Three-time reigning Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead headed to the Revive gym in Stuart, FL, for a grueling shoulder workout on Sept 16, 2022. He published a recording of that workout on his Youtube channel three days later.
Bumstead has slowly been easing into his 2022 Olympia prep, dialing in physique improvements. He intends to bring a package that can convert his fourth consecutive Olympia title — the 2022 Olympia is scheduled for Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV. Check out Bumstead’s shoulder workout below:
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Before heading to the gym, Bumstead consumes his pre-workout meal in his office, consisting of rice, turkey, and a heavy dose of sriracha mixed with organic ketchup.
Side Lateral Raise Machine
Bumstead warms up his shoulders with a standing lateral raise machine, keeping constant tension on the muscle. Bumstead typically pre-exhausts the muscle group he intends to train. Bumstead has lifted very heavy in the past but is conscious during compound movements not to place too much stress on his joints.
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Hammer Shoulder Press Machine
The first compound movement for Bumstead was the plate-loaded hammer strength shoulder press machine.
I forgot how much I like this machine.
Bumstead works up to four 45-pound weight plates on each side for multiple fiber-splitting sets. Bumstead is not shy about heavy weight, but he is smart about it — reps are slow and controlled, ensuring maximum muscular stimulation.
Standing Dumbbell Side Laterals & Seated Machine Military Press
Next was another lateral variation with a reverse pyramid set on the standing dumbbell side laterals. He hit 20 reps with 20 pounds, 15 reps with 30 pounds, 10 reps with 35 pounds, and 40 pounds to failure with a 30-second rest; he performs this reverse pyramid set twice.
Bumstead followed with a shoulder press variation similar to a military press. Bumstead uses a wider grip to bias his delts. He pauses at the bottom to stretch for the first five repetitions. This makes the exercise significantly more challenging as he works up to three 45-pound plates on each side.
Cable Rope Front Raises & Single Arm Standing Reverse Cable Flyes
Bumstead headed over to the cable station for some front raises with a hammer grip to burn out his front delts and give them a little extra volume. This is a great isolation movement for any level of lifter focusing on building the front of the delt. Moving to a single-arm reverse grip cable flyes for the rear delts, Bumstead performs four sets on each side.
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Standing Reverse Dumbbell Flyes
Bumstead finished the workout with heavy standing reverse dumbbell flyes to burn out the rear delts. This movement also works the traps similarly to a barbell row for your rear delts, which also get hit heavily during traditional bent-over barbell rows.
Below are the exercises Bumstead performed during his shoulder training session:
- Standing Side Lateral Raise Machine
- Seated Hammer Shoulder Press
- Standing Dumbbell Side Laterals
- Seated Machine Military Press
- Cable Rope Front Raises
- Standing Single Arm Reverse Cable Flyes
- Standing Dumbbell Reverse Flyes
Bumstead’s training is down to a science. He can substitute exercises when a machine is taken or adjust based on his recovery. He has made significant progress during his off-season, putting on lean mass and building to his heaviest ever bodyweight.
Next up for Bumstead is a trip to Arizona for a week for a RAW/CBum mini-event. He’ll stay for about a week to train before starting his cut for the Olympia.
Featured image: @cbum on Instagram
