Chris Bumstead Workout Routine & Diet – Train Like Mr. Olympia!
Chris Bumstead is one of the best modern bodybuilders of our era.
Alongside his YouTube channel that has over 1.1 million subscribers, Bumstead is also the 2019, 2020, and 2021 Mr. Olympia Classic Physique champion.
So, what does the Chris Bumstead workout routine look like? And, how does Chris Bumstead train and diet to win the Olympia three years in a row?
This article is covering everyting you need to know about Chris Bumstead’s workout routine and training philosophy.
Let’s get to it.
Who Is Chris Bumstead?
Chris Bumstead, also known as CBum, is a Canadian bodybuilder and YouTuber originally from Ottawa, Canada.
Bumstead was born on February 2nd, 1995, and according to his online biography, he began weightlifting at the age of 14.
Chris began competing competitively in bodybuilding at the age of 19 and eventually obtained his IFBB Pro card at 21.
In 2019, Chris Bumstead won his first Mr. Olympia Classic Physique and has been the defending champion ever since.
These days, Bumstead documents many of his workouts, diet plans, and training philosophies on his extremely popular YouTube channel.
Chris Bumstead Bodybuilding Stats
Before we jump into the Chris Bumstead workout routine, let’s cover some quick stats so you understand how epic this guy truly is.
Here are Chris Bumstead’s bodybuilder stats:
- Height: 6’1″
- Off-Season Weight: Approximately 260 pounds (118 kg)
- Contest Weight: Approximately 235 pounds (107 kg)
- Birthday: February 2nd, 1995
Bumstead is known for getting into incredibly shredded contest shape, and if you’ve ever seen his YouTube videos or training footage, it’s not surprising he’s the reigning champ.
The Chris Bumstead Workout Routine
Chris Bumstead’s workout split is generally a five-day split that hits all of the body parts. Bumstead may change this routine depending on injuries or his travel schedule, but generally, he trains back, chest, hamstrings, quads, and shoulders once per week.
So, if you want to copy the Chris Bumstead workout, here’s how his split breaks down by day:
Monday: Back Day
Historically, Bumstead has trained back for his first training day of the week. If you ever buy a program from him or watch his YouTube videos, this is pretty standard.
Here is Chris Bumstead’s back workout:
- Deadlifts: 4 sets, usually aiming for 10 reps and then gradually decreasing to 8 reps as he adds weight.
- Bent-Over Rows: 4 sets (12, 10, 10, and 8 reps with heavier weight)
- Lat Pulldown: 4 sets of around 10 to 15 reps, last set to failure
- Straight Arm Lat Pulldowns: 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps, last set to failure
- Dumbbell Row: 4 sets (15, 12, 10, 10 reps)
- Machine Row: 3 sets (20 reps or very high volume that you can handle)
- Hyper Extension: 2 sets, each to failure
This is a lot of volume for a back routine, but as you’ll see in CBum’s workouts, volume is the name of the game.
Tuesday: Chest & Biceps
Like his back day, Bumstead adds a lot of exercises and volume to this day.
Here’s Chris Bumstead’s chest workout:
- Incline Dumbbell Press: 5 sets (15, 15, 12, 12, and 10 reps)
- Bench Press: 4 sets (12, 10, 8, and 8 reps)
- Incline Flys: 3 sets (15, 12, and 12 reps)
- Cable Flys: 3 sets (15, 12, and 12 reps)
- Push Ups: 3 sets to failure
- Barbell Curls: 3 sets (12 to 15 reps)
- Preacher Curls: 3 sets (10 to 12 reps)
- Hammer Curls: 3 sets (10 to 12 reps)
In the above video, Chris explains more about his chest workout and how his training looks like in the lead-up to Mr. Olympia.
Wednesday: Hamstring & Glutes
After training upper body two days in a row, the next step in Chris Bumstead’s workout routine is to hit hamstrings and glutes for some leg development.
Here’s how Chris Bumstead’s hamstring and glue workout looks like:
- Leg Curls: 4 sets (15 reps and last set to failure)
- Romanian Deadlifts: 4 sets (15 to 20 reps)
- Standing Leg Curl: 4 sets (8 to 10 reps)
- Reverse Hack Squat: 4 sets (15 to 20 reps)
- Glue Kickbacks: 3 sets (12 to 15 reps)
Many people have one single leg day, but Chris Bumstead’s leg workout is broken into two days, so quads are coming later in the week!
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Thursday: Shoulders & Triceps
Another interesting aspect of Chris Bumstead’s workout plan is that he does chest and biceps and then works shoulders and triceps.
Some people think this is superior because it lets you hit your triceps much harder on shoulder day versus trying to work them out on chest day, during which time the muscles are already more worn out.
I personally do the same thing and find you can go heavier, and hey, I think CBum knows what he’s doing!
Here’s what’s included on Chris Bumstead’s shoulder and tricep workout:
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets (15 reps)
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets (12 reps)
- Barbell Front Raise: 3 sets (12 reps)
- Single Arm Cable Raise: 4 sets (20, 15, 15, and 12 reps)
- Upright Rows: 3 sets (15, 12, and 12 reps)
- Face Pulls: 3 sets (15, 12, and 12 reps)
- Machine Lateral Raises: 3 sets (15 reps)
- Dips: 4 sets (12 to 15 reps)
- Skull Crushers: 4 sets (12 to 15 reps)
- Cable Kickbacks: 3 sets (12, 10, and 8 reps)
Bumstead sometimes throws in rope pulldowns as well to hit triceps more.
Friday: Quads
The final part of the Chris Bumstead workout split is to train quads.
This is a very heavy day for Bumstead typically, so be sure to end off the week with a bang!
Here’s what happens on Chris Bumstead’s leg workout:
- Leg Extensions: 3 sets (15 reps)
- Back Squats: 6 sets (10 to 12 reps) although sometimes Chris goes heavier and drops rep count
- Leg Press: 4 sets (20, 20, 15, 12 reps)
- Standing Lunges: 4 sets (8 to 12 reps)
- Standing Calf Raises: 4 sets (10 to 12 reps)
- Hip Adductors: 4 sets (10 to 12 reps)
Weekends: Rest Days
Typically, Chris Bumstead doesn’t train on weekends and uses the time to rest and recover.
However, one important note about Chris Bumstead’s workout split is that he often does low-intensity, fasted cardio in the mornings as well.
This might be 20 minutes on the bike, or 30 minutes walking on the treadmill or stairmaster.
Whatever the case, Chris still takes care of his cardio, even during the off-season when he is gaining weight and muscle.
How Chris Bumstead Trains
It’s honestly a bit difficult to write out an entire Chris Bumstead workout plan because his training is actually quite adaptive and varies depending on how his body feels and where he is in his off-season.
But, in this video with Generation Iron, Bumstead explains a bit more about his training philosophy and style.
Some key takeaways about how Chris Bumstead workouts include:
- Drop Sets Are Critical: A lot of Chris’ sets also include drop sets, especially if Chris lowers his overall set count for the day.
- Training Partners Help: Because Chris does so many drop sets, a workout partner is key to help with some forced reps.
- Don’t Overdo Volume: Chris does a lot of volume, especially with his dropsets. But he gets this volume in with few sets and doesn’t overdo a crazy number of sets.
- Listen To Your Body: CBum’s workout routine varies depending on how he feels and if he’s tackling any injuries, like his shoulder injury which sometimes flares up.
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Chris Bumstead’s Diet – How Does He Eat?
Now that you have a Chris Bumstead workout plan, you’re ready to hit the gym and get those gains!
However, diet is just as important as training, or perhaps even more important.
And, like his training, CBum doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to proper nutrition.
There are lots of videos about Chris Bumstead’s diet on YouTube, and he regularly posts “full day of eating” videos on his YouTube channel.
He also took part in a Bodybuilding.com video where he explains how he eats:
In this video, Chris eats 6 meals for a total of 4,325 calories.
Here’s what Chris Bumstead’s diet looks like on a typical day:
- Breakfast: 600 grams of raw potato that he airfries, 3 whole eggs, 230 grams of egg whites, and ketchup (776 calories)
- Pre Workout Meal: Chicken breast, spinach, and rice (593 calories)
- Post Workout Meal: Banana as a snack, 16 ounces of sweet potato, chicken breast (721 calories)
- Meal Four: Stri fried veggie mix, chicken breast, rice (570 calories)
- Dinner: Chicken breast and sweet potato plus an avocado (1,048 calories)
- Meal Six: 200 grams of Salmon and 230 grams of rice (617 calories.
Total Macros:
- 4325 calories
- 307 grams of protein
- 519 grams of carbs
- 113 grams of fat
This is just one day of eating, but it’s pretty reflective of what Chris Bumstead’s diet looks like.
He also uses protein shakes to help reach his macros, and his food choice can vary day-to-day.
However, expect a lot of chicken, eggs, rice, salmon, and potatoes if you follow CBum’s diet!
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How Does Chris Bumstead Cook & Meal Prep?
Chris Bumstead is very diligent with his diet, and he usually saves cheat days for post-show videos he posts on his YouTube channel.
Additionally, Bumstead cooks most of his meals fresh since he works from home and wants his off-season eating to be a bit tastier.
This is also why he uses condiments like Ketchup, although he tracks everything he eats and makes sure it all fits into his macros.
Frequently Asked Questions
Now that we’ve covered Bumstead’s workout routine and diet, here are some common questions people have about this famous bodybuilder.
How Many Days A Week Does Chris Bumstead Workout?
Chris Bumstead usually works out five days per week and uses the weekend as rest days. He also does low-intensity, fasted cardio to keep his heart healthy and to burn some additional calories.
How Long Has Chris Bumstead Been Training?
Chris Bumstead was very active and into sports as a child and during his teenage years. He began training with weights at age 14 and began competing in bodybuilding at age 19.
Final Thoughts
I hope our breakdown of Chris Bumstead’s workout routine helps you find a new training split that works for you.
Chris Bumstead is a champion, and he is clearly dedicated to his craft with how hard he trains and how meticulous he is with his diet.
Also note that he’s a professional bodybuilder and weighs over 200 pounds. This means you don’t need to hit the same macros if you’re much smaller, so keep this in mind!
Best of luck with your workouts!
Let us know in the comments if you’re going to try out CBum’s workout split!
Want to try more workouts? Checkout our posts on the Tom Hardy workout, Matthew McConaughey workout, or Cam Newton workout for three other training splits!