CBum alters his nutrition and training as he gears up for the 2024 off-season.
After securing his fifth Olympia Classic Physique title, Chris Bumstead took a break and underwent a hair transplant in Turkey. While recovering, he temporarily paused his workouts. However, shortly before the holidays, Chris Bumstead gradually resumed training (push-pull-leg training) and shared insights on his off-season nutrition in his latest YouTube video before Christmas.
Chris Bumstead’s Off-Season Nutrition
You can watch Chris Bumstead’s off-season grocery haul and push-pull-leg training video below:
In this video, CBum stops by a grocery store to pick up the food for his off-season nutrition. He says that although he’s not on a diet, he still eats lots of protein. Here’s a list of all the items he gets in this video.
- Oven-roasted turkey breast
- Salmon
- Bison
- Boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- USDA prime beef tenderloin
- Chopped kale
- Clementines
- Chicken nuggets
- Sweet potatoes
- Frozen vegetable medley
- Full eggs
- Almond butter
- PopCorners
Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Bumstead shares that he uses this for sandwiches, which he eats every other day and packs full of meat. Bumstead also says he’s tired of eating lean meat like he does during prep.
Salmon
Chris Bumstead talks about not being a fan of red meat. So he’s been eating a lot of salmon and has it once or twice a day. He goes for the Atlantic salmon with fresh and good fats like omega 3s.
Bison
Bison is rich in protein and is Chris Bumstead’s go-to ground meat. He says that he chooses bison because they are less likely to be farmed and full of drugs.
Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts
This is another excellent source of protein for meals, and it’s the leanest part of the chicken, ensuring you’re not getting too much fat.
USDA Prime Beef Tenderloin
Chris Bumstead says this is his go-to cut of steak, and he chooses the filet mignon portion. He believes it is a little leaner than some cuts of red meat, and he enjoys the taste.
Chopped Kale
Chris Bumstead doesn’t consume kale for salad; instead, he fries it on the stove or in the oven with oil and adds it to a chicken rice bowl.
Clementines
Clementines are citrus fruits rich in vitamin C and also nostalgic for Bumstead and remind him of living in Canada. He has four or five daily and thinks they taste great.
Chicken Nuggets
Chicken nuggets are Chris Bumstead’s treats of choice. He goes for chicken strips, which are breaded less and crispy. He has this treat with honey, mustard, and mayo dip or ketchup mixed with sriracha.
Sweet Potatoes
These are the first set of carbs we see Bumstead go for, and he shares that he eats them differently but is still healthier during the off-season. Bumstead chops them up and covers them with coconut oil, either as a spray or melted and drizzled. Then he puts them in the oven at 350 degrees to get slightly burnt. He says this is a great way to eat them, making them delicious, like sweet potato fries, but not deep-fried.
Frozen Vegetable Medley
Next, Chris Bumstead adds a frozen vegetable medley to his cart, which he mixes in his rice. He says he puts them in the microwave for a minute or two, then throws them in the pan until they get crispy before putting the rice in.
Full Eggs
Full eggs are another rich source of protein. Chris Bumstead says he’s tired of eating just egg whites as he did during prep, so he’ll eat them with the yolk this off-season.
Almond Butter
This spread is high in mono-saturated fats and helps you raise your good cholesterol while lowering the bad one (1). Bumstead shares that his choice contains only two ingredients: almonds and salt.
PopCorners
As his last snack purchase in this video, Chris Bumstead includes the variety pack of PopCorners, claiming they’re a great low-calorie snack and eating them everywhere.
CBum’s Off-Season Push-Pull-Leg Training
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Chris Bumstead also talks about push-pull-leg training and shares that he’s easing back into things after his surgery. It’s 21 days after his surgery, and he says he’ll be doing a push-pull-leg training split.
“So, 21 days, back in the gym right now. I’m going to be doing a little bit of back workout for the next couple of weeks I’m going to do like four, three to four workouts a week I think I’m going to do like a push, pull leg-style split to just like ease back into it.”
With the off-season underway, Bumstead shares that his muscles have become sore after not training for a while. For this video, he focuses on exercises that work his back and biceps while also training for stability. Below is a breakdown of the exercises he does.
- Single arm band curls
- Bent over barbell rows
- Single-arm dumbbell rows
- Pull-ups
- Alternating dumbbell curls
Single Arm Band Curls
Chris Bumstead uses a resistance band to do bicep curls unilaterally for this exercise. The biceps are the primary movers in this exercise, although it also works on your wrist extensors and forearms.
Bent Over Barbell Rows
Next, Chris Bumstead does bent-over barbell rows and shares that he’s using more free weights now as he did a lot of machine-based work during prep. He also shares that he’s not lifting heavy.
“I’m trying to do a little bit more free weights right now, ‘cause I did so many machines and prep my body becomes fragile. I had a bunch of injuries, like when I tore my lat, I had to avoid a lot of stuff, but I would like to be a little bit more stable and sturdy. So I’m going to do that now that I’m especially doing lightweight.”
Bent-over barbell rows work on muscles in your back and shoulders and are helpful for those with lower back pain (2).
Single Arm Dumbbell Rows
Next, Chris Bumstead does a variation of single-arm dumbbell rows tailored to stability. Single-arm dumbbell rows typically target back muscles like the lats, rhomboids, and traps alongside the delts and core in this variation. He shares that while it might not be the best for bodybuilding because you can’t load too much, it protects the shoulders and helps with scapula movement.
Pull Ups
Next, CBum does some pull-ups and shares that he wants to get better at them, as he can only do ten reps per set. He also shares that he prefers this to pulldowns since his body is in a more natural position. Pullups work on muscles like lats, biceps, traps, rhomboids, forearms, and delts.
Alternating Dumbbell Curls
Alternating dumbbell curls were Chris Bumstead’s last exercises of the day. He did them in a superset with regular dumbbell curls, starting with those and ending with the alternating.
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References
- Spiller, G. A., Miller, A., Olivera, K., Reynolds, J., Miller, B., Morse, S. J., Dewell, A., & Farquhar, J. W. (2003). Effects of plant-based diets high in raw or roasted almonds, or roasted almond butter on serum lipoproteins in humans. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 22(3), 195–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2003.10719293
- Tataryn, N., Simas, V., Catterall, T., Furness, J., & Keogh, J. W. L. (2021). Posterior-Chain Resistance Training Compared to General Exercise and Walking Programmes for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain in the General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine – open, 7(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-021-00306-w
