Six-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead retired from the competitive stage after his 2024 Olympia victory. His priorities shifted to raising his first child, expanding his businesses, which include his supplement line, and downsizing his frame while maintaining his health.
The 30-year-old Canadian superstar remains dedicated to the iron. He recently shared a post-shoulder surgery update, his new shredding diet, his supplement philosophies, and his arm and delt training.
Breakfast & Supplements
Bumstead starts his day with a 900-calorie breakfast comprising four eggs, three slices of turkey bacon, 80 grams of oats, two tablespoons of almond butter, strawberries, and black coffee — about one-third of his daily calories.
Bumstead ingests 150 milligrams of caffeine from his pre-workout cocktail, which features beetroot for pumps and phosphatidyl serine for brain performance. (1)(2) Bumstead prioritizes cognitive-enhancing supplements to help reduce stress and improve mood.
Post-training, Bumstead drinks a protein and carb powder blend to promote hypertrophy and healthy blood sugar levels. Although he admits supplements aren’t necessary, he takes them for convenience.
Shredding Diet & Avoiding Plateaus
Bumstead cycles carbs to avoid physique plateaus. His current baseline to maintain is 2,600 calories, comprising 90 grams of fat, 186 grams of carbs, and 253 grams of protein. On leg day, his protein intake is cut in half, and carbs are raised to 500 grams — a 200-calorie increase from baseline; slowly shredding rather than gaining.
On low-carb days, he increases fat to spare protein and muscle tissue. “I never did this strictly except for near the end of my [bodybuilding] career,” Bumstead admitted.
Shoulder Progress and Arm Workout
Bumstead’s been rehabbing from a shoulder injury, reporting progress: “I’m excited; not putting it in a position to hurt.” His primary weighted warm-up consists of dumbbell external rotations.
- Incline curls with external rotation: 3-4 sets
- Cable overhead triceps extensions: 3 sets
- Lateral raise superset: 12 full reps, then 30 stretched bottom partials
- Dumbbell raise complex
- Dumbbell rear delt flyes: 3 sets x 20 reps
- Dead hangs
“Comfort” Curls (Modified Incline Curls)
Comfort curls are incline curls that bias a biceps stretch via external rotation. Evidence suggests deep stretching under load has growth benefits. (3) While this can enhance biceps stimuli, stronger evidence suggests the triceps benefit more from loaded tension, specifically from overhead extensions. (4)
Bumstead used thick-gripped dumbbells for biceps curls to improve mind-muscle connection. As he described, “Squeezing the grip helps pull more from my biceps.”
Partials & Six–Way Delt Complex
Bumstead torched his delts with a two-part delt routine. The first supersets seated dumbbell lateral raises through his full range with 30 partial reps in the stretched position.
The second half is a six-movement shoulder dumbbell complex. From his seated position, he followed this sequence:
- Lateral raise with a pause at the top.
- Bring the hands together in front of the chest.
- Raise arms overhead.
- Repeat step two.
- Open arms wide (top of a lateral raise).
- Lower the dumbbells.
Rest and repeat seven times. If you try this at home, use lightweight; it’s a deceptively challenging complex.
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References
- Glade MJ, Smith K. Phosphatidylserine and the human brain. Nutrition. 2015 Jun;31(6):781-6. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2014.10.014. Epub 2014 Nov 4. PMID: 25933483.
- Evangelista JF, Meirelles CM, Aguiar GS, Alves R, Matsuura C. Effects of Beetroot-Based Supplements on Muscular Endurance and Strength in Healthy Male Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Am Nutr Assoc. 2024 Jan;43(1):77-91. doi: 10.1080/27697061.2023.2211318. Epub 2023 May 11. PMID: 37167368.
- Nunes JP, Schoenfeld BJ, Nakamura M, Ribeiro AS, Cunha PM, Cyrino ES. Does stretch training induce muscle hypertrophy in humans? A review of the literature. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2020 May;40(3):148-156. doi: 10.1111/cpf.12622. Epub 2020 Feb 5. PMID: 31984621.
- Maeo S, Wu Y, Huang M, Sakurai H, Kusagawa Y, Sugiyama T, Kanehisa H, Isaka T. Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. Eur J Sport Sci. 2023 Jul;23(7):1240-1250. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279. Epub 2022 Aug 11. PMID: 35819335.
Featured image: @cbum on Instagram
