Four-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead takes to social media frequently sharing his thoughts about life and what really matters to him. Never one to shy away from his emotions, Bumstead confessed in a recent Instagram post that he encountered some tough obstacles during his latest prep for Olympia.
Chris Bumstead’s impressive stature and small waist as well as his insane conditioning has steered him to success in bodybuilding. Conquering the Classic physique stage in 2019, beating two-time winning Breon Ansley, Bumstead has continued to dominate the division with his latest victory taking place at the 2022 Olympia.
Though Chris Bumstead has commanded the competition for years, it hasn’t been without his fair share of adversity. The 28-year-old has often expressed that the pressures of the sport would weigh heavily on his mind during his training and even in the off-season. The persistent fear of failure is an obstacle Bumstead had to encounter often and it seems this year is no different.
Chris Bumstead Shocking Revelation On When To Call It Quits
With a knack for pushing the limits, Bumstead is determined to always be at his best on stage, whether it’s a matter of prepping or peaking. The reigning titleholder demonstrated this when he secured his fourth Classic Physique Olympia win despite having a torn bicep. Though Bumstead has made it clear he has no intention of slowing down, the four-time champ took fans by surprise again after discussing the possibility of retirement.
“But it’s also not as simple as “never quitting”. There will be a time where the difficult, but the right choice will be to hang it up” Chris Bumstead wrote.
Bumstead revealed that this year’s training has been difficult but nothing he hasn’t dealt with before. With the opportunity to use these hardships as a way to learn and grow, Chris Bumstead believes the outcome at 2023 Olympia will be extra rewarding.
“I won’t pretend like it’s all optimism, I can be pretty hard on myself and spend days feeling pretty discouraged.
I still spend time stressing about challenges when they arise, but that time is decreasing along with the shame of having those feelings at all.
I still have times I wish they never happened, but in the end when I’ve gone through all the ups and downs. The times where I’m motivated and the times I want to quit. I’ll be able to look back and know I allowed myself to feel those negative emotions, but I never submitted to them. That regardless of what happened, I woke up the next day and got back to work.
There are few things more rewarding than that.”
Chris Bumstead kept followers on the edge of their seats while expressing the importance of knowing when enough is enough. Ultimately, Cbum said he’s going to have to trust himself to ‘make the right choice’ when retirement is being considered.
“Sometimes it’s easier to stay stuck in the things making us miserable because they’re comfortably familiar, or maybe we’ve attached our identity to it. This is when quitting is the courageous decision, to step into the unknown.
Whether my heart or my body isn’t in it anymore, I’m going to have to trust myself to make the right decision.
That time may be soon, it may be far, I honestly don’t know.
All I know is that it is not right now.”
This wasn’t Bumstead’s first look into the future as he continues to set his sights on another Classic Physique Olympia victory. Recently, the Canadian native talked about his upcoming battle with fellow contender Ramon Queiroz. In line with his previous seasons, Bumstead accepts that he doesn’t need to worry about defeating any opponent in particular. Instead, he believes as long as he beats himself year-to-year, no one can stop him from remaining a dominant champion.
RELATED: Phil Heath Talks Chris Bumstead’s Legacy & Why He Won’t Use Trenbolone or Insulin
One of the reasons why Chris Bumstead is so successful is because of the commitment he has to remain mentally strong in the face of adversity. Fans look forward to seeing him go after a fifth Classic Physique title in two months at the 2023 Olympia contest.
Published: 4 September, 2023 | 3:45 PM EDT
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