HAVING A LEG UP ON THE REST

Canadian Phenom and IFBB Pro Chris Bumstead Has His Sights Set on Success in 2017

Let’s start at the end. When I finished the interview, I asked Chris if there was anything he wanted to add—anything we hadn’t covered or anything he wanted to make sure people knew. He thought for a moment, and then said, “I want to make sure people know I’m still just a 22-year-old kid. I balance my life with my bodybuilding; bodybuilding is just a part of it. I still go out with my friends. I’m still getting my university degree. I spend time with my family. Bodybuilding isn’t everything.” If this doesn’t sum up IFBB Pro Chris Bumstead in 100 words or less, nothing does. Modest. Humble. Tenacious. And most of all, real. Chris is the kind of guy who would give you the ProTan off his back; he’s kind-hearted, warm, and down to earth. This softness is surprising given that Chris’ physique is the total opposite. Standing 6'0" with a stage weight of 225 absolutely peeled, he’s hard as stone, dry as nails, and cut like a diamond. Chris fits the mold perfectly for what Classic Physique should look like. This interview is about the wheels and the man behind the body.

MUSCLE INSIDER: Not many people know your background story. How did you get started in fitness, and what made you decide to jump into competing?

Chris Bumstead: Fitness all started through sports, like a lot of people. I was always into weight training to improve my sports; I played football, so I had to get bigger and stronger for that. I fell in love with the gym as a result. I was training for three or four years before I decided to compete, but what pushed me to that was my sister’s boyfriend, Ian Valliere. He was the big hotshot in Ottawa, where I was raised. He was competing, and coached my through my first show when I told him I was interested. That was Sudbury in 2014, and I got the Junior 1st place, and Men’s Overall. I guess I didn’t do too badly my first show.

MI: What do you love about the competitive side of the sport in terms of training and dieting?

CB: Probably the direct reward you get from the effort you put in. I know if I cheat on my diet, I won’t be as lean. But I know if I work hard in the gym, there’s a direct reward for your work. Actually, genuinely, enjoying seeing how your body changes and the limits you can push yourself to. I have fun when I’m working at the gym.

MI: Why did you decide on Classic Physique?

CB: I started in bodybuilding because my best asset was my legs, and I knew I didn’t want to hide that. I liked hitting the poses for bodybuilding, but knew it could never be an option for me. I just wouldn’t be as competitive physically as I needed to be—people my height in bodybuilding look like Dallas McCarver. So when Men’s Classic Physique came around, I knew I was much better suited physique-wise for this category. I also want this look more, because it means staying in the same size range that I currently am, versus going to bodybuilding. I have to bring up my arms and back; my arms are still kind of lagging in terms of size. I’ve been able to focus less on legs because they overpower my entire physique.

MI: What’s a typical week of workouts look for you?

CB: I have a seven-day split: legs once a week, arms three times a week, and then everything else once.

Legs

Chest and Triceps

Back and Biceps

Arms

Shoulders

Arms

Legs

On my actual arm days, I kill it with volume, but then my back and chest days, I will do 3 exercises, 4 or 5 sets of biceps or triceps also. Everything is working with this plan, so I haven’t changed anything.

MI: What do you do in terms of cardio pre- and post-contest?

CB: Least favourite would be either back and arms, which is why they’re probably lagging [laughs] I just don’t like training them. I feel like you don’t get a lot done when you train arms; I like going into the gym and feeling physically exerted. I just don’t get that feeling after a session of arms. You can go into the gym and curl 500 pounds. I just don’t feel like I’m doing as much. My favourite day of the week is definitely legs. I believe that when you enjoy the body part you’re doing, you’re going to have a much better workout. So I push myself a lot harder with legs, then dread arm day. I’ve stopped squatting because my legs continue to grow even into show prep, and in order to make weight, I couldn’t afford any more size on my legs. I have to look balanced. It kind of sucks.

MI: What are your plans for the stage in 2017?

CB: My stage weight is 225. In the past, the most I’ve ever gone up to is 260, which happened last year. But I didn’t feel very good, and don’t think I looked great either. So now I try to stay at 250 and relatively lean. I think I’m sitting at a pretty good place in my off-season. I won both the Pittsburgh Pro and the Toronto Pro in May earlier this year. Depending on how how I feel doing two shows in a month, I’ll see where I want to go from there. I already qualified for the Olympia this year. So you can bet I won’t pass it up.
[Editor’s note: Many insiders feel that Chris may be the favourite to take the Classic Physique titile at the 2017 Olympia in Las Vegas, Nevada.]

MI: You’re one of the most down-to-earth, humble, modest pros whom I’ve ever met. How do you maintain that air of humility despite the fact that you’re a famous, sponsored IFBB Pro?

CB: I think a big part of it has to do with how I was raised. I was raised in a good family with good morals, and still surround myself with people like that. I’ve seen people who go pro, and when you meet them, you’re so disappointed because they’re not the same in real life—turns out your idol is an ass in real life. That’s not something I want to be. The other thing is that I’m in university now; I live with five guys, and none of them are into fitness. They don’t care that I’m a pro. I’m just kind of the bigger roommate to them, you know? My life outside of shows is just a normal 22-year-old kid.

MI: Do you ever stop and think about everything you’ve done up to this point at such a young age, and just have a “holy crap!” moment? Is this where you always thought you’d be at 22?

CB: It was definitely my plan to succeed as quickly as possible, but when it happened, I thought, “Holy shit. It happened.” So it’s still pretty surreal. I know a lot of my friends will just be chatting at shows and talking about getting pro cards, but they’re 10 years older
than me. That’s insane. I’m definitely grateful that I got into this so quickly, and I have maybe 15 years ahead of me to keep doing it. It’s a crazy feeling for sure.

MI: What are your goals in the sport in the next one, three, and five years?

CB: Definitely keep doing what I’m doing. I haven’t even competed in the pro circuit yet, so I don’t know how I’ll hold up against these guys, but I definitely want to keep competing and pushing it. I want to get as much stage experience as possible in the next few years. I want to graduate from university in the next three years. I’m still planning out my life at this point—I’m trying to balance out my school and life with bodybuilding.

I’ve been in school for two years, and this year I went part-time so that I could focus on bodybuilding a little more. Part of my course is an extra year of work placement, so it adds a year on to the program. I’m majoring in Health Science at Dalhousie University in Halifax. This will be my first time competing as a pro while being in school part-time. It only affects my prep the last few weeks when I have no energy and I just want to zone out and not think. My attention span definitely drops through prep.

THE EXERCISES

Seated Leg Extensions

A lot of people fire from the bottom and then the top half is momentum. They don’t realize that if you do it slowly and flex your quads, you’ll get a completely different pump from it. Slowly contract all the way up.

Leg Press

I usually do this with one leg because it really isolates the glutes. I put one leg really high and it focuses on the glutes when you use the higher foot placement, or you could do it with two legs—just make sure to put it really high up and push through your heel.

Hack Squats

Sometimes I’ll use this backwards, and sit backwards then treat it almost like a straight-legged deadlift, and throw my back and butt out. I usually try to go very narrow because it’s similar to a squat, so if I don’t train my squat narrow, I’ll use that foot placement here, so if I don’t train my squat narrow, I’ll use that foot placement here.

Lying Leg Curls

I focus on tempo with these, too. When using the machine, I like to hold it at the top, right when I contract. I’ll really squeeze, and slowly do the negative. I’ll do these until failure, then I just knock out as many reps as quickly as possible.

Standing Machine Calf Raises

I really focus on the ball of my foot here. I try to put all my weight on that, and when I get to the top, squeeze the crap out of my calves. I switch it up depending on which machine (standing or seated) is open. I prefer standing though.

Honestly, I don’t believe in any secrets. I don’t have any. People always ask me, “What’s your secret to this? What’s a trick for that?” Ninety percent of the time, it’s just actually doing it. I believe that applies all the time.

Barbell Squats

Definitely my favourite exercises. I like going as heavy as possible. I take a narrow stance, just outside of shoulder width. I focus on pushing my knees out and going really heavy. It’s almost always barbell back squats, but I’ll throw in front squats every once in a while. Up until this prep, I would squat and deadlift every session, but now I can’t train my legs as much anymore.

Romanian Deadlifts

Normally, I like putting five-pound plates under my toes. It just kind of adds to the stretch. You think of lengthening your hamstrings as much as possible, and your legs will be ready before you even lower the barbell. It just gives you a better stretch and range of motion.