Chris Bumstead claimed his fifth Olympia title at the recently concluded 2023 Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend in Orlando, FL.
The popularity of the Classic Physique division has been on an upward trajectory since its introduction at the 2016 Olympia, and the five-time champion Chris Bumstead has played a significant role in its ascent. Bumstead is the most famous bodybuilder of this era and continues to raise the standards each year.
“CBum” has everything the judges look for in a Classic Physique competitor. He has broad shoulders, a tiny waist, and sprawling quad sweeps. Bumstead manages to wow the judges and fans by improving his size and conditioning with each contest.
Bumstead now has three more Olympia titles than the second-most-winningest Olympia champion in the Classic Physique division.
During his winning speech, Bumstead revealed that he had torn his lats 10 weeks out of the 2023 Olympia. Bumstead got the green light to resume training five weeks before he was slated to compete at the 2023 Olympia.
True to the spirit of an Olympia champion, Bumstead didn’t let this setback deter him from his ultimate objective. He pressed on, making no excuses, and brought his most impressive package yet to the 2023 Olympia stage, clinching his fifth title.
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Bumstead won the 2022 Olympia with a torn bicep and the 2023 Olympia with a torn lat. This makes you ponder how much further he can soar when he hits the stage in his prime condition. The 2024 Olympia is probably where we’ll discover just how extraordinary Bumstead can be at his best.
Background & History
“CBum” was born on Feb. 2, 1995, in Ottawa, Canada. He was introduced to bodybuilding by her sister’s then-boyfriend (now husband), Iain Valliere, at the age of 19. Valliere coached Bumstead until 2021, when he won his third Olympia championship. CBum then switched to the legendary coach Hany Rambod, as Valliere wanted to focus on his own Mr. Olympia prep for the 2022 season.
Bumstead won his Pro card by emerging victorious at the 2016 IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championships. Interestingly, he won his Pro card in the Open division but switched to the Classic Physique division when it was introduced in 2016.
“Physique-wise, switching to the Classic division drove my passion through the roof. Thinking now of symmetry aesthetics and portraying it all as a form of art through posing is such a different dynamic than just trying to be huge.”
Bumstead debuted at the Olympia in 2017 and placed second behind Breon Ansley. He replicated his runner-up finish the following year.
Most people had written Bumstead off in 2019, as he underwent a hernia surgery a few months before the Olympia. However, he shunned the naysayers by pulling off a stunner and bagged his first Classic Physique Olympia title by upsetting Ansley.
Bumstead has since maintained a vice-like grip on the Classic Physique Olympia throne, winning five consecutive Olympia titles and becoming the most decorated bodybuilder in the division.
Going Forward
The Classic Physique division is arguably the second-most popular category in the IFBB Pro League after the Men’s Open division. The support of bodybuilding legend and seven-time Mr. Olympia champ Arnold Schwarzenegger has helped this division grow exponentially. The Arnold Classic rewards its Classic Physique champion with a $60,000 cheque, outdoing the Classic Physique Olympia’s prize money by $10,000. This gesture shows Arnie’s commitment to the division.
With five Classic Physique Olympia wins under his belt, Bumstead is proving to be unstoppable. CBum doesn’t take anything for granted. This victory will only further motivate him to chart a course for a potential six-peat at the 60th edition of Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend in 2024.
2023 Olympia Results
Saturday Results:
- 2023 Mr. Olympia Results All Divisions
- 2023 Classic Physique Olympia Results
- 2023 Men’s Physique Olympia Results
- 2023 Bikini Olympia Results
- 2023 Wheelchair Olympia Results
Friday Results:
- 2023 212 Olympia Results
- 2023 Fitness Olympia Results
- 2023 Figure Olympia Results
- 2023 Women’s Physique Olympia Results
- 2023 Ms. Olympia Results
- 2023 Wellness Olympia Results
Fitness Volt extends warm congratulations to Chris Bumstead for his fifth title victory at the 2023 Olympia.
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