2023 Mr. Olympia‘s results have been announced, and fans are overwhelmed with the series of exciting and nerve-wracking moments. Amidst all of these, the one thing that remains unchanged is Chris Bumstead keeping his winning streak yet alive. He has been winning his race since 2019 for five consecutive years without letting anyone outrun his superiority. But the sport of bodybuilding has not been on his mind since about a decade ago.

Bumstead started his career as early as when he was only 21. Becoming the IFBB Pro bodybuilder, his first two Mr. Olympia contests settled him down with the second rank. However, from then onward CBum never let anyone come in between him and his trophy. Even with several physical and mental struggles, the bodybuilding beast remained one of the unbeatable contestants in the history of Mr. Olympia’s Classic Physique. But the champion had a very different life before he got into bodybuilding.

CBum’s previous niches

In one of the YouTube short videos, CBum was asked what he did before turning into an IFBB Pro bodybuilder. As a reply, Bumstead listed down the variety of things he indulged himself in. In addition to that, he also shed light on the major field of academia he was a part of. Bumstead briefly talked about his lifestyle before it was completely shaped according to his needs for bodybuilding. He stated,?”I was literally in university studying Physical Health Sciences, not really knowing what I was going to do with my life.“

Moreover, CBum also revealed how he did ponder about choosing physiotherapy as a possible career option. However, even after much speculation, he did not find a strong mindset to pursue it. Additionally, Bumstead also mentioned the side hustles and short-time professions he had gone through. He thus recalled,?“I worked at a gym, a supplement store and went to university and partied a little too much. But that was my life before bodybuilding. And then, then nothing.”

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Although CBum started his career in bodybuilding early on, this certainly has not been the only sport he has ever shown interest in. Bumstead had a whole list of athletic practices before he even thought about bodybuilding.

Chris Bumstead’s sports practices before bodybuilding

It was the tender age of only 14 – his freshman year at high school – when CBum began weightlifting as a hobby. In those early teenage years, Bumstead only saw bodybuilding as a hobby without getting the slightest wind that he might be winning his first bodybuilding contest exactly 5 years later. Throughout his school and university days, CBum kept himself busy enjoying sports like soccer, baseball, basketball, and even ice hockey.

From all those regular sports Bumstead participated in, including his occasional weightlifting habit, he soon started building the foundation of a magnificent physique. And by the time he approached the near end of his teenage, his sister’s boyfriend – now husband – Iain Valliere caught sight of his potential.

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Chris Bumstead has always thought of bodybuilding as a hobby. His passion later got deeply intertwined with his career. In the course of his 7 years of journey, he has portrayed several unique aspects of him as a phenomenal bodybuilder. But how did he leap from his idea of choosing physiotherapy to becoming a Classic Physique champion?

Chris Bumstead’s introduction to bodybuilding

It is not easy to make one’s own career at 21, yet CBum has shown how things can work out for you if you have enough dedication and determination. His brother-in-law, Iain Valliere – and the very first coach – introduced him to the world of bodybuilding after he recognized the true excellence in CBum. When Bumstead was only 19, he encountered the turning point of his life. Not only did he participate alongside his sister, but became the 2016 IFBB North American Bodybuilding Champion. Two years after that, Chris Bumstead started making and shaping the history of bodybuilding according to his own terms by winning his very first Mr. Olympia in Classic Physique.

The 5x Mr. Olympia has been recorded expressing his inclinations to find motivation and inspiration from bodybuilders like Tom Platz, the Quadfather, 80s’ Barry Demay, and one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, Arnold Schwarzenegger -with whom he sometimes gets compared with. Bumstead could not get past his arch nemesis Breon Ansley for the first two Mr. Olympia participation. However, ever since 2019, he has not only defeated Breon but also Terrence Ruffin, Urs Kalecinski, and Ramon Rocha Queiroz.

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Resolute as he is, Bumstead keeps on denying to shift his Mr. Olympia division. Several bodybuilding experts have suggested he try and race at the Open division given his excellence. Yet, CBum stays put with his decision about sticking to Mr. Olympia’s Classic Physique. With time and tide, CBum would be honing his precise physique even more, and thus no one can predict where and when he would be making history and passing on his legacy again.