Chris Bumstead has inspired an entire generation with his achievements and way of approaching bodybuilding as a goal. No matter how challenging the circumstances, he pushed through it all to grab the gold for five years in a row. Recently, in a motivational Instagram video, he revealed how he had tweaked his champion mindset over the years to suit his current ideology.
The video featured different clips of Bumstead working out and living his life as an athlete, stitched together to narrate a story. Sticking to the theme of champion mentality, he revealed how his definition of it has changed frequently over the years.
Bumstead defined being a champion as not giving up on the situation, no matter how many curve balls life threw at him. The trophy wasn’t as important as the opportunity, and he sincerely believed that not having the option to quit helped him rise from tough spots.
Bumstead couldn’t fake confidence, but he could accept the situation and face his fears to become the best. While these fears wouldn’t magically disappear from the face of the Earth, CBum knew that his new definition of champion mindset meant that he gathered enough courage to make sure the fears didn’t linger around as long.
“No Quit > Trophy”
Bumstead’s idea was to ensure he put everything he had into his training and gave his best attempt. This way, even if he won or lost, he would leave the stage satisfied that he had put in the work and hustle needed to excel.
“You finish with your head held high because you know you put in the work.”
The Canadian bodybuilder has been an example of resilience and strength for a long time. Ever since his first Mr. Olympia win, fans have admired CBum for his steadfast vision and outspoken nature. Throughout his decade’s worth of training time, he got through numerous muscle injuries, mental struggles, and an auto-immune disease to rise to the top.
Chris Bumstead once recalled how his disease diagnosis came at the cost of his title
In 2018, just six weeks before Mr. Olympia, Bumstead noticed odd patterns of water retention in his calves and hurried to the doctor to check it out. After days of being admitted to the hospital, doctors diagnosed him with an autoimmune disease of the kidney.
IGA Nephropathy is a form of inflammation inflicted upon the kidney that also causes swelling in the kidneys, legs, back, and stomach. While everything seemed scary and overwhelming at the time, Bumstead still went ahead and participated in the championship and stood second overall. That year, he knew he had to change up his lifestyle, and in doing so, he won the trophy the following year.
