Chris Bumstead, CBum, the myth, the legend, the man that’s more popular than TikTok dances. This Mr. Classic Olympia has taken the world by storm in record time, and with every competition he wins, he inspires more and more people.
But what about training those people? What happens when an athlete develops an app?
This is a look at Chris Bumstead’s fitness app!
About the Creator – Chris Bumstead
Chances are, you’ve seen some video of Chris – either posing or talking with that Canadian accent that’s been blessed by a slight lisp.
Chris is a Classic Bodybuilder – meaning he’s more focused on aesthetics rather than sheer size – and has a massive social media following, just like Bradley Martyn.
Chris has always been somewhat muscular, but in recent years he’s stepped his game up significantly. The judges agreed because he’s won a bunch of competitions:
- IFBB Pittsburgh Pro, 2017, 1st Place
- IFBB Toronto Pro, 2017, 1st Place
- IFBB Mr. Olympia, 2017, 2nd Place
- IFBB Mr. Olympia, 2018, 2nd Place
- IFBB Mr. Olympia, 2019, 1st Place
- IFBB Mr. Olympia, 2020, 1st Place
- IFBB Mr. Olympia, 2021, 1st Place
As of 2022, he’s the reigning Mr. Olympia champion, and many believe he’ll remain Mr. Olympia for many years to come. Chris is known for having a teeny-tiny waist but also absolutely massive shoulders. Chris’ physique really resembles something from the 70s – something you might associate with Arnold.
Chris has never been known as a coach, but he also hasn’t had a long-standing relationship with a coach. (Yes, Chris did just sign with Hany Rambod.)
While he’s been “coached” by individuals like IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Iain Valliere, he’s done a lot of his development by himself. This would, theoretically, put him in a good position to design a good program since he’s learned by trial and error himself.
But what about an app? Is the CBum Fitness App any good?
Chris Bumstead’s Fitness App Overview
As I theorized, most of the workout splits seem to stem from what Chris has done in the past. This hypothesis is boosted even more when one of the splits is called “Olympia Off Season.”
Chris Bumstead’s fitness app was definitely designed to have you train like Chris rather than being a workout generator for the gen pop.
- Price: Starting from $12.99 per month
- Pricing Model: Monthly subscription
- Free Trial: None
- Size: 37.5 MB
Another (very welcome) surprise is the ability to track workouts! This means he wants you to see your progress on resistance from one workout to another. This is the ideal way to train, as using less load or doing fewer reps than last time doesn’t really make any sense.
That said, the workouts are quite hard – like, Jesse James West’s 20 – 25 sets per muscle group per session hard. I mean, it is Chris Bumstead, after all. So, you’ve been warned…
* Note: There’s a myriad of reviews online from individuals claiming the workouts are really hard. Most of these people seem to be beginners. Thus, looking at these reviews and the workouts themselves, this is probably not for true beginners.
CBum’s Fitness App Details
Now that we know the basics of the app and who CBum is, let’s take a deeper look at the workout style and dieting protocols he advises you to follow.
One thing to note is that while these workouts were inspired by his own workouts, they’re probably different from his actual workouts due to several reasons:
- CBum’s job is literally just to eat, lift, and sleep – thus, his recovery is miles better than yours
- Chris has phenomenal genetics
- Chris uses anabolic steroids
So, don’t compare yourself to Chris, but rather aim to be your best.
CBum Fitness – Workouts
Chris is definitely not known for being the strongest bodybuilder. Ronnie still has that crown. That said, the workouts are definitely not based purely on higher volume.
There are a few intensifiers used, such as:
The exercises and workouts include detailed videos explaining how to do movements and why you’re doing them. There are also a variety of exercises for you to switch between, such as if you’re limited due to equipment, etc. This allows you to always have something to do in the gym and avoids your progress becoming stagnant.
The overarching idea behind the training is still progression, and you’ll be inclined to do more as time goes on. This is ideal, as we know that mechanical tension – along with progressive overload – provides the best growth. This applies to all of his workouts, and you’ll train similarly when trying to build muscle and when trying to lose fat.
CBum Fitness – Diet
It won’t really come as a surprise that CBum’s app also includes a meal-tracking part that allows you to keep track of your food and macro intake. Along with this, you’ll also get a whole mess of recipes to pick and choose from.
Compared to other apps that actually design a whole meal plan for you, the CBum fitness app does fall short ever so slightly. There’s still plenty of information to get you going and making gains, but just be aware that you’ll still have to build your diet on your own.
Plus, you don’t get CBum himself to prepare your chicken for you, which is a bummer low-key.
3 Chris Bumstead’s App Pros
- There is a certain “wow” aspect, seeing as you’ll be following the plan that CBum himself did. For some, this might keep them on track more often. I often tell clients to imagine their heroes training with them to motivate them.
- You do get a bunch of different plans, and while a personalized plan from a coach is great, it’s rather expensive. This app is relatively well-priced for what you’re getting. Plus, you’ll get more than 200 videos explaining lifts and lifting techniques.
- The nutrition part of the app is adequate and should get you in the ballpark of making gains. That said, this app is probably not for true beginners. You’re thrown in the part of the pool that’s definitely not deep, but it ain’t shallow, either.
2 Chris Bumstead’s App Cons
- The nutrition part of the app is only adequate. Other apps definitely give you more detailed nutrition plans, and while this is a small thing to pick on, it does make a difference. It trails far behind MattDoesFitness’s Morsia App on the dietary front – but all in all, I rated both programs about the same.
- There have been some complaints about the app itself. Not necessarily the workouts or the quality of information but rather the lack of high-quality UX and UI. You aren’t able to customize workouts or schedules, which means the app just seems a bit less usable.
Chris Bumstead’s App – Final Thoughts
It’s very hard to hate or dislike anything Chris does. He really is the sweetheart of the fitness world at the moment – and for a good reason! He’s a legend with only good things to say, competitions to win, and people to inspire.
It’s only logical that he would end up developing an app, and for the most part, CBum’s fitness app does a really good job at helping the average individual progress thanks to these features:
- Massive range of exercises, with more than 200 videos for you to watch and learn from
- Various workouts for you to choose from
- The ability to track your workouts and see the progression
- A decent (enough) nutrition part, allowing you to learn recipes and track macros. It also has a built-in calorie calculator.
These are some important factors that you don’t see on every app. That said, looking at some of the other reviews online only reinforces the problems I also had.
The UX and UI could be a lot better, so essentially, the application itself is somewhat limiting. This is an easy fix in my eyes, as it isn’t the quality of the information that’s wrong or too little.
Especially around nutrition. Other apps, like the app made by MattDoesFitness, do include a full diet based on your dietary needs – like veganism, etc. This is a staggering amount of information to include in an app, and if CBum could have something like that – a home run.
The app is worth the money – even more so if you’re a big fan of CBum. I’d recommend that only people who’ve lifted for a few months purchase it, as beginners might feel slightly lost. Maybe spend some time on YouTube learning the absolute basics before purchasing this plan.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, my techno music is blaring in the car, so…
Rating: 3.5 out of 5