Chris Bumstead hasn’t forgotten the winning formula that helped him become one of the sport’s most beloved stars. In a recent YouTube video, Bumstead reflected on his love of training and gave fans a glimpse into his mentality for the 2024 season.
From the moment he stepped foot on stage, the sport took notice of Chris Bumstead. His large clavicle bones, X-frame, and hard conditioning quickly set him apart from his peers. Capturing the Classic Physique Olympia throne in 2019, ‘Cbum’ has held the honor since, dispatching contender after contender en route to solidifying his legacy.
As with any highly dominant champion, Bumstead’s journey has been littered with obstacles that he overcame to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Setting his sights on a sixth Classic Physique Olympia crown, Bumstead opened up on where his head is at during this juncture of his career.
Chris Bumstead Discusses His Competitive Mentality in 2024 and Love of Training
Using the gym as a tool for handling stress, Bumstead had no idea his fitness journey would blossom into what it is today. Gradually, he fell in love with training as it became an outlet that helped him process difficult moments in his life.
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“I found love with being in the gym so much because it was a place where I could go to just push aside and avoid feeling anything stressful or hard going on in my life. And I could just get in the gym. I remember hitting deadlift Prs, squatting five plates, deadlifts five plates, and Good Life Fitness in Canada. I would always walk out of the gym feeling better than when I walked in.”
“And over time, I learned that just like a nagging injury, if you just push it down and avoid it eventually it will come back to haunt you with a vengeance. And so, if you asked me today, why I love training so much, it’s because at a young age it was an outlet that I needed when I didn’t know how to process difficult things.”
Taking a brief moment to look back on his achievements, Bumstead credited training for helping him meet the love of his life all while nabbing five Classic Physique Olympia titles.
“Then, it turned into the most amazing journey where I’ve been able to travel the world, win five Olympia titles back to back and meet the love of my life and the soon-to-be mother of my daughter.
But it was the same thing that I used the gym for that prevented me from being able to truly enjoy the beauty that was in my life.”
After winning his first Classic Physique Olympia title, ‘Cbum’ learned a valuable lesson, ‘that if you numb the bad, you numb the good.’
“This really hit me in 2019 when I won the Olympia for the first time. I stepped off stage and all I really felt was relief. I didn’t feel the joy that I thought I might have from accomplishing the goal I worked so hard to achieve. This taught me an invaluable lesson: this is what I spoke about in my speech this past year.
That is that if you numb the bad, you numb the good. This journey didn’t just teach me that lesson. It instilled the confidence in me to build the tools and the community to be able to process both the good and the bad so that I’m able to feel it all,” said Chris Bumstead.
A forever student of bodybuilding, Bumstead admits the sport has taught him how to conduct life as a champion, on and off the stage.
“This journey has taught me so many things. It’s taught me to believe in myself. It’s taught me to never fucking quit. And I think most importantly, it’s taught me that champions make their own rules. They have their own definitions of success. Mine didn’t have to be reliant on my performance, didn’t have to be reliant on the trophies, winning, it’s simply could be about being the best man I can be.”
“Putting in the most effort that I could. Being the best father I can be. The best husband I can be. Being a good role model to people who look up to me, trying to lead them down a path to joy and fulfillment rather than numbness that I have felt in the past. And it’s crazy that this all started in the gym, but it’s safe to say all this beauty in my life, all these lessons that I continue to learn, they are all thanks to training.”
Even though Bumstead has been enjoying his off-season, he understands that it’s the sacrifices away from the stage that make all the difference when competing at the highest level. He recently shared a full day of eating, where he emphasized that he planned to add size without getting fat.
With hungry contenders like Ramon Queiroz and Wesley Vissers in pursuit of his title, Bumstead has his hands full at the next Mr. Olympia. Fans look forward to seeing him go after a sixth Classic Physique Olympia trophy when the event returns to Las Vegas, Nevada for its 60th anniversary October 10-13.
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Watch the full video from the Raw Nutrition YouTube channel below:
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