Four-time Mr. Olympia winner Jay Cutler recently spoke about a crucial aspect of bodybuilding training that many people get wrong. While you’ll hear the term ‘range of motion,’ many don’t talk about it in correlation to muscle isolation. However, the 51-year-old former Mr. Olympia cleared the confusion because many people had asked him for his opinion regarding the same.

“So muscle isolation versus full range of motion. Now, it’s a really confusing thing,” said Jay Cutler in his Instagram reel. Cutler introduced a third element into the mix. The 50-year-old said that he often pays attention to time under tension. “Sometimes my rep range is a little short, but it is the full extension,” said Cutler. On top of this, he also makes sure to isolate the target muscle.

“So yes, full range of motion. But muscle isolation is also important,” explained the bodybuilder, adding that if you relax the muscle at any point in the movement to further extend the range of motion, then muscle isolation and time under tension suffer. The muscle grows when it’s under tension, and you have the mind-muscle connection to isolate the target muscle.

However, relaxing the target muscle at any point in the movement reduces time under tension. So you shouldn’t chase range of motion at the cost of muscle isolation. The Comeback Kid also demonstrated what he explained. Jay Cutler showed how his range of motion in machine row might look shorter. However, at no point in his movement did he relax his back and traps.

The 50-year-old said forming the mind-muscle connection to isolate the muscle may take longer than mastering the range of motion. However, “you will figure it out in a short period of time,” reassured Jay Cutler. Recently, the former Mr. Olympia had also explained how to improve one’s mind-muscle connection.

Jay Culter recommends consistency

A couple of months ago, Jay Cutler explained the necessity of the mind-muscle connection and why it takes time to develop. “The central nervous system needs time to develop a ‘connection’ with exercises,” said the three-time Arnold Classic champion. While you may do an exercise with perfect form, it takes time for the central nervous system to adjust to the movement.

This is why exercise execution improves with time. Even aspects like range of motion, control, and especially muscle isolation improve when the body develops the mind-muscle connection. So Jay Cutler said you need to be consistent with your training routine to master each movement and get the most out of it. Cutler also recommended three weeks of intense training, followed by a week of light training with the same movements to give the nervous system time to recover.

As Jay Cutler reveals, range of motion, time under tension, and muscle isolation are all connected. However, mastering muscle isolation may take more time to achieve.