Chris Bumstead Hits Massive Squat of 585 Pounds for 6 Reps in Training

Chris Bumstead, the reigning Mr. Olympia champion, is preparing for the upcoming Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas. Considering the goal is to always push the boundaries, Bumstead has taken to the challenge with every ounce of strength he has, especially with his leg day workout routines.

In a recent Instagram video, CBum was seen doing barbell back squats with six weight plates on each side, which comes out to a total of 585 lbs. He used this unbelievable weight to complete six reps of back squats before moving to Bulgarian split squats for 12 reps.

Chris Bumstead's leg day routines always focus on quad-heavy exercises to build his legs. More often than not, his routines revolve around squats.

Coming to the two exercises he did, barbell squats are extremely effective for the quads, as you push through with your heels. This exercise is primarily used to strengthen the lower back, hamstrings, calf muscles, and also the core muscles.

Meanwhile, Bulgarian split squats help in growing the glutes as well as the quads. This exercise is done unilaterally (one leg at a time). That enables you to fix any strength or muscle imbalance between the two legs.

Bumstead, the reigning Mr. Olympia, is well into his prep and plans to bring a physique that has never been seen before. However, during his off-season, he bulked up quite a bit to avoid extreme muscle shrinkage during the cut. Unfortunately, the bodybuilder was a victim of COVID-19 in 2021 and lost quite a bit of weight.

As a result, he had to return to the gym with much more determination than before and lift weights a mere mortal cannot think of.

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Chris Bumstead Leg Day Routine

It goes without saying that CBum doesn’t use the same routine every day. However, most of his movements and exercises revolve around basic foundations, and he regularly uses them to become stronger and bigger.

He recently uploaded a video onYouTube showcasing his infamous leg day workout. It comprises the following:

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1) Leg Extension - Warm-up

Bumstead begins the session with leg extensions and focuses on slow, controlled reps to activate his quad muscles.

You can find a guide for doing leg extensions here.

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2) Hack Squat

After his warm-up, Bumstead moves to the first heavy compound movement of the day. He starts without any weight to completely stretch his quad muscles by using the full range of motion.

From that point onwards, the Chris Bumstead leg routine takes a heavier turn. Bumstead goes up to nine weight plates per side before moving downwards again.

You can find a guide to doing hack squats here.

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3) Leg Press

The next quad-heavy exercise on Chris Bumstead's leg routine is a leg press. However, he does it one leg at a time.

He previously explained why he prefers doing one leg at a time, as it’s easier to rack the machine at a lower weight than having to rack ten plates on and off if he uses both legs.

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4) Leg Extension

Bumstead focuses on a full stretch during leg extensions and adjusts the machine as far back as possible. He finishes off the quads with leg extensions before working on his hamstring.

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5) Romanian Deadlift

The hamstring part of Chris Bumstead's leg workout routine starts with a couple of sets of deadlifts for his hamstrings and glutes. He couples this exercise with deep sissy squats.

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6) Hamstring Curl

The bodybuilder ends his leg day workout with hamstring curls.

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Bottom Line

Chris Bumstead's leg workout isn’t for everyone. You need to be able to constantly pump your quad muscles till they reach failure to successfully execute the monstrous routine.

That doesn’t mean you cannot do the workout. However, it’s better to lower the intensity and allow yourself to ease into the workout routine.