On July 20, 2022, bodybuilder Chris Bumstead headed to the gymnasium for what was imagined to be a routine however difficult shoulders workout. Amidst the reigning three-time Traditional Physique Olympia champ’s (2019-2021) check of issues like his overhead strength, he captured a new private document (PR) — a 140-pound dumbbell press for eight reps.
Bumstead shared a video of this shoulder exercise on his YouTube channel on July 23, 2022.
[Related: The Best Exercises, Workouts, And Warm-Ups You Can Do]
Lower than 5 months earlier than the 2022 Mr. Olympia, Bumstead remains to be stacking mass. This shoulder exercise follows a current spate of Bumstead sharing different demanding routines regarding his arms and legs. Consider a considerate glimpse at a typical day’s value of bulking nutrition, and it could seem that the Canadian athlete needs to doc his total journey en path to a possible fourth Traditional Physique title.
Right here’s the full rundown of Bumstead’s current shoulder exercise as he continues to prep for the upcoming Mr. Olympia on December 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
Bumstead’s Shoulder Exercise
Earlier than he dives into the complete shoulder exercise, Bumstead begins the session by performing a number of warm-up units of incline front dumbbell raises whereas using a hammer grip. His intention with this train is to arrange his shoulder muscle mass for heavier masses.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Bumstead elects to finish his dumbbell shoulder press whereas seated and on a slight incline so he may give extra consideration to his anterior (entrance) deltoid muscle mass. The bodybuilder stresses that it’s not in regards to the precise weight however high quality stimulation of the muscle mass he’s working. Even nonetheless, after beginning with 70-pound dumbbells, Bumstead finally working as much as 140-pounders and performs eight reps — unintentionally logging his new PR.
“I’ll practice shoulder press, like 140 kilos,” Bumstead says. “We’ll see. I really feel like I can do it. For those who imagine, you’ll be able to obtain.” “… Three weeks into my low season hitting PRs in shoulder press … my shoulders really feel good.”
To conclude this portion of the routine, Bumstead performs a drop set, reducing the dumbbells by simply 10 kilos, and cranking out reps till failure.
Machine Shoulder Press
The subsequent section of Bumstead’s exercise options the machine variation of the shoulder press. Specializing in quantity, he begins with 45-pound plates on both sides. He works his means down rest-wise from 30 seconds after his first set to 10 seconds earlier than his fourth and remaining set. The athlete calls these “gradual drop units” as a result of he notes the reducing relaxation permits him to implement extra general quantity into the routine whereas nonetheless pushing towards failure.
[Related: How To Do The Incline Bench Press For Upper-Body Size And Strength]
Seated Dumbbell Facet Laterals & Single-Arm Rear Delt Cable Flyes
With the preliminary steps of his exercise full, Bumstead shifts to a superset of dumbbell aspect laterals and single-arm rear delt cable flyes. The Canadian bodybuilder makes use of 40-pound dumbbells for some 16-rep units and punctuates them with standing single-arm rear delt flyes.
Throughout this phase, Bumstead says his physique weight was 259 kilos the morning he filmed the video. Based on the Worldwide Federation of Bodybuilding and Health’s (IFBB) Classic Physique standards, as a result of Bumstead stands at a top of 6-foot-1 — he’ll have to chop all the way down to no less than 230 kilos by the point the Olympia rolls round.
Nonetheless, per the Canadian athlete, he’s the “leanest” he’s ever been at this weight, signaling that he could have extra mass at his weight cap this 12 months.
Machine Lateral Elevate & Reverse Rear-Delt Flyes
After ending off a superset with dumbbells, Bumstead continues to heart on his rear and aspect deltoid muscle mass. He performs one superset of aspect lateral raises on a kneeling lateral increase machine which he enhances with rear delt flyes on a pec deck (or chest fly machine).
Straight Leg Raises
Earlier than Bumstead calls it a day, he ad-libs a fast core workout with a set of straight leg raises.
[Related: The Science Behind Deload Weeks Explained]
A Delicate Stability
Whereas he’s arduous at work making an attempt to realize extra bodybuilding greatness, Bumstead lately emphasised the significance of psychological well being.
Throughout a Q&A from May 2022 on his YouTube channel, Bumstead said how important restoration and time for one’s self is to keep away from “burnout.” He famous that he has the chance to take ample time without work after each Olympia contest, however that isn’t essentially the case for on a regular basis individuals, and he confused that truth.
No matter Bumstead has completed to maintain himself centered seems to be working nicely. He’ll go for his fourth straight Traditional Physique Olympia title on December 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
Featured picture: @cbum on Instagram
