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Three-time reigning Classic Physique champion Chris Bumstead filmed a back workout recently. He has been working hard to grow as much as possible as he ramps up his preparations for the 2022 Olympia.
He wants a wider, thicker return to his posing routine at the upcoming Olympia, which is scheduled for December 16-18 in Las Vegas, NV. He will seek his fourth straight title and is leaving no stone unturned to accomplish that.
Chris Bumstead's Back Workout Routine
In the aforementioned video, Bumstead begins his workout with a warm-up of band stretches and wide-grip pull-ups to prepare for the rest of his workout. He then has some wild caught haddock, white rice, and zucchini before heading to the gym.
Bumstead performs two sets of pull-ups using an overhand grip, and two sets using an underhand grip. In the video, Bumstead focuses intently on the target muscle as he performs a back workout. He performs moves that emphasize the mind-muscle connection, leading to greater increase in size.
Here's a breakup of his back workout:
1) Wide Grip Barbell Bent-Over Row
Bumstead's back workout consists of heavy bent-over barbell rows, starting with 135 pounds and working up to 225. Typically, he lifts between 315 to 405 pounds, but he has stopped doing heavier weights recently in favor of focusing more on form, as he didn't see the growth in back development he was hoping for.
Bumstead focuses on contracting his glute muscles and pulling with his back, keeping everything tight and not moving his core or lower body at all. He slowly lifts the bar straight up his leg in a backward arc motion, focusing on engaging his lats.
2) Chest-Supported Hammer Row
In his back routine, Bumstead performs a chest-supporting hammer row with a neutral grip to work his lower lats and bring out his width. According to the champion bodybuilder, two of his weak points are the lower lats and the lower back.
Bumstead starts with 45-pound weight plates on each side and works his way up to eight plates, performing low pulls in a docking motion to focus on the lower lats. He completes a triple drop set to complete the exercise.
3) Wide Grip Seated High Row
Chris Bumstead's third working set is a seated cable row with a wide grip, focusing on form rather than weight.
He chooses a slower pace for the concentric and eccentric portions of each repetition and squeezes at the top of each rep. At this point in his back programming, Bumstead typically moves to another seated plate-loaded machine.
4) Standing Dumbbell Curl and Barbell Curl
After ending his back workout, Bumstead has a little fun at the dumbbell rack and performs standing curls to finish off his biceps training.
"Today's lesson: muscular connection over everything," he says.
Bumstead trains lighter than usual but still worked his hardest — he warmed up well, performed drop sets, and was programmed for form over weight. He kept his intensity high and volume within the range he could control through his full range of motion.
Takeaway
For his strongman physique, Bumstead needed a workout that could develop the specific things he was looking for.
He found that with this workout, which has provided the lower back and traps that were lacking from the week before. Bumstead has proven once again to be a good student of the game. He knows what he needs for development and doesn’t rest on his laurels. He’s always looking to take things to the next level.
