Chris Bumstead will finally test himself in the Men’s Open division at the 2024 EVLS Prague Pro. In a collaboration shared via YouTube on October 29, 2024, ‘Cbum’ and Martin Fitzwater took part in an intense leg workout less than three weeks from their battle on stage in the Czech Republic.
It’s been an eventful few months for Chris Bumstead. He won his sixth consecutive Classic Physique Olympia title in Las Vegas, Nevada after defeating runner-up Mike Sommerfeld and third-place finisher Urs Kalecinski in the finals. Shortly after the triumph, he announced his retirement. However, fans didn’t realize he was stepping away from Classic Physique and not the sport altogether.
After teasing a splash in the Men’s Open for years, Bumstead will finally make good on his fans’ greatest wish. Bumstead will test his mettle in a division devoid of weight restrictions and will face top-caliber Open Pros on the Prague stage, including Martin Fitzwater, who is fresh off taking fourth place in his debut at the Mr. Olympia.
Chris Bumstead and Martin Fitzwater Attack Leg Day Training Weeks from 2024 EVLS Prague Pro
Find their exercise selections below:
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- Hip Adductor Machine – Warmups
- Leg Extension Machine
- Hip Press Machine
- Hack Squat Machine
- Unilateral Leg Press Machine
- Unilateral Leg Extension Machine
- Lying Hamstring Curl Machine & Calf Raises
Hip Adductor Machine – Warmups
Bumstead and Fitzwater get the blood flowing with warmup sets on the hip abductor machine, offering two useful tips for reducing injuries and targeting specific muscles more effectively throughout each repetition.
Tip: Abductors help stabilize the knee by providing medial support, preventing it from caving inward during movements like squats and lunges. They also maintain hip-knee alignment, ensuring even force distribution and reducing injury risk.
Tip #2: Squeeze sets enhance muscle activation by increasing time under tension. They also improve mind-muscle connection, helping you target specific muscles more effectively during a workout.
Leg Extension Machine
Bumstead and Fitzwater discussed their bench press max between sets on the leg extension machine.
“I think I would rather be like you though, have a big ass chest and not be strong on pressing than to be able to bench big and have a fuckin small chest because that’s definitely what I’ve always had. I’ve been able to do 405 since I was a sophomore in high school,” said Fitzwater.
“My like one-rep max ever was 405. I’ve done 410 and a five in college, I did that like one and a half reps and failed on the second rep,” said Bumstead. “It just never got better.”
Tip: Break limits and pushing past failure is how you really know what you’re capable of. You can’t be scared to fail, you have to be comfortable with failing and continuing to give your all so you can break your own expectations and build new milestones.
Hip Press Machine
Fitzwater prefers the hip press machine for quad development. He also credited the movement for helping build his glutes.
“I love this one man, this is my favorite for quads. I feel like it’s the best press and it gets a little bit of glute for me which I can’t fucking get glute on most stuff for some reason. I really like to band it down,” explains Fitzwater.
Hack Squat Machine
Ahead of his splash in the Open division, Bumstead discussed the diet challenges he’s dealing with. Fitzwater and ‘Cbum’ attached multiple 45s to the hack squat machine with a steep platform and fired off sets.
“I fucked myself yesterday. You ever get so full where you can’t breathe in your diaphragm? Then, I’m breathing into my neck and my neck gets even more fucked,” said Bumstead. “The first warmup after the first press movement you’re like I can’t do this and then you’re like okay [I can] there’s just too much blood.”
Tip: Negative sets are beneficial because they focus on the eccentric phase of the lift, where muscles are stronger and can handle more resistance, leading to greater muscle breakdown and growth. They also enhance control and stability, which improves overall strength and reduces injury risk.
Unilateral Leg Press Machine
They tried Fitzwater’s 21s variation on the unilateral leg press machine.
“21 guns?” asks Bumstead. “Seven, seven, seven? Bottom half, top half, full [range of motion]?”
Tip: The single-leg leg press helps correct muscle imbalances by allowing you to focus on each leg individually, promoting balanced strength and development. It also increases core and stabilizer muscle engagement, improving overall lower body stability and coordination.
Unilateral Leg Extension Machine
Bumstead revealed his two favorite packages on the Classic Physique Olympia stage during unilateral leg extensions.
“’18 was the most memorable year for me for growth but I lost that year. Yeah, but probably 2020, the second year I won or this year were my favorite.”
Lying Hamstring Curl Machine & Calf Raises
For the final push, Bumstead and Fitzwater utilize the lying hamstring curl machine and train their calves.
“We’ll do a little calves with it,” said Cbum.
“You have better calves than me,” replied Fitzwater. “These are purely from walking.”
“Well, then you have better calves than me because if I don’t train mine for six months they’re fucking twigs. They grow when I train them but they shrink immediately.”
Even though Bumstead won’t be competing in Classic Physique anymore, he still plans to influence the division that helped him become a star. He intends to raise the Classic Physique Olympia prize money in 2025, revealing that he will use his own money to raise the stakes.
The future of Chris Bumstead remains unclear. Should he claim a victory at the 2024 EVLS Prague Pro, perhaps he’ll consider trying his luck in the Open at the next Mr. Olympia. Though, if he hopes to make that a reality, he’ll have to get past Martin Fitzwater — the fourth-best bodybuilder in the world.
Watch the full video from the Martin Fitzwater YouTube channel below:
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