Chris Bumstead uses a neutral grip bench press to protect his shoulders.
Last updated on July 7th, 2025
Chris Bumstead retired from competitive bodybuilding after winning six consecutive Classic Physique Olympia titles. Before stepping away, Bumstead won silver in his Men’s Open debut at the EVLS Prague Pro.
Bumstead earned that second-place finish despite a shoulder injury that significantly impacted his training. The injury forced him to shift to functional movements, adapting his approach to maintain peak performance.
Bumstead has been open about rehabilitating his shoulder, sharing how he trains around injury. Enduring discomfort has aided his recovery and enabled new muscle growth. He follows an upper/lower body training split with rest days in between.
Enduring Discomfort
Bumstead lacked motivation in the gym following his shoulder injury. He grew weary of his current training routine, which includes isometric holds, split lunges, glute bridges, and rotator cuff exercises.
Bumstead’s progress throughout his years of intense training and strict dieting often came through discomfort. However, the discomfort he’s now facing is different.
Dealing with an injury forced Bumstead to engage in slow, repetitive, and less challenging routines that he found tedious and uninspiring.
I needed it for the progress. My body needed to heal.
—Chris Bumstead
Bumstead’s gym mantra was to “sweat the small stuff” (i.e., paying attention to the finer details in training). Nowadays, he embraces “consistent discomfort equals consistent growth,” a reminder that pushing through challenges is key to progress.
Being in a state of consistent discomfort means consistently growing in some capacity and getting better.
—Chris Bumstead
Bumstead’s Upper Body Training
Bumstead fuels with a pre-workout before his warm-up routine, which is designed to increase blood flow and enhance mobility. (1)(2) These warm-ups include kneeling cable arm pulls and dumbbell incline bench rear delt flyes. Bumstead’s upper body superset program comprises the following:
Superset One
Bumstead began with the incline dumbbell press, using a neutral grip, which reduces shoulder tension. Each rep was performed slowly with a pause at the bottom to create tension across the shoulders, chest, and triceps. This minimizes momentum to protect the shoulders in their lengthened position.
Using a semi-neutral grip, Bumstead paired this superset with chest-supported machine rows and added two partial reps at the end.
Superset Two
Bumstead targeted his triceps with cable tricep pushdowns. He completed 20 reps before transitioning to the preacher curl machine. Midway through, he incorporated isometric holds for extra tension.
Research suggests that isometric holds promote muscle hypertrophy and enhance maximum force production. (3)
I do 10 controlled negatives, pause in the middle for 10 seconds, and then go again.
—Chris Bumstead
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References
- Kaczka, P., Batra, A., Kubicka, K., Maciejczyk, M., Rzeszutko-Bełzowska, A., Pezdan-Śliż, I., Michałowska-Sawczyn, M., Przydział, M., Płonka, A., Cięszczyk, P., Humińska-Lisowska, K., & Zając, T. (2020). Effects of Pre-Workout Multi-Ingredient Supplement on Anaerobic Performance: Randomized Double-Blind Crossover Study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(21), 8262. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218262
- Fradkin, A. J., Zazryn, T. R., & Smoliga, J. M. (2010). Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(1), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0
- Oranchuk, D. J., Storey, A. G., Nelson, A. R., & Cronin, J. B. (2019). Isometric training and long-term adaptations: Effects of muscle length, intensity, and intent: A systematic review. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 29(4), 484–503. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13375
Featured image: @cbum on Instagram
