The four-time Mr. Olympia put his hamstrings to the test during an epic leg day.
Seeking his fifth straight Mr. Olympia victory, Chris Bumstead is just over six weeks away from defending his crown on the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL through the weekend of Nov. 3-5, 2023. While the reigning champion faces a monumental challenge to fend off some worthy competitors, it’s clear he’s committed to making sure each muscle group is contest-ready.
In a YouTube training vlog posted on Sep. 17, 2023, Bumstead gave viewers an inside glimpse of a hamstring-centric leg day together with his coach, Hany Rambod. Useless to say, the four-time winner (2019-2022) of the Classic Physique division looks as locked in as ever heading into the 2023 IFBB Mr. Olympia competition. The workout starts near the four-minute mark of the video.
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After consuming Evogen EVP Xtreme pre-workout and jokingly telling Rambod he hasn’t trained abs in a yr, Bumstead’s grueling day on the office begins with a series of exercises targeted at constructing his hamstrings.
Lying Leg Curl
Bumstead began the session on the lying leg curl machine, where he executed some single-leg warmup sets. After performing a set with each legs, he discussed his weight loss plan with Rambod, noting that it’s been easier for him to eat “greater meals, less regularly” during contest prep.
Bumstead continued with a set of full-range reps, followed by slow-tempo reps wherein his coach emphasized controlling and contracting the hamstring.
Standing Single-Leg Leg Curl Machine
Next, Bumstead targeted each hamstring individually on a standing single-leg curl machine. Rambod encouraged him to aim for 10-15 reps per set and to manage the burden on the way in which down.
The decorated coach also made it a degree to make sure Bumstead kept his hip forward through the isolation movement to get maximum hamstring contraction.
Hip Abduction Machine
Bumstead gave his hamstrings a short lived break by moving over to the hip abduction (“outer thigh”) machine. He maintained a slight forward lean throughout, ensuring to squeeze at the highest of the movement.
Rambod pushed Bumstead to finish the ultimate few reps at a slower tempo through the first two sets of this glute-focused exercise. Bumstead finished with several drop sets that pushed him to his limit.
Seated Leg Curl Machine
That transient hamstring hiatus ended when Bumstead got on the seated leg curl machine. With two 45-pound plates and one other 25-pounder loaded, he methodically executed each rep as Rambod encouraged him to squeeze after which slowly let the burden back up.
Although Bumstead remarked that he felt like the burden was “moving in slow motion,” his coach praised him for going until failure.
Belt Squat
Sticking with the free-weight approach, Bumstead put every leg muscle to the test with belt squats. He began with a shoulder-width stance and his toes pointed straight, ensuring to attain full depth (90 degrees).
Following a lighter set, he moved to 4 45-pound plates per side — a load that left him fatigued and on a knee by the ultimate rep. Rambod dropped the burden and had Bumstead perform one other squat variation (sumo-style) together with his toes pointed at a few 45-degree angle. The broader stance provided a special stimulus, with Rambod noting that Bumstead isn’t used to that foot position.
Seated Calf Raise
Together with his hamstrings and quads pumped, Bumstead shifted his focus to constructing his calves. He took position on the seated calf raise machine and performed his first set leaning forward while holding on to the unracking handle.
Nonetheless, Rambod had Bumstead perform the subsequent set with a more vertical body position. He utilized the identical machine to focus on his tibialis muscles, along his shin bones, by hooking his foot under the lower lever and lifting his toes towards his shin. Bumstead worked with 25 kilos on this tibia-taxing exercise.
Donkey Calf Raise
Finally, Bumstead finished off with donkey calf raises.
“That is going to really help give it just a little more depth to your calf since it creates just a little little bit of a layer of musculature on the outer a part of the front of your calf,” Rambod explained. “Jay [Cutler, four-time Mr. Olympia] had a very good tibialis.”
Working in a bent-over position on the machine, Bumstead achieved a notable calf pump while working with a pair of 45-pound plates per side. He noted that he didn’t feel anything in his back as he wrapped up the ultimate few reps of what was clearly an intense leg day.
More from Breaking Muscle:
Chris Bumstead Hamstring-Focused Leg Workout Summary
- Lying Leg Curl Machine
- Standing Single-Leg Curl machine
- Hip Abduction Machine
- Seated Leg Curl Machine
- Belt Squat
- Seated Calf Raise
- Donkey Calf Raise
Bumstead has already established a status as considered one of the preeminent bodybuilders on this planet. Taking home the Classic Physique title for a fifth straight yr would only further cement his status as considered one of the game’s all-time greats. And with the way in which he’s been training in preparation for the 2023 Mr. Olympia, it will be a large upset if he doesn’t walk away a winner again.
Featured Image: Chris Bumstead / YouTube