# Chris Bumstead

Christopher Adam Bumstead (born 2 February 1995), also known as CBum, is a Canadian retired professional bodybuilder. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Bumstead made his competitive debut in 2014 and obtained his IFBB pro card after claiming the 2016 IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championship. After placing second in the Mr. Olympia Classic Physique category in 2017 and 2018, he earned six consecutive wins from 2019 to 2024, the most wins since the creation of the category. He is widely considered one of the greatest Classic Physique bodybuilders of all time. His popularity is often credited for bringing mainstream attention to the sport of modern bodybuilding on a global level.

## Early life

Bumstead was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He was involved in multiple sports in primary school, including football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. He attended Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

## Career
### Early beginnings (2008–2016)

Growing up, powerlifting was only a hobby for Bumstead. He began weightlifting during his first year of high school. His sister's boyfriend, Iain Valliere, saw Bumstead's potential and helped him prepare to compete. He started weightlifting at the age of 14, and between grade 9 and grade 12, he went from 170 to 225 pounds (77 to 102 kg), growing his legs the most. After building what he thought was a good physique with coach Valliere, Bumstead began competing.
As his bodybuilding goals began to stack up, "All of a sudden, I was coming second at the Olympia,” he stated. Bumstead made his competitive debut in 2014 at 19 years old. Bumstead's first bodybuilding show was a regional level show in Ontario, which he participated in with his sister, Melissa Valliere. They both won the overall, with Bumstead winning as a junior. He found himself in love with the sport of bodybuilding after his first show. He started to work with Iain first hand and devoted his life to the sport.

### Earning IFBB pro card and early success (2016–2019)

Bumstead obtained his IFBB pro card at age 21 after claiming the 2016 IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championship. He later won 3rd place in his first pro show.
In 2017, he won his first two pro shows, the 2017 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro and the 2017 IFBB Toronto Pro Supershow.
He impressed the crowd and judges in his first Mr. Olympia in 2017, taking the second place medal in the Classic Physique category, a high achievement for a Mr. Olympia debut.
Bumstead was hospitalized 4 weeks out from the 2018 competition due to severe water retention. He spent three nights in the emergency room and was given a strong diuretic to flush out potassium due to a kidney issue. Bumstead continued to train after his release, but this was a significant setback.
His results were the same as the year prior in the 2018 Mr. Olympia competition, placing second, although his condition was worse compared to the previous year.

### Mr. Olympia Classic Physique winning streak (2019–2024)

Bumstead won his first Mr. Olympia Classic Physique title in 2019, and began a winning streak that has lasted until 2024 with 6 total consecutive wins.
On September 13, 2021, Bumstead signed with RAW Nutrition, a supplement company. Since then, Bumstead created his signature series, selling gym supplements such as pre-workouts and protein powders.
On October 19, 2022, Bumstead and Valliere formally announced they would no longer be working together in order to focus on their own Mr. Olympia shows, as Valliere would also compete in the Open division. From 2022 onwards, he was coached by Hany Rambod, a leading bodybuilding coach.
In an Instagram reel published on September 6, 2024, Bumstead hinted at a significant announcement to be revealed on September 9. On that day, Bumstead posted another reel, revealing that he had become both a part-owner and an athlete for Gymshark.
Bumstead announced his retirement after winning his 6th Mr. Olympia Classic Division title on October 13, 2024, at the 2024 Mr. Olympia.
On October 28, 2024, Bumstead announced that he will make his Men's Open Division debut at the 2024 EVLS Prague Pro. He emphasized that this was because of his current conditioning from the preceding 2024 Mr. Olympia, calling it “One more run just for fun, giving the people what they want” before stepping into retirement. He competed at the 2024 EVLS Prague Pro Finals, where he placed second. He confirmed his earlier announced retirement after the event.

## Retirement and legacy

Following his 2024 Mr. Olympia Classic Physique win, a record sixth, Bumstead stated his intention to retire from the sport.
Bumstead is the winner of the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 Mr. Olympia competitions, making him the current reigning champion in the Men's Classic Physique division and the single most decorated competitor in the Classic Physique division of the Mr. Olympia competition..
Eight-time Mr. Olympia winner Ronnie Coleman stated, "I think Chris Bumstead is the greatest Classic bodybuilder of all-time. Absolutely the best physique I’ve ever seen in Classic Physique. Gotta be the best physique I’ve ever seen period."
Bodybuilding judge Terrick El Guindy was quoted stating, "Chris Bumstead has exploded the sport...His journey is impeccable and we will remember him just like we remember Arnold Schwarzenegger."

## Personal life

Bumstead has dated Courtney King, the 2016 Bikini Olympia champion, since 2018. The couple were engaged on September 26, 2022. They have a daughter, Bradley, born on April 22, 2024.
Aside from bodybuilding, Bumstead is known for his openness with controversial topics in the fitness industry, such as steroids. He also has his own line of supplements. As of 2024, he has over 25 million followers on Instagram and over 4 million subscribers on YouTube as of November 2024.

## Contest history

* 2016 IFBB North American Championships, Heavyweight, 1st (earned IFBB pro card)
* 2016 IFBB Dayana Cadeau Classic, Classic Physique, 3rd
* 2017 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro, Classic Physique, 1st
* 2017 IFBB Toronto Pro, Classic Physique, 1st
* 2017 Mr. Olympia, Classic Physique, 2nd
* 2018 Mr. Olympia, Classic Physique, 2nd
* 2019 Mr. Olympia, Classic Physique, 1st
* 2020 Mr. Olympia, Classic Physique, 1st
* 2021 Mr. Olympia, Classic Physique, 1st
* 2022 Mr. Olympia, Classic Physique, 1st
* 2023 Mr. Olympia, Classic Physique, 1st
* 2024 Mr. Olympia, Classic Physique, 1st
* 2024 IFBB EVLS Prague Pro, Men's Open, 2nd