Chris Bumstead Shares Full Day of Eating for 2023 Olympia Preparation

CBum’s fifth meal is just south of 4,000 calories during his Olympia meal prep. 

Chris Bumstead is a household bodybuilder. With consecutive victories in the Mr. Olympia Classic Physique category since 2019 and a remarkable following of over 21 million on social media, he undeniably carries the torch as a highly sought-after competitor. Notable for his extraordinary conditioning, it’s safe to say that Chris Bumstead reigns as one of the most adored athletes in his league. Today, we’ll explore CBum’s 2023 Olympia meal plan preparation. 

CBum’s dedication to bodybuilding has inspired many, and since earning his pro card in 2016, he’s been a force in his division. He came second place in 2017 and 2018 before taking the top prize and holding onto it till now. He even managed to win despite having a torn bicep during his Olympia run last year!

CBum sets his sights on the top competition this year, like every year. The Canadian bodybuilder is always making changes to his prep and remains a favorite to win the title this year. He’s shared many of his workouts and diets throughout his preparation, and this full day of eating is one of them.

As a bodybuilder, your diet plays a role in building muscle for competitions, and there are dietary recommendations even for the off-season (1). Bodybuilders’ diets fluctuate depending on if they’re cutting, bulking, or in-season. Checking out the current approach of professionals could give insight into an effective strategy to adopt. So let’s look at CBum’s 2023 Olympia full day of eating.

 

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Chris Bumstead’s Full Day of Eating

We’re about 12 weeks out from the Mr. Olympia competition. This is a time characterized by changes in the diet, body composition, and strength of bodybuilders (2). You can see the changes between this full day of eating and the full day of eating Chris Bumstead shared during the bulk season back in February.

For Chris Bumstead, it’s about trying to avoid getting heavier. He says he currently weighs 264 -269lb range, so he’s been eating about 75-80% of what he ate at peak bulk.

“This is probably the last week of my off season hanuk’s coming down this weekend, and we’re gonna go over potentially beginning of prep. So I’m honestly not even eating at my peak food right now. I weighed myself last night late at night, and I have 269 pounds, and that’s just too heavy for me. That’s 264 in the morning-ish 265 I can’t remember exactly, but I’m not trying to be heavier than that. So I haven’t been eating like peak bulk. I’m like 75-80 of what it was, but that’s what I’m at right now.”

Here’s a complete look at what Chris Bumstead eats as he vies for his fifth consecutive title. Note that these aren’t the exact metrics for his diet but an estimate he gets from an app.

Meal One: 80g Protein, 87g Carbs, 20g Fat, 797 Calories

• Two scoops of protein (one vanilla, one peanut butter)
• One cup of blueberries
• Half of a raw banana
• Stevia sugar 
• Two scoops of Sunfiber (10.5g metabolic supplement fiber)
• Water

Chris Bumstead uses protein powder and the ingredients listed above to make a protein shake for his first meal of the day. He also states in this video that he has another shake he usually takes for the day but is resting this week. Then Bumstead takes Ezekiel Toast, the sprouted wheat bread, with almond butter.

Meal Two: 54g Protein, 718 Calories

• 225g bison meat
• 300g potatoes (baby potatoes, yellow and red mix)

Bumstead shares that usually, his meals two and three have been Mega Fit Meals. But since his family moved to a new place with a kitchen, he now has food everywhere. For his potatoes, he tosses them in the oven for about 45 mins to an hour and then cooks them in avocado oil for a great taste.

Chris Bumstead also shares that he’s mixing up his proteins to avoid only eating mass-produced proteins less likely to be organic. He believes that less popular protein sources are less likely to have been fed hormones and pesticides, making them organic and healthier. Some other protein options he’s tried include eggs, tuna, and one meal with chicken. 

Meal three: 50g Protein, 1690 Calories 

• 220g chicken
• 250g white rice
• 15g olive oil

For meal three, Chris Bumstead has his first and only meal with chicken for the day. He also states he tries to hit around 40 to 50g of protein every meal. This aligns with the 1.8 -2.7g/kg/day nutritional protein recommendation for athletes (3).

Meal Four: 1490 Calories

• Ezekiel bread
• 150g avocado 
• 4.5 ounces Albacore Wild Tuna 
• 8 ounces sirloin tip steak
• 200g white rice (boiled)

We don’t get too much breakdown for meal four because it was filmed in slow motion. However, he was kind enough to give us a list of his food choices from the calculator app. He has a good mix of healthy fats from avocado and complex carbs from white rice in this meal. The fats balance his hormones, and carbs support his muscles. 

Meal Five: 300g Protein, 370g Carbs, 115g Fat, 3700 Calories

• 230g steak
• Avocado dressing
• White rice

Chris Bumstead has his final meal of the day around 10 pm, and it contains steak for protein, white rice for carbs, and avocado as the healthy fat and close to 4,000 calories!

You can watch CBum’s full day of eating below:

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References

1. Iraki, J., Fitschen, P., Espinar, S., & Helms, E. (2019). Nutrition Recommendations for Bodybuilders in the Off-Season: A Narrative Review. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 7(7), 154. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports7070154
2. Bamman, M. M., Hunter, G. R., Newton, L. E., Roney, R. K., & Khaled, M. A. (1993). Changes in body composition, diet, and strength of bodybuilders during the 12 weeks prior to competition. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 33(4), 383–391.
3. Roberts, B. M., Helms, E. R., Trexler, E. T., & Fitschen, P. J. (2020). Nutritional Recommendations for Physique Athletes. Journal of human kinetics, 71, 79–108. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2019-0096