If you’re a bodybuilding fan and follow competitive bodybuilding closely, you probably know everything about Chris Bumstead. For everyone else, here is a quick primer:
Chris Bumstead is a Canadian IFBB Pro bodybuilder and has won the coveted Classic Physique Olympia title for three consecutive years (2019, 2020, and 2021), making him the winningest Classic Physique Olympia bodybuilder of all time.
CBum is one of the most popular bodybuilders of our generation. It’d be safe to say he would outshine Open division bodybuilders and Mr. Olympia champs like Big Ramy and Brandon Curry in a popularity contest.
Bumstead’s Olympia-winning physique can be credited to his hard work, grit, determination, and Greek god-like genetics. However, the Canadian star bodybuilder has to tackle a fair share of health problems to achieve his golden era aesthetics.
Bumstead contracted the dreaded COVID-19 soon after winning the 2021 Classic Phyqiue Olympia title and had to quarantine himself and halt training for a fortnight. He reportedly lost approximately eight to 10 pounds during his illness.
The reigning Classic Physique Olympia champ suffers from IGA Nephropathy—an autoimmune kidney disorder that occurs when an antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA) builds up in your kidneys. It results in local inflammation that, over time, can hamper your kidneys’ ability to filter waste from your blood. CBum revealed he uses stem cell therapy to fix his autoimmune disorder.
CBum is one of the most transparent and humble bodybuilders. He goes the extra mile and shares his workout and diet videos on social media with insightful tips and hacks that can help his fans fast-track their gains.
Chris Bumstead Stats
- Name: Christopher Adam Bumstead
- Nickname: CBum
- D.O.B: Feb. 2, 1995
- Birthplace: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Height: 6’1”
- Weight: 225 pounds
- Chest: 51″ (130 cm)
- Waist: 30″ (76 cm)
- Bicep: 20″ (51 cm)
Chris Bumstead Training Principles
Bumstead abides by the following workout principles to get the best bang for his buck:
1. Don’t Be Scared of Volume
Many bodybuilders cut their workouts short as they feel pushing too hard in the gym can lead to overtraining. Overtraining includes a shock to the central nervous system and makes you hit a plateau. However, Bumstead doesn’t hold himself back in the gym and continues until he has annihilated his muscles.
Furthermore, he uses progressive overload to ignite new muscle growth. The progressive overload technique involves increasing the weight used in every successive set.
Related: Muscle Development With Progressive Overload – The Concept You Must Know To Grow!
2. Use Advanced Training Principles
CBum uses advanced training principles like supersets and dropsets to spike the intensity of his workouts and achieve optimal muscle fiber recruitment.
Must Read: The 25 Best Joe Weider Training Principles and Methods
3. Go For PRs
Performing the same exercises using the same weights, reps, and sets is one of the quickest ways of hitting a plateau. Bumstead pushes the envelope by attempting personal bests when and where possible.
4. Listen To Your Body
CBum doesn’t mindlessly follow a training program. If he isn’t comfortable with an exercise or the amount of weight on the bar, he makes necessary adjustments to his workout.
Check Out: How to Become a Bodybuilder — Explained!
Chris Bumstead Workout Program
Unlike most social media influencers, Bumstead follows an old-school training style, meaning he goes hard and heavy every time he is in the gym.
The Canadian native routinely shares his workouts on his YouTube channel. In this article, we share CBum’s latest workout program, as seen on his channel.
Chris Bumstead Leg Workout
Here is the workout Bumstead uses to build a girthy lower body:
Warm-up
- Walking backward on an elliptical machine
Quads and Hamstrings workout
- Superset – Lying Leg Curl and Hip Abduction Machine: 3 x 12-15
- Leg Press on Cybex Squat Press Machine: 3 x 12-15
- Back Extension: 3 x 12-15
- Superset – Leg Extension and Sissy Squat: 3 x 12-15
Calves
- Superset: Standing and Seated Calf Raise : 3 x 12-15
Chris Bumstead Shoulder Workout
Bumstead pushes his limits in every workout. When feeling strong, he does not shy away from attempting a PR, even when he is closing in on a show. Given below is CBum’s shoulder routine:
- Incline Y Raise (warm-up): 4 x 12-15
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 4 x 12-15
- Machine Shoulder Press: 4 x 12-15
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise w/ Single-Arm Cable Rear Delt Fly Superset: 4 x 12-15
- Machine Lateral Raise w/ Reverse Pec Deck Fly Superset: 4 x 12-15
- Captain’s Chair Leg Raise: 2 x 12-15
Chris Bumstead Arm Workout
CBum has short biceps, which requires him to hit his upper arm with high intensity and volume to attain big and full-looking arms. On the other hand, his short biceps accentuate his biceps peaks. Here is an arm workout Bumstead follows to build his guns:
- Cable Triceps Pushdown: 2 x 10, with a double drop set
- Dumbbell Incline Skull Crusher: 3 x 10-12
- Standing Dumbbell Biceps Curl: 3 x 10-12
- Barbell Biceps Preacher Curl: 3 x 4-6 reps, with a double drop set
- Standing Single Arm Cable Triceps Extension: 2 x 15
- Standing Cable Hammer Biceps Curl: 2 x 10, with drop set
Chris Bumstead Chest Workout
The Candian bodybuilder is a Smith machine fan and incorporates it in most of his workouts. CBum uses the following machine-only regimen to achieve a pec-ripping pump:
- Incline Press on Smith Machine: 3 x 12-15
- Seated Cable Fly: 3 x 12-15
- Incline Machine Press: 3 x 10
- Pec Deck Fly: 3 x 12-15
Chris Bumstead Back Workout
Bumstead has previously admitted that he lagged in the back department. At the 2021 Olympia presser, CBum claimed he had gained 10 pounds in his back and brought a better package. His gains were evident as soon as he turned toward the audience. Given below is his brutal back workout for a thick V-taper:
- Lat Pull-Down: 2 x 10
- Isolateral Row Machine: 3 x 10, 3, 7
- Chest Supported T-Bar Row: 3 x 4
- Bent-Over T-Bar Row: 3 x 8-14
- Cable triceps pushdown: 2 x 3, 9
- Seated Cable Low Row: 3 x 11
Chris Bumstead Rest Day
The Canadian bodybuilder doesn’t turn into a couch potato on his rest days. He does some form of cardio on his non-training days to ensure optimal metabolism. CBum usually does low-intensity, fasted cardio in the morning, including 20 minutes on the bike or a 30-minute walk on the treadmill or Stairmaster.
Related: 8 Ways to Speed Up Recovery After Training
Chris Bumstead Diet Program
Since Bumstead is a competitive bodybuilder and suffers from an autoimmune disorder, he takes his diet very seriously. He follows a bulking and shredding diet, depending on the time of the year.
CBum Bulking Diet
Here is the diet CBum used to recover after he lost eight to 10 pounds after contracting novel coronavirus:
Meal 1: Breakfast
- Organic bagels, cinnamon raisin remix (Dave’s killer bread, 2 toasted bagels): 540 calories
- Ghee butter, Himalayan pink salt (4th & heart, 5 tsp): 225 calories
- Vanilla oatmeal cookie iso-protein dietary supplement (CBUM, 2 scoops): 220 calories
Breakfast Total: 985 calories (70 grams of protein)
Meal 2: Lunch
- Ground turkey (185 grams): 274 calories
- Boiled white rice (300 grams): 390 calories
- Olive oil (15 grams): 133 calories
Lunch Total: 796 calories
“I was eating like 350 grams of rice, and it was kind of hard to eat. So I decided to put olive oil in and a little bit less rice. It honestly helped a lot with my digestion, and it also helped with my energy. If I ate 400 grams of rice, I’d be falling asleep.”
Meal 3: Pre-Workout Meal
- A pre-made frozen steak meal (seven ounces of steak and 2.5 cups of sweet potato): 700 calories
Pre-Workout Total: 700 calories
Meal 4: Post-Workout Meal
- Brown rice elbow pasta (Tinkyada, 180 grams): 668 calories
- Ground beef (100 grams): 179 calories
- Ground turkey (100 grams): 148 calories
- Marinara sauce tomato (STEFANO, 250 ml): 160 calories
Post-Workout Total: 1,154 calories + 340 calorie snack
Meal 5: Dinner
- Ground turkey (120 grams): 244 calories
- Boiled white rice (290 grams): 377 calories
Dinner Total: 621 calories
Chris Bumstead’s Bulking Diet Daily Macros
- Calories: 5,203
- Carbs: 666 grams
- Fat: 156 grams
- Protein: 290 grams
Related: Chris Bumstead shares what his Full Day of Eating for Bulk looks like.
CBum Shredding Diet
Bumstead pulls the reins on his caloric intake as he gets closer to a competition. Given below is the diet the Canadian bodybuilder used to bag his third Classic Physique Olympia title:
Meal 1: Breakfast
- Oatmeal with blueberries and chocolate-flavored protein powder
“This is as simple as it gets. I like to make my oats on the stovetop because I find I get more volume.”
Meal 2 (Rest Day)
- Stir-fry consisting of chicken breast, white rice (up to 250 grams), broccoli, and green vegetables
Meal 2 (Post-Workout)
- Protein shake and rice cakes
Meal 3 (Pre-Workout)
- A bowl of ground turkey
- Diced sweet potato
Meal 4 (Pre-Workout)
- Whitefish
- White rice
- Air-fried cabbage
- Sautéd asparagus
“It’s probably the least appetizing meal, but it’s 200 grams of fish, 280 grams of rice with more volume, so, delicious.”
Meal 5 (Dinner)
- Air-fried salmon
- White rice
- Purple cabbage
“This is my main meal where I have a lot of fats. Same as the end of the day, I have some nut butter.”
Meal 6 (Snack)
- Mug Pudding (a scoop of chocolate peanut butter protein powder, a small amount of water, and 30 grams of nut butter)
Check Out Chris Bumstead’s Complete Profile!
Wrapping Up
Chris Bumstead is one of the most consistent bodybuilders in the industry. He makes minor adjustments to his training and diet programs while switching from the off-season to prep mode.
In this article, we’ve pulled the curtain on CBum’s bodybuilding regimen and everything you need to know to build and maintain a physique like the three-time Classic Physique Olympia champ. Now, suck it up and get ready to hit that hands behind the head vacuum pose.
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