Five-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead has garnered a substantial following and is easily one of the most popular bodybuilders on the planet. In a recent YouTube video, Chris Aceto, John Hansen, and Dave Palumbo delve into a discussion about the authenticity of Bumstead’s extensive Instagram following, questioning whether it is genuinely earned or if there might be other factors at play.
“I wanted to ask you that. Do you think the 22 million followers that Bumstead has are legit? Because 22 million is a lot… you know, what does Jay Cutler have Chris?” asks Palumbo.
Over the years, Chris Bumstead has become the embodiment of what the Classic Physique category represents. From his excellent muscle development to his small waist and accentuated V-taper, Bumstead exhibits the timeless proportions and symmetry reminiscent of the golden era.
Bumstead regularly shares his journey online where he has amassed millions of followers across multiple platforms. His ability to be transparent and open about his mental health, dieting, and fitness has earned him the trust of not only the bodybuilding community but those outside of it as well.
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However, it appears some big names in the sport believe his Instagram followers might be artificially inflated given that he boasts more than celebrities like Angelina Jolie.
Chris Aceto, Dave Palumbo Raise Eyebrows Over Chris Bumstead’s 22M Instagram Following: ‘Sounds Fishy’
In a recent YouTube video, Dave Palumbo and Chris Aceto take a closer look at the insane follower count Chris Bumstead has considering it blows big names like Jay Cutler out of the water.
“Patrick Bet-David said if he was his manager [of Cbum] he’d be calling the Olympia people and demanding that the Classic Physique guys get more money. I think the women bodybuilders have a better chance of getting more money than Classic Physique.”
“Jay is pretty damn popular, I can’t imagine like Bumstead having that much more than Jay. It’s not like you know, I don’t know, 20 million is like celebrity land.”
“That’s four times what Jay has,” said Palumbo.
Furthermore, Cbum’s Instagram audience surpassed the combined followers of bodybuilding legends Phil Heath, Jay Cutler, and Ronnie Coleman. Palumbo added that Cbum has more followers than actress Angelina Jolie.
“So Phil, Jay, Coleman combined they don’t rival Chris,” said Chris Aceto. “That seems a little fishy John Hansen.”
“He’s got more than Angelina Jolie, she has 15 million, added Palumbo. “If you’re at 20 million don’t you think people would like Versace, and these big companies being offering him big bucks to do a post for them? I mean 20 million followers right.”
Given his follower count on Instagram, Aceto doesn’t understand why mainstream advertisers like Diet Coke haven’t requested to work with him.
“If 20 million if that was a real number, you would have advertisers, mainstream advertisers like Diet Coke having you just take a picture with Diet coke” said Chris Aceto.
While Bumstead was just compared to Arnold Schwarzenegger on Patrick Bet-David’s podcast, it seems the similarities aren’t just limited to bodybuilding but also the influence they have on social media.
“So Bumstead is approaching Arnold territory [on Instagram followers]. 25 [million is what Arnold has]. That’s pretty impressive,” said Palumbo. “I mean Arnold is a big star. That’s… what I’m saying, 20 million is a lot of followers. That is not a small number.”
“He went from 20 to 22 million in like a month or something like that or a couple of months. So, Bumstead is gaining very rapidly and like I said, if they are legit, which I have no reason to believe they are not, then he should be making I don’t know how much money he’s making but he should be making some big money at this point.”
“You can usually tell if those accounts are fake by the responses. Like when they post something if they are not getting an equal like a proportionate number of responses comapred to how many followers they have, then it’s usually bullshit,” explains John Hansen.
Regardless of how he has earned such a massive following, some believe he may be missing out on a substantial amount of money.
“I can’t believe Nike hasn’t contacted this guy or something like that,” said Palumbo.
“Yeah he needs a new agent,” said John Hansen.
It is certainly understandable why so many people want to pay close attention to the five-time Classic Physique champion. From his hair transplant in Turkey to his preventative renal stem cell operation there is always something interesting going on with Cbum. Not to mention that he and fiancé Courtney King are expecting their first baby together early next year.
Fans, Dave Palumbo and coach Chris Aceto included, are excited to see what’s next for the reigning five-time Classic Physique Olympia winner. Taking his bodybuilding career year by year, the community expects to see Bumstead hunt down a sixth title next year.
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