Break the stagnation with one surprising trick! Tips from Jay Cutler

How to overcome training stagnation and reach the top

Jay Cutler, a four-time Mr. Olympia titleholder, has built his legendary career on relentlessly overcoming training stagnation. Now, in a recent YouTube video, he shares with us his proven methods that helped him reach the top.

Cutler's journey to the top of the bodybuilding world hasn't been easy. He faced a huge challenge to dethrone Ronnie Coleman, an eight-time Mr. Olympia in his prime. In 2006, Cutler made history when he defeated "The King". What led him to this triumph was a constant adjustment in his training approach and a search for innovative ways to push his limits. At one stage, he even carefully analyzed and mimicked Coleman's training habits to finally catch up with him. It was this ingenuity and desire to constantly improve that made him an authority on overcoming training plateaus. Now Cutler presents some of the best strategies and solutions to help you take your training to the next level.

Jay Cutler talks about solutions to stagnation in training

There are a number of reasons why stagnation comes up, and Cutler says there are just as many solutions.

"Let's talk about stagnation. Everyone has experienced it, even me when I competed at the highest level at Olympia.

I had periods where I felt like I was stagnating - I felt like I wasn't moving forward. I was tired, I lacked motivation to train. I think there are a lot of reasons why that happens, but also a lot of ways to overcome it."

According to "The Comeback Kid" approach, sometimes the best way to deal with stagnation is to simply "ease off the gas" or change your training approach.

"This may mean incorporating days off, changing when you train or adjusting the training style itself. Focusing on more or fewer reps. Sometimes you just need to slow down.

Throughout my career, I've focused on high volume, often doing at least 20 sets per muscle part. But sometimes it was necessary to cut it down to, say, 12 sets. Sometimes it was enough to go to the gym just for a basic pump. There were also periods when I trained several days in a row to find a new momentum."

During his career, he found that he could only train "full throttle" two days in a row, so he always took the third day off. He trained at high volume, an approach that required more time to rest.

"I found that training at full capacity only works for me two days in a row before I need a day off. I couldn't train the same muscle part twice a week, whereas some of my competitors could. I needed more time to recover. Stagnation can be understood in different ways, but sometimes it's just about change - you have to keep an open mind, especially if you want to keep growing."

Other solutions to stagnation can be nutrition, sleep or sufficient training.

"Sometimes it's about your nutrition. If you're eating right, sleeping enough and training effectively, it's very hard not to make progress. But we don't always have all those things in balance. I travel for work. I do a lot of shows, meeting fans, and that means a lot of sleepless nights. Half the time I'm on a plane. That's why, in preparation for the competitions, I've spent the last four months concentrating as much as possible to eliminate distractions. I've focused on a proper sleep schedule, training plan and of course growth and recovery, which have been 100%. Really analyze what you're doing. Sometimes it can help to keep a diary to track your progress."

His final tip for overcoming stagnation in training is to consistently track your progress or have a training partner who will give you honest feedback.

"Ask yourself: Am I moving forward or backward? Have someone around you to give you the best advice when you enter the gym and during your workouts. Try to show progress every week."