“Arnolds are not my priority” – Chris Bumstead has his eyes set on the upcoming Olympia

Chris Bumstead created history late last year by winning his fourth consecutive Classic Physique at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. The Canadian bodybuilder has arguably had the best years of his career over the last four years and is determined to continue his reign as the Classic Physique king.

Recently, Bumstead took some time off to do a Q&A session where he addressed the upcoming Arnold Classic and revealed why he would not be competing for the title:

"All I want to do is win Olympias – that’s the legacy I’m trying to build right now, Arnolds are not my priority."

Olympia champions qualify for life to compete in the Olympia division they won. This means that they do not have to bother with other IFBB qualifying pro shows. Bumstead referred to this and said:

"Because I won the Olympia, I qualify [at Olympia] for life. I think that puts me at a huge advantage because I can then take three months off to really give my body a break and then recover and relax, and then I can get into my off-season, slowly ease into it and make the changes and growth that I need to. Then I can start prep. I don’t have to worry about other shows in between."

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Bumstead is focused on the Mr. Olympia competition

The 2023 Mr. Olympia contest will take place in the first week of November, and the Arnold Classic is set to take place from March 2 to 5 in Columbus, Ohio.

'CBum' mentioned that his body requires rest as he leads up to competing in the Olympia and that competing in the Arnold Classic would hamper his preparation:

"The Arnold Classic is always six months until the Olympia, post Olympia each show is six months. That would give me a month to recover, a month off-season, and then it would be into a three-month prep."

'CBum' wants to maintain the integrity of his physique and appearance. He does not want to overwork his body. Despite the 2023 Arnold Classic offering the highest amount in prize money ($60,000) for any Classic Physique competition, Bumstead remains focused on Mr. Olympia. He mentioned that competing in the Arnold would not give him enough downtime to recover:

"I would just be in that cycle super quick with no downtime, and I really want my body to stay young, rested, and youthful. I don’t want to start looking old, tired, beat up, and injured on stage."

Skipping the 2023 Arnold Classic and taking time off-stage to recover, 'CBum' looks well on track to win the 2023 Classic Physique Olympia. However, upcoming bodybuilders like Urs Kalecinski and Ramon 'Dino' Queiroz are set to give him a run for his money!