Written by Steve Blechman
28 August 2013

Next MD Cover!

Jay Cutler: Can He Take The Fifth?

new-issue-olympia-cover-nowBodybuilding has a handful of superhuman warriors, athletes who stand the test of time and battle it out until their hand is raised in victory. These are veterans of the iron game who are capable of comebacks that leave the doubters speechless. For instance, seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger was already an icon in the sport when he came out of retirement in 1980 to win the Sandow for a seventh time.


But one of bodybuilding’s greatest battles was between four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler and eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman. Jay Battled Ronnie for years before beating Big Ron and bringing home the Sandow in 2006. Jay is a mighty underdog, the kind of bodybuilder who likes to prove the doubters wrong. Jay did that in 2009, when he became the only Mr. Olympia in history to reclaim the Sandow after losing it to Dexter Jackson. This year, Jay Cutler aims to do it again and “take the fifth” by defeating Phil Heath and winning the Mr. Olympia for a fifth time. If anyone can do it, Jay Cutler can – because he has the focus, drive, work ethic and willpower to do anything.


md-nov-coverWinning another Sandow and battling his good friend Phil Heath won’t be easy for Jay. But Jay has never done things the easy way. Jay Cutler is one of the toughest, hardest working and most determined competitors the sport has ever known. Jay is “the” bodybuilder who made the best of inherent genetics, harnessed it with iron willpower and fanatical dedication to beat others more naturally blessed in the DNA stakes. Like all great warriors, Jay never gives up. His first Olympia victory came after four second places; no previous winner had that “close but no Sandow” runner-up record before earning the title. Even though Jay is 40 and was sidelined by a biceps surgery last year, his fanatical dedication to get the job done gives Jay what it takes to stage the most spectacular comeback in the history of bodybuilding.


“This underdog is going to walk onstage on September 27th and blow a few doors off. That’s a promise,” Jay tells MD’s Peter McGough in “Bring It On!” Jay proves that his bite is equal to his bar, as he promises to go from underdog to top dog as he takes a Rottweiler approach to capturing his fifth Sandow at this year’s Mr. Olympia. Jay explains, “It’s not just about just winning the Olympia anymore – it’s the challenge of winning something back that was taken from me when I wasn’t at my best. It’s a challenge at my age, it’s a challenge after my injury, and it’s a challenge because a lot of people doubt my ability to come back.”


Also in this issue, Muscular Development has the most comprehensive preview of the Olympia anywhere in the bodybuilding universe. IFBB Hall of Fame bodybuilders Shawn Ray and Flex Wheeler give their no-holds-barred take on this year’s contenders. Dan Soloman, host of “Pro Bodybuilding Wordwide” and a leading commentator for some of bodybuilding’s most popular events, sets the tone for the 2013 Mr. Olympia, which will have a fierce lineup that may include as many as six different men who previously finished among the top two at the contest. As Robin Chang, the man responsible for organizing bodybuilding’s biggest weekend explains, “This year’s Olympia will take our sport to a level we have never seen before. Those who attend will witness a level of competition that few have ever seen. Our 15th year in Vegas promises to be one for the ages.”


Last year’s Mr. Olympia was very much a battle between defending champion Phil Heath and archrival Kai Greene. It was a bitter dogfight until the very end, with Phil emerging victorious – and many thought that this year’s Mr. Olympia would end up being an epic rematch between Phil and Kai. That was until last May, when a 285-pound beast from the Middle East named Mamdouh Elssbiay swept the New York Pro with jaw-dropping authority in his pro debut. Industry buzz began that the man known as “Big Ramy” had a legitimate change of making history this year in Las Vegas by becoming the first man to ever win the Mr. Olympia on his first attempt. “Is the Beast from the Middle East a Real Threat?” MD experts Shawn Ray, George Farah, Charles Glass, Hany Rambod, Flex Wheeler, Kevin Levrone, Ronnie Coleman, and Dorian Yates weigh in just how big Ramy could be this year.


This year’s Mr. Olympia is shaping up to be one of the most hotly contested in years, and Team MD champions Dexter Jackson, Branch Warren. Victor Martinez, Dennis Wolf, Evan Centopani, Johnnie Jackson, Steve Kuclo, and Jose Raymond are putting their heart and soul into gut-wrenching workouts for the chance to prove they are the best in the world. In “Team MD Olympia Training Camp: Our Stars Prep for the Biggest Show in Bodybuilding!” In Depth and only in MD, follow along with how each man is preparing for the contest every bodybuilder dreams of competing in. Some of these Team MD athletes have been in the top five of the Mr.Olympia on numerous occasions, some have come just one place away from the ultimate title, and one even has the coveted Sandow trophy on his mantle and would love to earn another.


The rest of the book is packed to the binder as usual – with all the latest cutting-edge research and information on bodybuilding by the industry experts and insiders who make it all happen. See you at the Olympia!

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