Chris Bumstead aka CBUM the reigning Mr. Olympia Classic Physique Champion, has no doubt one of the best chest developments in the history of bodybuilding. Some of the bodybuilding experts and fans even compare his chest development with the great bodybuilding legend, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Today we are going to see what are the key points for developing a massive chest like CBUM and what should be the supplementation that will help achieve building a chest like Chris.
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Chest: Anatomy & Function
One must know about chest muscles and their function to target them effectively. The chest muscle consists of two muscles
Pectoralis Major- It’s the biggest and outermost part of the chest that makes up the majority of the chest. It has two head
- Clavicular head- The upper part of the chest muscle, helps to rotate and raise the arm.
- Sternocostal head- The lower part of the chest, helps in bringing the arm towards the midline of the body (pressing) and also helps to internally rotate the arm.
Pectoralis Minor- It’s the smaller muscle located under the pectoralis major. It helps in stabilizing and spreading the shoulder blade and also assists in movement like pushing and pulling.
CBUM’s chest routine
In his whole career, Chris Bumstead had a mindset that he would go to the gym and start with doing basic exercise movements with heavier weights focusing a lot on strength and he believed that he has a better mind-to-muscle connection in compound movements (those exercises which involves two or more joints to perform). He always started with some kind of incline pressing exercise generally with free weights using dumbbells or barbells. After that, Chris does another pressing movement but with a machine so that he does not need to focus on controlling the direction of the weight and by only focusing on pressing, he completely feels the chest muscle.
Chris Bumstead trains his chest muscles slightly differently in the off-season and in the on-season.
In the off-season, he used to train heavily and really focus on growing those chest muscle
| S.N | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| 1 | Incline Dumbbell Press | 3 | 8-10 | 2-3mins |
| 2 | Flat Machine Press | 4 | 10 | 2mins |
| 3 | Butterfly | 3 | 10-12 | 2mins |
| 4 | Pushups | 3 | Failure | 2mins |
In one season, he used to train more controlled and focusing on shaping those chest muscle
| S.N. | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| 1 | Incline Machine Press | 4 | 12-15 | 2-3mins |
| 2 | Incline Dumbbell Press (Neutral Grip) | 3 | 8-10 | 2mins |
| 3 | Decline Machine Press | 2 | 10-12 | 2mins |
| 4 | Decline Cable Fly | 3 | 10-12 | 2mins |
| 5 | Low to High Cable Fly | 3 | 12-15 (Failure) | 2mins |
Chris typically involves these patterns in all his exercise routines and his major philosophy involves
Mind-to-muscle connection- CBUM focuses on the muscle he is working on, he connects with that muscle in every rep of every set.
Intensity- CBUM focuses on heavy and intense sessions. He believes that intense exercises are the key to growth.
Recovery- CBUM’s recovery includes proper sleep of 8-9 hours. He believes it’s the number one thing for his performance and recovery.
Discipline- CBUM believes that discipline is a must if you are serious about your goal. It does not matter how you feel but what is needed for your goal, you must do.
Nutrition and Supplements- Nutrition and supplements are the key to any changes in the body. CBUM follows a very strict diet and supplement pattern for the physique he got.
CBUM’s supplementation for the bigger chest
Chris Bumstead includes some of the supplements in his daily routine to help him achieve the fullness in his chest and he never forgets to take those supplements every day. His supplements are: -
Multivitamins- Every day after breakfast he takes multivitamins and minerals supplements. It helps him fight any micronutrient deficiency and helps the body absorb other nutrients better. Which overall increases his recovery, strength and focus. Multivitamins from Outlast Labz supplements are perfectly dosed for gym goers.
Whey Protein- CBUM takes whey protein every day because he is not a big eater and if he needs to take 200gm of protein in the diet then it is harder for him to take all the protein with diet only so he adds 2-3 scoops of whey protein every day. Even in his final week of competition, whey protein is a supplement that he never stops consuming. We recommend Iso-natural whey protein from Outlast Labz supplements.
Pre-workout- CBUM loves to train hard, intense and heavy and he believes that only pre-workout supplement helps him to push to his limits in every rep of the workout. So, a pre-workout which has its composition in a perfect combination will help anyone to have a better workout. Trigger pre-workout from Outlast Labz supplements is perfectly designed for having an intense session like CBUM.
Creatine- The most researched and safest supplement on planet earth is also CBUM’s favorite supplement and apart from whey protein, creatine is the supplement CBUM takes in his peak week of competition. We recommend Creatine monohydrate from Outlast Labz supplements.
Fish oil- CBUM takes fish oil every day after breakfast alongside multivitamins and minerals, fish oil is great for the heart, and brain and reduces inflammation after physical activity. So, after every intense and hard session, CBUM requires fish oil to recover and keep his heart and brain healthy to focus on becoming the best in the world.
Bottom Line
In today’s world, achieving chests like CBUM is a goal for many people, and with the right approach, it's achievable. Prioritizing heavy intense compound movements, focusing on proper nutrition and supplements and with sleep and recovery, anyone can build a chest closer to CBUM.
So just be patient, do what is required, take proper nutrition and supplements and enjoy the process.
