Eye movement training can improve balance and spatial orientation, enhancing proprioception and neuromuscular coordination. These components are crucial for symmetrical leg training. (1)
In early April 2025, six-time reigning Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead demonstrated his unconventional warm-up routine, involving eye-focused calibration to enhance posture, alignment, and performance.
This is the world’s weirdest warm-up. Essentially, one of my eyes focuses better than the other; it throws off my posture.”
—Chris Bumstead
Chris Bumstead’s Leg Day
- Lying Leg Curls
- Pendulum Squats on Tiptoes
- Standing Calf Raises
- Lying Cable Hip Flexions
[Related: Chris Bumstead Shares Breakfast Shake Recipe to Remedy Gut Issues, Mentality After Bodybuilding]
Bumstead retired from pro bodybuilding after his 2024 Olympia victory and Open bodybuilding debut. He’s currently rehabbing a shoulder injury and easing back into bodybuilding workouts.
Aligning Vision and Posture
Bumstead performs visual tracking exercises by moving his index finger to and away from his nose while crossing his eyes. This stretching of the eyeballs can help restore temporary vision loss due to eye strain from staring at electronics for hours.
Your eyes and posture look straighter, and you feel a little more focused.
—Chris Bumstead
Injury Prevention & Functional Strength
Bumstead introduced lying hip flexor training using cables, explaining, “I’ve never actually done that hip flexion thing…because I have weak and tight hip flexors.” Weak hip flexors compromise athletic performance and increase injury risk.
Eccentric Stimuli and Muscle Focus
Bumstead outlined his eccentric-heavy leg day, starting with lying leg curls, “Up with two legs, slowly down with one…five reps, six seconds down.” This technique promotes growth with less weight, and slower eccentrics are ideal for hypertrophy. (2)
Loaded eccentrics might elicit slightly more muscle growth than concentric contractions for specific muscles, though many studies indicate they’re equally important. (3) Mind-muscle connection plays a role in progression. (4)
I can flex my hamstrings, and it feels like a rope of muscle since I have such a crazy mind-muscle connection.
—Chris Bumstead
Bumstead’s programming calls for pendulum squats on the tiptoes, which shifts the center of gravity forward onto the quads for less load on the spine. Sissy squats are a suitable bodyweight alternative.
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References
- Morimoto H, Asai Y, Johnson EG, Lohman EB, Khoo K, Mizutani Y, Mizutani T. Effect of oculo-motor and gaze stability exercises on postural stability and dynamic visual acuity in healthy young adults. Gait Posture. 2011 Apr;33(4):600-3. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2011.01.016. Epub 2011 Feb 19. PMID: 21334899.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel). 2021 Feb 22;9(2):32. doi: 10.3390/sports9020032. PMID: 33671664; PMCID: PMC7927075.
- da Silva LSL, Gonçalves LDS, Alves Campos PH, Benjamim CJR, Tasinafo Júnior MF, de Lima LCR, Bueno Júnior CR, Alves CPL. Comparison Between Eccentric vs. Concentric Muscle Actions On Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2025 Jan 1;39(1):115-134. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004981. PMID: 39652733.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Vigotsky A, Contreras B, Golden S, Alto A, Larson R, Winkelman N, Paoli A. Differential effects of attentional focus strategies during long-term resistance training. Eur J Sport Sci. 2018 Jun;18(5):705-712. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2018.1447020. Epub 2018 Mar 13. PMID: 29533715.
Featured image: @cbum on Instagram
