Classic Physique juggernaut Chris Bumstead is making gains in the off-season as he continues to hone his physique for Mr. Olympia in Dec. In a recent post on his Instagram page, Bumstead trains lower body with standard back squats and Bulgarian split squats.
It’s one thing to win the biggest show of the year once, but to repeat the accomplishment on three separate occasions is nothing short of extraordinary. Maintaining a physique capable of winning Mr. Olympia is a monumental task and “C-Bum” understands how important a diet can be regardless of what stage of prep he’s in.
During bulking season, Chris admits he ingests over 5,000 calories a day. This diet was vital to his off-season development because Chris was diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2021 and lost a considerable amount of weight.
As one of the most popular bodybuilders in the sport, Chris has received heaps of praise for his willingness to share his workouts and diet plans with fans. Bumstead is often seen training alongside his brother-in-law, Iain Valliere. Despite the two bodybuilders competing in different divisions, they continue to make improvements to their physiques by pushing each other.
Chris Bumstead Squats Massive Weight As 2022 Olympia Prep Continues
In a recent post on his Instagram page, Bumstead crushes a couple of squat workouts as he aims to pack on muscle in the coming months.
“Just want to be big and strong when I grow up. Please and thank you🙏🏼” Chris Bumstead posted.
During the first clip, Bumstead is seen firing off barbell back squats with six plates attached on each side of the barbell totaling 585 lbs, with six reps. In the next video, Chris hits Bulgarian split squats with a pair of heavy dumbbells for 11 reps until failure on the 12th rep.
Back squats are great exercises for strengthening the lower body. These motions target the gluteus maximus, minimus and medius, hamstrings, adductor, hip flexors, and calves muscles. In addition, back squats also target core muscles too, which include rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and erector spinae.
Bulgarian split squats, on the other hand, are the ultimate leg builder workout, and they primarily work the glutes and quads muscles. In addition to that, it also targets the hamstrings, calves, and adductors.
Despite his dominance shown in Classic Physique, Chris has mentioned in a previous interview with renowned coach, Hany Rambod that he plans to compete in Men’s Open at least once before he retires. According to Chris, his diet would be affected more than his training if he were to seriously contemplate a move into Men’s Open. Given his aesthetic look and size, many believe Chris could have a major impact on the sport even outside of his normal division.
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With a desire to maintain muscle in the off-season, Chris is making gains during his time away from competition. After two brutal squat routines, Bumstead is pushing the limit in hopes of repeating the success he’s enjoyed at Olympia for the last three years.
