The six-time Classic Physique Olympia champion reveals that a victory in his Men’s Open debut could have changed his retirement plans
Chris Bumstead retired from competitive bodybuilding in 2024, but the six-time Classic Physique Olympia champion admits there was a scenario that could have brought him back to the biggest stage in the sport. During a recent interview, Bumstead revealed that winning the 2024 Prague Pro might have convinced him to compete in the Men’s Open division at the 2025 Mr. Olympia.
CBum made his highly anticipated Men’s Open debut at the 2024 EVLS Prague Pro shortly after winning his sixth consecutive Classic Physique Olympia title. He ultimately finished second behind Martin Fitzwater, who finished 4th at Mr. Olympia that year.
Bumstead now admits that a victory in Prague might have made retirement a much tougher decision.
Chris Bumstead Says There Was a Chance He Would Have Competed at the 2025 Olympia
During an interview with Beyond The Stage TV, Bumstead was asked whether winning the Prague Pro would have convinced him to pursue the 2025 Mr. Olympia Men’s Open title.
His response suggested that the possibility was very real.
“I’m trying to remember my mindset. The fact that I’m thinking about it means yes, there’s a chance,” Bumstead explained.
The bodybuilding legend admitted that he had already made up his mind about retirement. However, he also acknowledged that competing in Men’s Open at the Olympia would have required an entirely different level of preparation.
“I had told myself no, and I didn’t think I was ‘cause I didn’t want… I wouldn’t have stepped on stage at the Olympia looking like I did at Prague.”
Bumstead explained that his preparation for Prague was far from ideal for a Men’s Open competition. He had just finished cutting weight to meet the Classic Physique requirements at the Olympia before taking a short break and deciding to compete again.
“You know, I had to cut down to make weight for Olympia, then I took like a week or so off, and then I was like, ‘Yeah, okay, let’s jump into Prague now.’”
Despite finishing runner-up, Bumstead believed he would have needed to take his physique to another level to challenge the best Men’s Open competitors in the world.
“So I wasn’t at what I would want to look like in an Open Olympia, so I would’ve wanted to push myself even harder.”
Bumstead Explains Why Retirement Was Still His Priority
While the possibility of competing in Men’s Open was tempting, Bumstead emphasized that pushing his body further went against the reasons he retired in the first place.
After dominating Classic Physique for six consecutive years, Bumstead wanted to move away from the physical and mental demands of professional bodybuilding.
“Which the whole goal of retiring was to not be doing that anymore, my body or my mind, emotionally and physically,” Bumstead explained.
Still, he refused to completely dismiss the hypothetical scenario.
“But who knows? There’s definitely a chance I could’ve.”
His comments offer an interesting look at what might have happened had the judges awarded him the victory in Prague. Winning the event would have given Bumstead a qualification for the 2025 Mr. Olympia Men’s Open competition, opening the door for a potential return to the Olympia stage in a new division.
Could Chris Bumstead Have Challenged the Best in Men’s Open?
Bumstead’s second-place finish in Prague demonstrated that his physique could hold its own against established Men’s Open competitors, even without a dedicated offseason to add size.
His appearance generated considerable attention because he had spent his career competing under Classic Physique weight restrictions. Moving permanently into Men’s Open would have allowed him to pursue additional muscle mass without those same limitations.
However, the transition also would have required significant changes to his training, nutrition, and preparation.
Bumstead’s latest comments make it clear that he was not satisfied with the idea of simply appearing at the Open Olympia. If he had committed to competing, he wanted to bring a substantially improved physique.
Ultimately, Bumstead chose to remain retired, leaving fans to wonder how the Classic Physique GOAT might have performed against the world’s top Men’s Open bodybuilders.
Image embed via Instagram @cbum
