“NBA Players Used to Drink Beer at Halftime”: Reigning 4x Classic Physique Mr. Olympia Chris Bumstead Explains How Sports Have Progressed Over the Years

Chris Bumstead is arguably the most popular bodybuilder on the planet right now. With a combined social media following of nearly 20 million, Bumstead is second to none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger. Recently, the king of Classic Physique appeared on one of the hottest podcasts on YouTube, the Full Send Podcast. During the 1 hr 12 min episode, Bumstead talked about many things, including his career, stacking up against Schwarzenegger, and the evolution of bodybuilding.

In the episode featuring Chris Bumstead, bodybuilding influencer Bradley Martyn joined the Nelk boys as co-host. Martyn pointed out how similar in stature he is to Arnold Schwarzenegger. He then asked Bumstead who would win in a head-to-head pose-off against him and Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime. The four-time champion gave a nuanced answer while explaining how, not just bodybuilding, but sports like basketball have evolved over the years.

Chris Bumstead uses basketball as an example to get his point across

Martyn told the Canadian bodybuilding star that he “had to ask this question,” during the podcast. The YouTuber asked the reigning Mr. Olympia Classic Physique champion, “Competing against Arnold back in the day. Where would you stack up?” The four-time champion replied, saying it’s a “tough question.” However, the Nelk boys and Martyn encouraged him and said, “You’re a winner.”

However, Bumstead wasn’t second-guessing himself. Instead, he was contemplating the answer to the question. Ultimately the reigning king of the Classic Physique division said it would depend on the period. He said that, back in the Austrian Oak’s’ prime, judges and audiences had never seen someone as lean as himself or other top competitors.

“If I went back looking at I’d be the leanest person they’ve ever seen. They wouldn’t even know what the f*** is going on. So I don’t know if they would even want that. So maybe he would win,” said Bumstead. However, he also said the opposite would happen if the seven-time Mr. Olympia stepped on stage today with 70s-level conditioning.

“It’s like sports progress… Back in the day, 90s NBA players used to drink beer at halftime. Now they’re like having f***ing IVs putting in them… just to perform at the highest level. Times change,” said Bumstead. However, this isn’t the first time the four-time Classic Physique Mr. Olympia got compared to the bodybuilding legend.

The similarities between the two bodybuilding icons

The Canadian bodybuilding star and the legendary Austrian bodybuilder might belong to different eras but have a lot in common. Martyn himself pointed out two of the most significant similarities between Schwarzenegger and Bumstead. While Bumstead is 6’1 Ft tall, the Austrian Oak is 6’2 Ft tall. They also weigh around “240-ish” on stage.

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However, the similarities go beyond physical traits. The Classic Physique division was created in 2016, to bring back the 70s aesthetics of bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franke Zane, and others. Unlike the Open division, Classic physique athletes also pay more attention to posing and hit the “classic” variations of all the mandatory bodybuilding poses. However, it’s important to remember what Bumstead said, next time you see an Instagram reel comparing the two bodybuilders.

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