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Jay Cutler, since his retirement, has become one of the most revered voices in the game. His podcast combined with his YouTube content has become a valuable source of news and advice for upcoming bodybuilders.
Cutler recently uploaded a video to his YouTube channel detailing the hypertrophic effects of different rep ranges. The veteran bodybuilder recommends higher reps to focus on increasing size:
"Higher rep range has always worked better. It’s something I did from the time I learned from Pumping Iron and Schwarzenegger to today. I still incorporate that being almost 50 years old. I still train the same exact way and those are my best opinions on how to actually build muscle mass and train with the proper rep range."
Cutler took inspiration from Pumping Iron, a 1977 documentary that followed Arnold Schwarzenegger's and Lou Ferrigno's progress leading up to Mr. Olympia.
Cutler details that lower rep ranges lead to a build-up of power:
"8 to 12 repetitions. People ask me the most, why not 4 to 7 reps, or 3 reps? The truth is any rep range can build muscle. Higher reps are more for building the round, more inflated muscle look. A lot of powerlifters that want to be stronger focus on 1 rep max, which is more power training."
The science behind weightlifting is clear. Higher rep ranges engage slow-twitch muscle fibers, which can engage force for longer periods of time. This results in greater hypertrophic gains. However, fast-twitch anaerobic muscle fibers are engaged during bursts of movement and are trained with lower reps.
Cutler on the importance of cardio to maximize gains
Cutler uploaded another video to his channel that detailed two different ways of incorporating cardio into a hypertrophic routine. The first is doing it right away in the morning and the second is doing cardio after weight training:
"I do a lot of cardio, I do my fasted cardio in the morning. I have everything at my house, whether it’s bike, treadmill, step mill, or elliptical, I do it all. Remember, cardio is necessary when you’re trying to lean down, and increase metabolism. I prefer to do it either first thing in the morning or after the weight training session. Pay attention to that because you don’t want to burn up glycogen prior to working out with weights. So, really focus on adding your cardio as necessary but remember the training is the most important thing."
Many gym-goers often ignore cardiovascular workouts such as running because they believe they do not align with their hypertrophic goals. Increased cardiovascular activity has also been linked to a decrease in muscle mass. However, this is not entirely true. Incorporating cardio in the right way can in fact help muscle gain by boosting metabolism and giving the body a shredded look.
An important factor to remember is that protein breakdown in the body increases significantly after the 90-minute mark. Therefore, for bodybuilding gains, cardio sessions should be kept below this mark.
Cardio does not have to be boring either. One can perform HIITS, other forms of interval training, and tabatas if running is not their cup of tea. Another alternative is picking up martial arts. Training in various martial arts such as Muay Thai and boxing can prove to be a fun and fulfilling session of cardio.
