After Chris Bumstead took second place in the Open at the Prague Pro, talks of his future in the division continue to gain traction. In a recent YouTube video shared on November 21, 2024, head judge Steve Weinberger broke down what ‘Cbum’ needs to thrive in the Open class and explained why Martin Fitzwater defeated him in the Czech Republic.
Shortly after winning his sixth Classic Physique Olympia title, Bumstead announced his retirement from the sport. However, it was short-lived. Just days after the 2024 Olympia triumph, he chose to jump into the deep end of the Open class, declaring his entry for the Prague Pro.
He exceeded expectations during his Open debut, securing second place after a close battle with Martin Fitzwater, the fourth-best bodybuilder in the world. While Cbum put a stamp on his retirement following the Prague Pro, talks of how he’d fare in the Open class have raged on.
Steve Weinberger Explains Why Martin Fitzwater Won Prague Pro, Reveals Body Parts Chris Bumstead Needs to Improve for Future in Open
According to the esteemed head judge, Fitzwater took home gold in Prague thanks to his muscle and shape.
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!
“Overall Martin won first. He was in better condition at the Olympia, I will tell you that but he was in good enough condition to win this show. He had muscle. He has good shape. He had muscle; he could’ve been a little harder honestly, and he won because of that. It was his shape and his muscle.”
Bumstead presented an amazing package, but Weinberger underlined that he didn’t have enough muscle to win the show.
“We wouldn’t have picked the best bodybuilder [if we picked Bumstead]. We would have picked a beautiful physique, an amazing physique, arguably one of the best physiques in the world including bodybuilding but not a bodybuilder’s physique.
He does not have enough muscle in my opinion to be considered a bodybuilder. He has enough shape to be a bodybuilder but not enough muscle.”
Should Bumstead further pursue a career in the Open, Weinberger says he needs a thicker back, chest, and bigger arms.
“If Chris had a thicker back, bigger arms, and a thicker chest, he could have won that show, but he didn’t. And that’s why he didn’t win that show.
He had the shape to win the show, but not enough muscle to win that show and it’s still a bodybuilding show and that’s why we have Classic Physique and we have bodybuilding.”
He added that ‘Cbum’ is ‘done,’ but could make waves in the Open if he took six months to add more muscle.
“He’s still a Classic Physique bodybuilder. I’m sure in six months he could probably turn that around. I shouldn’t say I’m sure but I wouldn’t be surprised. But he’s done. This was a one and done, this was just for fun.
If this was a serious show, if I was his friend, I would have given him the advice to take a year off and put more muscle on and maybe he could have won. But he didn’t have enough muscle to win,” he shared.
Size is king in the Men’s Open, and Weinberger admits that discrepancy held Bumstead back from success in Prague.
“Chris’ lat spread, if you just looked at a lat spread, it was better than Martin’s but you look at the whole body, you look at the front thigh, you look at the shoulders, Chris’ shoulders are not that big, you look at his arms, they’re not that big, you look at Martin, big, he’s thick and he’s round. And that’s bodybuilding.”
Had ‘The Martian’ come in ’10 percent softer,’ Weinberger believes Bumstead would have won.
“You can’t hide the fact that Chris has small arms, great legs from the side, he could use a bigger chest and bigger arms,” said Weinberger. “Martin wasn’t in his best shape but he was still in good shape. If Martin would have been… let’s say 10 percent softer, maybe Chris would have won.”
Although some have praised Bumstead’s look as one of his best, like Jay Cutler, others weren’t impressed with his physique. Bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest believes Bumstead wasn’t ‘that good’ as an Open competitor, adding that fans looked at his physique using ‘Classic eyes.’
After shaking up the Men’s Open division at a single contest, fans would love nothing more than to see Bumstead back in action. However, as of this writing, he appears content with his accomplishments as he settles into retirement.
Watch the full video from the Fouad Abiad Media YouTube channel below:
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
