Chris Bumstead is on to new beginnings after earning his sixth and final Classic Physique Olympia title. In a recent YouTube video shared on October 25, 2024, he discussed mastering bodybuilding, the future of Classic Physique, staying jacked, and documenting his progress.
The unpredictable nature of the Mr. Olympia contest was on full display in 2024. Fans expected Wesley Vissers and Ramon Queiroz to push Bumstead to the brink of defeat, but that’s not how things played out. Instead, it was German sensation Mike Sommerfeld who gave the Canadian champion a run for his money. When the smoke cleared, it was revealed that ‘Cbum’ only defeated ‘Mike the Badass’ by a mere three points on the scorecards.
Meanwhile, Urs Kalecinski presented the best look of his career to take third place with Ramon Queiroz missing the mark in fourth. Shortly after raising gold above his head, Bumstead retired from the sport at age 29. And although we won’t get to see him perform on stage anymore, Bumstead has made it clear that he’s not going anywhere.
Chris Bumstead Talks Next Chapter After ‘Mastering Bodybuilding’: “It Was Time to End That Journey”
Bumstead felt like he finally mastered bodybuilding, having tested himself at a total of eight Mr. Olympias throughout his decorated career.
“It’s definitely a bittersweet thing to be stepping away from something that I’ve truly can confidently say that I mastered, like in all aspects of it.
When I think of someone asking me like what it takes to become a champion I feel like it’s mastery in all aspects before you’re a champion not just like being a bodybuilder but the trust you have in your body, the way you treat people, the way you act, the way people talk about you behind closed doors.”
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He likened his preparations to art and said he was in a constant state of flow to bring his all-time greatest physique.
“This year was like the culmination of feeling like a master at something. I was so calm all of peak week, the end of my prep. I was super chill, zen. I was very confident in my abilities. I just believed that I was going to win more so than I ever had.”
“It wasn’t like a stress of what needs to get done. It was like art, it was flow, just pure flow state, whatever the fuck you define as flow state. My mind and body were just flowing through prep and I knew what I needed to do to win the Olympia.”
He admitted that ‘a little bit of my fire was gone,’ but persevered to once again lay claim to gold.
“It was time to end that journey. A little bit of my fire was gone. That grit it takes in those shitty moments just to push through I could tell it was diminishing and I didn’t want to be that guy who got lazy and forgot what hard work was or lost his passion and kept pushing just for egotistical reasons.”
In his opinion, Classic Physique is the greatest division in the IFBB Pro League, and believes someone truly special will take his place in due time.
“Someone special is going to step in my shoes because there have been a hell of an amazing group of guys that I’ve been competing against for the last eight years of the Olympia,” said Bumstead. “I’m hoping someone steps up their game, I hope they all step up their games and this division becomes even fucking crazier than it is right now because Classic Physique is the greatest division in my opinion.”
Even though he’s moving on to a new chapter in his life, Bumstead still plans to stay jacked, produce YouTube content, and document his journey beyond the stage.
“It’s not the end of YouTube so don’t stress about that. It’s not the end of me trying to put on lots of muscle and be jacked and all that fun stuff. It’s just less Mr. Olympia-style,” he adds. “
If the stakes weren’t high enough at the Classic Physique Olympia next year, they are now. Chris Bumstead revealed plans to increase the Classic Physique prize money at the prestigious contest in 2025, revealing that it will come out of his own pocket.
The upcoming 2025 Arnold Classic will be a telling event as athletes from Classic Physique aim to establish themselves as the next heir to ‘Cbum’s’ throne. Bumstead plans to continue monitoring the division that turned him into a star and assured fans this won’t be the last time you hear from him.
Watch the full video from the Chris Bumstead YouTube channel below:
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