Ordinarily, when bodybuilders talk about muscle recovery, it’s typically in a post-workout context. But for Mike Sommerfeld, it wasn’t lifting weights that rendered him sore for several days.
Rather, the 2024 Classic Physique Olympia runner-up quickly learned that going toe-to-toe with Chris Bumstead is a brutal business with an expensive post-pose-off tax attached.
In an episode of the Trensparent Podcast published on Oct. 30, Sommerfeld discussed the painful consequences of his battle against the six-time champion.
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Mike Sommerfeld Got More Than He Bargained For
Boasting a well-balanced physique and precisely-coordinated routine, the German-born bodybuilder brought his A-game to Las Vegas, leading the judges to pit him directly against “CBum” in a pose-down during the event Finals.
- “I’m like, ‘There’s no chance that I’m fighting Chris Bumstead,'” Sommerfield told host Nyle Nayga. “Then they switched the places and the poses, and we did the poses again.”
Unfortunately for Sommerfeld, emptying the tank didn’t lead to the monumental upset he likely hoped for. It did, however, result in more than just a silver medal and a $20,000 prize purse:
- “I was posing like hell,” Sommerfeld said. “I’m still sore from the posing five days later.”
Catapulting from eighth in 2023 to second in 2024 and actually vying with the most dominant Classic Physique athlete of all time should give Sommerfeld a satisfactory feeling. Then again, dealing with DOMS is never a fun ordeal.
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Posing Has Its Consequences
Still feeling sore almost a week after being on stage sounds like a stretch, but it’s not hyperbolic based on what the science says about bodybuilding posing routines.
To the casual viewer, a bodybuilder flexing their biceps or performing a lat spread may look like a low-impact activity or form of artistic expression rather than a workout.
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That’s not the case.
Not only does bodybuilding posing burn calories, but according to the authors of a July 2024 study published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, posing training “meets the criteria for vigorous exercise intensity.”
Here’s how they arrived at that conclusion:
- Researchers measured oxygen consumption, metabolic equivalents (METs), and total estimated energy expenditure of 15 male, steroid-using bodybuilders.
- The subjects performed several rounds of a dozen bodybuilding poses, providing a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) after each round.
- Participants’ maximum heart rate measured around 77%, with the average rate heart clocking in at around 135 beats per minute.
- Participants burned about 100 calories during four rounds of posing.
While Sommerfeld would be unwise to ditch traditional cardio, it’s clear channeling all your energy and effort into hitting your poses perfectly does take a toll.
But with Bumstead retiring—at least from Classic Physique—perhaps the days after the 2025 Olympia won’t be as painful.
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References
- Peixoto DL, Nacimento DC, Moura RF, de Moraes WMAM, Magalhães B, de Sousa LL, Rolnick N, Prestes J. A quasi-experimental study on the energy expenditure, exercise intensity, and rating of perceived exertion of a male bodybuilding posing training. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2024 Jul 30. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2024-0151. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39079174.
Featured image: @mikethebadass / Instagram
