Adversity always rears its head when Chris Bumstead is preparing for a bodybuilding competition and this year is no different. In a recent Instagram post published on August 23, 2024, Bumstead revealed the biggest challenge of his 2024 Mr. Olympia prep, which he says is stress.
Chris Bumstead is the winningest Olympia competitor from the Classic Physique category, having acquired five titles since 2019. In the process of cementing himself as one of the strongest talents in the IFBB Pro League, Bumstead has conquered massive names in the division, such as former two-time champion Breon Ansley, Arnold Classic titleholder Ramon Rocha Queiroz, Terrence Ruffin, and Urs Kalecinski.
Although Bumstead has mentioned that he wants to retire at 30 years old, his focus on gold hasn’t wavered ahead of the biggest show of the year. He’s watched competitors slowly come into their own this year, mainly Welsey Vissers, a Dutch powerhouse who shocked the world by stringing together a pair of dominant victories at the 2024 Arnold Classic Ohio and UK contests. While Visserrs took seventh in his last Olympia showing in 2023, it’s clear he’s improved immensely since then.
Being challenged with obstacles comes with the territory for Chris Bumstead. En route to solidifying his reign, he’s faced countless injuries such as a torn bicep, and most recently, a torn lat, which still didn’t prevent him from winning his fifth Classic Physique Olympia title.
Level 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!
Chris Bumstead Says Stress The Biggest Obstacle in Way to Winning 6th Title at 2024 Mr. Olympia
As a new father, fans are curious how the pressure of being a parent will affect Bumstead’s bodybuilding career. From all accounts, he appears to be embracing the new chapter in his life, having recently showcased newfound strength at the gym after demolishing 150-pound incline dumbbell presses for slow and controlled reps. With the show approaching, Cbum let fans walk a mile in his shoes, expressing what has been the most difficult mountain to overcome this season.
“I would say the biggest challenge I’ve faced is not letting bodybuilding compound all my other stresses in life. I’ve spoken about this before but bodybuilding is a perfectionist sport and I feel like I need to be perfect to win the Olympia and kind of rightfully so.”
Bumstead reveals that when he gets stressed, it becomes a downward spiral impacting multiple aspects of his life.
“So when something stresses me out and it ruins my sleep, it makes me tired, it takes my head out of the game, you know I show up to the gym and I just don’t feel excited to train. I feel lethargic. My head is somewhere else. I’m thinking of some email, text, or something to do with the baby or whatever and I’m not in the workout.”
He worries that stress could be the culprit that stops him from winning a sixth Classic Physique Olympia title.
“I then stress that it’s going to ruin that workout, ruin that sleep, and set me back from winning the Olympia. So instead of it just being a stressful day, it’s a stressful day that’s taking me away from winning the Olympia. Stress compounds into stuff exponentially much worse when I have the goal of the Olympia three months down the line where I feel like everything needs to be perfect for me to win that.”
“So my biggest obstacle is just understanding that stress is going to happen no matter what and if I can get in my head stressing about the stress, it only creates more stress.”
Bumstead broke down some of the measures he’s taken to minimize stress in the lead up to his title defense.
“It’s the stress inception, just literally trying to sit with it, feel it as it’s coming up as it’s arising through my body, let it go through me, and move on to the next thing. Finding ways to be present while I’m at the gym, making sure to get everything out of the way.”
With these ‘checks and balances’ he hopes to walk away with gold once again.
“Whether before or after so I can focus on what I need to do at the gym. Put my phone in airplane mode so when I check my program I don’t need to see a bunch of bullshit. Just keeping a bunch of checks and balances in place so that my stress isn’t compiling into more than it needs to be. Now I’m someone who gets in my head a lot and I overthink so managing that is probably the biggest thing I’ve got to handle” Bumstead explained.
From sleep disturbances to business obligations, Bumstead refuses to let the pressures of daily life get in the way of his sixth Classic Physique Olympia title. Bodybuilding fans and veterans have lofty expectations of the Canadian champion.
Of late, retired IFBB Pro Dennis James and Chris Cormier discussed his future. According to ‘The Menace,’ this October could be the last time we ever see Chris Bumstead compete on a bodybuilding stage (even though the Classic Physique star has hinted at a future move into the Men’s Open). Moreover, Dennis James predicts that Chris Bumstead will bring his all-time best physique to the stage at the nearing 2024 Mr. Olympia contest.
While managing stress can be a difficult endeavor while in prep for the most consequential bodybuilding contest of his career, Chris Bumstead plans to live in the moment and embrace every emotion leading up to his title defense. Don’t miss the action later this year when the 2024 Mr. Olympia returns for its 60th anniversary from October 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
RELATED: Chris Bumstead Shares 4,551-Calorie Full Day Of Eating in Off-Season 15 Weeks from 2024 Mr. Olympia
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
