Bodybuilder Chris Bumstead is expected to make his highly anticipated push into the Men’s Open division this weekend. Chris Aceto took part in an RxMuscle interview on November 11, 2024, where he discussed the pushback against Chris Bumstead’s ability to win an Open show and compared his best poses to Martin Fitzwater’s.
In October, Chris Bumstead succeeded in winning a sixth consecutive Classic Physique Olympia title. Before having the chance to bask in the glory of victory, Bumstead announced that he was retiring from the sport. Days after, he reversed courses and entered the 2024 EVLS Prague Pro, but as an Open competitor.
His sudden splash into the event has caused an uproar within the bodybuilding community. Opinions are mixed on how he might fare against mass monsters of the Open. While head judge Steve Weinberger believes Bumstead could do well in the category with no weight restrictions, others like Michal Krizo, believe he’d be lucky to crack the top three.
Martin Fitzwater will be one of Bumstead’s biggest hurdles to overcome in Prague. He will enter the contest overseas as the fourth-best bodybuilder in the world. With that in mind, bodybuilding coach Chris Aceto assessed how Bumstead would compare against ‘The Martian.’
Chris Aceto Explains ‘Pushback’ Against Chris Bumstead Competing in the Open, Compares His Best Poses with Martin Fitzwater
Previously, Aceto mentioned that if Bumstead prevailed in Prague, he guaranteed he would compete at the 2025 Mr. Olympia in the Open class. He believes there’s now some pushback against the possibility of Bumstead winning in his new division.
“I think that talk is to quell the uproar of, you know, there’s a little bit of pushback of like, there’s some pushback in bodybuilding that he can’t win an Open show.
And I don’t know if that’s true or not. I’m just saying there’s pushback. The idea that if he wins, that quote they, which I don’t believe, will push him to be Mr. Olympia. Meaning they, the judges, which I don’t believe. But that’s pushback.”
As for Bumstead’s claim that he doesn’t believe he could win in Prague, Aceto attributes it to posturing, suggesting that he made the statement as ‘his way of quelling the chatter’ surrounding his big move.
“I would interpret that as his way of quelling the chatter,” says Aceto. “But it’s going to be exciting because apparently, we’re not going to get the Classic look, he’s coming in bigger. And who knows? We’ll know within two seconds. We knew this was going to be Akim versus Rafael, and next week it’s going to be Bumstead versus Martin.”
Pose for pose, Aceto believes Fitzwater has the edge, particularly the front and back shots, except Bumstead’s front lat spread.
“Martin because he’s got giant quads. Yeah and he’s got very good arms,” shares Aceto. “No Martin’s a powerhouse there [in most muscular pose]. Martin [wins the back poses]. Martin has a very good back double and back lat spread.”
“I think Martin [wins abs and thigh] because Bumstead has a vacuum he doesn’t really have abs,” says Aceto.
Although there might be some ‘pushback,’ bodybuilders are largely in support of Bumstead’s chances in Prague. Nick Walker and retired Pro Mike O’Hearn both believe Bumstead could find success on the Prague stage despite his lack of experience in the Men’s Open division.
The bodybuilding community will have a clear idea of where Chris Bumstead’s future in the Open stands after this weekend. You won’t want to miss the 2024 EVLS Prague Pro show taking place November 16-17 in the Czech Republic!
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