Jay Cutler gives advice on how to sculpt your swimsuit shape at the last minute

With summer starting in less than two weeks, bodybuilding star Jay Cutler wants to make sure you look your best while walking on the beach. In a recent YouTube video, Cutler explained how to build a quality physique through cardio training and proper nutrition.

Cutler has a firm grasp on what it takes to transform your body. In addition to winning four Sandow trophies at the height of his bodybuilding career, he cemented his status as an all-time great when he dethroned former eight-time Olympia titleholder Ronnie Coleman in 2006. He remains the only IFBB professional in the history of the sport to reclaim the coveted crown, which he did in 2009 against Branch Warren and Dexter Jackson.

Although he's resigned himself to retirement, Cutler's physique is still on display - he recently pulled off a great transformation for his "Fit-for-50" challenge. This year, he plans to embark on a similar journey, but took the time to share how he's sculpting a next-level body this summer.

Jay Cutler offers tips to help you achieve a beach body for summer

According to Jay Cutler, a "solid" diet is essential for reducing body fat and maintaining muscle mass. He stresses that breakfast, pre-workout and post-workout meals are the most important of the day.

"Here in the U.S., summer is coming up and a lot of people ask me for tips on how to reduce appetite, but also how to reduce body fat, but of course maintain muscle mass. Now, it's a very tricky form of doing that. You have to come up with a strict diet. I always say the most important meals of the day are the first meal, the meal before training and the meal after training. These meals are the most beneficial."

Although Cutler is often an advocate of cardio exercise in the morning on an empty stomach, he believes it is essential to eat a big meal at the beginning of the day to fuel the workout.

"People don't understand now that you need to eat when you wake up in the morning, I know a lot of you train fasted, but I recommend fueling your workout. You want to get up, give your body probably the biggest meal of the day so you can really get food into your body and really set your energy for the day. It's kind of like setting a standard." In my bodybuilding routine, I always stuck to at least six meals a day, and all my meals were within two and a half hours of each other. Some of you like to spread them out over three hours."

Cutler specified that bodybuilders tend to eliminate dairy products from their meals, as well as simple sugars and fruits. He prefers "slower-burning foods" such as potatoes and rice. As for protein, Cutler says to stick to fish, egg whites, turkey breast, lean chicken and lean beef.

"I think a lot of bodybuilders cut out a lot of dairy. I know they cut out simple sugars. A lot of fruit is being eliminated. I think you really have to go through a strict diet to get the best results. It's more about slower burning foods when you eat potatoes or rice, some people prefer brown rice. Low-fat sources. I would stick to more fish, egg whites, turkey breast, lean chicken, some of you obviously like lean beef, protein, those things are really going to be the most beneficial."

Although exercise physiologist Dr. Mike Israetel doesn't believe diet sodas cause weight gain, Cutler says they confuse the body.

"Diet sodas... I never recommend having diet sodas, your body is still very confused even with artificial sweeteners, so if we can cut back a little bit. I know some of it is necessary, so limit it. If it's one a day, one soda a day, you can slowly, like I said, dip into a lighter diet, you don't have to go completely all-in"

The former four-time Olympia champion stresses that if a diet is too strict, people are less likely to stick to it long-term.

"That's why diets don't work. Everybody kind of jumps on it and starts making New Year's resolutions, for example, and then suddenly stops because it's too hard on the body. It's about letting the body relax. Don't put the body into too much of a shock. Gradually adjust to your eating plan."

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Příspěvek sdílený Jay Cutler (@jaycutler)

For bodybuilders, Cutler explained that increasing heart rate isn't a top priority, instead aiming for a "slow burn."

"As bodybuilders, we're not really trying to raise our heart rate all the way up, we're really just trying for a slow burn, right? Keeping the metabolism going. Keeping the body working."

This wasn't the first time Cutler broke down how to eat effectively to lose weight and gain muscle. He credits a high-protein diet for helping him stay strong and full of energy at 51.

"My appetite is really good. That was my biggest fear, that when you get a little older, people's problem is when they try to put on weight, even the young kids; they just don't eat enough. You even know you have to eat a lot to stay at it, right? So I hope that continues because if you remember, and a lot of our viewers don't really know, my biggest obstacle was food, back when I was really big."

Watch the full video here: