The Most Dominant Man on the 2022 Olympia Stage
There were some fierce battles onstage at the last Olympia among the various men’s divisions. In Men’s Physique, three-time Olympia champ Brandon Hendrickson squared off against eventual winner Erin Banks. The 212 division saw two former O champs, Kamal Elgargni and Shaun Clarida, face a vastly improved Angel Calderon Frias from Spain, with Clarida recapturing his title. And in the Mr. Olympia, it went down to the wire between Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan, with The Persian Wolf walking away with the Sandow trophy. But with all due respect to the incredible newcomers Ramon “Dino” Queiroz from Brazil and Germany’s Urs “The Miracle Bear” Kalecinski, 27-year-old Chris Bumstead won his fourth Classic Physique Olympia title the minute he stepped onstage. Many had felt his condition had slipped a notch from his win in 2020 to 2021, but at a little over 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds, C-Bum was shredded, dry and deeply separated to a degree we had never seen before. He oozed a quiet confidence with a smile, and the crowd went bonkers with his every move.
Soon after, no less than Arnold Schwarzenegger himself told Nick Miller of “Nick’s Strength and Power” in a subtle way who he thinks has the best physique alive today when he said, “I think it is crazy in a way to have a Classic Physique category. Simply because that should be the Mr. Olympia. I think it’s odd that they had to literally create a Classic Physique competition to give to the person that has the best quality body.”
Needless to say, Bumstead won his fourth Olympia title with a perfect score. You can argue about who the best Open or 212 bodybuilder today is, but when it comes to Classic, only a fool would argue that Chris is not the king. I will probably piss a few people off when I say that I don’t see his reign ending any time soon.
The Pro Creator Takes on C-Bum
For his entire bodybuilding career, all the way from his first local contest at 19 to his first three Olympia wins, he was coached by Iain Valliere, boyfriend and then husband of his older sister Melissa Bumstead, herself a Figure pro. In the summer of 2022, rumors began to fly that Chris was moving on to Hany Rambod as his coach. Hany should require no introduction to MD readers. With 22 Olympia wins to his credit, his clients have included Phil Heath, Jay Cutler, Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford. On October 24, Chris released a video and formally announced the partnership. “We started talking in August about him helping me,” Chris said. Ironically, scores of videos were made by various outlets declaring they were working together months before they actually were. Hany stated that Chris asking him to be his coach came totally out of left field.
“I’ve never started working with someone who was already winning the Olympia. In the past when I worked with other athletes, it was always someone who had started with me, had won the Olympia with me, or had come back after losing the OIympia like Jay did in 2009. As I got to know Chris and his process, I felt I could definitely help him.”
Chris was excited to see what they could accomplish together. “I’m pretty laid-back, loose and chill,” Chris said. “With Hany, everything’s got to be perfect. He’s very meticulous. I think we will complement each other because he can fill in the gaps if I am overlooking anything. He will tell me what to do and I will just do it.”
Hany’s only reservation was that he prefers to have a full year with any client prior to a competition in order to take them through a full off-season to make any needed improvements and get to know how their body responds to different variables. In this case, he only had 16 weeks. “Ideally, I would have liked to start working together in January or February, but the stars aligned right now and we’re going to take Chris to the next level and bring the best version of Chris possible.”
That’s exactly what we all saw in Las Vegas, which begs the question: if Hany was able to do that much with Bumstead, now that they will have nearly an entire year to train and prepare for the 2023 Olympia, what’s next? We all saw what Rambod did with Derek Lunsford’s physique between the 2021 and 2022 Olympia shows. Granted, unlike Derek, Bumstead has a weight cap and can’t afford to gain much more scale weight. That doesn’t mean Jedi Master Hany can’t utilize novel training and nutrition techniques to help Chris improve certain areas and bring his physique that much closer to perfection.
Do You Really Think a Little Biceps Tear Will Stop Him?
If there is still an area you can point out as lagging on Bumstead that doesn’t match up to the rest of his spectacular physique, it’s his biceps. His back was also often maligned as sub-par, but Chris did manage to bring it up substantially while training in quarantine in 2020. As much as Bumstead’s 2022 Olympia look was his best to date, it was obvious something had happened to his left biceps. It appeared to be inflamed even through the dark stage coloring. The rumor mill went to work in the blink of an eye, speculating that Chris had attempted to inflate his biceps with site enhancement oil to gain an even greater edge against his challengers, and the shot had gone bad. Chris got sick after the Olympia and we had to wait two weeks before he posted an explanation of what happened Olympia week, which went as follows (edited for length):
“I tore my biceps. I don’t know how it happened. On Wednesday I first noticed a little bit of pain. This was the day of weigh-ins, so I was pulling water trying to make weight that night at 8:00 p.m. Super depleted and lean, your body is more susceptible to injury obviously. The next day I felt a little more pain. It hurt when I was posing. Friday it hurt a good amount and I tried not to pose too much. Normally I like to pose when I’m carb-loading to move the carbs through my body, but it hurt so I held back. At night it was swollen and I tried not to think about it. I woke up the next morning and it was more swollen. It got in my head and stressed me out.”
During the judging, he was confident with the package he brought, but he found it impossible to ignore the issue with that biceps. “I kept thinking, here’s this great physique I built, the best package I’ve ever brought to the stage, but – this arm. Everyone’s going to be asking, why doesn’t his arm look right? I couldn’t get that out of my head.”
Adding to the mental pressure he was putting on himself was the fact that many had said his 2021 package had been a step back from 2020, the year he showed the dramatic improvements. After judging, Hany gave him a quick pep talk to reassure him and encouraged him to smile and look more confident up there because he was absolutely crushing it, torn biceps or not. But all the posing he did while being compared with the other top Classic men took its toll. “My arm got worse and more swollen,” he confides. “You can see it in the night show, especially during my routine.”
Again Hany helped him regain his focus and confidence, though it was really a private talk with himself in the mirror behind a bathroom door that let him return to a positive frame of mind. “I realized it could have been much worse, far more torn, swollen, and black and blue.”
Biceps Update
A little over a month after the Olympia, Chris filled his fans in on what he’s doing to ensure the injured biceps makes a swift and full recovery. “I’m taking peptides BPC-157 and TB-500, blasting it in there, great stuff for healing injuries. Also, I just did some stem cell injections.” Interestingly, both Ronnie Coleman and Flex Lewis saw excellent results with stem cell treatments, and leading up to the Arnold Classic, Big Ramy was attempting to reverse whatever damage had been done to his lower lats with these as well.
Bumstead Is Not as ‘Blessed’ as His Haters Think
The biceps tear was just business as usual, meaning that he has faced challenges in each prep for the four Olympia titles he’s won, from health issues related to his kidney condition, a hamstring tear, and legal issues close family members of his had to deal with. “This was just a new challenge I had to overcome,” he stated. “I’ve had to learn how to be present and overcome these obstacles, now I had to learn in the moment when there’s a challenge in your face don’t focus on what’s out of your control, don’t focus on something you can’t do anything about right now. You can still enjoy this. You put in the work. Your physique looks great, be confident up there and don’t look at or even think about your arm. That’s another reason I love bodybuilding. It presents these immediate challenges that you have the power to overcome. I get the opportunity to do this. It truly is a blessing, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it.”
A Future So Bright, It’s Blinding
The rumor mill loves to tear down those at the pinnacle of success, and from Chris’ first Olympia win in 2019 we were hearing that he was already on the verge of retirement due to his Berger’s disease and his concerns about his long-term kidney health. After that, it was suggested that this or that minor injury was bound to end his career. In his victory speech this past December, Bumstead set the record straight once and for all about this idle speculation. “There’s been a lot of talk about my retirement for whatever reason. I’m not retiring, don’t worry guys, I’m not going away.”
Showing his selfless nature, he took time in that speech to recognize the other 58 men in that Classic Physique Olympia lineup and called for a round of applause, and tearfully reminded us that “you don’t need to be dying to start living,” something a 19-year-old fan of his he had befriended told him just weeks before he succumbed to his third bout with cancer and passed away. I was blinking away tears myself at that moment, not only at the tragedy of a young life lost but that Chris would take time to recognize him and share that important message.
As for Chris, he is now on track to do something no other man since Lee Haney did in 1991, which was to retire at the age of 31 with eight consecutive Olympia wins. Hardcore purists will point out that Lee was Mr. Olympia, and that Classic Olympia titles “don’t count” in the same way. My response to that is, says who? If you use social media numbers as a gauge, neither Hady Choopan nor any other man competing in the Mr. Olympia today is remotely close to Chris Bumstead in popularity. An entire generation of young men are being motivated and inspired by C-Bum and aspire to one day emulate his look. The world is changing, and that includes the sport of bodybuilding. I don’t know if Classic Physique will ever totally eclipse Open Bodybuilding, but the division has the youth, and the youth are the future. And when it comes to Classic, Chris Bumstead is the undisputed king.
Instagram @cbum (14.8 million followers)
YouTube @ChrisBumstead (3 million subscribers)
Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Magazine” show in the 1990s. Since 1992 he has published nearly 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston area. Facebook Instagram
Contest History
2014 CBBF Sudbury Championships – Junior Champion, Open Heavyweight and Overall
2014 CBBF Ontario Championships – Junior Champion, Fourth, Open Heavyweight
2015 CBBF Canadian Championships – Junior Champion, Third, Open Heavyweight
2016 CBBF Canadian Championships – Second, Open Heavyweight
2016 IFBB North American Championships – Heavyweight Winner
2017 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro – Classic Physique Champion
2017 IFBB Toronto Pro – Classic Physique Champion
2017 IFBB Classic Physique Olympia – Second Place
2018 IFBB Classic Physique Olympia – Second Place
2019 IFBB Classic Physique Olympia – Winner
2020 IFBB Classic Physique Olympia – Winner
2021 IFBB Classic Physique Olympia – Winner
2022 IFBB Classic Physique Olympia – Winner
The post Chris Bumstead appeared first on FitnessRX for Men.
——————–
By: Ron Harris
Title: Chris Bumstead
Sourced From: www.fitnessrxformen.com/from-the-editors-desk/chris-bumstead/
Published Date: Mon, 08 May 2023 18:55:23 +0000
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By Marc Lobliner
CMO Tigerfitness.com
All of you reading this, from the 20-year-old single guy to the 50-year-old married guy, don’t lose that competitive edge. Do epic sh*t and stay young mentally and physically – COMPETE!
As you can see on “Ronline” and as many of you may know, yours truly competed in this year’s New York Pro. My prep for the Chicago Pro and Tampa Pro were cut short last year by skin cancer and a minor bout of rhabdo. As I look back, my cancer-removal surgery wasn’t recovered enough to compete in the Tampa Pro, so it was a blessing that I didn’t.
After the Tampa Pro drop, I told the world I would not compete again. I felt like a failure, like I wasn’t meant to stand onstage next to these amazing pros. I felt like God was sending me a message.
I misinterpreted what God was telling me.
The Bible is full of tests from God. As I thought it over, this was a test. I was blessed to earn an IFBB Pro Card and the thing about IFBB Pro Card is that they don’t mean a damn thing if you don’t use them. Cancer changed my entire outlook on life, and this was my second round with it. My mindset is different, and I cherish every moment I get to reside on this earth.
But still, with multiple businesses, three kids, a wife, and hundreds of kids I coach daily at Legacy at Carbon … what is the point?
Competing as you age is all about mindset. If you don’t use it, you lose it, and that savage beast that helped YOU build your career, buy a house and be a kick-ass father will soon shrink down to a kitten just getting by. Challenging yourself develops a mindset and makes you uncomfortable. Some simulate this “suck” by taking ice baths, fasting, or simply training hard.
I do all of this, and it’s not enough.
I need to go head-to-head with someone. I need to CHALLENGE greatness and win or lose, I want to fight. This is why I loved boxing – you have two big-ass men trying to beat the hell out of one another. This is primal and men need primal sh*t. Men have become weak in this modern, EASY day in age and in my opinion, part of it is because of the convenience society. We don’t even get out of our cars to get our b*tch-ass lattes from Starbucks, we use the drive-thru! To balance this out, we must fight, and we must compete!
And beyond this, I want my kids to know that if you set goals and work for them, you might not win, but you will kick ass. I want my kids to know that their father is a badass, a hard worker, and a COMPETITOR!
All this needs to have an asterisk that we MUST preserve our health. Bodybuilding is an enhanced sport, and all of this means nothing if you’re dead. Keep your goals in perspective, get your blood work done and LISTEN TO THE RESULTS AND ADJUST every 6-12 months or even more often and supplement wisely. I recommend Ambrosia Nektar, Nattokinase (4,000-8,000 FUs per day) to keep things in check – WE STRESS THE HELL OUT OF OUR BODIES! Heart health and organ health are numero uno! No use looking dry and hard if the reason is rigor mortis.
WE SHOULD ALL COMPETE IN SOMETHING NO MATTER WHAT THE AGE!
Adult softball, basketball, pickleball … get off your ass and COMPETE! Here are some reasons why!
1. Health benefits: Participating in sports or fitness competitions can improve your overall health and well-being, regardless of your age. Exercise can help lower your risk of chronic diseases, increase your strength and flexibility, and improve your mental health. By having a constant competition or GOAL at the end of the rainbow, you will be exercising for a purpose and not just because of habit and obligation. Training in turn will be more fun, harder and with a purpose!
2. Personal growth: Competing can challenge you to push past your limits and achieve goals you may not have thought possible. It can also give you a sense of accomplishment and pride, which can boost your confidence and self-esteem. Mental health is everything and this will make you a better employee, better father and husband and better MAN!
3. Role model: By competing at an older age, you can serve as a role model for younger generations and inspire them to stay active and pursue their passions. This is the MAIN REASON that I compete, to set an example for my kids and the kids that I coach.
4. Experience: As an older competitor, you likely have more life and competition experience than younger competitors, which can give you an edge in terms of strategy and mental toughness. While they might have a couple of steps on you, you can compensate for this by outsmarting them.
5. Community: Participating in competitions can introduce you to new people and help you build a sense of community with others who share your interests and passions. All my friends are from work or bodybuilding, and the IFBB Pro community is one like no other.
All of you reading this, from the 20-year-old single guy to the 50-year-old married guy, don’t lose that competitive edge. Do epic sh*t and stay young mentally and physically – COMPETE!
https://www.tigerfitness.com/
Instagram @tigerfitness
Instagram @marclobliner
Twitter @MarcLobliner
YouTube: Tiger Fitness
The post The Case for Competing as You Age appeared first on FitnessRX for Men.
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By: Team FitRx
Title: The Case for Competing as You Age
Sourced From: www.fitnessrxformen.com/interviews/the-case-for-competing-as-you-age/
Published Date: Wed, 31 May 2023 12:38:16 +0000
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HIGH PERFORMANCE
MULTIPLE WORKOUT MACHINE: FROM INCLINED BENCH PRESS TO SHOULDER PRESS
The Panatta Power Smith Dual System Upper is an innovative machine made to perform thrust movements of the upper limbs, with independent load and along a particular convergent trajectory that amplifies the range of motion if compared to the traditional Smith Machine for an efficient work and ensuring total safety. The inclination adjustment of the backrest allows thrusting on different movement levels, switching the main focus from high pectorals to delts and trapezius. The height and depth adjustment of the seat and the wide range of the thrust units allow the correct use to users of all sizes and features, while the footrests give stability by enabling the person to have the correct lower back posture when performing the exercise and avoiding forward slippage of the pelvis. Safety is ensured by the hooks on the push carriages, which can be engaged and disengaged with a simple twist of the wrist, allowing them to easily position at different heights even if the set or repetition cannot be completed.
The Power Smith Dual System Upper creates different movements depending on inclination level of the backrest, going from a minimum of 40° to a maximum of 80° with steps of 5° for a total of nine different angles.
• LOWER POSITION (Bench Incline 40°):
Creates a thrust movement on an inclined bench, with a flexion/adduction of the shoulder and simultaneous extension of the elbow; the clavicular portion of the pectoralis major (high chest), the anterior portion of the deltoid and the triceps are mainly activated.
• UPPER POSITION (Bench Incline 80°):
Creates the overhead extension movement like the classic slow forward, with an abduction of the shoulder and simultaneous extension of the elbow involving the deltoid (mainly the anterior and lateral bundle), the upper trapezius and the triceps.
For all the other inclination angles, muscle activation will gradually shift from the high chest to the deltoids and trapezius as the bench inclination increases.
DISCOVER MORE
www.panattasport.com
The post POWER SMITH MACHINE DUAL SYSTEM UPPER appeared first on FitnessRX for Men.
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By: Team FitRx
Title: POWER SMITH MACHINE DUAL SYSTEM UPPER
Sourced From: www.fitnessrxformen.com/training/power-smith-machine-dual-system-upper/
Published Date: Wed, 31 May 2023 13:55:07 +0000
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By Bryan Hildebrand
Senior Editor, Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals
CogniSport® is a unique combination of botanical extracts and nutrients that support cognitive function, mental focus, and overall visual health. The ingredients in CogniSport® are well studied and have been found to provide tremendous benefits, including support for concentration, motivation, mental focus, and reaction time. In addition, CogniSport® can enhance mood and well-being as well as lower cortisol levels to reduce the effects of stress. There are also several ingredients found in CogniSport® not found in any other focus or electronic gaming product.
With the addition of Visual® 2020 to the formula, CogniSport® provides support for optimal visual performance by supporting the ability of the eyes to filter high-energy blue light – from laptops, cell phones, and other blue-light sources. Visual® 2020 also supports visual function under bright light conditions such as the basketball court, gym, football field and other outdoor pursuits.
The alkaloid profile in Thermo-Rx® is unmatched by any other Senegalia species due to its phenylethylamine content, as well as numerous other alkaloids and amines. Phenylethylamine is a sympathomimetic amine found in the leaves of Senegalia Berlandieri. Phenylethylamine also naturally occurs in chocolate, and is responsible for its effects on mood, appetite, and sense of well-being. Researchers believe that Phenylethylamine may be the cleanest stimulant ever studied. Its ability to stimulate the central nervous system without causing a nervous feeling or the “jitters” is remarkable. Phenylethylamine acts on alpha-receptors in the brain, as do norepinephrine and ephedrine. It is also believed by chemists and scientists in the industry to cause the release of dopamine in the pleasure-sensing areas of the brain.
While the idea of providing concentration may seem potentially foreign to bodybuilders and fitness athletes, nothing could be further from the truth. Winding down a day’s training and you still have a few exercises left. Plus, cardio. Plus, the drive home. Plus, dinner for the kids. The energy from pre-workout products have proven they can only take you so far. The clean, long-lasting focal energy found in CogniSport® provides a much longer source of energy and motivation to power even the hardest working athletes, moms and dads through the remainder of their day without that dreaded jitters and impending neurological crash associated with so many high-caffeine pre-workouts and weight-loss products that many use for energy in the gym.
The researched ingredients in CogniSport® have been found to provide huge benefits, including support for concentration, motivation, mental focus, and reaction time. The other side of this is the mood-enhancing properties it exhibits. Gamers, athletes, and students who have used it say it provides reductions in stress and an overall sense of well-being. There are also several ingredients found in CogniSport® not found in any other focus or electronic gaming product!
• Maintain a Mental Edge With High Demand, Rapid Sequencing
• Supports Mental Agility in Fast-Paced Sports
• Improve Reaction Times in Rapid Movement Environments
• Helps Reduce Stress in Physical Situations
The researched ingredients in CogniSport® have been found to provide huge benefits, including support for concentration, motivation, mental focus, and reaction time.
For more information, visit hitechpharma.com/products/cognisport
The post CogniSport® appeared first on FitnessRX for Men.
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By: Team FitRx
Title: CogniSport®
Sourced From: www.fitnessrxformen.com/nutrition/supplements/cognisport/
Published Date: Wed, 24 May 2023 17:16:53 +0000
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