine dips – they really put that cap on the triceps. Get a full range of motion to get that horseshoe look.”

Name: Wesley

City: Tuscaloosa

Q. As Mr. Olympia, what advice would you give someone who is just starting into bodybuilding? What type of difficulties should they expect?

“They have to get some sort of diet on track – eating every 3 hours or so. They also need a training program that consists of being in the gym at least 5 times a week, training each body part once every 5 to 7 days.”

Name: Sean

Q. Most top guys can’t keep their gut under control while at such a high body weight. How do you manage to pull off a vacuum at close to 280 pounds?

“I’m able to do that because of my nutrition and supplementation. My nutrition program is a lot better than a lot of other guys because I eat a lot cleaner foods and fewer fats more consistently, plus I don’t overeat.”

Name: Ian

Q. What key exercises would you suggest for building traps, shoulders, and back?

“For traps, do shrugs, dumbells or barbell, and upright rows as they work the traps greatly.
For shoulders, focus on side laterals for width. Of course do the pressing movements whether machine, dumbell or barbell. And of course rear delt exercises like the rear delt fly machine or bent over laterals with dumbells to make sure you hit all of the heads.

For back, do the staple exercises such as deadlifts, pull-ups, several of the rowing movements like dumbell or barbell row and of course T-bar row. “

Name: Jason L.

City: Amarillo

Q. Hello, Jay. I had a question concerning your post-workout meal. I notice that you take Anator-p70 post-workout, and was curious how long you usually wait before trying to scarf down a meal? For me it is so hard, sometimes I have to wait up to 2hrs or more.

“I have my Anator-p70 when I’m walking out of the gym and probably about 45 minutes later when I’m at home I have some chicken and rice or fish and potatoes.”

Q. This year’s Mr. Olympia is one of the most anticipated competitions in history due to the fact that you are running for a second claim on the Sandow. What are your thoughts on this?

“My plan is to win this year and win bigger than last year. I want to stand out as the overall winner, period.”

Q. As Mr. Olympia do you find it difficult to train at commercial gyms especially during times of pre-contest preparation for this year’s Mr. Olympia, or do fans generally leave you alone during your training session?

“When I’m traveling people are usually very polite because the gym will let everyone know that I’m coming to train and not to bother me. When I’m in a gym on the road I try to stay very focused and if someone comes up to talk to me or ask a question I try to be as polite as possible and move on.”

Q. With many successful years behind you on the competitive stages and many more years ahead of you, what are your plans for life after bodybuilding?

“I want to stay involved in the sport as much as possible. I’ll still train to stay healthy and hopefully mentor up-and-coming bodybuilders like I am doing now with Phil Heath and some other guys.”

Q. You need to eat every two to three hours, which is not always easy to do. What do you find works best to give you the proper nutrients you need to tide you over until your next meal during your off-season?

“I eat every two hours in the off-season and if I can’t get a whole food meal I will have a Nitro-Tech Hardcore shake, Cell-Tech Hardcore, or a Nitro-Tech or Meso-Tech bar. Being consistent with your meals on the road is super important, especially when you travel almost every weekend in the off-season.”

Q. What do you find works best to give you the proper nutrients you need to tide you over until your next meal during your pre-contest?

“When I’m in my pre-contest mode I eat every 2.5 hours. I take in moderate protein and high carbs. I’m taking in about 1,200 calories from carbs a day right now. My weight is over 290 pounds and I’m harder than I was last year at this point. If I am under 295 my legs are shredded but if I jump over that weight I lose detail in my legs and I look top heavy. My whole upper body is bigger and my back is insane. That’s how I’ll win; I’ve got so much more width this year.”

Q. If any, what is the worst injury that you have experienced while training for a competition?

“The worst injury I’ve probably had was straining my hamstring. I was doing shoulder press actually, and I was kicking 140-pound dumbells up off my knees and I felt my hamstring just cease up so I had to throw the weights down. The whole back of my leg and down to my calf was black and blue. I couldn’t sit down with my hamstring resting on anything. It healed really fast and two weeks later I was back in the gym training legs.”

Q. Overtraining can become a serious trap that over-enthusiastic trainers tend to fall into and these individuals just end up compromising muscle mass rather than enhancing their physique. What advice do you have to offer in regards to maximizing muscle growth?

“I would suggest not training to failure on every set. I’m a believer in high volume and it’s not necessary to go all out to failure on every set of every exercise. You need to make sure you’re eating proper meals with the right nutrition and number of calories. If you’re eating enough you won’t overtrain. Make sure you get the right amount of sleep because that can severely stop your body from recovering. I’ve started to train a slightly different way for this year’s Olympia. If I feel that I’ve got a good pump with only a few sets I’ll stop my workout right there. There’s no need to do more if you’ve got a great pump and burn in the muscle. I’m using a mass-gaining style training right now and I’m giving my body a lot of time to grow. While I was on the road I was training only every other day or every two days so my body was resting and growing a lot. When I got back home and started training more consistently I put on almost 20 pounds in four weeks. I had the worst off-season in terms of being able to train consistently but I made my best gains in a long time because I rested so much.”

“I plan to hit the stage somewhere in the high 270’s or low 280’s this year. When I get right down to the last few weeks before the show I should be about 283 pounds, then I’ll load up on fluids and when I drop my water and load up on a ton of carbs before the show I should end up at around 280 pounds. I’ll have 2005’s condition with last year’s fullness.”

Q. With several Mr. Olympia contests under your belt, is there anything that you will do differently to prepare for this year’s show?

“I’m going to be bigger this year so I am eating more food than ever. I’m raising my calories when normally I’d be dropping them.”

Q. Exactly how many weeks out from the Olympia do you begin your pre-contest training routine?

“My training stays the same when I hit my contest prep. The only thing that changes is my cardio and I have a more regimented training routine because I don’t travel as much. I’ll do 20 to 45 minutes of cardio in the morning, five days a week depending on how I feel.”

Q. Can you give us a brief breakdown of your weekly training split during the off-season?

“I really don’t have a training split in the off-season because I’m always on the road. I train when I can but I usually try to train in this order:

• Day 1 – Back
• Day 2 – Shoulders, biceps, traps
• Day 3 – Chest, triceps, calves
• Day 4 – Legs

Q. What is your secret to staying so lean throughout your off-season and hitting the stage so shredded?

“I keep my diet right on check throughout my off-season so I don’t put on unnecessary fat and that way I don’t have to diet so crazy to get into contest shape. This year I stayed so lean that I’m actually raising my calories now and still getting more shredded.”

Q. What aspect of your physique do you think distinguishes you from the rest of the pack?

“The aspect of my physique that distinguishes me from the rest is my back. It’s unbeatable.”

Q. Do you enjoy all the attention that comes along with being the premier bodybuilder in the world, or do you feel you’re a more reserved person who enjoys his privacy?

“I like the respect that comes with being Mr. Olympia when I’m at shows and guest posing, but when I’m out in public I like my privacy.”

Q. For all the aspiring bodybuilders out there who are dying to know, if you had to choose the three supplements that contributed most towards your off-season progress, what would they be?

“If I had to choose three supplements that contributed most towards my off-season progress I would have to say, Cell-Tech Hardcore, naNO Vapor and naNO^X9. My workouts were amazing with these products.”

Q. When you first began competing, did you ever imagine you would be Mr. Olympia one day? What was it that you saw in yourself that made you believe this?

“I did think about being Mr. Olympia when I first started competing, but it’s still pretty unreal now that I’ve actually done it. You always have those kinds of dreams about being the greatest when you’re just starting out.

I always had the determination to work the hardest at whatever I do and I knew that would be the reason it would happen for me one day.”

Q. What has it been like on a psychological level preparing for this year’s Mr. Olympia? How is this different from your preparation any other year?

“It’s been a lot easier actually being the champion and training for the Mr. Olympia this year. I’m still putting everything I have into my training just like last year, but knowing that I’m already Mr. Olympia makes me more confident.”

Q. Do you find you get a lot more respect now that you are Mr. Olympia? If so, in what way?

“Absolutely, I’m the man now and people always respect the man. I get more respect in the industry and I get more recognition outside of the bodybuilding world now.”

Q. What would you now say to all of those who said you would never take hold of the Mr. Olympia title? How about those who say winning in 2006 was fluke?

“I don’t have to say anything because I told them many times that I was going to win, and I did. That’s enough.”

Q. When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see as far as potential? (please be specific … do you see yourself with bigger arms, more overall mass, better striations in your legs … be your own critic in this question)

“I’m just trying to be good enough to bring home the Sandow once again. That’s all I’m worried about. I have the package to do it. I will be a bit bigger and a lot dryer this year.”

Q. What training techniques and supplements are you currently using to help achieve these goals?

“This year for my off season training I used naNO Vapor, GAKIC, Cell-Tech Hardcore and Nitro-Tech Hardcore. Now for my contest prep I’ll be using more Hydroxycut Hardcore, scaling back on Cell-Tech Hardcore and only using Nitro-Tech Hardcore here and there. I’m not traveling so much right now and when I’m at home I prefer to eat mostly whole food.

I’m training heavy and hard, which is what I’ve done in the past. I just go in and train like a maniac!”

Q. Training style and techniques say a lot about character. What does your style say about you as a person?

“My intensity when I train is really high and it shows how bad I want to win the Olympia for a second time. I’m very dedicated.”

Q. Jay, how has your off-season training gone this year and are there any notable improvements you’ve made? If so, what are they?

“My off-season training has been up and down because of my travel schedule. I can’t say it was the best off-season I’ve ever had but my improvements will be enough to win. It’s hard to say how many improvements I’ll have made. I’m not one for predictions on how I will look exactly but I will win…I will win.”

Q. Now that you’ve laid claim to the Mr. Olympia title, what’s your motivation like and how long do you plan on keeping it?

“My motivation is higher because I am the champ and I want to continue a legacy by winning another one.”

Q. Are you taking any different supplements and if so which ones and what kind of results have you gotten from them?

“Right now I just started taking Hydroxycut Hardcore daily and I’m using naNO Vapor to really kick start my workouts. I’m using Nitro-Tech because I’m doing a lot of traveling and it’s the easiest way to get all the protein I
need.”

Q. Who is your main competition this year and how do you plan on bettering them on-stage?

“Everyone is competition but all the guys in the top five from last year will be a threat.”

Q. Do you think Gustavo Badell is a potential threat to your title? Why or why not?

“Of course he is because he’s been third before and he’s motivated and dedicated. Everyone’s a threat that’s in the top five in my eyes.”

Q. What does the Mr. Olympia mean to you?

“It’s my title and it’s what I’ve trained for. Everyone said I would be the next Mr. Olympia since I was 18 years old and here I am, the Champ.”

Q. What can Jay cutler fans expect to see on-stage this year?

“I’ll be unbeatable. I’ll be holding the Sandow in the end.”

“I’ve started to do more cardio now, but I don’t think I’m going to really start my prep until about 11 weeks out. I’m actually taking in more calories right now. I plan to eat more and do more cardio for a few weeks while everyone else is cutting down. That way I’ll keep really full and big. I’m 294 pounds right now.”

Q. Who do you predict will be in the Olympia top three for 2007?

“Probably the same as last year.”

Q. Who do you think are the up-and-comers in this year’s Olympia lineup? Why?

“Honestly, I don’t really know. I don’t really follow it and pay much attention to the other guys. I’m focusing too much on myself right now.”

Q. What do you plan to bring to the Olympia stage that people will remember you for in 2007?

“I plan to bring the same winning package that I brought in ’06. I don’t plan on being much bigger. I can be exactly the same as last year and still win the show.”

Q. What makes Jay Cutler a force to be reckoned with on the 2007 Olympia stage?

“Conditioning and balance make ‘Jay Cutler’ a force to be reckoned with.”

Q. If you had one word for your competition this year, what would it be?

“Victory.”

Q. What will keep Jay Cutler coming back to take the Olympia crown? What will you do to ensure you are successful?

“The fans bring me back so that I can establish a legacy by being a multiple winner and I have the goods to be the best, and that’s what I’m going to bring.”

Q. How many more Olympias do you plan to see as a competitor?

“It’s hard to say how many more Olympias I plan to do. I’ll make the decision after I get number two. You have to win two before you get to three, so at that time I’ll decide.”