Bodybuilder Chris Bumstead might jump into the Men’s Open division before his career is all said and done. Joining his coach Hany Rambod for a recent interview, Cbum discussed how competing has changed since the birth of his daughter and also teased possibly defeating Derek Lunsford next year in the Open at 310 pounds.
A torn bicep didn’t stop Chris Bumstead from winning the Olympia and a torn lat didn’t prevent him from another title last year. Adversity or not, Cbum’s ironclad championship mentality has helped him reach unprecedented heights as a Classic Physique IFBB Pro.
Boasting five Classic Physique Olympia titles (2019-2023), the Canadian native has remained undefeated since first earning the honor against Breon Ansley. Although life has changed with a newborn baby, he is more determined than ever to lay waste to his competition on the horizon. And given his dominance, many have wondered if he would one day test his resolve in the Men’s Open at Mr. Olympia.
CBum Continues to Consider Move to Open, Discusses His Goals for the 2024 Mr. Olympia
While he and Rambod appeared to be joking, Bumstead says a part of him wants to bulk up to 310 pounds and take out Derek Lunsford in the Open next year.
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“Yeah, 310-pound Cbum, 305,” said Bumstead. “I’m absolutely going to get to 300 pounds and compete in the Open next year and beat Derek Lunsford. That’s it.”
According to Bumstead, there are no step-by-step programs to be the best in the world; he believes it comes from self-discovery.
“High performers achieve things, and really high-performing people are like artists. There’s no step-by-step program that you can follow to be the best.
And even if you had a step-by-step program that you made and you gave it to yourself and you try to get there by following the program rather than finding yourself along the way, you wouldn’t achieve the same result. There’s so much stuff that you do that can’t be explained by science it’s just stuff that you learned.”
Despite feeling less pressure than ever for his upcoming title defense, Bumstead refuses to dismiss the chances of his rivals.
“Does Chris still want it bad enough? Why is he still doing another one? Why would he go for six? Why would he go for seven? Why is he still doing it? And is he hungry enough to beat these guys that are hungry as hell who have been behind him for five to six years who want to kick his ass? I feel like there’s a lot of pressure on that.”
“I just feel so much less of it [pressure] than I have in the past. So much less external pressure than I do on myself of just wanting this to be my best year yet. I had all these things going on, 2021, absolute chaos, 2022 the bicep tear, 2023 the lat tear. I’ve just had all these things hit me and I just really want this year to be my best year.”
Looking ahead, Bumstead plans to replicate the conditioning of his 2022 Olympia package while retaining the fullness that was on display at the 2023 Olympia.
“I want to combine the conditioning of 2022 with the size of 2023 and more and just come in at my absolute best. And I think we’re lined up to be able to do so this year,” says Cbum.
Having welcomed a daughter into the world, Bumstead admits his outlook on competing has changed:
“I’ve been looking at competition differently and now it kind of just reaffirmed that. What I’m really working for and what I really care about, rather than just like championships and winning and wanting to be the best. It evolved more into the personal growth that I get from it. The ability that my story inspires other and helps others.”
To mentally prepare for contests, Bumstead says he self-sabotages because he knows how well he thrives under pressure.
“You put yourself in this hole, where you’re just like a I feel like shit, the cards are stacked against me and then you’re like, ‘Now I can start.’ We’ve talked about this too. It’s almost like I sabotage myself to get this edge and hunger, well now I’m behind so I gotta kick ass.
And I thrive under that pressure. Everything is stacked against me and I’m like watch me now. My goal this year is to not put myself in that hole and to still be able to lift myself up just from my pride and what I can do, my passion for wanting to be my best,” said Cbum.
If Bumstead hopes to walk away with a sixth Classic Physique Olympia title this October, he’ll have to get through a handful of top-tier contenders, including, Ramon Queiroz, Wesley Vissers, and Urs Kalecinski. Many fans believe Vissers has a solid shot at Bumstead’s throne considering his tall stature and success at the 2024 Arnold Classic Ohio and UK shows.
While Bumstead has mentioned plans to retire in two years at 30 years old, for now, his focus remains locked into the 2024 Mr. Olympia competition, which is set to celebrate its historic 60th anniversary later this year 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
Watch the full video from the Hany Rambod YouTube channel below:
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