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COUNTDOWN TO THE OLYMPIA
The Unstoppable Chris Bumstead!
3X Classic Physique Olympia Champion Going for Win Number 4
Interview by Ron Harris
When Classic Physique debuted in 2016, some of us older folks in the industry wondered, would it ever have a megastar, the way what we now call “Open” had legends like Arnold, Lee Haney, Ronnie, Dorian, Jay and Phil? Would it ever have a man who would be its face to the world and inspire legions to pick up weights and become part of the sport we all love? It didn’t take long for that superstar to emerge in the form of Chris Bumstead. He has all the qualities you would want as the representative of a division. Chris is tall, handsome, has an astonishingly aesthetic physique, and a down-to-earth, humble personality along with a subtle sense of humor. Young men in particular have embraced him as a role model, and his numbers on social media – 10 million followers on Instagram and 2.23 million subscribers to his YouTube channel are testimony to his popularity: they far exceed anyone else in the IFBB Pro League, male or female. A three-time Olympia champion at only 27 years old, Chris is also a success in business as part owner of Raw/Revive. I spoke with him as he was just a few weeks into prep for the 2022 Classic Physique Olympia.
Let’s start with a lightning-fast recap of your third Olympia win in 2021. Many felt you didn’t look as good as you had the year before. Do you think that’s true, or do you think people were so shocked at the improvements you had made between 2019 and 2020 that they expected to see another crazy new version of your physique?
Honestly, I think it might have been a little of both. I am my own worst critic, but I had been looking way better in that off-season and prep than I had in previous years, even compared to 2020. At the end, my body wasn’t responding the way I wanted it to. There was a little extra stress, and I had to push my body harder than I would have liked. Your body responds to that last “peak week” a little differently every time. My body had been consistent until last year. Normally I pull water really hard, keep my sodium low, and I still stay full. Last year flushing water didn’t work out. I was really healthy last year. So flushing water, and pushing things through me, I feel like I was a lot flatter on stage. Along with pushing so hard the last few weeks with no refeeds or anything, I think my body kind of shut down. I looked sunken in, to the point where food couldn’t even fill me back up, even though I didn’t eat enough food. So I personally believe now that I didn’t look as good in the prep as I should have, but I think the look I brought in the end was very similar to 2020. It also drives me knowing I can look a lot better this year if I do things right.
I know you always have goals in terms of what you want to improve on from year to year. For the longest time it was your back and biceps. Are those still the main areas you focus on?
Those are still areas of focus for sure. I think I’ve brought back a little more emphasis on my legs, trying to get a bigger quad sweep, which I had like crazy when I was younger. My quads were almost overwhelming back then because my upper body hadn’t caught up. Then my upper body did catch up, and my legs went down a bit because I had knee issues for a while. Now I’m healthy and feeling good, so I’m bringing my quads up. My legs are bigger than they were last year for sure. I’m still working on my arms and my back, along with overall perfecting the conditioning and the peak and the look at the end. Once I nail that I think I’ll be good to go.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but do you also now have a higher weight cap because you were measured taller last year?
I always played it safe. One year someone heighted me in at 6 feet and 7/8 inches. The year before that, and the two years after, they measured me at 6 feet 1 and a half. That one year was different and because of that I was a little anxious and played it safe. What if I heighted in a half-inch or an inch shorter and I don’t make weight? Finally, I said look, I’m 6 feet 1 and a half right now. I was last year. Can you just tell me I will be next year? They said no, it depends on what you height in next year. I’m like great, that’s very helpful. But I risked it and said screw it. I go to my chiropractor and make sure my back is cracked, and I stretch myself out as much as possible. But my height is 6 foot 1 and a half and always has been. So last year I just said fuck it and came in to make that weight cap, which is 240.
It had been 230 before then?
Yeah. In 2019 I was 229 at weigh-in and 230-231 on stage. In 2020 I was 234-235. Last year I was 237-238.
OK, I was under the mistaken impression that you had something like 10 pounds to play with this year for the first time.
No, but I didn’t try too hard to make weight last year. I was drinking water, I had a little food, I wasn’t killing myself like some people were. I’d rather come in smooth than have to force myself down to make weight, because you never look good when you do that.
How long do you think this will go on? We have guys using inversion tables trying to get taller so they can weigh more. We had that whole fiasco in Brazil with Horse MD thinking he had grown, then missing the weight by over 7 pounds. Will they ever get rid of the weight caps?
I don’t know and I don’t dive too deep into that because it’s out of my control. I do think it would be smart if they gave you a card or kept a record of your height so you don’t have to worry about it changing next year, or if you have less water in your heels so you’re a little shorter.
Were you surprised at how well the two Olympia rookies, Urs Kalecinski and Ramon “Dino” did, placing fourth and fifth their first time up there?
I didn’t really know who they were. I keep in my own lane a lot lately. It keeps my head right in terms of what I need to do for myself. Knowing them now, it doesn’t surprise me at how well they did. They’re both great athletes and good people with crazy genetics who work hard. The beauty of Classic Physique is that anyone can come in out of nowhere because we do have that weight cap. It’s not like an Open guy where it takes 10 years to get to 300 pounds. It might just take one great off-season to get you to the next level. Look at the change I made from 2019 to 2020. You could go from amateur to pro card to Olympia in a year, which is what I did. It’s an exciting division. That could happen again this year. Someone could come out of nowhere and replace those two. They came out of nowhere last year. I don’t think that’s going to happen. They’re both great athletes and they’ve improved. I think they’ll be pushing it for a while. But it does make the division exciting how people can come out of nowhere and go so far, so fast.
As we speak, there are almost 50 men qualified for the Classic Physique Olympia with more than a few shows still left. Did you know that?
I just heard that. It’s gonna be a long night! I like the idea of putting a cap on that, and I mean from the business side. It costs a lot of money to fly all the athletes to the Olympia and put them up. If they have to do that for 500 athletes instead of 100, that’s a lot of money that could have been gone into promotion or more prize money for the athletes. It also makes it more exclusive and elite. The fewer people get into the Olympia, it’s more impressive and harder to do.
Terrence Ruffin has been runner-up to you twice, and I’m sure he is trying to figure out just what he needs to do to beat you. I personally feel it’s a matter of you being taller and having such a bigger frame. Silly question I know, but what would your criteria for Classic be if you were a judge at the Olympia?
If I were a judge, I’d probably make myself win, because I’m a little biased. Terrence has obviously proven himself. I think everyone he’s beaten has been taller than him. He’s usually the shortest guy in the lineup. So it doesn’t make sense to say he isn’t winning because he’s short. It might be a factor against me, but he is beating everyone else and they are all taller. Terrence is an awesome athlete. I think everyone has a chance to win every year if I slip and don’t come in great, and they do. I don’t think that’s gonna happen.
Classic definitely does not seem to be slowing down in its growth in both participation and popularity. Why do you think the division has such a powerful appeal?
I think Classic offers the best of every world. Men’s Physique is a little too small for some people, or they want to show their legs, or they want to hit actual bodybuilding poses. Bodybuilding is too difficult, too big and freaky, and there can be too much risk with it. Classic floats in the middle. Of course, there are still some risks, but it’s a little healthier than bodybuilding where you need to be 300 pounds. You get to hit the poses, and there’s more of an art form to it with the posing and the aesthetics. On top of that it’s just more appealing to the eye. I think bodybuilding will always be the face of the Olympia, but Classic Physique is a more beautiful thing to look at.
There are also a lot of great new athletes coming up in Classic who are doing a great job as ambassadors of the sport. A lot of them have YouTube channels and own businesses, myself included. The new generation is very passionate about doing our own thing, chasing our dreams and not having a boss and working for the man. That world is social media right now. The young kids see that, and they want to be part of it. It’s not just about eat, sleep, train anymore. It’s like, how are you living your life? Are you running your social media properly? There’s a lot more going on now and I think some people are more interested in all that instead of just eat, sleep, train like the bodybuilder stereotype.
Are you surprised to see so many pros leaving other divisions like Men’s Physique, Open and 212 for Classic?
I’m someone who did that. I was an Open guy who moved to Classic. I did it because the class felt more suited to me and my physique. It was a look that I was excited to chase and perfect more so than bodybuilding. So I understand.
If we look at social media numbers, you are the most popular pro in the IFBB Pro League today. Do you think it’s because you are young and the younger fans can relate to you more, is it because you work hard to consistently put out quality content, or are there other factors involved?
It definitely helps. Focusing on the younger generation is always important, and social media plays a huge role now in things like sports and our culture in general. Social media is a driving force for the younger generation, so they will look to those who are successful on that to get inspired and motivated. A lot of Classic Physique guys are doing a great job at displaying the journey. People just love to be part of your story. I’m doing something that I absolutely love, and I’m grateful to be doing it every day. Win or lose, I love what I do, and I’m just sharing that journey. People feel that passion and excitement that I have, but they also see the shit days I have. They love that. They’re like, that’s how I feel when I go to work. Some days I crush it, some days I feel like shit, but I’m still in there every day. I think it’s a beautiful thing that social media has allowed us to connect like that, and yes, it’s helped to grow the sport.
I think a big part of your appeal is your honesty. I watch most of your videos, and you do show days when you’re feeling sensational and others where you’re dragging ass. Other guys only show “the highlight reels,” which I think makes some of their fans feel like failures because they aren’t always brimming with motivation. You’re not a robot or a machine. You show your human side.
I agree. Something I struggled with before was that whole “mind of a champion” thing where you’re hardcore and you show no weakness, a big tough man. That’s not who I am at the core. I’m a lot more of a sentient being and more emotional than that. I have shitty days and I want to be honest. I don’t want to pretend to be something I’m not. If I had, I don’t think I would have lasted on social media because I would have felt fake. But I think coming into my own and being confident, my success has come from being who I am. Through my strengths and weaknesses, I’m just going to continue sharing that, doing my best, and show up every day and crush it and keep winning Olympias. But I’m still going to talk about my down days. People respect that realness, and it doesn’t create that gap where they feel like they can’t relate to this person. They can see we all struggle. I’m just trying to share my journey as authentically as I can.
Even though you have clearly stated many times you have no interest in moving to the Open division, many fans still think you will and want you to. Where do you think that comes from on their part?
People are always going to want more. They get bored and want to see something different. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about what my physique would look like with 40 more pounds of muscle. I might blow out my waist and look bad, or it might look crazy. I’m curious as well. But Internet banter is just that. People will talk about whatever they want to. Going off on tangents and conspiracy theories is always popular. I don’t mind the talk.
You moved to Florida in 2021 to be part of Raw/Revive Nutrition. How did you become part of the company, part owner I should say?
I’ve been an athlete with Revive since they started the company, and I’m good friends with the owners Matt Jansen and Dom Iacovone. They brought me in as a partner and owner and wanted me to be involved on a daily basis with the business with my own CBum line that we launched last October right before the Olympia. I was very involved with the development of the line, but we do have smarter minds than mine at the company to get into the nitty-gritty about the ingredients and dosing. I wanted the products to be of the highest quality and taste great, basically products I would want to take every day that would improve my performance and help me keep winning Olympia titles. We have a lot of fun with the branding and marketing. I was speaking about entrepreneurship before. Bodybuilding isn’t forever, and I knew I wanted to set myself up with something long-term so I would have something to fall back on and continue being passionate about. It seemed like the stars lined up perfectly. I could come in and learn all this now. It’s just been great. We have an awesome team down here. It’s been a real learning experience and a lot of fun.
You have talked in the past about retiring by age 30, which would be in 2025, correct? Assuming you continue winning, that would be a total of seven wins. Do you still have that plan, or are you simply taking it one year and one Olympia at a time?
I’m taking it year by year. I think it was a little foolish of me to think I could predict the future of when I would be ready to be done. Now my genuine answer is, I want one more Olympia. I say that and people say, oh, so you’re done after this year? No, I just want one more. Then depending on how I feel mentally and physically, if I’m excited and hungry for another one I will do it. If not, I won’t. Having that kind of detachment where I don’t “have to” do it has allowed me to fall more into a mindset where I “get to” compete. I’m more excited and grateful instead of feeling like I have to do it, I have to win five or six times or whatever. Now it’s like, I get one more year and I’m going to give it my all. It’s more about enjoying the present.
Even though the weight limits for Classic have already been raised by 5 pounds twice since the division began, some guys still want them bumped up more. Do you think the weight limits are fine where they are, or would you like to see them increased?
I don’t really get involved with all that stuff, and I didn’t even know a lot of people were saying that. In my biased opinion, it’s been working for me, so why would I want to change it? I don’t think a weight cap is going to change too much. I think they want to keep the look the way it is. Maybe one day they’ll get rid of it completely once the look is fully established. I do worry if that happens, because then guys will start pushing the limits of size again as it happens in every division, male and female. Look at the Figure women now compared to Nicole Wilkins, or even Bikini compared to when my girlfriend Courtney won the Olympia. That was only six years ago. People will always push the limits unless there’s a restraint. I feel like it’s mostly the shorter guys in Classic who want an increase in the weight. Maybe they feel if they are losing because they’re shorter, getting bigger could compensate for the perceived disadvantage. But if you look at the shorter guys like Breon and Terrence, their frames are packed with muscle. I can’t even imagine Terrence with any more muscle on his frame and not looking like a 212 guy. To me, their frames already look more stacked with muscle than mine does.
Which was harder, winning your first Olympia title, or defending it ever since? Is it easier or harder to maintain motivation as the champion versus when you were trying to win the title years ago?
Every year brings its own difficulties and challenges. In terms of mindset and focus, I think it’s harder to maintain the top position rather than get it. You were excited about getting something new, but like anything else, once you have it, you’re not as excited anymore. The chase is everything you’re working for. It’s this dopamine rush, and then it’s over. You’re like, was it all worth it? Every year after the Olympia I get a little of the blues. You had that huge dopamine rush, and there’s only a certain amount of dopamine your brain can release. And you’re thinking, I have to go through all that again? For what, a fourth title, a fifth title? Do those numbers even matter? But after a while I’m like fuck that, I want more. I think it’s more of a mental challenge than people realize to continuously stay on top when there’s so much outside noise and distractions, and eyes and expectations are always on you. I just remember that I’m just doing the same things I’ve been doing with the training and eating since I’ve been a kid, and I still love it. I just want to keep finding ways to do them better.
Final question. You have always struck me as a humble young man who doesn’t take himself too seriously. Do you struggle with the fact that millions of young men around the world look up to you and feel you are the most perfectly developed human being on the planet, and you have the power to influence lives in a positive direction?
It’s something I don’t take lightly. I’m very grateful for it, and it’s another reason I want to put my authentic self out there. I don’t want to put false expectations and a false reality out there because I know people are going to strive for them. When you’re successful, people are going to look up to you. I believe the most important thing you have is your character. It’s the only thing you’re in control of. It’s the only thing you keep forever. It’s who you are. That’s relieved some pressure off me. I know who I am. I’m not worried someone is going to get a bad impression of me or think you have to be an asshole to win, because I know I’m never gonna act like that. That’s not who I am or who I want to be. I am grateful to have that reach. I hope I’m doing a good job at it. All I can do is show up as my best self, and if people draw inspiration from that, it gives me a lot of love and gratitude in my heart that I am able to help others. The more I expand as a human being, I hope we can all grow together.
Contest History
2014 CBBF Sudbury Championship 2014 CBBF Sudbury Championships Junior Champion, Open Heavyweight and Overall
2014 CBBF Ontario Championships Junior Champion, Fourth, Open Heavyweight
2015 CBBF Canadian Championships Junior Champion, Third, Open Heavyweight
2016 CBBF Canadian Championships Second, Open Heavyweight
2016 IFBB North American Championships Heavyweight Winner
2017 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Classic Physique Champion
2017 IFBB Toronto Pro Classic Physique Champion
2017 IFBB Classic Physique Olympia Second Place
2018 IFBB Classic Physique Olympia Second Place
2019 IFBB Classic Physique Olympia Winner
2020 IFBB Classic Physique Olympia Winner
2021 IFBB Classic Physique Olympia Winner
Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Magazine” show in the 1990s. Since 1992 he has published nearly 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston area. Facebook Instagram
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