Chris Bumstead visited his coach Hany Rambod’s gym and teamed up with Hadi Choopan for an intense back workout. Bumstead and Choopan are two of Rambod’s most accomplished pupils and have both climbed to the absolute top of the competitive bodybuilding world.
Canada’s Chris Bumstead competes in the Classic Physique division of the IFBB Pro League. He has won the Classic Physique Olympia title five consecutive times – from 2019 to 2023 – to become the most dominant champion in the division’s history. The 29-year-old has faced several adversities to stay at the top. However, he is now in the twilight of his career.
Meanwhile, Hadi Choopan has maneuvered around travel restrictions and geopolitical issues to become a top contender in the Men’s Open division. ‘The Persian Wolf’ won the 2022 Mr. Olympia title by defeating Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay. Unfortunately, he lost to Derek Lunsford at the 2023 Olympia and now aims to get the mojo by winning the 2024 Arnold Classic.
Chris Bumstead and Hadi Choopan go through a back workout
Chris Bumstead, who is slowly increasing the diet and training intensity for the 2024 off-season, recently joined Coach Hany Rambod in the gym. The famed coach guided ‘CBum’ and Hadi Choopan, who arrived in the USA for the 2024 Arnold Classic, through a back workout.
Overall, the workout consisted of:
- Lat Pulldown – 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
- Seated Rows – 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
- T-Bar Rows – 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
- Chest-Supported T-Bar Rows – 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
- Straight Arm Cable Pulldowns – 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
- Cable Face Pulls – 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
- Machine Rear Delt Raises – 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
- Dumbbell Rear Delt Raises on Spider Bench – 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Lat Pulldown
Rambod instructed Bumstead and Choopan to commence the workout with lat pulldown. The duo performed the exercise on the plate-loaded Panatta Super Lat Pulldown Circular Machine to work the latissimus dorsi muscles. Rambod reinforced that using different grips (overhand, underhand, and neutral) is essential for the complete development of muscles.
Seated Rows
Horizontal pulling movements like seated rows are crucial for imparting thickness to the back. The bodybuilder duo pushed through some solid sets of rows on the plate-loaded Panatta rowing machine to work the mid-back and the latissimus dorsi.
T-Bar Rows
CBum and Choopan tackled the two variations of T-bar rows to stimulate the back muscles further. They started with the T-bar rows on a Panatta machine and switched over to the chest-supported variation, which offers more stability and focuses on the target muscles.
Cable Straight Arm Pulldowns
This cable machine exercise followed next as the bodybuilder duo took a break from heavy compound movements. Cable straight-arm pulldowns are one of the few effective isolation movements for the back. Rambod noted that it is essential to control the load during the eccentric phase to get the most out of this movement.
Cable Face Pulls
Bumstead and Choopan worked the upper back muscles to add the last bit of momentum in the back muscles and shifted their focus on the posterior deltoids next.
Rear Delt Raises
Machine rear delt raises on Panatta machine served as the first movement to target the posterior deltoids. Bumstead and Choopan executed a few good sets of the exercise and Rambod instructed them to wrap up the workout with a unique movement.
Dumbbell Rear Delt Raises on Spide Bench
Rambod next guided the bodybuilders to do the dumbbell rear delt raises on the spider bench with a slight bend in the elbows. The movement resembled the combination of rear delt raises and incline rows. According to the famed coach, this set-up helps engage the rear delts, rhomboids, and lower traps.
The famed bodybuilders wrapped up the training session after getting a few sets of this exercise under their belts.
The 2024 Arnold Classic is set to take place from March 1-3 in Columbus, Ohio. It is the first major pro show of the year and Hadi Choopan will attempt to get the momentum on his side with a potential win at the show. Meanwhile, Chris Bumstead has to stay ahead of the division to score his sixth consecutive Classic Physique Olympia win in 2024.
Watch the full workout video below, courtesy of Hany Rambodd’s YouTube channel:
Catch comprehensive coverage of the 2025 Arnold Classic, including pre-judging, event recaps, analyses, and complete Arnold Classic results at our Arnold Classic coverage hub: FitnessVolt.com/arnold-classic
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
