The duality of being a bodybuilder dad is smoothly preparing to put one’s body through intense situations, whether it is exercise or carrying a baby. While Chris Bumstead seems to be handling both responsibilities well so far, he might have come across some hiccups.
Bumstead welcomed his daughter, Bradley Shay, with his long-time partner Courtney King and was elated for his new role. Although it has been taking the couple several sleepless nights to watch their daughter grow, they’ve been tag-teaming it through the journey.
However, in a recent post, Bumstead uploaded a series of pictures depicting his life as a new dad struggling to train for bodybuilding championships. Sandwiched between glimpses of his workout and gym were pictures of him holding on to his baby. But the truth of the situation lay in the caption following the pictures.
Bodybuilders are known to put on strength and muscles during their workouts since their exercises often consist of heavy weights. Bumstead may have easily picked up his usual 150-pound weights to perform some dumbbell curls with, but even that couldn’t help prepare for the joys of fatherhood.
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“Being a bodybuilder pretty much consists of lifting 150lbs dumbbells and then breaking your shoulder from holding an 8lbs baby for too long…”
It turns out that even the most intense of training sessions couldn’t have prepared Bumstead for unexpected dad duties. However, it was all in good humor since he has been vocal about his love for the new chapter in his life.
For the longest time, Bumstead had maintained that he wanted to be the best dad to his kid whenever the occasion popped up. A month or so before Bradley’s birth, he and King even talked about how they’d want her to pursue better sports and not face any hardships that they faced during their bodybuilding days.
“Low key, I don’t even want her to do bodybuilding. She can do whatever she wants.”
While Bumstead struggles with juggling his business events, preparation for the upcoming Olympia, and having a baby, his fellow bodybuilders empathize. Several took to the comments section to relate to his woes of trying to do everything all at once.
The bodybuilding world comes together to feel for Chris Bumstead
New dads may often run into hiccups they might not have prepared for, and the bodybuilding community was there to support Bumstead through it. When he posted his observations on how he felt weak lifting his baby for prolonged periods, fellow bodybuilder dads stood up to the occasion.
Classic Physique contender Wesley Vissers remarked:
“The bicep soreness from holding your baby beats any workout by a mile…”
Mr. Olympia champion Derek Lunsford also chimed in:
“Facts…”
Fitness icon Ruben Garcia took a dig at Bumstead’s role as a dad.
“Babybum is the ultimate workout…”
Meanwhile, coach Aaron O’Neill gave a true glimpse of how life worked once the babies grow up.
“In 10 years it’ll be holding 150lbs babies & lifting 8lbs dumbbells”
Lastly, acknowledging how King might have already mastered the art of holding a baby and being strong, a fan acknowledged.
“Mom arm strength is real”
Bumstead’s life has definitely been a series of ups and downs, dotted with several new achievements in the last couple of months. Now with the Olympia fast approaching, people are waiting to witness his final physique reveal of the season.
