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Five times Mr. Olympia champion Chris Bumstead has made sure to create history with his insane physique and commendable record in classic physique. After absolutely dominating the division which was only introduced back in 2016, Bumstead is looking forward to continuing his winning streak by winning his sixth Olympia title at Mr. Olympia 2024. Coached under the 'Pro Creator' Hany Rambod, who has 24 Olympia titles under his belt, Bumstead recently made a huge announcement.
During the latest episode of the podcast series hosted by Hany Rambod, Cbum discussed a wide range of topics from his personal as well as professional life. During the last segment of the podcast, however, Bumstead dropped a massive bomb.
While fans of bodybuilding have been demanding this for a really long time, it wasn't until now that Chris Bumstead addressed this topic. He subtly revealed his plans of shifting to open division and also jokingly stated that he will dethrone the reigning champion, Derek Lunsford.
He said:
"310-pound Cbum...I'm absolutely going to get to 300 pounds and compete in open next year and beat Derek Lunsford..that's it." (1:23:03)
Derek Lunsford, who also trains under the same coach as Hany Rambod, dethroned Iranian bodybuilding sensation Hadi Choopan in 2023 to secure his victory. Coincidentally, Hadi Choopan as well trains under Hany Rambod.
Sharing his plans for his future in the open division, Chris Bumstead revealed that he would like to go up to 310 lbs. On this, his coach Hany Rambod suggested he go up to only 305 lbs.
While Chris generally bulks up to 264 lbs during his off-season in classic physique, bulking up to 310 lbs will mean an additional 46 lbs. Chris Bumstead is already considered the epitome of bodybuilding, imagining an even more bulked-up version of Bumstead in itself sounds freaky.
Chris Bumstead's retirement plans
While the idea of Bumstead shifting to open division surely sounds exciting, Rambod didn't delve into the topic in much detail. He concluded the video by assuring the fans that the duo will discuss this in detail in their next podcast. So hold your horses everybody!
For now, Chris Bumstead and Hany Rambod are only focusing on winning this year's classic physique trophy. Given that Bumstead's fiance recently gave birth to a lovely daughter, he has a lot on his plate outside the realm of bodybuilding as well.
Earlier this year, during a podcast with Rambod, Chris Bumstead also indicated that this might be his last year competing. He said:
"I know I have at least one more in me. After this year, same thing. If I’m like, ‘fu** I’m done,’ and I’m getting out of here, then I’m done. I hope I trust myself enough to know that it’s time to check out because my one goal I have with retirement is retiring on top. That’s really all I care about. I don’t really care about how many I get."
So only time will tell if Bumstead will retire after his sixth win, or if he will shift to bodybuilding.
What are your predictions for the 'King' of classic physique's future in the sport? Let us know in the comments.
