Chris Bumstead has one of the best overall packages on stage in bodybuilding. His overall motivation and drive in the gym is unmatched. Recently, Bumstead shared a brutal leg workout to pump his quads as Olympia prep continues.
Bumstead is the reigning three-time Classic Physique Olympia champion. He has been at the top of a division that continues to grow and have other competitors breakout. At 27 years old, Bumstead continues to improve and is working toward his fourth consecutive victory come December.
There was a bit of a hiccup in preparation as Bumstead battled COVID-19 at the beginning of the year and was forced to take some time off. He has returned to the gym and continues to build size and strength. Bumstead is back in the gym after five days off and decided to hit a huge quad workout.
“I took five days off training or so. I don’t know why but taking time off it should usually leave you feeling rested, but it leaves me feeling tired, tighter and more broken than I was before.”
Chris Bumstead begins the workout with a warmup on the StairMaster. This machine gets the blood flowing while activating the quads right away. Following the cardio work, Bumstead jumps right into volume completing 20 reps of single-leg extensions.
“That’s a lot of cardio. First exercise, single leg quad extension. Two sets of 20 reps or more. I hit 23 on the first set, 21 on the second, just trying to get a lot of volume.”
Bumstead quickly moves onto the hip adduction machine. According to the video, he is on there for just one set. Bumstead likes to hit this machine before squatting because of the warmup it gives. Bumstead explains how this is a well-kept secret that others should try before attacking the squat rack.
Chris Bumstead opts for the Smith Machine squats for his next exercise. He hits two sets of 11-12 eps with a closed-stance. This is because it hits harder and gives a deeper burn in the quads.
“Anything over 10 kills me. I was trying to do a front squat closed stance. To really emphasize my quads. Second set was just high volume, closed stance, trying to burn my quads.”
Bumstead continued the trend of two sets on the leg press machine. He performed 7-10 reps per leg on this machine. Isolation avoids having one leg grow more than the other. This allows Bumstead to work both legs in the same way.
“Very simple, just a straight line movement. I’m doing one leg at a time, partly because I’m too lazy to put that many plates on.”
“I can get a little bit more range of motion to prevent one from being lopsided especially because I have a tight erector on my right side right now, which can cause me to favor my left leg.”
The final exercise of the workout is seated calf raises. It is important for bodybuilders to not forget about calves and Bumstead focuses on this during each leg day. During this exercise, Bumstead focuses on heavy weight.
“The first two was four plates, really heavy. My goal is to just do some heavy sets. My bro science thinking, if you walk all day on your calves, that’s high volume.”
Chris Bumstead is right on track with where he wants to be heading into July. It will be difficult for anyone to top him at the Olympia after three consecutive victories and another massive summer of prep. It will be interesting to see how he begins to finalize the product as we enter the summer and fall months.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Sign up to the GI newsletter for breaking news, workouts, diets, and exclusive offers.
Generation Iron Brands LLC 134 West 29th Street Suite 902 New York, NY 10001 Email: [email protected]