Huge aspirations: Cutler motivated in a big way to reclaim Mr. Olympia title

By John Katsilometes

Friday, Sept. 25, 2009 | 12:15 p.m.

Whenever you find yourself in the presence of Jay Cutler, the bodybuilder and not the Bears quarterback, one thought instinctively springs to mind.

“Whoa” is that thought.

He’s 5-foot-9 and, this week, weighs around 270 pounds. His physique is something beyond that of a typical human being, and even a typical bodybuilder. A few months ago, I spotted him at Las Vegas Athletic Club on Rainbow and U.S. 95. He was walking in front of me, heading toward the area strewn with giant black discs, where journalists who work out thrice monthly rarely inhabit. As I followed him, I thought, “This guy looks like a Mr. Olympia.” Then he cut toward a table, and I recognized him.

It was obvious, given his bulging, deeply cut frame and protruding veins, that Cutler was not quite in “maintenance” mode. I asked him, needlessly, if he was training for Mr. Olympia.

“Oh yeah,” he said, sweat beads spilling down his forehead. “I’m more motivated than ever.”

In last year’s competition, Dexter Jackson dethroned Cutler, culminating a 10-year run at winning the Super Bowl of muscle mass. The Mr. Olympia finals and support events are being staged today and tomorrow at The Orleans Arena (the Mr. Olympia prelims and finals go off at 6 p.m. today and tomorrow). As the accompanying video reflects, Cutler is working out feverishly to wrest back the title. He's also keeping to his 6,500-calorie-per-day diet, dutifully avoiding red meat and chicken but eating five pounds of fish per day.

Cutler plans to hoist the Mr. Olympia trophy as his final rep.

“I want to make history. This is all I think about. It’s what I live for,” Cutler said. “I eat, drink and sleep bodybuilding.”

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats.