Mr. Olympia gives insights into winning, before hosting his body competition

Arnold Schwarzenegger recently told “The Tim Ferriss Show” he won Mr. Olympia largely by believing in his vision to win, but also by telling rivals they looked fat to ruin their confidence.

So I asked Las Vegas’ own four-time Mr. Olympia, Jay Cutler, if Arnold’s statement resonated with him on any level.

“It does to a certain point,” said Cutler, who will host Saturday’s Jay Cutler Desert Classic body competitions at the Palms Pearl.

“Arnold has a certain charisma. He can play with people more than I tended to do,” said Cutler, who viewed Arnold and Sly Stallone as an inspirational icons. “I tended to let my body do the talking.”

But just like Arnold and other victors, Cutler definitely believes in positivity and self-confidence.

“This is a very mental sport. You have to have a strong mind to push yourself to the levels of training to get that ultimate physique,” Cutler said.

“You have to have a positive mindset,” he said, “to get on stage and perform, and to be able to psyche out your rivals, and to think and know you’re better than that other person.”

Cutler said he would “drown out all negativity” around him, in order to compete.

“Sometimes that requires selfishness,” Cutler said.

“Anyone that’s very successful at anything they do, they sacrificed a lot to get there,” he said. “That’s what makes a successful person — you have to put in your time. You have to put in the dedication and commitment to what you want to achieve.”

The annual Jay Cutler Desert Classic has two parts to it, pre-judging in the morning ($39), and Classic competitions in the evening ($53-$58).

Body people compete in a lot of categories for men, women, teens, “masters” and novices, for bodybuilding, figure staging, and bikini bods.

Cutler hasn’t competed since 2013. So he’s been staging shows like this one, in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas, and around the world.

Everybody has a next-legacy, hopefully. Arnold’s next legacy was being an actor, and then being a politician. For Cutler, this show is his next legacy of the moment.

“If you live life freely, you create your own legacy,” Cutler said.

“I think I’ve had a textbook kind of career — a kid comes from a small town, people don’t expect him to make the big time, I beat the odds, I’m fighting, fighting, fighting, I finally win the title, then I lose the title, then I win it again.

“It’s important for me now to give back, and see success in other pepole. I hope there’s another Jay Cutler in that competition, sooner or later.”