'Ginat Killer' Shaun Clarida is back to chasing his Open Mr. Olympia title. After winning the Japan Pro 2025 in late November, the two-time 212 Olympia champion expressed his desire to compete at both weight classes during the 2026 Olympia. "He put out a statement, ‘I want to do both shows next year. I want to do Open, but will they let me do it?'" Jay Cutler noted.

"Well, they used to allow," Cutler explained, but wasn't sure if the IFBB still does. However, the four-time Mr. Olympia champion didn't really encourage Shaun Clarida to take on this challenge during an episode of Jaywalking.

Jay Cutler dismissed the idea of competing in multiple Olympia divisions as unrealistic and unprecedented. No athlete has ever attempted this in the history of the sport, and competing twice in two days could carry serious health drawbacks.

“Dude, you’re peaking for two shows in two different days. You’re depleted, you’re dehydrated. I don’t know how that would work,” said Jay Cutler.

The former Arnold Classic champ further added, “I think they just let them pick one of the other. He could just decide to do the Open and not do the 212. He’s still going, and John Jewett is training him now.”

But why is Cutler concerned about Clarida? Because the plan comes with a fatal flaw that cannot be ignored.

Jay Cutler is speaking from experience

The Olympia is the pinnacle of bodybuilding, where a single misstep can cost an athlete the title. Yet the most dangerous factor remains the extreme dehydration practices competitors use to reduce subcutaneous (extracellular) water for sharper definition.

And that's just on fo the physical side effects of preparing for just Mr. Olympia. In an episode of the Cutler Cast, the 52-year-old also spoke about the mental strain.

“To go to the gym every day and destroy yourself, you have to go to a really dark place, especially in those last few weeks,” he said. “You’re low on calories, you’re dizzy, you’re tired, and you’re still pushing yourself. We build up the body by eating tons of food, then all of a sudden you have to pull all the calories back to get on stage. It doesn’t make sense, right?” the veteran added.

While Shaun Clarida is no stranger to this feeling, Cutler thinks getting absolutely peeled for 212 and then going up in weight while maintaining conditioning for the Open may just be a bridge too far to cross.

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi