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Since being introduced to the Olympia in 2016, the Classic division has quickly risen in popularity. On stage, competitors worldwide look to bring back the golden days. Fans and pundits eagerly watch as athletes continue redefining classic’s meaning.
Few people can transcend bodybuilding. Chris Bumstead is one of them. With six Classic Olympia titles and over 30 million followers, he’s the most popular fitness influencer of the current age.
There’s no denying that Bumstead has an incredible physique. Take one look at him on stage and you’ll see many similarities to iconic figures such as Arnold Schwarzenegger.
His retirement shocked many people around the world, including myself. Following his announcement, he stated that he would continue being a presence in bodybuilding.
In his recent YouTube video, he shared his ultimate bulking diet guide. With his blueprint in hand, fans and fellow competitors will look to take valuable information away from a classical icon.
Key Takeaway
Chris Bumstead is a Classic Physique icon who will be remembered for generations. With six Olympia titles, he’s currently the most decorated classic athlete in history.
In his recent YouTube video, he shared his ultimate bulking guide. In this, he gave his blueprint for maintaining a lean physique and optimal health.
Bumstead said that the ideal time to bulk depends on the person and their exercise goals. He also discussed the importance of the main macronutrients and focusing on good foods. He named creatine and protein powder as the most important bulking supplements.
Six-time Classic Physique Champion Shares His Bulking Diet Blueprint In Recent Video
After winning his sixth Classic Division title at the 2024 Mr. Olympia, Chris Bumstead shockingly announced his retirement. Few people expected that such an iconic figure in his physical prime would step away from the stage. Since then, he’s shifted his focus to family, business, and educating others in the health and fitness world.
In his recent YouTube video, Bumstead shared valuable insights into forming an effective bulking diet. He covered topics including when to bulk, how to do it, and ideal foods and supplements to focus on. With this, we were able to listen and learn from one of the best Classical icons in bodybuilding.
“Pretty much based off my experience rather than just purely science-based stuff. It’s everything I’ve done and learned from my mistakes throughout the years. So, you guys can learn from what I’ve done right and done and hopefully learn faster than I did.”
Chris Bumstead
Bumstead On When To Bulk
Bumstead states that the correct time when to bulk depends on the person or the situation. In other words, he can’t say for sure when the correct time is without knowing the individual. However, he does say that you should perform a bulk if you’re looking to put on muscle and have low body fat.
“I have no clue on why people should bulk. It’s very situation-dependent, person-dependent, goal-dependent. But as a whole, I would say obviously if your goal is to put on muscle, you should bulk, and if you’re not fat, you should bulk.”
Chris Bumstead
Chris went on to say that if you’re unhappy with your body fat level, you probably shouldn’t bulk just yet. Once you drop down to a level you’re happy with, a bulking diet may be more appropriate.
Bumstead said that he likes to be around 12% body fat before bulking. However, this number can be much higher for women (around 18–20%).
Furthermore, if your weight or training performance isn’t changing, Bumstead said that you may need a break. The timeframe for this depends on your goals and the situations surrounding them.
Chris’s Take On Essential Macronutrients
When discussing macronutrient intakes, Bumstead said that getting the different amounts right is essential.
“The more you measure, the more you can manage, and the more you can adapt. And then you know what changes you’re making are causing the changes in your body.”
Chris Bumstead
“The first step to anyone’s fitness journey really is tracking everything you eat consistently and calculate the calories and macros on that. Maybe do it for a week, take the average and see what it is, and weigh yourself during all those days.”
Chris Bumstead
In terms of his protein intake, he uses a minimum intake of 1 gram per pound of body weight. As he’s around 250 pounds, this would put his daily intake at approximately 250 grams. With 4 calories in every gram of protein, Bumstead’s energy intake from protein would be 1000 calories.
This number will change depending on his training phase and energy needs. if he’s in a calorie deficit, he’ll likely increase this number somewhat. However, for a bulking diet, this would seem about right.
Expanding on this, Bumstead pointed out that there may be extreme cases where people need to change their protein intake. Skinny people may need to increase it while overweight individuals may need to reduce it.
The Types Of Foods He Focuses On
Bumstead believes that focusing on whole foods is the best approach. Over the last 4–5 years, he didn’t have cheat meals as he didn’t want potential side effects. He listed common ones as inflammation, gut digestive issues, and sleep disturbances.
“The more food you can digest and the nutrients you can actually absorb from it, the less you actually need to eat to get the same benefits out of it.”
Chris Bumstead
During his off-season, Bumstead was flexible with his meals but made sure to keep them healthy. He said the only reason to have a cheat meal could be for mental well-being. As you’ll hopefully know, he is a big advocate for promoting good mental health and openly discussing feelings.
“If I get a burger sometimes, I get a lettuce wrap with no cheese because I know it’s going to mess with my stomach and make sure I stick with that.”
Chris Bumstead
His Opinion On Clean Vs. Dirty Bulking
When discussing clean vs. healthy bulking, Bumstead focused on the importance of correctly fueling your body. He says that those who dirty bulk don’t understand how important the food is going into their bodies. While he doesn’t recommend dirty bulking, a cheat meal is okay once in a while if you need it.
He went on further to say that when clean bulking, you’re taking much better care of your body.
“When you build that healthy relationship with food that you’re nourishing your body, you’re fueling your body, you’re putting good food in your body because you care about your body, it also makes it easier to diet because you’re not craving sh*tty foods when you’re dieting.”
Chris Bumstead
Bumstead’s Recommended Bulking Supplements
Bumsteads keeps things simple when recommending his bulking supplements. His main go-to one is creatine. When discussing this, he says that it’s great for energy, muscle growth, and muscle repair.
Alongside this, his go-to digestive supplement is glucose. He states that it helps to utilize all the carbohydrates going around your body.
In terms of his post-workout nutrition, Bumstead uses protein shakes and post-workout powders daily. Whatever stage of prep he is in, he sees these as vital parts of his supplement routine.
“I still really believe that a post-workout shake is extremely important.”
Chris Bumstead
His View On How Long To Bulk And How To Set Goals
Bumstead is a huge fan of a longer bulk. He states that the longer you can hold onto your muscle during a bulk, the harder it is to lose.
He enjoys a longer bulk because it doesn’t feel forced meaning he doesn’t need to add more food really fast. As his body slows down or plateaus, he adds food to slowly increase his intake.
“The slower the change you make, the more likely you are to put on good weight rather than just fat.”
Chris Bumstead
When goal setting, Bumstead feels that it’s important to set specific goals. This allows you to understand what the goal is and how best to implement the bulking diet to achieve it.
“Start something, commit to it, and understand what your goals are. If your goal is to put on muscle but you hate losing abs, then do a really long, slow bulk and very slow increase of calories. Make sure your abs stay there, stick to training them, do your cardio, and eat good food.”
Chris Bumstead
Conclusion
Chris Bumstead will continue being an iconic figure in bodybuilding for many generations. His bulking diet blueprint gives us a small snippet of what it takes to build an Olympia-winning physique. As he continues to be an ambassador for the sport, hopefully, we’ll get more useful insights into his mind.
As you’ll see from the information above, diet should be seen as a vital part of achieving success on stage. If you take anything away from Bumstead’s words, know that food gives you the energy to function and perform. Without it, you won’t get anywhere near the heights that Bumstead has risen to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chris Bumstead is a Canadian retired professional bodybuilder. After making his competitive debut in 2014, he quickly made a name for himself after switching to Classic. He is the most decorated classical athlete in history, with six Olympia titles.
In his retirement speech, Bumstead said he was stepping away to focus on business and family. He wants to be an ambassador for bodybuilding but hasn’t ruled out a return. While unlikely, a return is not out of the question.
First and foremost, he has an incredible physique reminiscent of the golden era. Alongside this, his down-to-earth personality and transparent approach to competing have made him a fan favorite.
Diet is vital for building an Olympia-winning physique as it provides the energy needed for muscle building and repair. Furthermore, it helps to maintain performance in the gym and ensure optimal health. It’s as important as bodybuilding training.
About the Author
Chris Marshall, MSc, PT Personal Trainer
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