Having won the Mr. Olympia Classic Physique trophy every year since 2019, many observers and competitors are making bold predictions that Chris Bumstead is going to be toppled on bodybuilding’s biggest stage in less than 2 weeks, but if 2024 is going to be the year that the chiselled Canadian is set to lose his crown, he simply didn’t get the memo. CBum’s social media feed appears to illustrate that this 6’ 1” man mountain is not traveling to Las Vegas to lose. As he’s showing, Chris Bumstead’s Olympia 2024 training looks. heavy, and quite epic.
Chris Bumstead is lifting heavy to bring the heavy guns to Olympia
“Olympia prep will always be a vibe,” wrote Bumstead in an Instagram post on September 15. Indeed, CBum is on a mission to be the most muscular version of himself and it looks like he’s doing it his way. Understanding that every rep counts, as he readies himself to defend the gold, Bumstead must balance the desire to lift epic weights with the risk of picking up an injury before showtime.
But, when it comes to earning a sixth Olympia title, Bumstead seems to be taking the ‘no guts, no glory,’ approach. “You’re two weeks out, don’t go too heavy,” advised his coach, Hany Rambod. But according to an IG post on September 26., this was a piece of advice that the 29-year-old respectfully declined. After sitting on an incline bench and crushing the dumbbell chest press, he joked; “Me on my second set of 150s: Too late,” in response to his mentors notes.
Bumstead’s intensity was on display yet again when he revealed his humungous hamstrings during a set of cable stiff leg deadlifts. “Threw in a little extra exercise because I saw the big lads doin’ it,” he wrote at the time. His legs garnered a huge reaction from his 24.3 million Instagram followers, including the former World’s Strongest Man, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who dropped into CBum’s comments to show his appreciation. “With those hamstrings you can deadlift 400kg,” he mused.
CBum’s laser focus on a sixth Olympia title is especially impressive as he balances bodybuilding with being a new father. His fianceé Coutney King gave birth to their daughter Bradley Shay Bumstead in May, and the little tot was required to undergo a successful lip and tongue procedure shortly after. Fortunately, CBum has trained this year, like all others, with serious intensity and by doing the hard work that is necessary, and then repeating it.
“Maybe the most important part of the journey really isn’t the destination,” reflected Bumstead last week. “Maybe it’s about who you become along the way. How you show up when confronted with adversity. Maybe it’s about who you get to experience it with. I can tell you none of this matters without these two by my side.” Of course, along with his two favorite girls, Bumstead will also have a global fanbase to support him at the O all hoping that he can rule the stage once again. And if Chris Bumstead’s Olympia 2024 training is any indication, he’s going to be hard to beat.
