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The golden era of bodybuilding was everything great about the sport. It had huge personalities, aesthetic physiques, and a superstar athlete to be the frontman. This period is so influential that fifty years later, we have an entire class dedicated to bringing it back to life. The classic physique division is both a throwback and a look ahead to the future of the sport.
For the past three years, the classic physique has been dominated by one man: Chris Bumstead. He is the reigning classic physique Olympia champion, winning the show in 2019, 2020, and 2021. With almost 9 million followers on his Instagram account and close to 2 million YouTube subscribers, it is safe to say Chris Bumstead is the current face of bodybuilding. And it's easy to see why.
The professional bodybuilder is arguably the most aesthetic guy on the planet. For the first time in decades, the lifting community has a champion bodybuilder to aspire to look like. And while we may not be able to replicate Chris’ exact results, we can certainly learn a thing or two from the bodybuilding expert.
After reading this post, you’ll know:
All about the bodybuilding pro Chris Bumstead
His current training split
Chris Bumstead workout routine in the off-season
His offseason diet and supplementation
Who is Chris Bumstead?
Chris Bumstead, age 27, was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. At six feet tall, he has a contest weight of 225 pounds. In the offseason, he typically gets up to 260 to 265 pounds.
Chris is the first Mr. Olympia who could just as easily be classified as a fitness influencer. He documents his training and nutrition on his YouTube and Instagram accounts, like this shoulder workout, giving a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to be a champion.
In addition to competing, he is part owner of a supplement company called Raw Nutrition.
Chris Bumstead's Workout Routine Training Split
Chris follows an unconventional training split spread across eight days instead of the traditional seven-day week. Chris Bumstead's workout plan involves training three days in a row, followed by one rest day.
Day 1: Chest
Day 2: Quads and Calves
Day 3: Back (thickness)
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Shoulders
Day 6: Hamstrings and Back (width)
Day 7: Arms
Day 8: Rest
Aside from his back, the Chris Bumstead workout plan hits each muscle group once per week. Bodybuilders have had great success with similar bro split style workout routines for decades.
Although high-frequency training (hitting each muscle multiple times per week) is often seen as evidence-based, training frequency does not significantly or meaningfully impact muscle hypertrophy when the volume is equated.
Simply put, it doesn't matter how often you train each week when the number of sets you do for each muscle group per week is the same.
It's also notable that he splits his lower body training into two sessions. The first session on day two is quad focused, and the second session on day six is hamstring focused.
Chris Bumstead Workout Routine: '22 Off Season
Admittingly, Chris Bumstead's workout doesn't always follow super strict guidelines. Therefore, exercises are subject to change slightly.
With that said, the overall structure of his training is very consistent. One thing you will notice watching Chris Bumstead train is his emphasis on the basics. He uses a variety of movements, utilizing both free weights and specialized machines, but there is nothing super fancy about what he does.
Training Volume
He trains hard and heavy with moderate volume utilizing a double progression loading scheme. Recently, Chris Bumstead talked about how he aims to get at least ten reps before increasing the weight.
Double progression is a simple way to build progressive overload into your training. It goes like this: You work in a programmed rep range (8-10, for example) and stick with the same weight for as long as needed to reach the top of that rep range.
Then, once you hit the top of that rep range for the programmed number of sets, you increase the weight by 5 to 15 pounds and repeat the process. Essentially, you always try to increase reps first, and then once you are capable, increase the weight. This is why it is called double progression.
Drop Sets for added progression
Chris is also a big fan of utilizing drop sets to increase training intensity.
Drop sets are when you do a set close to failure with a given load, and with minimal rest, perform as many reps as possible with reduced weight. Drop sets are a way to get in more high fatigue reps quickly. Below is a breakdown of what Chris Bumstead's workout routine broken down by each day’s training looks like.
Day 1: Chest
The first session of the week is everyone's favorite: chest workouts. Chris Bumstead has been dealing with a shoulder injury for the past couple of years, and ironically, the injury affects his chest training more than shoulder work. Since his chest is a weak point, he has been trying to get creative to find movements that don't cause pain.
Chest Exercises:
Anytime you are working around an injury, the warmup is critical. Chris Bumstead's chest workout starts with him laying prone on an incline bench and performing light dumbbell Y-raises. This movement activates the upper back and rear delts, which help improve stability on heavy presses.
The workout begins with an incline dumbbell press. The goal is to work up to two heavy sets of near-maximal weight in the 8 to 10 rep range. Take your time and perform a few warmup sets as you build up to the top set working weight.
Next up: Stay on the incline bench for two sets of dumbbell incline flies. Nothing fancy here. Get a good stretch at the bottom and a hard contraction at the top.
The third movement is the Hammer Strength machine incline press. You will notice an emphasis is placed on incline movements. Over the years, Chris has found that is what works best for him. Perform two working sets, with a drop set on both. Start the second set on the same weight as the drop set from the first set.
After that, knock out three sets of fifteen on the pec deck before finishing up with two sets of push-ups to failure. By the end of the pushups, your chest should be smoked. If you're following his plan but want some push-up variations to play around with, there are plenty of options.
Chest Workout:
Incline Dumbbell Press: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Incline Dumbbell Fly: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Hammer Strength Machine Incline Press (Drop Set): 2 sets x 6-10 reps
Pec Deck: 3 sets x 15 reps
Pushups: 2 sets to failure
Day 2: Quads and Calves
Day two is Chris Bumstead's quads and calves. This is the big leg development day of the week.
Quad & Calf Exercises:
Start by getting a good warm-up with a superset of leg extensions and the adduction machine. Chris feels the adduction machine is the secret to warming up for squats.
After a few warmup sets, stay on leg extensions for two working sets. Then, on the second set, perform a drop set.
Next up is the main exercise of the workout: smith machine squats. Working up in weight, Chris performs a few low rep warmup sets not to waste energy. The goal is to work up to the heaviest weight possible for six to ten reps. After the top set, drop the weight by about five percent for the second set.
During squats, he wears a belt and a pair of knee sleeves. Interestingly, he performs the entire workout without any shoes on. In between sets, focus on deep breathing. Breathe through the nose, fill up the belly, and push air into your chest.
The workout concludes with a tri-set of unilateral leg press, bodyweight sissy squats, and seated calf raises. The unilateral leg press takes some pressure off the lower back and allows you to focus on one leg at a time.
Quad & Calf Workout:
Leg Extension (Drop Set): 2 sets x 20 reps
Smith Machine Squat: 2 sets x 6-10 reps
Leg Tri Set:- Unilateral Leg Press: 3 sets x 8-10 reps- Sissy Squat: 3 sets x 12-15 reps- Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 3: Back (thickness)
Day three is the first back day of the week. In this workout, the focus is on back thickness.
Back Exercises:
With no specific warmup, Chris jumps right into the first exercise of the day, a lat pulldown using an underhand close grip. This will be the only pulldown variation of the day.
Next up is a chest-supported dumbbell row using an incline bench. This is a highly underrated exercise and often takes a backseat to bent over barbell rows and the seal row. However, the dumbbell chest-supported row is a great alternative. Although it's not the same, it offers many of the same benefits.
The third exercise of the day is a chest-supported t-bar row with a neutral grip. Focus on getting a big stretch at the bottom and a hard contraction at the top. The key is getting a full scapular retraction as you pull the weight into your chest. On the second set, perform a drop set.
After that, move over to the machine chest supported row. Each chest-supported row variation hits the back from a different angle. Simply changing the grip, angle of pull or elbow position can change how the movement targets the muscle.
The last exercise of the day is a lat extension using a Vulken cable attachment. The long Vulken strap allows for an extended range of motion and full lat contraction.
Back Workout:
Close Grip Underhand Lat Pulldown: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
Chest Supported Dumbbell Row: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Chest Supported T-Bar Row (Drop Set): 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Machine Chest Supported Row: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Cable Lat Extension: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 4: Rest
Note that day four is a rest day, so we aren’t including much information here. Take it easy, and let your muscles heal. Make sure you determine how much protein you need to build muscle, and keep your intake just as high on rest days.
Day 5: Shoulders
Chris Bumstead's shoulders workout starts with an extensive warmup of band dislocations and internal and external rotations.
Shoulder Exercises:
The first exercise of the day is a seated dumbbell shoulder press. Slowly work up in weight, performing multiple light warmup sets. The two working sets should be as heavy as possible. Chris puts a lot of emphasis on shoulder press strength in the offseason. His goal is to be able to shoulder press 140-pound dumbbells before he starts to prep for the Olympia.
The second exercise of the day is a machine shoulder press. The machine lets you focus on pushing the weight without worrying about stabilizing. Then, on the third set, do a drop set to get in some more volume.
Next up is a seated dumbbell lateral raise. Doing these seated helps eliminate cheating. Next, perform a drop set on both sets. Once you are done, jump over to the lateral raise machine to finish off your lateral delt exercises.
The workout concludes with two complex sets of reverse pec deck to hit the rear delts.
Shoulder Workout:
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 2 sets x 6-10 reps
Machine Shoulder Press (Drop Set): 3 sets x 6-10 reps
Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise (Drop Set): 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Machine Lateral Raise 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Reverse Pec Deck: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 6: Hamstrings and Back Width
The second leg workout of the week focuses on Chris Bumstead's hamstring exercises with a bit of back work sprinkled in at the end.
Hamstring & Back Exercises:
The workout starts with lying leg curls. Doing the leg curls before deadlifts act as a pre-exhaust for the hamstrings. Chris loves deadlifting heavy. Plus, having quantitative goals is a great way to maintain motivation during the offseason. So work up to the heaviest weight you can handle for 4 to 8 reps.
After deadlifts, hammer the hamstrings with two more leg curl variations, seated and standing, before moving onto the back.
The first back exercise is wide grip lat pulldowns. You can rotate in wide-grip pull-ups in this spot as well. Finish the workout with two quick sets of cable lat extensions using a double grip v-bar attachment.
Hamstring & Back Workout:
Lying Leg Curl: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Deadlift: 2 sets x 4-8 reps
Seated Leg Curl: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Standing Leg Curl: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
Cable Lat Extension: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 7: Arms
Last but not least: Arms, which is the main area Chris is trying to build this offseason.
Arm Exercises:
Begin the workout with rope press downs before moving to incline dumbbell skull crushers. Start these with your elbows pointing directly up at the ceiling to keep the focus on the triceps. You can drop your elbows at the end of the set to get in a few extra reps.
After two triceps exercises, EZ bar preacher curls are the first biceps movement. In a recent YouTube video, Chris says, "if you have small biceps…learn how to do preacher curls perfectly, and your arms will grow". As an alternative to using the EZ bar, you can also opt for machine preacher curls.
Next up is good old fashion dumbbell biceps curls. Again, focus on rotating the wrist outward at the top.
The last triceps exercise of the day is a unique movement. It's a cable cross-body triceps extension. Set the cable at about head height. Using one arm at a time, extend your hand from the opposite shoulder horizontally to full extension.
Finish the workout with a low pulley cable curl using a v-bar handle.
Arm Workout:
Rope Cable Triceps Pressdown (Drop Set): 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Incline Dumbbell Skull Crusher: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
EZ Bar Preacher Curl (Drop Set): 3 sets x 8-10 reps
Dumbbell Curl: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Cable Cross Body Triceps: 2 sets x 10-15 reps
Low Pulley Cable Curl with V-Bar Handle (Drop Set): 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 8: Rest
Again, here’s your reminder to hit your protein goals, get plenty of sleep, and let your muscles rest and repair.
Chris Bumstead Diet and Supplementation
Even in the offseason, Chris Bumstead's diet is spot on nutrition-wise and filled with healthy foods. Based on his full day of eating videos on YouTube, he tracks his food using My Fitness Pal.
Offseason Diet:
In the offseason, he eats roughly 5,000 calories broken up into 265 to 290 grams of protein, 550 to 650 grams of carbs, and around 150 grams of fat.
His diet consists of mostly minimally processed whole foods he cooks himself. However, he takes advantage of a meal prep service called Mega Fit Meals for convenience. A day of eating for Chris Bumstead in the offseason looks like the following:
Meal 1:
2 scoops of CBUM Itholate protein powder with 16 grams almond butter
2 bagels with ghee butter
Revive glutamine and fiber supplements added to the shake
Meal 2:
6 to 8 ounces steak
300 grams sweet potato
1-2 servings of broccoli
Meal 3 (pre-workout):
6 to 8 ounces chicken breast or ground turkey
2 cups white rice
2 scoops of CBUM Thavage Pre-Workout Supplement
Meal 4 (post-workout):
6 to 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 to 8 ounces ground turkey
2 cups of jasmine rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Meal 6:
1 scoop CBUM Itholate protein powder
80 grams oats
32 grams almond butter
Revive Glutamine added to the shake
Chris Bumstead Success Leaves Clues
Although we can't always emulate the results, it's inspiring to see how the best of the best get it done.
Following Chris Bumstead's training and diet plan won't guarantee a Sandow trophy, but it'll certainly get you gains. And if you're not ready for an 8-day training schedule, there are plenty of other great workout splits to help you see results.
You may be surprised by the simplicity of what Chris Bumstead does. The truth is, there are no secrets or special techniques that aren't semi-common knowledge. It all comes down to consistency and effort. There is no substitute for the work.
Related: Chris Bumstead & Brett Wilkin Power Through Back Workout
Images courtesy of Chris Bumstead's Instagram
The golden era of bodybuilding was everything great about the sport. It had huge personalities, aesthetic physiques, and a superstar athlete to be the frontman. This period is so influential that fifty years later, we have an entire class dedicated to bringing it back to life. The classic physique division is both a throwback and a look ahead to the future of the sport.
For the past three years, the classic physique has been dominated by one man: Chris Bumstead. He is the reigning classic physique Olympia champion, winning the show in 2019, 2020, and 2021. With almost 9 million followers on his Instagram account and close to 2 million YouTube subscribers, it is safe to say Chris Bumstead is the current face of bodybuilding. And it's easy to see why.
The professional bodybuilder is arguably the most aesthetic guy on the planet. For the first time in decades, the lifting community has a champion bodybuilder to aspire to look like. And while we may not be able to replicate Chris’ exact results, we can certainly learn a thing or two from the bodybuilding expert.
After reading this post, you’ll know:
Who is Chris Bumstead?
Chris Bumstead, age 27, was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. At six feet tall, he has a contest weight of 225 pounds. In the offseason, he typically gets up to 260 to 265 pounds.
Chris is the first Mr. Olympia who could just as easily be classified as a fitness influencer. He documents his training and nutrition on his YouTube and Instagram accounts, like this shoulder workout, giving a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to be a champion.
In addition to competing, he is part owner of a supplement company called Raw Nutrition.
Chris Bumstead's Workout Routine Training Split
Chris follows an unconventional training split spread across eight days instead of the traditional seven-day week. Chris Bumstead's workout plan involves training three days in a row, followed by one rest day.
Aside from his back, the Chris Bumstead workout plan hits each muscle group once per week. Bodybuilders have had great success with similar bro split style workout routines for decades.
Although high-frequency training (hitting each muscle multiple times per week) is often seen as evidence-based, training frequency does not significantly or meaningfully impact muscle hypertrophy when the volume is equated.
Simply put, it doesn't matter how often you train each week when the number of sets you do for each muscle group per week is the same.
It's also notable that he splits his lower body training into two sessions. The first session on day two is quad focused, and the second session on day six is hamstring focused.
Chris Bumstead Workout Routine: '22 Off Season
Admittingly, Chris Bumstead's workout doesn't always follow super strict guidelines. Therefore, exercises are subject to change slightly.
With that said, the overall structure of his training is very consistent. One thing you will notice watching Chris Bumstead train is his emphasis on the basics. He uses a variety of movements, utilizing both free weights and specialized machines, but there is nothing super fancy about what he does.
Training Volume
He trains hard and heavy with moderate volume utilizing a double progression loading scheme. Recently, Chris Bumstead talked about how he aims to get at least ten reps before increasing the weight.
Double progression is a simple way to build progressive overload into your training. It goes like this: You work in a programmed rep range (8-10, for example) and stick with the same weight for as long as needed to reach the top of that rep range.
Then, once you hit the top of that rep range for the programmed number of sets, you increase the weight by 5 to 15 pounds and repeat the process. Essentially, you always try to increase reps first, and then once you are capable, increase the weight. This is why it is called double progression.
Drop Sets for added progression
Chris is also a big fan of utilizing drop sets to increase training intensity.
Drop sets are when you do a set close to failure with a given load, and with minimal rest, perform as many reps as possible with reduced weight. Drop sets are a way to get in more high fatigue reps quickly. Below is a breakdown of what Chris Bumstead's workout routine broken down by each day’s training looks like.
Day 1: Chest
The first session of the week is everyone's favorite: chest workouts. Chris Bumstead has been dealing with a shoulder injury for the past couple of years, and ironically, the injury affects his chest training more than shoulder work. Since his chest is a weak point, he has been trying to get creative to find movements that don't cause pain.
Chest Exercises:
Anytime you are working around an injury, the warmup is critical. Chris Bumstead's chest workout starts with him laying prone on an incline bench and performing light dumbbell Y-raises. This movement activates the upper back and rear delts, which help improve stability on heavy presses.
The workout begins with an incline dumbbell press. The goal is to work up to two heavy sets of near-maximal weight in the 8 to 10 rep range. Take your time and perform a few warmup sets as you build up to the top set working weight.
Next up: Stay on the incline bench for two sets of dumbbell incline flies. Nothing fancy here. Get a good stretch at the bottom and a hard contraction at the top.
The third movement is the Hammer Strength machine incline press. You will notice an emphasis is placed on incline movements. Over the years, Chris has found that is what works best for him. Perform two working sets, with a drop set on both. Start the second set on the same weight as the drop set from the first set.
After that, knock out three sets of fifteen on the pec deck before finishing up with two sets of push-ups to failure. By the end of the pushups, your chest should be smoked. If you're following his plan but want some push-up variations to play around with, there are plenty of options.
Chest Workout:
[*]Incline Dumbbell Press: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Incline Dumbbell Fly: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Hammer Strength Machine Incline Press (Drop Set): 2 sets x 6-10 reps
[*]Pec Deck: 3 sets x 15 reps
[*]Pushups: 2 sets to failure
Day 2: Quads and Calves
Day two is Chris Bumstead's quads and calves. This is the big leg development day of the week.
Quad & Calf Exercises:
Start by getting a good warm-up with a superset of leg extensions and the adduction machine. Chris feels the adduction machine is the secret to warming up for squats.
After a few warmup sets, stay on leg extensions for two working sets. Then, on the second set, perform a drop set.
Next up is the main exercise of the workout: smith machine squats. Working up in weight, Chris performs a few low rep warmup sets not to waste energy. The goal is to work up to the heaviest weight possible for six to ten reps. After the top set, drop the weight by about five percent for the second set.
During squats, he wears a belt and a pair of knee sleeves. Interestingly, he performs the entire workout without any shoes on. In between sets, focus on deep breathing. Breathe through the nose, fill up the belly, and push air into your chest.
The workout concludes with a tri-set of unilateral leg press, bodyweight sissy squats, and seated calf raises. The unilateral leg press takes some pressure off the lower back and allows you to focus on one leg at a time.
Quad & Calf Workout:
[*]Leg Extension (Drop Set): 2 sets x 20 reps
[*]Smith Machine Squat: 2 sets x 6-10 reps
[*]Leg Tri Set:
- Unilateral Leg Press: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
- Sissy Squat: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
- Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 3: Back (thickness)
Day three is the first back day of the week. In this workout, the focus is on back thickness.
Back Exercises:
With no specific warmup, Chris jumps right into the first exercise of the day, a lat pulldown using an underhand close grip. This will be the only pulldown variation of the day.
Next up is a chest-supported dumbbell row using an incline bench. This is a highly underrated exercise and often takes a backseat to bent over barbell rows and the seal row. However, the dumbbell chest-supported row is a great alternative. Although it's not the same, it offers many of the same benefits.
The third exercise of the day is a chest-supported t-bar row with a neutral grip. Focus on getting a big stretch at the bottom and a hard contraction at the top. The key is getting a full scapular retraction as you pull the weight into your chest. On the second set, perform a drop set.
After that, move over to the machine chest supported row. Each chest-supported row variation hits the back from a different angle. Simply changing the grip, angle of pull or elbow position can change how the movement targets the muscle.
The last exercise of the day is a lat extension using a Vulken cable attachment. The long Vulken strap allows for an extended range of motion and full lat contraction.
Back Workout:
[*]Close Grip Underhand Lat Pulldown: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
[*]Chest Supported Dumbbell Row: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Chest Supported T-Bar Row (Drop Set): 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Machine Chest Supported Row: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
[*]Cable Lat Extension: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 4: Rest
Note that day four is a rest day, so we aren’t including much information here. Take it easy, and let your muscles heal. Make sure you determine how much protein you need to build muscle, and keep your intake just as high on rest days.
Day 5: Shoulders
Chris Bumstead's shoulders workout starts with an extensive warmup of band dislocations and internal and external rotations.
Shoulder Exercises:
The first exercise of the day is a seated dumbbell shoulder press. Slowly work up in weight, performing multiple light warmup sets. The two working sets should be as heavy as possible. Chris puts a lot of emphasis on shoulder press strength in the offseason. His goal is to be able to shoulder press 140-pound dumbbells before he starts to prep for the Olympia.
The second exercise of the day is a machine shoulder press. The machine lets you focus on pushing the weight without worrying about stabilizing. Then, on the third set, do a drop set to get in some more volume.
Next up is a seated dumbbell lateral raise. Doing these seated helps eliminate cheating. Next, perform a drop set on both sets. Once you are done, jump over to the lateral raise machine to finish off your lateral delt exercises.
The workout concludes with two complex sets of reverse pec deck to hit the rear delts.
Shoulder Workout:
[*]Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 2 sets x 6-10 reps
[*]Machine Shoulder Press (Drop Set): 3 sets x 6-10 reps
[*]Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise (Drop Set): 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Machine Lateral Raise 2 sets x 10-12 reps
[*]Reverse Pec Deck: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 6: Hamstrings and Back Width
The second leg workout of the week focuses on Chris Bumstead's hamstring exercises with a bit of back work sprinkled in at the end.
Hamstring & Back Exercises:
The workout starts with lying leg curls. Doing the leg curls before deadlifts act as a pre-exhaust for the hamstrings. Chris loves deadlifting heavy. Plus, having quantitative goals is a great way to maintain motivation during the offseason. So work up to the heaviest weight you can handle for 4 to 8 reps.
After deadlifts, hammer the hamstrings with two more leg curl variations, seated and standing, before moving onto the back.
The first back exercise is wide grip lat pulldowns. You can rotate in wide-grip pull-ups in this spot as well. Finish the workout with two quick sets of cable lat extensions using a double grip v-bar attachment.
Hamstring & Back Workout:
[*]Lying Leg Curl: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Deadlift: 2 sets x 4-8 reps
[*]Seated Leg Curl: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Standing Leg Curl: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Cable Lat Extension: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 7: Arms
Last but not least: Arms, which is the main area Chris is trying to build this offseason.
Arm Exercises:
Begin the workout with rope press downs before moving to incline dumbbell skull crushers. Start these with your elbows pointing directly up at the ceiling to keep the focus on the triceps. You can drop your elbows at the end of the set to get in a few extra reps.
After two triceps exercises, EZ bar preacher curls are the first biceps movement. In a recent YouTube video, Chris says, "if you have small biceps…learn how to do preacher curls perfectly, and your arms will grow". As an alternative to using the EZ bar, you can also opt for machine preacher curls.
Next up is good old fashion dumbbell biceps curls. Again, focus on rotating the wrist outward at the top.
The last triceps exercise of the day is a unique movement. It's a cable cross-body triceps extension. Set the cable at about head height. Using one arm at a time, extend your hand from the opposite shoulder horizontally to full extension.
Finish the workout with a low pulley cable curl using a v-bar handle.
Arm Workout:
[*]Rope Cable Triceps Pressdown (Drop Set): 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Incline Dumbbell Skull Crusher: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]EZ Bar Preacher Curl (Drop Set): 3 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Dumbbell Curl: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
[*]Cable Cross Body Triceps: 2 sets x 10-15 reps
[*]Low Pulley Cable Curl with V-Bar Handle (Drop Set): 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 8: Rest
Again, here’s your reminder to hit your protein goals, get plenty of sleep, and let your muscles rest and repair.
Chris Bumstead Diet and Supplementation
Even in the offseason, Chris Bumstead's diet is spot on nutrition-wise and filled with healthy foods. Based on his full day of eating videos on YouTube, he tracks his food using My Fitness Pal.
Offseason Diet:
In the offseason, he eats roughly 5,000 calories broken up into 265 to 290 grams of protein, 550 to 650 grams of carbs, and around 150 grams of fat.
His diet consists of mostly minimally processed whole foods he cooks himself. However, he takes advantage of a meal prep service called Mega Fit Meals for convenience. A day of eating for Chris Bumstead in the offseason looks like the following:
Meal 1:
Chris Bumstead Success Leaves Clues
Although we can't always emulate the results, it's inspiring to see how the best of the best get it done.
Following Chris Bumstead's training and diet plan won't guarantee a Sandow trophy, but it'll certainly get you gains. And if you're not ready for an 8-day training schedule, there are plenty of other great workout splits to help you see results.
You may be surprised by the simplicity of what Chris Bumstead does. The truth is, there are no secrets or special techniques that aren't semi-common knowledge. It all comes down to consistency and effort. There is no substitute for the work.
Related: Chris Bumstead & Brett Wilkin Power Through Back Workout
Images courtesy of Chris Bumstead's Instagram
Click here to view the article.
For the past three years, the classic physique has been dominated by one man: Chris Bumstead. He is the reigning classic physique Olympia champion, winning the show in 2019, 2020, and 2021. With almost 9 million followers on his Instagram account and close to 2 million YouTube subscribers, it is safe to say Chris Bumstead is the current face of bodybuilding. And it's easy to see why.
The professional bodybuilder is arguably the most aesthetic guy on the planet. For the first time in decades, the lifting community has a champion bodybuilder to aspire to look like. And while we may not be able to replicate Chris’ exact results, we can certainly learn a thing or two from the bodybuilding expert.
After reading this post, you’ll know:
All about the bodybuilding pro Chris Bumstead
His current training split
Chris Bumstead workout routine in the off-season
His offseason diet and supplementation
Who is Chris Bumstead?
Chris Bumstead, age 27, was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. At six feet tall, he has a contest weight of 225 pounds. In the offseason, he typically gets up to 260 to 265 pounds.
Chris is the first Mr. Olympia who could just as easily be classified as a fitness influencer. He documents his training and nutrition on his YouTube and Instagram accounts, like this shoulder workout, giving a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to be a champion.
In addition to competing, he is part owner of a supplement company called Raw Nutrition.
Chris Bumstead's Workout Routine Training Split
Chris follows an unconventional training split spread across eight days instead of the traditional seven-day week. Chris Bumstead's workout plan involves training three days in a row, followed by one rest day.
Day 1: Chest
Day 2: Quads and Calves
Day 3: Back (thickness)
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Shoulders
Day 6: Hamstrings and Back (width)
Day 7: Arms
Day 8: Rest
Aside from his back, the Chris Bumstead workout plan hits each muscle group once per week. Bodybuilders have had great success with similar bro split style workout routines for decades.
Although high-frequency training (hitting each muscle multiple times per week) is often seen as evidence-based, training frequency does not significantly or meaningfully impact muscle hypertrophy when the volume is equated.
Simply put, it doesn't matter how often you train each week when the number of sets you do for each muscle group per week is the same.
It's also notable that he splits his lower body training into two sessions. The first session on day two is quad focused, and the second session on day six is hamstring focused.
Chris Bumstead Workout Routine: '22 Off Season
Admittingly, Chris Bumstead's workout doesn't always follow super strict guidelines. Therefore, exercises are subject to change slightly.
With that said, the overall structure of his training is very consistent. One thing you will notice watching Chris Bumstead train is his emphasis on the basics. He uses a variety of movements, utilizing both free weights and specialized machines, but there is nothing super fancy about what he does.
Training Volume
He trains hard and heavy with moderate volume utilizing a double progression loading scheme. Recently, Chris Bumstead talked about how he aims to get at least ten reps before increasing the weight.
Double progression is a simple way to build progressive overload into your training. It goes like this: You work in a programmed rep range (8-10, for example) and stick with the same weight for as long as needed to reach the top of that rep range.
Then, once you hit the top of that rep range for the programmed number of sets, you increase the weight by 5 to 15 pounds and repeat the process. Essentially, you always try to increase reps first, and then once you are capable, increase the weight. This is why it is called double progression.
Drop Sets for added progression
Chris is also a big fan of utilizing drop sets to increase training intensity.
Drop sets are when you do a set close to failure with a given load, and with minimal rest, perform as many reps as possible with reduced weight. Drop sets are a way to get in more high fatigue reps quickly. Below is a breakdown of what Chris Bumstead's workout routine broken down by each day’s training looks like.
Day 1: Chest
The first session of the week is everyone's favorite: chest workouts. Chris Bumstead has been dealing with a shoulder injury for the past couple of years, and ironically, the injury affects his chest training more than shoulder work. Since his chest is a weak point, he has been trying to get creative to find movements that don't cause pain.
Chest Exercises:
Anytime you are working around an injury, the warmup is critical. Chris Bumstead's chest workout starts with him laying prone on an incline bench and performing light dumbbell Y-raises. This movement activates the upper back and rear delts, which help improve stability on heavy presses.
The workout begins with an incline dumbbell press. The goal is to work up to two heavy sets of near-maximal weight in the 8 to 10 rep range. Take your time and perform a few warmup sets as you build up to the top set working weight.
Next up: Stay on the incline bench for two sets of dumbbell incline flies. Nothing fancy here. Get a good stretch at the bottom and a hard contraction at the top.
The third movement is the Hammer Strength machine incline press. You will notice an emphasis is placed on incline movements. Over the years, Chris has found that is what works best for him. Perform two working sets, with a drop set on both. Start the second set on the same weight as the drop set from the first set.
After that, knock out three sets of fifteen on the pec deck before finishing up with two sets of push-ups to failure. By the end of the pushups, your chest should be smoked. If you're following his plan but want some push-up variations to play around with, there are plenty of options.
Chest Workout:
Incline Dumbbell Press: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Incline Dumbbell Fly: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Hammer Strength Machine Incline Press (Drop Set): 2 sets x 6-10 reps
Pec Deck: 3 sets x 15 reps
Pushups: 2 sets to failure
Day 2: Quads and Calves
Day two is Chris Bumstead's quads and calves. This is the big leg development day of the week.
Quad & Calf Exercises:
Start by getting a good warm-up with a superset of leg extensions and the adduction machine. Chris feels the adduction machine is the secret to warming up for squats.
After a few warmup sets, stay on leg extensions for two working sets. Then, on the second set, perform a drop set.
Next up is the main exercise of the workout: smith machine squats. Working up in weight, Chris performs a few low rep warmup sets not to waste energy. The goal is to work up to the heaviest weight possible for six to ten reps. After the top set, drop the weight by about five percent for the second set.
During squats, he wears a belt and a pair of knee sleeves. Interestingly, he performs the entire workout without any shoes on. In between sets, focus on deep breathing. Breathe through the nose, fill up the belly, and push air into your chest.
The workout concludes with a tri-set of unilateral leg press, bodyweight sissy squats, and seated calf raises. The unilateral leg press takes some pressure off the lower back and allows you to focus on one leg at a time.
Quad & Calf Workout:
Leg Extension (Drop Set): 2 sets x 20 reps
Smith Machine Squat: 2 sets x 6-10 reps
Leg Tri Set:- Unilateral Leg Press: 3 sets x 8-10 reps- Sissy Squat: 3 sets x 12-15 reps- Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 3: Back (thickness)
Day three is the first back day of the week. In this workout, the focus is on back thickness.
Back Exercises:
With no specific warmup, Chris jumps right into the first exercise of the day, a lat pulldown using an underhand close grip. This will be the only pulldown variation of the day.
Next up is a chest-supported dumbbell row using an incline bench. This is a highly underrated exercise and often takes a backseat to bent over barbell rows and the seal row. However, the dumbbell chest-supported row is a great alternative. Although it's not the same, it offers many of the same benefits.
The third exercise of the day is a chest-supported t-bar row with a neutral grip. Focus on getting a big stretch at the bottom and a hard contraction at the top. The key is getting a full scapular retraction as you pull the weight into your chest. On the second set, perform a drop set.
After that, move over to the machine chest supported row. Each chest-supported row variation hits the back from a different angle. Simply changing the grip, angle of pull or elbow position can change how the movement targets the muscle.
The last exercise of the day is a lat extension using a Vulken cable attachment. The long Vulken strap allows for an extended range of motion and full lat contraction.
Back Workout:
Close Grip Underhand Lat Pulldown: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
Chest Supported Dumbbell Row: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Chest Supported T-Bar Row (Drop Set): 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Machine Chest Supported Row: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Cable Lat Extension: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 4: Rest
Note that day four is a rest day, so we aren’t including much information here. Take it easy, and let your muscles heal. Make sure you determine how much protein you need to build muscle, and keep your intake just as high on rest days.
Day 5: Shoulders
Chris Bumstead's shoulders workout starts with an extensive warmup of band dislocations and internal and external rotations.
Shoulder Exercises:
The first exercise of the day is a seated dumbbell shoulder press. Slowly work up in weight, performing multiple light warmup sets. The two working sets should be as heavy as possible. Chris puts a lot of emphasis on shoulder press strength in the offseason. His goal is to be able to shoulder press 140-pound dumbbells before he starts to prep for the Olympia.
The second exercise of the day is a machine shoulder press. The machine lets you focus on pushing the weight without worrying about stabilizing. Then, on the third set, do a drop set to get in some more volume.
Next up is a seated dumbbell lateral raise. Doing these seated helps eliminate cheating. Next, perform a drop set on both sets. Once you are done, jump over to the lateral raise machine to finish off your lateral delt exercises.
The workout concludes with two complex sets of reverse pec deck to hit the rear delts.
Shoulder Workout:
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 2 sets x 6-10 reps
Machine Shoulder Press (Drop Set): 3 sets x 6-10 reps
Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise (Drop Set): 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Machine Lateral Raise 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Reverse Pec Deck: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 6: Hamstrings and Back Width
The second leg workout of the week focuses on Chris Bumstead's hamstring exercises with a bit of back work sprinkled in at the end.
Hamstring & Back Exercises:
The workout starts with lying leg curls. Doing the leg curls before deadlifts act as a pre-exhaust for the hamstrings. Chris loves deadlifting heavy. Plus, having quantitative goals is a great way to maintain motivation during the offseason. So work up to the heaviest weight you can handle for 4 to 8 reps.
After deadlifts, hammer the hamstrings with two more leg curl variations, seated and standing, before moving onto the back.
The first back exercise is wide grip lat pulldowns. You can rotate in wide-grip pull-ups in this spot as well. Finish the workout with two quick sets of cable lat extensions using a double grip v-bar attachment.
Hamstring & Back Workout:
Lying Leg Curl: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Deadlift: 2 sets x 4-8 reps
Seated Leg Curl: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Standing Leg Curl: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
Cable Lat Extension: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 7: Arms
Last but not least: Arms, which is the main area Chris is trying to build this offseason.
Arm Exercises:
Begin the workout with rope press downs before moving to incline dumbbell skull crushers. Start these with your elbows pointing directly up at the ceiling to keep the focus on the triceps. You can drop your elbows at the end of the set to get in a few extra reps.
After two triceps exercises, EZ bar preacher curls are the first biceps movement. In a recent YouTube video, Chris says, "if you have small biceps…learn how to do preacher curls perfectly, and your arms will grow". As an alternative to using the EZ bar, you can also opt for machine preacher curls.
Next up is good old fashion dumbbell biceps curls. Again, focus on rotating the wrist outward at the top.
The last triceps exercise of the day is a unique movement. It's a cable cross-body triceps extension. Set the cable at about head height. Using one arm at a time, extend your hand from the opposite shoulder horizontally to full extension.
Finish the workout with a low pulley cable curl using a v-bar handle.
Arm Workout:
Rope Cable Triceps Pressdown (Drop Set): 2 sets x 8-10 reps
Incline Dumbbell Skull Crusher: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
EZ Bar Preacher Curl (Drop Set): 3 sets x 8-10 reps
Dumbbell Curl: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Cable Cross Body Triceps: 2 sets x 10-15 reps
Low Pulley Cable Curl with V-Bar Handle (Drop Set): 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 8: Rest
Again, here’s your reminder to hit your protein goals, get plenty of sleep, and let your muscles rest and repair.
Chris Bumstead Diet and Supplementation
Even in the offseason, Chris Bumstead's diet is spot on nutrition-wise and filled with healthy foods. Based on his full day of eating videos on YouTube, he tracks his food using My Fitness Pal.
Offseason Diet:
In the offseason, he eats roughly 5,000 calories broken up into 265 to 290 grams of protein, 550 to 650 grams of carbs, and around 150 grams of fat.
His diet consists of mostly minimally processed whole foods he cooks himself. However, he takes advantage of a meal prep service called Mega Fit Meals for convenience. A day of eating for Chris Bumstead in the offseason looks like the following:
Meal 1:
2 scoops of CBUM Itholate protein powder with 16 grams almond butter
2 bagels with ghee butter
Revive glutamine and fiber supplements added to the shake
Meal 2:
6 to 8 ounces steak
300 grams sweet potato
1-2 servings of broccoli
Meal 3 (pre-workout):
6 to 8 ounces chicken breast or ground turkey
2 cups white rice
2 scoops of CBUM Thavage Pre-Workout Supplement
Meal 4 (post-workout):
6 to 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 to 8 ounces ground turkey
2 cups of jasmine rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Meal 6:
1 scoop CBUM Itholate protein powder
80 grams oats
32 grams almond butter
Revive Glutamine added to the shake
Chris Bumstead Success Leaves Clues
Although we can't always emulate the results, it's inspiring to see how the best of the best get it done.
Following Chris Bumstead's training and diet plan won't guarantee a Sandow trophy, but it'll certainly get you gains. And if you're not ready for an 8-day training schedule, there are plenty of other great workout splits to help you see results.
You may be surprised by the simplicity of what Chris Bumstead does. The truth is, there are no secrets or special techniques that aren't semi-common knowledge. It all comes down to consistency and effort. There is no substitute for the work.
Related: Chris Bumstead & Brett Wilkin Power Through Back Workout
Images courtesy of Chris Bumstead's Instagram
The golden era of bodybuilding was everything great about the sport. It had huge personalities, aesthetic physiques, and a superstar athlete to be the frontman. This period is so influential that fifty years later, we have an entire class dedicated to bringing it back to life. The classic physique division is both a throwback and a look ahead to the future of the sport.
For the past three years, the classic physique has been dominated by one man: Chris Bumstead. He is the reigning classic physique Olympia champion, winning the show in 2019, 2020, and 2021. With almost 9 million followers on his Instagram account and close to 2 million YouTube subscribers, it is safe to say Chris Bumstead is the current face of bodybuilding. And it's easy to see why.
The professional bodybuilder is arguably the most aesthetic guy on the planet. For the first time in decades, the lifting community has a champion bodybuilder to aspire to look like. And while we may not be able to replicate Chris’ exact results, we can certainly learn a thing or two from the bodybuilding expert.
After reading this post, you’ll know:
- All about the bodybuilding pro Chris Bumstead
- His current training split
- Chris Bumstead workout routine in the off-season
- His offseason diet and supplementation
Who is Chris Bumstead?
Chris Bumstead, age 27, was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. At six feet tall, he has a contest weight of 225 pounds. In the offseason, he typically gets up to 260 to 265 pounds.
Chris is the first Mr. Olympia who could just as easily be classified as a fitness influencer. He documents his training and nutrition on his YouTube and Instagram accounts, like this shoulder workout, giving a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to be a champion.
In addition to competing, he is part owner of a supplement company called Raw Nutrition.
Chris Bumstead's Workout Routine Training Split
Chris follows an unconventional training split spread across eight days instead of the traditional seven-day week. Chris Bumstead's workout plan involves training three days in a row, followed by one rest day.
- Day 1: Chest
- Day 2: Quads and Calves
- Day 3: Back (thickness)
- Day 4: Rest
- Day 5: Shoulders
- Day 6: Hamstrings and Back (width)
- Day 7: Arms
- Day 8: Rest
Aside from his back, the Chris Bumstead workout plan hits each muscle group once per week. Bodybuilders have had great success with similar bro split style workout routines for decades.
Although high-frequency training (hitting each muscle multiple times per week) is often seen as evidence-based, training frequency does not significantly or meaningfully impact muscle hypertrophy when the volume is equated.
Simply put, it doesn't matter how often you train each week when the number of sets you do for each muscle group per week is the same.
It's also notable that he splits his lower body training into two sessions. The first session on day two is quad focused, and the second session on day six is hamstring focused.
Chris Bumstead Workout Routine: '22 Off Season
Admittingly, Chris Bumstead's workout doesn't always follow super strict guidelines. Therefore, exercises are subject to change slightly.
With that said, the overall structure of his training is very consistent. One thing you will notice watching Chris Bumstead train is his emphasis on the basics. He uses a variety of movements, utilizing both free weights and specialized machines, but there is nothing super fancy about what he does.
Training Volume
He trains hard and heavy with moderate volume utilizing a double progression loading scheme. Recently, Chris Bumstead talked about how he aims to get at least ten reps before increasing the weight.
Double progression is a simple way to build progressive overload into your training. It goes like this: You work in a programmed rep range (8-10, for example) and stick with the same weight for as long as needed to reach the top of that rep range.
Then, once you hit the top of that rep range for the programmed number of sets, you increase the weight by 5 to 15 pounds and repeat the process. Essentially, you always try to increase reps first, and then once you are capable, increase the weight. This is why it is called double progression.
Drop Sets for added progression
Chris is also a big fan of utilizing drop sets to increase training intensity.
Drop sets are when you do a set close to failure with a given load, and with minimal rest, perform as many reps as possible with reduced weight. Drop sets are a way to get in more high fatigue reps quickly. Below is a breakdown of what Chris Bumstead's workout routine broken down by each day’s training looks like.
Day 1: Chest
The first session of the week is everyone's favorite: chest workouts. Chris Bumstead has been dealing with a shoulder injury for the past couple of years, and ironically, the injury affects his chest training more than shoulder work. Since his chest is a weak point, he has been trying to get creative to find movements that don't cause pain.
Chest Exercises:
Anytime you are working around an injury, the warmup is critical. Chris Bumstead's chest workout starts with him laying prone on an incline bench and performing light dumbbell Y-raises. This movement activates the upper back and rear delts, which help improve stability on heavy presses.
The workout begins with an incline dumbbell press. The goal is to work up to two heavy sets of near-maximal weight in the 8 to 10 rep range. Take your time and perform a few warmup sets as you build up to the top set working weight.
Next up: Stay on the incline bench for two sets of dumbbell incline flies. Nothing fancy here. Get a good stretch at the bottom and a hard contraction at the top.
The third movement is the Hammer Strength machine incline press. You will notice an emphasis is placed on incline movements. Over the years, Chris has found that is what works best for him. Perform two working sets, with a drop set on both. Start the second set on the same weight as the drop set from the first set.
After that, knock out three sets of fifteen on the pec deck before finishing up with two sets of push-ups to failure. By the end of the pushups, your chest should be smoked. If you're following his plan but want some push-up variations to play around with, there are plenty of options.
Chest Workout:
[*]Incline Dumbbell Press: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Incline Dumbbell Fly: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Hammer Strength Machine Incline Press (Drop Set): 2 sets x 6-10 reps
[*]Pec Deck: 3 sets x 15 reps
[*]Pushups: 2 sets to failure
Day 2: Quads and Calves
Day two is Chris Bumstead's quads and calves. This is the big leg development day of the week.
Quad & Calf Exercises:
Start by getting a good warm-up with a superset of leg extensions and the adduction machine. Chris feels the adduction machine is the secret to warming up for squats.
After a few warmup sets, stay on leg extensions for two working sets. Then, on the second set, perform a drop set.
Next up is the main exercise of the workout: smith machine squats. Working up in weight, Chris performs a few low rep warmup sets not to waste energy. The goal is to work up to the heaviest weight possible for six to ten reps. After the top set, drop the weight by about five percent for the second set.
During squats, he wears a belt and a pair of knee sleeves. Interestingly, he performs the entire workout without any shoes on. In between sets, focus on deep breathing. Breathe through the nose, fill up the belly, and push air into your chest.
The workout concludes with a tri-set of unilateral leg press, bodyweight sissy squats, and seated calf raises. The unilateral leg press takes some pressure off the lower back and allows you to focus on one leg at a time.
Quad & Calf Workout:
[*]Leg Extension (Drop Set): 2 sets x 20 reps
[*]Smith Machine Squat: 2 sets x 6-10 reps
[*]Leg Tri Set:
- Unilateral Leg Press: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
- Sissy Squat: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
- Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 3: Back (thickness)
Day three is the first back day of the week. In this workout, the focus is on back thickness.
Back Exercises:
With no specific warmup, Chris jumps right into the first exercise of the day, a lat pulldown using an underhand close grip. This will be the only pulldown variation of the day.
Next up is a chest-supported dumbbell row using an incline bench. This is a highly underrated exercise and often takes a backseat to bent over barbell rows and the seal row. However, the dumbbell chest-supported row is a great alternative. Although it's not the same, it offers many of the same benefits.
The third exercise of the day is a chest-supported t-bar row with a neutral grip. Focus on getting a big stretch at the bottom and a hard contraction at the top. The key is getting a full scapular retraction as you pull the weight into your chest. On the second set, perform a drop set.
After that, move over to the machine chest supported row. Each chest-supported row variation hits the back from a different angle. Simply changing the grip, angle of pull or elbow position can change how the movement targets the muscle.
The last exercise of the day is a lat extension using a Vulken cable attachment. The long Vulken strap allows for an extended range of motion and full lat contraction.
Back Workout:
[*]Close Grip Underhand Lat Pulldown: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
[*]Chest Supported Dumbbell Row: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Chest Supported T-Bar Row (Drop Set): 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Machine Chest Supported Row: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
[*]Cable Lat Extension: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 4: Rest
Note that day four is a rest day, so we aren’t including much information here. Take it easy, and let your muscles heal. Make sure you determine how much protein you need to build muscle, and keep your intake just as high on rest days.
Day 5: Shoulders
Chris Bumstead's shoulders workout starts with an extensive warmup of band dislocations and internal and external rotations.
Shoulder Exercises:
The first exercise of the day is a seated dumbbell shoulder press. Slowly work up in weight, performing multiple light warmup sets. The two working sets should be as heavy as possible. Chris puts a lot of emphasis on shoulder press strength in the offseason. His goal is to be able to shoulder press 140-pound dumbbells before he starts to prep for the Olympia.
The second exercise of the day is a machine shoulder press. The machine lets you focus on pushing the weight without worrying about stabilizing. Then, on the third set, do a drop set to get in some more volume.
Next up is a seated dumbbell lateral raise. Doing these seated helps eliminate cheating. Next, perform a drop set on both sets. Once you are done, jump over to the lateral raise machine to finish off your lateral delt exercises.
The workout concludes with two complex sets of reverse pec deck to hit the rear delts.
Shoulder Workout:
[*]Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 2 sets x 6-10 reps
[*]Machine Shoulder Press (Drop Set): 3 sets x 6-10 reps
[*]Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise (Drop Set): 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Machine Lateral Raise 2 sets x 10-12 reps
[*]Reverse Pec Deck: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 6: Hamstrings and Back Width
The second leg workout of the week focuses on Chris Bumstead's hamstring exercises with a bit of back work sprinkled in at the end.
Hamstring & Back Exercises:
The workout starts with lying leg curls. Doing the leg curls before deadlifts act as a pre-exhaust for the hamstrings. Chris loves deadlifting heavy. Plus, having quantitative goals is a great way to maintain motivation during the offseason. So work up to the heaviest weight you can handle for 4 to 8 reps.
After deadlifts, hammer the hamstrings with two more leg curl variations, seated and standing, before moving onto the back.
The first back exercise is wide grip lat pulldowns. You can rotate in wide-grip pull-ups in this spot as well. Finish the workout with two quick sets of cable lat extensions using a double grip v-bar attachment.
Hamstring & Back Workout:
[*]Lying Leg Curl: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Deadlift: 2 sets x 4-8 reps
[*]Seated Leg Curl: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Standing Leg Curl: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Cable Lat Extension: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 7: Arms
Last but not least: Arms, which is the main area Chris is trying to build this offseason.
Arm Exercises:
Begin the workout with rope press downs before moving to incline dumbbell skull crushers. Start these with your elbows pointing directly up at the ceiling to keep the focus on the triceps. You can drop your elbows at the end of the set to get in a few extra reps.
After two triceps exercises, EZ bar preacher curls are the first biceps movement. In a recent YouTube video, Chris says, "if you have small biceps…learn how to do preacher curls perfectly, and your arms will grow". As an alternative to using the EZ bar, you can also opt for machine preacher curls.
Next up is good old fashion dumbbell biceps curls. Again, focus on rotating the wrist outward at the top.
The last triceps exercise of the day is a unique movement. It's a cable cross-body triceps extension. Set the cable at about head height. Using one arm at a time, extend your hand from the opposite shoulder horizontally to full extension.
Finish the workout with a low pulley cable curl using a v-bar handle.
Arm Workout:
[*]Rope Cable Triceps Pressdown (Drop Set): 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Incline Dumbbell Skull Crusher: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]EZ Bar Preacher Curl (Drop Set): 3 sets x 8-10 reps
[*]Dumbbell Curl: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
[*]Cable Cross Body Triceps: 2 sets x 10-15 reps
[*]Low Pulley Cable Curl with V-Bar Handle (Drop Set): 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Day 8: Rest
Again, here’s your reminder to hit your protein goals, get plenty of sleep, and let your muscles rest and repair.
Chris Bumstead Diet and Supplementation
Even in the offseason, Chris Bumstead's diet is spot on nutrition-wise and filled with healthy foods. Based on his full day of eating videos on YouTube, he tracks his food using My Fitness Pal.
Offseason Diet:
In the offseason, he eats roughly 5,000 calories broken up into 265 to 290 grams of protein, 550 to 650 grams of carbs, and around 150 grams of fat.
His diet consists of mostly minimally processed whole foods he cooks himself. However, he takes advantage of a meal prep service called Mega Fit Meals for convenience. A day of eating for Chris Bumstead in the offseason looks like the following:
Meal 1:
- 2 scoops of CBUM Itholate protein powder with 16 grams almond butter
- 2 bagels with ghee butter
- Revive glutamine and fiber supplements added to the shake
- 6 to 8 ounces steak
- 300 grams sweet potato
- 1-2 servings of broccoli
- 6 to 8 ounces chicken breast or ground turkey
- 2 cups white rice
- 2 scoops of CBUM Thavage Pre-Workout Supplement
- 6 to 8 ounces of ground beef
- 150 grams of carbs, like brown rice pasta
- 2 servings of marinara sauce
- Revive Glucose (GDA) with the meal
- 6 to 8 ounces ground turkey
- 2 cups of jasmine rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 scoop CBUM Itholate protein powder
- 80 grams oats
- 32 grams almond butter
- Revive Glutamine added to the shake
Chris Bumstead Success Leaves Clues
Although we can't always emulate the results, it's inspiring to see how the best of the best get it done.
Following Chris Bumstead's training and diet plan won't guarantee a Sandow trophy, but it'll certainly get you gains. And if you're not ready for an 8-day training schedule, there are plenty of other great workout splits to help you see results.
You may be surprised by the simplicity of what Chris Bumstead does. The truth is, there are no secrets or special techniques that aren't semi-common knowledge. It all comes down to consistency and effort. There is no substitute for the work.
Related: Chris Bumstead & Brett Wilkin Power Through Back Workout
Images courtesy of Chris Bumstead's Instagram
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