Why Chris Bumstead Will Win His 6th Classic Physique Title Next Year

Chris Bumstead took the bodybuilding world by storm when he appeared on the Mr. Olympia stage in 2017. In his first outing competing in the Classic Physique division, Bumstead’s physique impressed fans, and he finished as the runner-up. While Bumstead also finished in second place in 2018, fans thought he deserved to win and saw him as the division’s future. They were right, as CBum won the Classic Physique Olympia title in 2019. Since then, the modern-day bodybuilding icon with nearly 24 million followers on social media has dominated the Classic Physique category.

At the Mr. Olympia 2023, the 28-year-old won his fifth title. This year, Chris Bumstead arguably faced his greatest challenge yet. From 2019 to 2022, the champion has made four rivals who have challenged him for the Classic Physique throne. Thanks to some rule changes regarding the weight limit, all four of his rivals challenged CBum for the Sandow trophy this year. However, Ramon Dino, Urs Kalecinski, Terrance Ruffin, and two-time Classic Physique champion Breon Ansley failed to dethrone Bumstead. Despite an incredibly close battle with Dino, here’s why Bumstead will remain the king of the hill in 2024.

Chris Bumstead is just 28 years old

Athletes hit their prime early in many sports like track-and-field, football, etc. However, bodybuilders often hit their prime later, in their thirties. Chris Bumstead started bodybuilding when he was around 19. After his brother-in-law and retired IFBB Pro Iain Valliere realized CBum’s genetic gifts and natural athleticism, he told the youngster to take bodybuilding seriously. The 2023 Toronto Pro winner had placed his faith in the right person as under his tutelage, Bumsted earned his pro card at just 21.

At 28, the King of Classic Physique is a dominant champion. While he has faced his fair share of injuries and has an autoimmune disease, CBum continues to improve with each passing year. When comparing pictures from 2017 and 2023, it’s easy to see Bumstead’s massive gains. In fact, on November 8, the reigning champion uploaded two images of him hitting the side chest pose on stage. The two images showed how CBum turned one of his weaker poses into one of his strongest. Now, under Hany Rambod’s tutelage, he’ll continue to improve.

Haney Rambod: CBum’s X-factor 

The reigning Classic Physique champion’s coach, Haney Rambod, earned the name The Pro Creator. Rambod has been coaching and making champions out of bodybuilders for two decades. The 48-year-old is a 24-time Olympia-winning coach. Throughout his illustrious career, Rambod trained Mr. Olympia winners like Phil Heath, Jay Cutler, Hadi Choopan, and Derek Lunsford. Bumstead won his first three titles under Valliere. However, a few months before the 2022 Mr. Olympia, the reigning champion teamed up with Rambod.

Some showed concern, stating the then-newly formed coach-bodybuilder duo might take time to adjust. However, none of those worries were substantiated. In fact, the fan-favorite bodybuilder showed up more conditioned than ever before, winning his fourth title. Most people didn’t even notice that Bumstead had torn a bicep just before the show.

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Chris Bumstead battled injuries in 2022 and 2023

While taking his conditioning and size to a new level was impressive, Bumstead won the last two Olympias despite injuries hampering his prep. In 2022, Bumstead suffered a torn bicep in a way that judges and keen-eyed viewers could notice. The injury affected CBum’s confidence before stepping on stage. However, he dropped another bomb after winning his fifth Classic Physique title.

After winning his fifth title, Chris Bumstead said he had torn his lat while preparing for the 2023 Mr. Olympia. The latissimus dorsi is a large muscle that can significantly impact a bodybuilder’s physique. However, under Rambod’s tutelage, The King of Classic Physique recovered and bounced back. No one noticed the injury. However, the ordeal affected Bumstead’s training, and the bodybuilder disclosed he couldn’t train his lats for a while, throwing off his prep.

The new weight limit rule couldn’t change the outcome

Besides not being 100% and nearly thinking about quitting, the reigning champion had to deal with an additional challenge that came from the IFBB. The IFBB amended the weight limit rules for Classic Physique a few months before the Mr. Olympia. Owing to the height difference among competitors, the IFBB allowed shorter bodybuilders to put on around 7 lbs more weight than the taller bodybuilders like Bumstead.

After the change, Terrence Ruffin and former champion Breon Ansley returned with renewed vigor. Both competitors put on more size and many fans opined that Ansley’s back looked better than everyone else on stage. However, despite these rule changes, Bumstead won a decisive victory. Before the contest, seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath told Bumstead if he won the title despite these changes, he would unquestionably become the greatest Classic Physique bodybuilder ever.

Hence, keeping everything in mind, it’s easy to say that even his biggest challenger, Ramon Dino, won’t surpass CBum anytime soon. Despite making huge improvements and remaining injury-free, Dino has failed to defeat the Canadian two years in a row. If Bumstead remains injury-free next year, then under Hany Rambod, a sixth title is all but guaranteed.

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