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To find the perfect sleep schedule for bodybuilding, I think we should look at the top professional bodybuilders. 4 time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler said in a Q&A session that he gets 8-9 hours of sleep in the off-season, but only 4 hours while preparing for a contest. I have two questions about this style of bodybuilding sleep schedule:

  1. Why does he change his hours of sleep depending on the season?
  2. By sleeping 8-9 hours in the off-season, Jay Cutler is somewhere in the "long sleepers" range according to this poster. Is he putting on unnecessary fat as the poster says or does the poster only apply to sedentary people?
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    Your title asks a different question than the text of your question. Also, the FAQ suggests that "you should only ask practical, answerable questions based on actual problems that you face."
    – user3085
    Jun 24, 2012 at 23:25
  • Do you have a fitness question for yourself or just curious? Did you send him an email asking why he changes his sleep patterns? Jun 25, 2012 at 19:49
  • I ask questions about Jay Cutler's sleep schedule because he is an all-star in bodybuilding and I could learn from him. He is not reachable by email. That's like emailing Micheal Jordan for basketball tips - you won't get a response.
    – JoJo
    Jun 26, 2012 at 16:17
  • And what works for him may not work for you. Try it and see how things go. Jun 26, 2012 at 16:56
  • It's entirely possible that what he does isn't deliberate. I know I get nervous when I have a competition coming up, and I end up just not sleeping as much when that happens. It's not that I'm trying to sleep less, it's that I couldn't sleep more even if I wanted to.
    – Robin Ashe
    Jun 26, 2012 at 17:35

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References from T-nation support getting a lot of sleep.

Get in a 9-12 hour night at least once or twice weekly. (Things you didn't know about sleep)

And how much?

Your body knows how much sleep it needs. When it’s had enough it’ll wake up on its own. (The big sleep)

If you don't get enough sleep:

performance on "real" compound lifts like bench press, squats, and deadlifts will decrease. (The big sleep, and The effect of partial sleep deprivation on weight-lifting performance)

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