The golden period of bodybuilding was every part nice in regards to the sport. It had large personalities, aesthetic physiques, and a famous person athlete to be the frontman. This era is so influential that fifty years later, we have now a whole class devoted to bringing it again to life. The basic physique division is each a throwback and a look forward to the way forward for the game.
For the previous three years, the basic physique has been dominated by one man: Chris Bumstead. He’s the reigning Olympia basic physique champion, successful the present in 2019, 2020, and 2021. With nearly 9 million followers on his Instagram account and near 2 million YouTube channel subscribers, it’s protected to say Chris Bumstead is the present face of bodybuilding. And it is simple to see why.
The skilled bodybuilder is arguably probably the most aesthetic man on the planet. For the primary time in a long time, the lifting neighborhood has a champion bodybuilder to aspire to appear like. And whereas we might not be capable of replicate his precise outcomes, we will definitely study a factor or two from how Chris Bumstead trains.
After studying this publish, you’ll know:
- All in regards to the bodybuilding professional Chris Bumstead
- His present coaching cut up
- Chris Bumstead exercise routine within the low season
- His offseason weight-reduction plan and supplementation
Who’s Chris Bumstead?
Chris Bumstead, age 27, was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. At six toes tall, he has a contest weight of 225 kilos. Within the offseason, he sometimes will get as much as 260 to 265 kilos.
Chris Bumstead is the primary Mr. Olympia who may simply as simply be categorised as a health influencer. He paperwork his coaching and diet on his YouTube and Instagram accounts, like this shoulder workout, giving a behind-the-scenes take a look at what it takes to be a champion.
Along with competing, he’s half proprietor of a complement firm known as Uncooked Diet.
Chris Bumstead’s Exercise Routine Coaching Cut up
The Chris Bumstead exercise routine follows an unconventional 8-day coaching cut up. Chris Bumstead’s exercise plan entails coaching three days in a row, adopted by one relaxation day.
- Day 1: Chest
- Day 2: Quads and Calves
- Day 3: Again (thickness)
- Day 4: Relaxation
- Day 5: Shoulders
- Day 6: Hamstrings and Again (width)
- Day 7: Arms
- Day 8: Relaxation
Apart from his again, the Chris Bumstead exercise plan hits every muscle group as soon as per week. Bodybuilders have had nice success with comparable bro split model exercise routines for many years.
Though high-frequency coaching is usually seen as evidence-based, coaching frequency doesn’t considerably or meaningfully affect muscle hypertrophy when the quantity is equated.
Merely put, it would not matter how often you train every week when the variety of units you do for every muscle group per week is similar.
It is also notable that Chris Bumstead coaching splits his decrease physique components into two periods: one quad targeted and the opposite hamstring primarily based.
Chris Bumstead Exercise Routine: ’22 Off Season
Admittingly, Chris Bumstead’s exercise routine would not all the time comply with tremendous strict pointers. Due to this fact, workout routines are topic to vary barely.
With that stated, the general construction of his coaching may be very constant. One factor you’ll discover watching Chris Bumstead practice is his emphasis on the fundamentals. He makes use of a wide range of actions, using each free weights and specialised machines.
Coaching Quantity
He trains laborious and heavy in his day by day exercises with reasonable quantity using a double development loading scheme. Chris Bumstead goals to get at the least ten reps earlier than growing the load.
Double development is a straightforward solution to construct progressive overload into your coaching. It goes like this: You’re employed in a programmed rep vary (8-10, for instance) and stick to the identical weight for so long as wanted to achieve the highest of that rep vary.
When you hit the highest of that rep vary for the programmed variety of units, you enhance the load by 5 to fifteen kilos and repeat the method. Basically, you all the time attempt to enhance reps first, after which as soon as you might be succesful, enhance the load. This is the reason it’s known as double development.
Drop Units for added development
Chris can also be an enormous fan of using drop sets to extend coaching depth and maximize development.
Drop units are once you do a set near failure with a given load, and with minimal relaxation, carry out as many reps as doable with decreased weight.
Beneath is a breakdown of what every day in Chris Bumstead’s exercise routine seems to be like.
Day 1: Chest
The primary session of the week is everybody’s favourite: chest exercises. Chris Bumstead has been coping with a shoulder harm for the previous couple of years, and satirically, the harm impacts his chest coaching greater than shoulder work. Since his chest is a weak level, he focuses on actions that do not trigger ache.
Chest Workout routines:
Chris Bumstead’s chest exercise begins with him mendacity susceptible on an incline bench and performing mild dumbbell Y-raises. The exercise begins with an incline dumbbell press. The purpose is to work as much as two heavy units of near-maximal weight within the 8 to 10 rep vary.
Subsequent up: Keep on the incline bench for 2 units of dumbbell incline flies. Get a very good stretch on the backside and a tough contraction on the high.
The third motion is the Hammer Power machine incline press. Carry out two working units, with a drop set on each. Begin the second set on the identical weight because the drop set from the primary set.
After that, knock out three units of fifteen on the pec deck earlier than ending up with two units of push-ups to failure. By the tip of the pushups, your chest ought to be smoked. If you happen to’re following his plan however need some push-up variations to mess around with, there are many choices.
Chest Exercise:
- Incline Dumbbell Press: 2 units x 8-10 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Fly: 2 units x 8-10 reps
- Hammer Power Machine Incline Press (Drop Set): 2 units x 6-10 reps
- Pec Deck: 3 units x 15 reps
- Pushups: 2 units to failure
Day 2: Quads and Calves
Day two of the Chris Bumstead exercise is quads and calves. That is the massive leg improvement day of the week.
Quad & Calf Workout routines:
Begin by getting a very good warm-up with a superset of leg extensions and the adduction machine. Chris Bumstead feels the adduction machine is the key to warming up for squats.
After a couple of warmup units, keep on leg extensions for 2 working units. Then, on the second set, carry out a drop set.
Subsequent up is the principle train of the exercise: smith machine squats. Working up in weight, Chris Bumstead performs a couple of low rep warmup units to not waste vitality. The purpose is to work as much as the heaviest weight doable for six to 10 reps. After the highest set, drop the load by about 5 % for the second set.
Throughout squats, he wears a belt and a pair of knee sleeves. Curiously, he performs the whole exercise with none sneakers on.
You will discover there aren’t any standing lunges (or lunges of any type) in Chris Bumstead’s quads routine. As a substitute, the exercise concludes with a tri-set of unilateral leg press, body weight sissy squats, and seated calf raises. The unilateral leg press takes some strain off the decrease again and means that you can concentrate on one leg at a time.
Quad & Calf Exercise:
- Leg Extension (Drop Set): 2 units x 20 reps
- Smith Machine Squat: 2 units x 6-10 reps
- Leg Tri Set:
– Unilateral Leg Press: 3 units x 8-10 reps
– Sissy Squat: 3 units x 12-15 reps
– Seated Calf Increase: 3 units x 10-12 reps
Day 3: Again (thickness)
Day three is the primary again routine of the week. On this exercise, the main target is on again thickness.
Again Workout routines:
With no particular warmup, Chris Bumstead jumps proper into the primary train of the day, a lat pulldown utilizing an underhand shut grip. This would be the solely pulldown variation of the day.
Subsequent up is a chest-supported dumbbell row utilizing an incline bench. It is a extremely underrated train and sometimes takes a backseat to bent over barbell rows and the seal row. Nonetheless, the dumbbell chest-supported row is a good various to bent over rows.
The third train of the day is a chest-supported t-bar row with a impartial grip. The secret is getting a full scapular retraction as you pull the load into your chest. On the second set, carry out a drop set.
After that, transfer over to the machine chest supported row. Every chest-supported row variation hits the again from a distinct angle. Altering the grip, angle of pull or elbow place can change how the motion targets the muscle.
The final train of the again coaching packages a lat extension utilizing a Vulken cable attachment.
Again Exercise:
- Shut Grip Underhand Lat Pulldown: 3 units x 10-12 reps
- Chest Supported Dumbbell Row: 2 units x 8-10 reps
- Chest Supported T-Bar Row (Drop Set): 2 units x 8-10 reps
- Machine Chest Supported Row: 2 units x 10-12 reps
- Cable Lat Extension: 2 units x 10-12 reps
Day 4: Relaxation
Notice that day 4 is a relaxation day, so we aren’t together with a lot info right here. Take it straightforward, and let your muscle groups heal. Be sure to decide how much protein it is advisable construct muscle, and preserve your consumption simply as excessive on relaxation days. You may’t go incorrect with including chocolate whey protein to your day by day weight-reduction plan, however there are tons of nice protein powders to select from.
Day 5: Shoulders
Chris Bumstead’s shoulders exercise begins with an in depth warmup of band dislocations and inner and exterior rotations.
Shoulder Workout routines:
The primary train of the day is a seated dumbbell shoulder press. Slowly work up in weight, performing a number of mild warmup units. The 2 working units ought to be as heavy as doable. Chris places quite a lot of emphasis on shoulder press energy within the offseason. His purpose is to have the ability to shoulder press 140-pound dumbbells earlier than he begins to prep for the Olympia.
The second train of the day is a machine shoulder press. On the third set, do a drop set to get in some extra quantity.
Subsequent up is a seated dumbbell lateral increase. Doing these seated helps eradicate dishonest. Subsequent, carry out a drop set on each units. As soon as you might be achieved, bounce over to the lateral increase machine to complete off your lateral delt exercises.
The exercise concludes with two complicated units of reverse pec deck to hit the rear delts.
Shoulder Exercise:
- Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 2 units x 6-10 reps
- Machine Shoulder Press (Drop Set): 3 units x 6-10 reps
- Seated Dumbbell Lateral Increase (Drop Set): 2 units x 8-10 reps
- Machine Lateral Increase 2 units x 10-12 reps
- Reverse Pec Deck: 2 units x 10-12 reps
Day 6: Hamstrings and Again Width
The second leg exercise of the week focuses on Chris Bumstead’s hamstring train routine with a little bit of again work sprinkled in on the finish.
Hamstring & Again Workout routines:
The exercise begins with mendacity leg curls. Doing the leg curls earlier than deadlifts act as a pre-exhaust for the hamstrings. Chris loves deadlifting heavy. Plus, having quantitative targets is an effective way to keep up motivation in the course of the offseason. So work as much as the heaviest weight you’ll be able to deal with for 4 to eight reps.
After deadlifts, hit the hamstrings with two extra leg curl variations, seated and standing, earlier than shifting onto the again.
The primary again train is huge grip lat pulldowns. You may rotate in wide-grip pull-ups on this spot as effectively. End the exercise with two fast units of cable lat extensions utilizing a double grip v-bar attachment.
Hamstring & Again Exercise:
- Mendacity Leg Curl: 2 units x 8-10 reps
- Deadlift: 2 units x 4-8 reps
- Seated Leg Curl: 2 units x 8-10 reps
- Standing Leg Curl: 2 units x 8-10 reps
- Huge Grip Lat Pulldowns: 3 units x 8-10 reps
- Cable Lat Extension: 2 units x 10-12 reps
Day 7: Arms
Final however not least: Arms, which is the principle space Chris is attempting to construct this offseason.
Arm Workout routines:
Start Chris Bumstead’s exercise routine with rope press downs earlier than shifting to incline dumbbell cranium crushers. Begin these along with your elbows pointing immediately up on the ceiling to maintain the concentrate on the triceps. You may drop your elbows on the finish of the set to get in a couple of further reps. As a substitute, you’ll be able to carry out one or two handed grip barbell cranium crushers, ez bar cranium crushers, or reverse grip barbell cranium crushers.
After two triceps workout routines, EZ bar preacher curls are the primary biceps motion. As an alternative choice to utilizing the EZ bar, you may also go for machine preacher curls.
Subsequent up is nice previous trend dumbbell biceps curls. Once more, concentrate on rotating the wrist outward on the high. If you happen to’re following this program however need variation, hammer curls are one other nice choice.
The final triceps train is a cable cross-body triceps extension. Set the cable at about head top. Utilizing one arm at a time, prolong your hand from the other shoulder horizontally to full extension.
End the exercise with a low pulley cable curl utilizing a v-bar deal with.
Arm Exercise:
- Rope Cable Triceps Pressdown (Drop Set): 2 units x 8-10 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Cranium Crusher: 2 units x 8-10 reps
- EZ Bar Preacher Curl (Drop Set): 3 units x 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Curl: 2 units x 10-12 reps
- Cable Cross Physique Triceps: 2 units x 10-15 reps
- Low Pulley Cable Curl with V-Bar Deal with (Drop Set): 2 units x 10-12 reps
Day 8: Relaxation
Once more, right here’s your reminder to hit your protein targets, get ample relaxation, and let your muscle groups relaxation and restore.
Chris Bumstead Food plan and Supplementation
Even within the offseason, Chris Bumstead’s weight-reduction plan is spot on nutrition-wise and stuffed with wholesome meals. Primarily based on his full day of consuming movies on YouTube, he tracks his meals utilizing My Health Pal.
Offseason Food plan:
Within the offseason, he eats roughly 5,000 energy damaged up into 265 to 290 grams of protein, 550 to 650 grams of carbs, and round 150 grams of fats.
His weight-reduction plan consists of largely minimally processed entire meals he cooks himself. Nonetheless, he takes benefit of a meal prep service known as Mega Match Meals for comfort. A day of consuming for Chris Bumstead within the offseason seems to be like the next:
Meal 1:
- 2 scoops of CBUM Itholate protein powder with 16 grams almond butter
- 2 bagels with ghee butter
- Revive glutamine and fiber dietary supplements added to the shake
Meal 2:
- 6 to eight ounces steak
- 300 grams candy potato
- 1-2 servings of broccoli
Meal 3 (pre-workout):
- 6 to eight ounces grilled hen breast or floor turkey
- 2 cups white rice meal
- 2 scoops of CBUM Thavage Pre-Exercise Complement
Meal 4 (post-workout):
- 6 to eight ounces of floor beef
- 150 grams of carbs, like brown rice pasta
- 2 servings of marinara sauce
- Revive Glucose (GDA) with the meal
Meal 5:
- 6 to eight ounces floor turkey
- 2 cups of jasmine rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Meal 6:
- 1 scoop CBUM Itholate protein powder
- 80 grams oatmeal meal
- 32 grams almond butter
- Revive Glutamine added to the protein shake
Chris Bumstead’s Exercise Routine: Simplicity & Consistency
Following Chris Bumstead’s coaching and weight-reduction plan plan will not assure a Sandow trophy, however it’ll definitely get you features. And should you’re not prepared for an 8-day coaching schedule, there are many different nice workout splits that can assist you see outcomes.
Chances are you’ll be stunned by the simplicity of how Chris trains, each along with his exercise routine and weight-reduction plan. The reality is, there aren’t any secrets and techniques or particular methods to what the well-known bodybuilder does in his coaching program that are not semi-common information. All of it comes all the way down to consistency and energy. There isn’t a substitute for the work.
Associated: Chris Bumstead & Brett Wilkin Power Through Back Workout
Photographs courtesy of Chris Bumstead’s Instagram
