Chris Bumstead routine has changed a lot, showing his journey from a beginner to a champion bodybuilder. He won his first Olympia title in the physique division in 2019, setting the stage for his future successes. By 2020, his unique approach to bodybuilding made him a standout in the classic class.
His training regimen not only enhanced his physique but also increased his popularity, with his social media followers growing to three million on Instagram and 23 million on YouTube by 2022. In 2023, Chris Bumstead Routine continued to dominate the physique world, reinforcing his status as a superstar athlete.
His social media channels provide a window into his life and ongoing interactions with the lifting community, underscoring his top position in the sport and hinting at exciting developments in his future competitions.
Who Is Chris Bumstead?
Chris Bumstead is a well-known bodybuilder from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. At 28 years old, he has won several titles in the Mr. Olympia Classic Physique division, making him a big name in the sport.
Chris competes at a contest weight of between 225 and 260 pounds, showing off his perfect mix of muscle size and shape.
He shares his workout routines and diet tips on his Instagram and YouTube accounts, gaining millions of followers who look to him for fitness inspiration. Chris is more than just a champion; he’s a fitness influencer who motivates people to reach their health and fitness goals.
Whether he’s explaining his shoulder workouts or his eating habits, Chris Bumstead is a leading figure in the world of bodybuilding, inspiring fans with his dedication and success.
Chris Bumstead Workout and Training Split
Chris Bumstead follows a unique 8-day workout routine. He trains for three days straight and then takes a rest day. His routine targets each muscle group once a week, similar to the bro split style that many bodybuilders have used successfully for years.
| Day | Muscle Groups |
| Day 1 | Quads and Calves |
| Day 2 | Chest (Plus Some Triceps) |
| Day 3 | Back (Thickness) (Plus Some Biceps) |
| Day 4 | Rest |
| Day 5 | Shoulders (Plus Some Chest) |
| Day 6 | Hamstrings and Back (Width) |
| Day 7 | Arms |
| Day 8 | Rest |
Even though some people believe training more often is better, studies show that how often you train doesn’t really change muscle growth as long as the total amount of exercise per week is the same.
In other words, the number of times you work out each week doesn’t matter if you’re doing the same total number of exercises for each muscle group. Chris’s workout plan also includes special sessions for his legs. He does one session focusing on his quads and another focusing on his hamstrings.
Off-season workouts for Chris Bumstead
Chris Bumstead’s off-season workout routine isn’t too rigid and he might switch up his exercises now and then. However, he consistently uses an 8-day workout split, where he trains for three days and then takes a day off.
His training approach, known as the bro split, is quite steady. When you watch Chris Bumstead train, you’ll see he focuses on basic exercises. He uses a mix of free weights and machines to vary his workouts.
Day 1: Quads And Calves
On Day 1, Chris Bumstead focuses on his quads and calves with a rigorous workout that combines strength and precision. He starts with warm-up sets to prepare his muscles, including leg extensions and calf raises.
His main quads routine involves six sets of leg presses and five sets of squats using the Smith machine, where he often includes a drop set to maximize muscle tension.
For calves, Chris uses a tri-set that includes standing lunges, bodyweight sissy squats, and calf raises, aiming for two sets of ten reps each.
He wears knee sleeves and a belt to reduce pressure on his joints and shoes that support stability. This workout emphasizes not just lifting heavy weights but also maintaining form and balance to sculpt his physique.
Leg Extension (Drop Set): Do 2 sets of 20 reps each.
Smith Machine Squat: Perform 2 sets, aiming for 6-10 reps per set.
Leg Tri Set: This consists of three different exercises:
- Unilateral Leg Press: Do 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
- Sissy Squat: Complete 3 sets, each with 12-15 reps.
- Seated Calf Raise: Work through 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
Day 2: Chest (Plus Some Triceps)
Day 2 in Chris Bumstead’s routine brings a focus on the chest and triceps. His chest workout begins with two sets of push-ups as a warmup, followed by eight sets of heavy lifting on the Hammer Strength machine incline press and dumbbell incline flies.
For triceps, Chris integrates bar skull crushers and EZ bar pushdowns, aiming for two sets each, often ending with a drop set to push the muscles to failure. His chest day is designed to enhance both strength and contraction at the top of each movement, ensuring full muscle engagement.
The session mixes various exercise options to target every part of the chest and triceps, reflecting a well-rounded approach to tricep training. Here’s a simplified breakdown of the Cbum Workout for Chest Day:
- Incline Dumbbell Press: Do 2 sets of 8-10 reps each.
- Incline Dumbbell Fly: Complete 2 sets of 8-10 reps each.
- Hammer Strength Machine Incline Press (Drop Set): Perform 2 sets, aiming for 6-10 reps per set.
- Pec Deck: Work through 3 sets, each with 15 reps.
- EZ Bar Skull Crushers: Do 2 sets of 8-10 reps each.
- Pushups: Perform 2 sets, going until failure in each set.
Day 3: Back (Thickness, Plus Some Biceps)
The focus of Day 3 is on back thickness and biceps, crucial for Chris Bumstead’s back workout. Starting with warmup pulls to engage the muscles, he moves into three sets of barbell rows and two sets of t-bar rows to enhance back thickness.
Chris utilizes various grip techniques and row variations to challenge his back from multiple angles, ensuring comprehensive muscle development.
For biceps, he adds machine preacher curls and cable curls into his routine, focusing on elbow position and scapular retraction to optimize each pull and enhance muscle focus.
This workout balances intense lifts with precision to maximize growth and ensure every exercise contributes to his overall back training program.
- Close Grip Underhand Lat Pulldown: Complete 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Chest Supported Dumbbell Row: Do 2 sets, each with 8-10 reps.
- Chest Supported T-Bar Row (Drop Set): Perform 2 sets of 8-10 reps.
- Machine Chest Supported Row: Work through 2 sets, aiming for 10-12 reps each.
- Cable Lat Extension: Do 2 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Machine Preacher Curls: Finish with 2 sets of 10-12 reps each.
Day 4: REST
On Day 4, REST is crucial for Chris Bumstead. This day allows his muscles to recover and rebuild from the intense workout sessions. During this rest day, Chris pays close attention to his diet, particularly his protein intake to support muscle recovery.
He often includes whey protein and other protein powders in his diet, ensuring he consumes tons of protein to maintain muscle health. Additionally, chocolate-flavoured protein shakes can be a tasty part of his diet, providing both essential nutrients and a pleasant treat to enjoy while resting.
Day 5: Shoulders (Plus Some Chest)
Day 5 brings a focus on SHOULDERS and CHEST for Chris Bumstead. His shoulder workout includes a variety of exercises like dumbbell shoulder press and dumbbell lateral raise, often using supersets to increase volume.
Chris integrates chest movements such as the fly machine and reverses the pec deck to enhance his upper body strength further. The session includes several warmup sets to prepare the muscles, followed by intense sets designed to maximize shoulder press strength and overall muscle development.
- Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: Perform 2 sets of 6-10 reps each.
- Machine Shoulder Press (Drop Set): Do 3 sets, each with 6-10 reps.
- Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise (Drop Set): Complete 2 sets of 8-10 reps.
- Machine Lateral Raise: Work through 2 sets of 10-12 reps each.
For the Superset:
- Reverse Pec Deck: Do 2 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Machine Fly: Follow with 2 sets of 10-12 reps.
Day 6: HAMSTRINGS AND BACK WIDTH
On Day 6, Chris Bumstead targets HAMSTRINGS and BACK WIDTH. His hamstring exercise routine involves leg curls and a variety of leg curl variations, while for back width, he incorporates deadlifts and cable lat extensions.
This day’s workout emphasizes the use of a bar attachment and grip lat pulldowns to enhance back work. Chris uses a strategy of pre-exhaust methods to fully engage the hamstrings before moving to heavy lifting, ensuring that every rep and set contributes effectively to his leg workout goals.
- Lying Leg Curl: Complete 2 sets of 8-10 reps.
- Deadlift: Perform 2 sets with 4-8 reps each.
- Seated Leg Curl: Do 2 sets of 8-10 reps.
- Standing Leg Curl: Complete 2 sets of 8-10 reps each.
- Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns: Perform 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
- Cable Lat Extension: Finish with 2 sets of 10-12 reps each.
Day 7: ARMS
Day 7 is all about ARMS for Chris Bumstead. His routine includes a series of biceps and triceps-focused exercises, like bar preacher curls and EZ bar skull crushers. Chris uses a variety of grips and elbow positions to challenge the muscles from different angles, enhancing both strength and definition.
Dumbbell biceps curls, hammer curls, and rope press downs are part of the workout routine, each contributing to comprehensive muscle group development and ensuring his arms remain balanced and powerful.
- Rope Cable Triceps Pressdown (Drop Set): Do 2 sets of 8-10 reps each.
- Incline Dumbbell Skull Crusher: Complete 2 sets of 8-10 reps.
- EZ Bar Preacher Curl (Drop Set): Perform 3 sets, each with 8-10 reps.
- Dumbbell Curl: Do 2 sets of 10-12 reps each.
- Cable Cross Body Triceps Extension: Complete 2 sets of 10-15 reps.
- Low Pulley Cable Curl with V-Bar Handle (Drop Set): Finish with 2 sets of 10-12 reps.
Day 8: REST
Day 8 again serves as a REST day, reminding Chris Bumstead of the importance of giving his muscles a break to recover from a week of intensive workouts.
On this day, Chris focuses on meeting his protein goals to aid muscle recovery and ensure that he is ready for the upcoming week of training. This rest period is essential for maintaining strength and promoting long-term muscle health.
Tips for Chris Bumstead Workout Programm
Want to train like a pro bodybuilder? Here’s how you can follow Chris Bumstead’s workout tips:
Train Hard and Heavy: Focus on lifting heavy weights but with a moderate number of repetitions. Chris aims for at least ten reps before he thinks about adding more weight.
Double Progression: This means you pick several reps to aim for—like 8 to 10. Use the same weight until you can do the top number in this range comfortably. This method helps you gradually build strength and muscle size, just like Chris does.
Increase Weights Gradually: Once you can do 10 reps easily, add a bit more weight—about 5 to 15 pounds—and start the process again. First, try to increase the number of reps you can do, then increase the weight.
Use Drop Sets for Intensity: To push your muscles, try drop sets. This means you do a set until you almost can’t do any more, then quickly reduce the weight and keep going for as many reps as you can handle.
Chris Bumstead’s Diet and Supplementation
Chris Bumstead’s diet is perfect for him and full of healthy things, even when the season is over. He keeps track of what he eats with My Fitness Pal based on the full day of eating videos he posts on YouTube.
Offseason Diet
During the offseason, Chris Bumstead adheres to a structured diet that supports muscle growth and recovery. He consumes between 5,000 to 6,500 calories daily, tailored to his training needs. This includes 550 to 650 grams of carbs and 150 grams of fat, which fuel his workouts and aid in recovery.
His protein intake is crucial, ranging from 265 to 290 grams per day, to repair and build muscle. Chris also utilizes Trifecta, a meal prep service that helps him meet his nutritional goals conveniently, ensuring he stays in top condition all season.
| Meal | Contents |
| Meal 1 | 2 scoops of CBUM Itholate protein powder, 16 grams almond butter, 2 bagels with ghee butter, Revive glutamine and fibre supplements in the shake |
| Meal 2 | 6-8 ounces of steak, 300 grams of sweet potato, 1-2 servings of broccoli |
| Meal 3 | 6-8 ounces of grilled chicken breast or ground turkey, 2 cups white rice, 2 scoops of CBUM Thavage Pre-Workout Supplement |
| Meal 4 | 6-8 ounces of ground beef, 150 grams of carbs (like brown rice pasta), 2 servings of marinara sauce, Revive Glucose (GDA) with the meal |
| Meal 5 | 6-8 ounces of ground turkey, 2 cups of jasmine rice, 1 tablespoon olive oil |
| Meal 6 | 1 scoop CBUM Itholate protein powder, 80 grams oatmeal, 32 grams almond butter, Revive Glutamine in the protein shake |
Supplements
Chris Bumstead uses several supplements to boost his muscle recovery and keep his energy levels up. His favourites include whey isolate protein powder for quick recovery after workouts and glutamine supplements for better immune function and digestive health.
These supplements are essential for him to maintain intense workouts and recover well.
Chris Bumstead’s Workout: Simplicity and Consistency
Chris Bumstead believes in keeping his workouts simple and consistent. This approach has helped him win the Mr. Olympia title. He sticks to basic training principles and keeps a regular training schedule.
Chris focuses on being consistent with his workouts and diet, which he finds more effective than complex techniques. His straightforward method shows his deep understanding of what works best in bodybuilding.
What Is Chris Bumstead’s Diet?
Chris Bumstead focuses on consuming at least three balanced meals before working out, prioritizing a mid-morning meal rich in proteins and carbs to fuel his gym sessions.
He keeps it simple, opting for efficient, no-frills nutrition. Additionally, he satisfies his cravings for sweet and salty flavours with a peanut butter protein bar and some rice cakes as a snack. This combination ensures he’s well-nourished and energized, ready to tackle his intense workout regimen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does a Typical Training Week Look Like For Chris Bumstead?
Chris Bumstead follows a structured training schedule that targets different muscle groups each day. Typically, his week includes days dedicated to quads and calves, chest and triceps, back and biceps, shoulders, and arms, with rest days strategically placed to allow for recovery.
How Does Chris Bumstead Approach his Diet During Training?
Chris maintains a high-calorie diet, consuming between 5,000 to 6,500 calories daily, tailored to his training demands. His diet is rich in protein (265-290 grams daily), carbohydrates (550-650 grams daily), and fats (around 150 grams daily) to support muscle growth and recovery.
What Supplements Does Chris Bumstead Use to Enhance His Workout Performance?
Chris Bumstead includes essential supplements like protein powders, pre-workout formulas, and recovery aids like glutamine in his regimen. He also uses meal prep services like Trifecta to ensure he meets his nutritional goals efficiently.