At only 25 years old, Chris Bumstead is definitely one athlete to look out for in the future of sports.
Bumstead earned a pro card in 2016 when he won the IFBB Bodybuilding Heavyweight Championship at the age of only 21 years. Due to his love for symmetry as opposed to hulking size, he has since switched to Classic division.
So, Who Is Chris Bumstead?
Born in 1995 in Ottawa, Canada, Chris Bumstead is also known by the nickname Cbum. As a child, he grew up playing a lot of sports competing in track and football. He also frequented the gym, where he fell in love with training.
Bumstead joined his first competition in 2014, and a year later, he gained his debut title in the CBBF National Bodybuilding Junior Championship. His other wins include 1st (Pro Card) IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championships (2016), IFBB Pittsburgh Pro (2017), and IFBB Mr. Olympia Men’s Classic Physique (2019, 2020, and 2021).
He has always looked up to Tom Platz owing to his renowned leg development. In addition, he has credited Barry Demay, a famous bodybuilder in the 80’s as one of his sources of inspiration besides the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger.
As for motivation, he says that it comes from loving what he does. He has a strong passion for training and loves seeing the transformation it does to his body.
Bumstead has a tremendous online following. Millions of followers on his Instagram account keep up with his gym exercises and life in general. Also, he started a YouTube channel where he showcases insights into his day-to-day workouts, nutrition, and fitness. In addition, Bumstead also has a line of supplements known as Jacked Factory.
When not working out, his hobbies include outdoor activities, and he also enjoys reading, fitness, and related materials for knowledge and pleasure.
Let’s now look at his workout routine and diet plan to understand how he has achieved so much at such a young age.
But first, some inspiration and a bit more eye candy on what Chris Bumstead has achieved:
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At only 25 years old, Chris Bumstead is definitely one athlete to look out for in the future of sports.
Bumstead earned a pro card in 2016 when he won the IFBB Bodybuilding Heavyweight Championship at the age of only 21 years. Due to his love for symmetry as opposed to hulking size, he has since switched to Classic division.
So, Who Is Chris Bumstead?
Born in 1995 in Ottawa, Canada, Chris Bumstead is also known by the nickname Cbum. As a child, he grew up playing a lot of sports competing in track and football. He also frequented the gym, where he fell in love with training.
Bumstead joined his first competition in 2014, and a year later, he gained his debut title in the CBBF National Bodybuilding Junior Championship. His other wins include 1st (Pro Card) IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championships (2016), IFBB Pittsburgh Pro (2017), and IFBB Mr. Olympia Men’s Classic Physique (2019, 2020, and 2021).
He has always looked up to Tom Platz owing to his renowned leg development. In addition, he has credited Barry Demay, a famous bodybuilder in the 80’s as one of his sources of inspiration besides the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger.
As for motivation, he says that it comes from loving what he does. He has a strong passion for training and loves seeing the transformation it does to his body.
Bumstead has a tremendous online following. Millions of followers on his Instagram account keep up with his gym exercises and life in general. Also, he started a YouTube channel where he showcases insights into his day-to-day workouts, nutrition, and fitness. In addition, Bumstead also has a line of supplements known as Jacked Factory.
When not working out, his hobbies include outdoor activities, and he also enjoys reading, fitness, and related materials for knowledge and pleasure.
Let’s now look at his workout routine and diet plan to understand how he has achieved so much at such a young age.
Chris Bumstead’s Workout Routine
Bumstead says that his best workout routine entails a 5-day training split routine. He trains his back, chest, quads, shoulders, and glutes/hamstrings. Here’s a highlight of his 5-day rotation schedule that he follows, rarely taking days off.
Back Workout
He starts his back routine with a barbell as it is intense and requires a lot of energy. Bumstead incorporates six exercises of 4 sets of an average of 10 reps.
- 4, 8 – 12 Barbell row
- 4, 8 – 12 Incline machine row
- 4, 10 – 12 Close grip lat pulldown
- 4, 8 – 12 Plate loaded T-bar machine
- 4, 8 – 12 Reverse chest press machine
- 4, 8 – 12 Close grip seated row
Chest/Biceps Workout
Bumstead believes that the key to growing a big, full chest is contracting the pectoral muscles and also reducing the weight in a negative motion. His chest routine has five exercises with an average of 4 sets of about 12 reps each. These exercises are:
- 5, 6 – 12 Flat bench pin
- 5, 10 -12 Incline bench pin
- 3, 10 Incline cable fly bench push up till he fails
- 5, 8 – 10 Incline kettlebell fly
- 3, 14 Low cable fly
Shoulder/Triceps Workout
He mixes up equipment in his shoulder workout, so keep his body guessing. The shoulder routine has five exercises, each having four sets of an average of 12 reps. They are:
- 4, 8 – 12 Placed dumbbell overhead press
- 4, 12 – 15 Front dumbbell raise
- 4, 8 – 10 Barbell overhead press
- 4, 12 – 15 Single-arm dumbbell front raise
- 4, 12 – 15 Cable reverse rear delt fly
Arm Workout
This arm routine is quite vigorous and was inspired by Doris Yates, a retired professional bodybuilder. It involves seven exercises of 4 sets, each with an average of 12 sets with minimal breaks in between. The routine is as follows;
- 4, 15 Triceps rope pulldown
- 4, 12 Incline E bar skull crusher
- 4, 12 Cable overhead extension
- 4, 10 – 12 Standing cable curl
- 4, 8 – 12 EZ bar preacher curl
- 4, 8 – 12 Single-arm cable curl
- 4, 8 – 12 single-arm triceps plus reverse grip cable curl
Leg Workout
Bumstead intensely works out before his leg routine. Once ready, he follows the below workout routine.
- 5, 6 – 12 Barbell squat
- 4, 10 Barbell walking lunge on each leg
- 4, 12 – 15 Hack squat
- 4, 12 – 15 Leg extensions
- 4, 10 -12 Lying hamstring curl
- 4, 12- 15 Standing calf raise machine
Bumstead emphasizes the importance of warming up muscles before engaging in intense workouts. In addition, he follows a proper routine to exercise each muscle group to reduce the risk of injury and also maximize growth.
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Top 3 Favorite Workouts
He says that if he had to only choose three workouts for the rest of his life, they would be squats, incline dumbbell press, and bent over barbell rows
SQUATS
Squats are Bumstead’s favorite workout. He believes that the incredible exercise is not only valuable for his legs but also for his core development. In addition, he can push his limits by seeing the amount of weight he can lift.
INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS
Bumstead’s liking for this exercise is because he finds it a much more natural movement for his body than the flat press. He is aiming to get a bigger, fuller upper chest.
Bumstead also has dumbbells as opposed to barbells since their unilateral movement enables him to focus on every side of the body, thus creating a symmetrical, even physique.
BENT-OVER BARBELL ROWS
This would be the final pick among his top 3 favorite exercises. Bumstead is keen on maintaining and promoting his back strength as much as he possibly can. This is for both proportional balance and the general health of his spine.
Bent-over rows allow him to work out on his secondary muscles such as back delts and biceps. These muscles are not very much engaged by squats and incline dumbbell press.
Chris Bumstead’s Diet Plan
Chris Bumstead’s diet plan can be described in one word; consistency. He eats six meals a day unless during times when he needs to make prior adjustments. Bumstead also avoids adding new foods to his diet when competitions are close because it may affect his body.
He was diagnosed with IGA Nephropathy, an autoimmune disease. As a result, he takes his nutrition and health very seriously. His diet contributes significantly to the physique he has and overall health.
His typical diet is as follows
1ST MEAL
- Oats – 1 Cup
- Eggs Whites – 1.5 Cups
- Whole Eggs – 2
2ND MEAL
- Chicken – 8 oz.
- Mixed Vegetables – 11 oz.
- Jasmine Rice – 1 Cup
3RD MEAL
- Fish – 8 oz.
- Sweet potatoes – 7 oz.
- Vegetables 11 oz.
4TH MEAL (BEFORE WORKOUT)
- White rice – 7 oz.
- Fish – 2 cups
5TH MEAL (AFTER WORKOUT)
- Isolated Whey in water – 50 g
6TH MEAL
- Asparagus – 2 oz.
- Sweet potato – 6 oz.
- Chicken – 8 oz.
- Broccoli – 2 oz.
7TH MEAL
- Egg Whites – 2.5 cups
- Mixed vegetables – 11 oz.
WHAT HE AVOIDS
During the off-season, Bumstead relaxes a bit on his diet plan. However, you will not find him eating junk food trying to get in calories. He still tries to eat a clean diet as much as possible and, from time to time adding items such as a muffin.
Here are the items that Bumstead avoids; in-season and off-season.
- Junk Food
- Artificial Ingredients
- Fried Food
- Chemical Additives
- Empty-Calorie Foods
- Excess Sodium
- Added Sugar
- Processed Foods
Chris Bumstead’s Supplements
He has a line of supplements known as Jacked Factory. Below are the supplements Bumstead takes.
- Whey protein. Bumstead ensures that his muscles have sufficient amino acids by taking when protein. They are also a great meal option after a workout, and they quicken muscle recovery.
- Pre-workout. His pre-work supplement contains nutrients such as citrulline, beta-alanine, and betaine. Taking them before a workout ensures that he has enough energy to carry him through the training session. In addition, pre-workout supplements deliver ideal pumps and enhance his muscles power.
- Fish Oil. Omega 3 supplements help reduce joint inflammation and also promote heart health. Although Bumstead incorporates white fish in his diet, he still takes these supplements to ensure he has enough Omega 3 levels.
- Multivitamins. Bumstead uses multivitamins to maintain high energy levels that are required for intense workouts.
- BCCAs. This is a combination of 3 amino acids; valine, leucine, and isoleucine. He takes these amino acids during his workouts to reduce the soreness of his muscles. They also prevent extreme muscle breakdown while promoting muscles growth.
- Creatine Monohydrate. Bumstead takes this supplement to help his muscles recover faster. In addition, creatine promotes the gain of lean muscles.
- Glutamine. He often adds this supplement to protein pancakes, which helps in muscle recovery and eases digestion.
- Others. Vitamin C, Vitamin B, R-Alpha Lipoic Acid, and Vitargo.
Conclusion
Chris Bumstead is undoubtedly very experienced in training. Getting a physique like his takes a lot of discipline, and you would need to train heavily. His diet plan and supplements also play a significant role in ensuring that his body gets what it needs to support him through the exercises, bodybuilding, and recovery.
Bumstead’s workout routine and diet plan are a definitive guide for those keen on bodybuilding.
If you are looking to incorporate Bumstead’s workout routine in your training, don’t copy and paste. Modify the routine to ensure that it suits your body’s ability and requirements. The same applies to his diet plan.
Marko Rakic is a trail runner and fitness enthusiast from Sydney, Australia. He is the lead writer for The Ultimate Primate and believes the best way to live a happy life is through constantly challenging yourself.
