Chris Bumstead: King of Classic

By Steve Blechman

When Classic Physique debuted in 2016, some people in the industry wondered if the new division would have a megastar, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lee Haney, Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates, Jay Cutler and Phil Heath, all legends in Open Bodybuilding. Three-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead has become the superstar of Classic Physique, the face of the division who inspires legions of fans who see Chris Bumstead as a role model, with his astonishingly aesthetic physique, and down-to-earth, humble personality. 10 million followers on Instagram and 2.23 million subscribers to his YouTube channel are testimony to Chris Bumstead’s popularity: they far exceed anyone else in the IFBB Pro League, male or female.

Chris Bumstead has all the qualities you would want as the representative of a division, and we are honored to feature the reigning Classic Physique Mr. Olympia on this month’s cover of MD as part of our Road to the Mr. Olympia series. A three-time Olympia champion at only 27 years old, Chris is also a success in business as part owner of Raw/Revive. Ron Harris spoke with him as he was just a few weeks into prep for the 2022 Classic Physique Olympia in “The Unstoppable Chris Bumstead! 3x Classic Physique Olympia Champion Going for Win Number 4.”

Since Classic Physique was introduced in 2016, the division has exploded in popularity. It offers a more attainable look for many men, ensuring that size is not the priority by setting weight caps based on height. The classic-era ideals embracing the beauty and art of the muscular physique are the basis for judging criteria, giving thousands of men with aesthetically pleasing physiques who had been left behind in the age of mass monsters a stage of their own. Competitor numbers at both the amateur and professional level now routinely far surpass those for bodybuilding, and the vast majority of young men entering the sport do so to be part of Classic. They draw inspiration from the division’s top men, who are highlighted this month in “Rise of the Classic Physique: The Division That Breathed New Life Into Bodybuilding.”

Giant Killers have always been a force at the Mr. Olympia. They have held their own high rankings in the history of the sport, but never really managed to take out the reigning – and taller – champs. The late Franco Columbu, Mr. Olympia 1976 and 1981, was a problem for seven-time Mr. “O” Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the ‘80s, it was Rich Gaspari facing eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney; Gaspari ended up runner-up to Haney for three years running in 1986-1988. Into the ‘90s, we were given another Giant Killer in the form of Lee Labrada (runner-up ’89 and ’90), but even with his near-perfect proportions on his 5’4” frame could not defeat the taller, more overall, physically impressive Haney. It seems that throughout the history of the Mr. Olympia, the shorter guys, no matter how impressive their physiques, didn’t quite have what it took to take the number one spot. Did David ever beat Goliath? Yes, actually, and the past decade has seen an uprising of Giant Killers. This year, Hadi Choopan, William Bonac, Derek Lunsford, Shaun Clarida and Kamal Elgargni are prime suspects as Giles “Tiger” Thomas tells us in “Giant Killers at the Olympia.”

The Mr. Olympia title represents the pinnacle of achievement in the sport of bodybuilding. Beginning in 1965, one man was chosen to represent the absolute best in muscular development in the entire world. It’s only natural that bodybuilders around the world, seeking to improve their own physiques and aspiring to greatness, would look to these men as role models on how to sculpt their own bodies and bring them closer and closer to perfection. With the 58th annual Mr. Olympia just around the corner, we pay tribute to the event and its legendary champions. With MD at your side, you can take their combined wisdom and use it to forge your own destiny in iron and muscle. We’ve gathered a slew of excellent training tips from the six most recent Mr. Olympia champions with a total of 16 Mr. O titles between them in “Training Secrets of the Mr. Olympia Champions!”

Muscular Development is your number one source for building muscle, and for the latest research and best science to enable you to train smart and effectively. Our team of physicians, industry experts and research scientists has these reports on improving performance this month:

“The End of the Big Gut: Were Insulin and GH to Blame?” Fat Attack

“Best and Worst Foods for Altering Testosterone” Nutrition Performance

“Top 5 Pre- and Post-Workout Supplements”Supplement Performance

“Cut Calories, Not Muscle” Muscle Growth Update

“Testosterone: Research Update 2022” Testosterone

“The Effect of Abdominal Exercise on Abdominal Fat”Bodybuilding Science

The rest of the book is packed to the binder as usual – making MD your one-stop, most authoritative source for optimizing muscular development with the latest cutting-edge research on training, nutrition, fat loss, performance-enhancing drugs, muscle growth and bodybuilding science – and exclusive information from the industry experts, insiders and bodybuilding legends who make it all happen.

See you next month!

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