“Was Hurting Myself”: Battling Through Autoimmune Disease, Chris Bumstead Confesses to the Constant Fear He Felt During 2019 Mr. Olympia Prep

Chris Bumstead’s popularity has exploded since winning his first Mr. Olympia Classic Physique title in 2019. Now a four-time Classic Physique champion, Chris Bumstead is arguably the most popular bodybuilder in the world. With a combined social media following of over 19.5 million followers, CBum’s popularity has grown beyond the bodybuilding fanbase. As a result, the reigning champion has made it to one of the most popular podcasts on the entire internet. Hosted by the Nelk boys, the Full Send Podcast has garnered nearly 2 million subscribers after only 74 episodes.

However, during his conversation with the Nelk boys and co-host Bradley Martyn, Bumstead opened up about his struggles with an autoimmune disease. In fact, Bumstead revealed how worrying about the disease nearly prevented him from having a career, and reaching the heights of popularity he has today.

Why something Chris Bumstead loved, stressed him out

During their conversation, Cbum spoke about how he felt when he won the Mr. Olympia Classic Physique title for the first time. While it was a “beautiful moment,” when all the hard work paid off, the Canadian bodybuilding star also felt relieved. The four-time champion confessed he has an autoimmune disease, and it might have cost him the Mr. Olympia title in 2018.

“I got really sick the year before from it. So I was living in a lot of fear…” he told the hosts. The bodybuilding icon explained he felt immense stress preparing for the Olympia in 2019. The reigning champion said he had been preparing for the most prestigious annual bodybuilding contest and “trying to be confident.” However, it only helped to increase the stress.

CBum explained, “It takes a lot of like confidence to believe in yourself,” to get through such challenging bodybuilding prep. However, he dealt with a conflict regarding gunning for glory and conserving his health. “I kept getting in the back of my mind… I was getting sick again… and I was hurting myself,” revealed Bumstead.

The stress dissipated after he won the 2019 Mr. Olympia Classic Physique title. However, Bumstead laid down some rules that helped him win the title consecutively despite battling the disease.

When fame and glory take the backseat

Cbum revealed that he has IgA nephropathy, a condition when the immune system attacks the body. The champion bodybuilder said, he decided not to worry about his condition while training because he can’t control when the condition will “flare up.” However, Bumstead also revealed that a good lifestyle and diet mitigate the effects of the disease.

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Hence, even after winning four Classic Physique titles and having the potential to compete in the Open category, he refuses to do so. Fans and experts believe Bumstead has a good chance of winning the Mr. Olympia title in the Open category. However, the reigning Classic Physique champion has ruled out the possibility for now, because he wants to keep his health. Bumstead will only compete till his body allows it.

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