Chris Bumstead is refining his diet to ensure he steps on the stage at his all-time best even though he has to drop 12 pounds to make the weight limit. In a recent YouTube video shared on September 16, 2024, Bumstead showcased a 2,806-calorie full day of eating to get shredded for his title defense at the 2024 Mr. Olympia. He also shared common supplements he takes before training.
“I’m going to be taking you guys through as promised a full day of eating about six weeks out from the Olympia.
My weight is right in the mid 250s right now, I still got to lose 12 pounds to make weights, 13, 12 pounds-ish right around there. So diet is pretty low. Just did 45 minutes of cardio I do that every single day.”
With a ‘low’ diet on tap, Chris Bumstead isn’t playing games when it comes to his upcoming title defense. Having acquired five Classic Physique Olympia trophies since 2019, he’s easily become the most dominant champion this IFBB Pro division has seen.
Last year, he left Orlando, Florida victorious despite suffering from a lat tear during preparations. What often holds athletes back from success, won’t for Chris Bumstead, who has faced adversity in each of his triumphs on the grand stage. From calculated food selections to a cabinet of supplements ready to be consumed, Bumstead’s holistic approach has worked for him thus far.
Check Out The 2,806-Calorie Shredding Diet Chris Bumstead Is Using to Drop 12 Lbs for the 2024 Mr. Olympia
View this post on InstagramGet Fitter, FasterLevel Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
Meal 1
- 150 grams of hash browns
- 40 grams of oats
- Four egg whites
- 2 whole eggs scrambled
- Protein powder (1 scoop)
Bumstead kicks off his morning with his biggest meal of the day.
“I mixed up the best GOAT protein ever, the dark chocolate RAW protein. I have this every day and I never get sick of it. Mix that up with the 40 grams of oats”
“It’s 606 calories, 63 grams of protein, 14 fat, 57 carbs. So, this is my biggest meal of the day for sure. I break my fast with this I haven’t eaten in 13 hours almost.”
Meal 2
- 200 grams Wild Alaskan Cod
- Asparagus
- 200 grams of white rice
Abandoning his old adage ‘eating shredded lettuce makes you shredded,’ Bumstead decided to give that up this prep. He finished off his second meal of cod, rice, and asparagus before moving on with his day.
“500 calories, 55 carbs, seven grams of fat, 46 grams of protein, so yeah, nice and delicious. I really don’t have much else to say other than that. But I am going to say that I’m very sad. I used to eat shredded lettuce to get shredded and I’ve been eating lettuce lately and it makes me super bloated lately.”
Pre-Workout Supplementation
- BUM Pre-Workout (Thavage)
- 1 scoop of pump
- Resveratrol (red grape seed extract)
- Cognism
- Alpha GPC
- Huperzine
- Arginine
- Horny Goat Weed
- Salt
- Multimineral
Meal 3
- 200 grams of white rice
- 200 grams of cod
- Asparagus
- Sky Valley Siracha sauce
Although he finds his diet boring, Bumstead knows what it takes to be the best in the world.
“In light of the secrets of being Mr. Olympia, there’s nothing special behind what I do. I could repeat this till I’m blue in the face. There’s nothing special that I do every single day. There’s nothing special about my diet I just eat the same thing every single fucking day for 10 years and that is what it is that’s why these full day of eatings are so damn boring.”
Meal 4
- 150 grams of baked Mashed sweet potatoes
- 200 grams of Chicken
- Asparagus
For convenience, Bumstead and Courtney King like to prepare mashed sweet potatoes because it’s easier to measure out at each meal.
“559 calories, 61 grams of protein. Oh yeah, the sweet potato is literally just baked. Just throw a full sweet potato in the oven, pull out all the mash, and put it into Tupperware so it’s easier to eat, fill up, and weigh out as needed.
Potatoes are one of the harder things to eat because you can cook them in different ways, like if you cook them in crispy like Courtney did that they lose a lot more volume, they weigh less, but still have the same amount of carbs in them,” he shared.
Meal 5
- Chicken
- Pickles
Saving the best for last, Chris Bumstead finished off his day with a meal fit for a king: cold chicken and pickles.
“This might be the part of prep where I start doing weird shit and people are going to judge me on the internet but I have pickles with cold chicken for my last meal. Good crunchy dill pickles kosher of course, because there’s zero calories and chicken that’s cold. I don’t know why it just tastes good.”
Total Macros for the Day
- Calories: 2,806
- Protein: 320 grams
- Carbs: 204 grams
- Fats: 67 grams
The reigning five-time Classic Physique champion will face new challenges at the ultimate summit of bodybuilding. Most notably, fans are frothing out their mouths to see him face off against Dutch sensation Wesley Vissers, who compiled two consecutive victories this season at the 2024 Arnold Classic Ohio and UK shows. Vissers has previewed his battle with Bumstead and plans to expose his weaknesses, citing the champ’s shallower leg separation.
In addition, the usual suspects will be on deck, which includes former AC champion Ramon Queiroz and Urs Kalecinski, who believes he’s the ‘guy’ to take out Bumstead this year. Ex-two-time Olympia titleholder Breon ‘The Black Swan’ Ansley will be in attendance as well, aiming to recapture the sport’s most wanted honor. Perhaps these contenders have a shot considering that Bumstead continues to tease his retirement by 30 years old (he’s 29 now).
With a diet of only 2,806 calories, Bumstead is inching toward his allotted weight cap for the Classic Physique division. Don’t miss his attempt at a title defense next month from October 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Watch the full video from Chris Bumstead’s YouTube channel below:
Relive every moment from the 2025 Mr. Olympia, including prejudging, highlights, expert analysis, and full results. Explore our Olympia hub: FitnessVolt.com/olympia. For minute-by-minute coverage, follow our Live Blog.
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
