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Chris Bumstead

Born in the heart of Ontario, Canada, Chris first stepped on stage as a bodybuilder in 2014 and is one of the many talents coming out of the country.

His inspiration comes from the golden age bodybuilders. He keeps his waist and core tight with lean muscle mass, as he hopes to replicate their legacy.

In 2016, at the age of 21, he earned his pro card after taking home the IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championship trophy.

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Athlete Statistics

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Accomplishments

Competitions

• 2015 CBBF Canadian National Bodybuilding Championship Men’s Junior Division, 1st
• 2016 CBBF Bodybuilding Championships Open Heavyweight Division, 2nd
• 2016 IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championships, 1st (Pro Card)

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Biography

Starting Bodybuilding

As a child growing up, Chris played a lot of sports where he learned in order to be the best, he had to train on his own time. He spent hours in the gym, and from this point, he “fell in love with the gym”.

He started to develop what he thought was a good physique, however, it wasn’t until he met his sisters boyfriend, Iain Valliere that things started to change for Chris. It was Iain who mentioned he could compete and become a fierce competitor.

As Chris says, “He was and still is a huge mentor to me. Iain inspired me to step on stage and coached me through the process.”

After Chris competed in his first show, he was hooked and as he says, “really feel I have found my niche.”

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Nutrition

Competition Diet

Chris is incredibly meticulous when it comes to his diet. He will eat the same 6 meals a day leading up to a competition for months only making minor changes. As Chris says “this way I can determine what my body needs, and I can make a small change in my diet to achieve the results I’m after.”

For Chris, he knows how important it is not to add in any new food into his diet before a photo shot or competition.

“It’s key not to add in new foods close to a competition because I don’t know the effect it can have on my body.”

Bulking Diet

However, in the off-season, he is more relaxed. He will increase his calories and not be as strict, but that doesn’t mean he will eat pizzas or burgers. He’s still true to his bodybuilding way of life.

He will still consume 6 to 7 meals a day where he will aim to get in 6000 calories a day from clean sources such as chicken rice and potatoes. When it comes to his pre-workout meal, he’ll add in extra carbs to help push through the workout.

Chris admits that he will eat muffins and quick carb snacks before his workout as he finds it hard to get enough calories in from clean sources to make up the massive 6000 calories he needs.

Chris’s Diet

• Meal 1: 1 ½ cup Egg Whites, 2 Whole Eggs and 1 cup Oats
• Meal 2: 8 ounces Chicken, 1 cup Jasmine Rice and 11 ounces Mixed Vegetables
• Meal 3: 8 ounces White Fish, 7 ounces Sweet Potato and 11 ounces Mixed Vegetables
• Meal 4: (Pre workout) 7 ounces White Fish and 2 cups Jasmine Rice
• Meal 5: (Post Workout Shake) 50g 100% Whey Isolate mixed in Water
• Meal 6: 8 ounces Chicken, 6 ounces Sweet Potato, 2 ounces Broccoli and 2 ounces Asparagus
• Meal 7: 2 ½ cups Egg Whites, 3 Whole Eggs and 11 ounces Mixed Vegetables

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Training

Chris prefers a training split of 5 days per week. He trains back, chest, hastrings/glutes, shoulders and quads on all separate days of the week. When people ask Chris what days of the week he trains each body part, his reply is, “I don’t. I have a 5-day rotation and rarely take days off unless I feel I need to.”

Chris’s Top 3 Exercises

Chris recommends to anyone who is short on time in the gym, it’s best to stick to compound exercises as these are the exercises that produce the best overall results. A list of Chris’s top 3 can be seen below.

1. Squats: 100% are number one. I believe they are an invaluable exercise for not only leg development, but also the core. Squats are my favorite exercise because I can really push my limits and see just how much weight I can move.
2. Incline Dumbbell Press: The incline press is a much more natural movement for my body compared to the flat press. I also personally am looking to achieve a much larger and fuller upper chest, as an upper chest pops more in poses such as the side chest. If restricted to three exercises you want to work as many muscles as possible, for example, chest, shoulders, and triceps. I prefer dumbbells to barbells because the unilateral movement allows you to focus on each side of your body and build a more even and symmetrical physique.
3. Bent-Over Barbell Rows: They would be my final pick. It’s extremely important for me to keep my back as strong as possible, not only for proportional reasons but for overall spine health. I like rows because they also work secondary muscles missed by the previous two exercises such as biceps and rear delts.

Chris’s Workout

Day 1: Back

• Deadlifts 4 x 10/8/8/Failure
• Bent-Over Rows 4 x 12/10/10/8 (2 underhand/2 overhand grip)
• Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns or Wide Grip Assisted Pullups 4 x 12-15 (Superset)
• Straight Arm Pulldowns 4 x 12-15
• Dumbbell Rows 4 x 15/12/10/10
• Machine Rows 3 x 20
• Hyper Extensions 2 x Failure

Day 2: Chest/Biceps

• Incline Dumbell Bench Press 5 x 15/15/12/12/10
• Smith Machine Bench Press 4 x 12/10/8/8
• Incline Dumbell Fly’s 3 x 15/12/12
• Cable Fly’s 3 x 15-12 (Superset)
• Push Ups 3 x Failure
• Barbell Curls 3 x 15 (Superset)
• Reverse Barbell Curls 3 x Failure
• Machine Preacher Curls 3 x 10-12 (Drop Sets on 2nd and 3rd) (Superset)
• Hammer Curls 2 x 10-8

Day 3: Hamstrings/Glutes

• Lying Leg Curls 4 x 15
• Straight Legged Deadlifts 4 x 15-20
• Standing Leg Curls 2 x 4-5 (Run the Rack/Drop Sets)
• Reverse Hack Squat 4 x 15-20
• Single Legged Glute Pushdowns or Glute Kickbacks 3 x 12-15

Day 4 Shoulders/Triceps

• Dumbbell Lateral Raises 3 x 15
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press (Superset) 3 x 12
• Barbell Front Raise 3 x 12
• Single Arm Cable (Rear Delts) 4 x 20/15/12/12
• Upright Rows (Superset) 3 x 15/12/12
• Rope Face Pulls 3 x 15/12/12
• Machine Lateral Raises 3 x 15
• Bench Dips (Superset) 4 x 12-15
• EZ-Bar Skull Crushers 4 x 12-15
• Reverse Grip Barbell Skull Crushers 4 x 8-10
• Single Arm Cable Kickbacks 3 x 12/10/8

Day 5: Quads

• Leg Extensions 3 x 15
• Squats 2 x 8 (Heavy Sets) 6 x 10-12 (Lighter Sets)
• Leg Press 4 x 40/30/20/10
• Leg Extensions (Superset) 4 x 15
• Standing Lunges 4 x 6-8

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Idols and Influences

Chris’s motivation comes from his 100% enjoyment in what he does. He has a strong passion for training and loves seeing how he can transform his entire body.

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What can we learn from Chris Bumstead

One thing we can learn from Chris is to always stay true to yourself. Being a fan of the golden age bodybuilders, he has kept his core and waist tight instead of feeling pressured to pack on as much muscle as he could.

What we can take away from Chris Bumstead is that you should always set your ambitions high and reach for them. By 21 years old, Chris achieved his first goal of becoming a professional bodybuilder.