“Working Out on Some Guy’s Basement”: Chris Bumstead Left Country After COVID Lockdown; Was Hampering His 2020 Mr. Olympia Preparation

Apr 2, 2023 | 11:45 AM EDT

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Four-time Mr. Olympia Chris Bumstead is an icon in the bodybuilding community. Since he won the Olympia for the first time in 2019, he has been unbeatable in the classic physique category. But 2020, when the pandemic swept the globe, could have gone a completely different way for the champion. Several gyms were forced to shut down due to lockdowns, essentially cutting off the lifeline of several bodybuilders. CBum recently reflected on how he had to train for the 2020 Mr. Olympia without access to a gym because of the shutdown.

Canadian YouTube star Kyle Forgeard recently had fellow star Chris Bumstead on his podcast. This clip can be found on his verified FULL SEND PODCAST channel on YouTube. The Canadian YouTuber was shocked to discover that his fellow Canadian bodybuilder left the country in 2020, to train for the Olympia, under certain difficult conditions.

CBum’s lockdown workout session

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The podcast got off to a good start when Chris Bumstead expressed his delight at working with host Kyle Forgeard. The four-time Mr. Olympia did admit, that he had seen Forgeard and found their brand development to be one of the best he had seen out there. Forgeard and his podcast buddies were also interested in learning about why Cbum had relocated from Canada to the United States. The four-time Mr. Olympia winner quickly explained, by referencing the year 2020, when Canada went into lockdown due to a COVID outbreak.

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In the podcast, Chris Bumstead talks about his 2020 Mr. Olympia prep, saying, “I was prepping for one of my Olympias working out in some guy’s basement. It was like cable rack machine and stuff, and some dumbbells was wild.” No one on the show could believe Bumstead had won the same year he had to prepare under such trying conditions. CBum also followed his statement with a cheeky addition, saying, “2020 was actually like one of my best years I’ve ever done so maybe COVID was a secret.”

How the 2020 season went for the bodybuilding star?

Chris Bumstead needed to defend his title in the 2020 Mr. Olympia. The fans expected great things from him, but he also had high ambitions for himself and didn’t want to lose despite having to practice in a basement because of the pandemic. As a result, Bumstead made sure that everything was perfect for the event. He worked hard, and it paid off, as he easily won a second time and became a household name in the world of bodybuilding.

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In addition to a rigorous exercise in a basement with little equipment, he once disclosed that his day was structured around adhering to a strict nutrition regimen. He said that it was difficult for him to stick to his diet and that he eventually became tired of eating the same things day in and day out for months on end.

WATCH THIS STORY – “Much More Complete Bodybuilder”: Arnold Schwarzenegger vs Chris Bumstead Side-By-Side Comparision Leaves Bodybuilding World Divided

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Although Cbum had to endure several tough times throughout the 2020 season, he proved again and again that nothing could deter him from winning the Olympia. Do you think his winning streak will continue this year as well?