Chris Bumstead

• SupplementDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.

  Protein powder

  A RAW Nutrition ready-to-drink protein shake, taken as a snack, is one of the six things he lists for staying on track while traveling, between a healthy bowl at lunch and steak for dinner. RAW Nutrition is the supplement company he co-owns, so the brand choice is his own.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: How to Master Your Mindset
  View item: Protein powder16/44Backed by 16 of 44 stacks
• SupplementDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.

  Creatine monohydrate

  Creatine monohydrate was on the supplement list he gave SimplyShredded at 21, a long list that also ran to whey, BCAAs, glutamine, a multivitamin and fish oil. That interview dates from his early pro years, so treat it as a snapshot rather than a current stack.

  Source: SimplyShredded: 21 Year Old Beast: Chris Bumstead Talks With Simplyshredded.com
  View item: Creatine monohydrate11/44Backed by 11 of 44 stacks
• BookRecommends$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.

  Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

  On a flight in late 2025 he read Csikszentmihalyi's book. He copied lines out of it. One of them, on meaning coming from values, attention and actions pointing the same way, became the theme of his plans for 2026.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: Transform Your Body in 6 Weeks
  View item: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience2/44Backed by 2 of 44 stacks
• AppRecommends$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.

  STNDRD app

  His own app, launched in October 2024, and he says the programs in it are the ones he trained on, including the arm workout he used through that year. Newsletter readers are pointed to it most weeks. It is his product, so read the recommendation with that in mind.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: One More Shot
  Visit stndrd.app (opens in a new tab)1/44Backed by 1 of 44 stacks
• BookRecommends$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.

  The ONE Thing

  He talked about this book with Jordan Peterson in 2024. Its argument, that reaching the top one percent at anything means focusing on that one thing, helped him see that wearing too many hats had cost him on stage, he said, and that bodybuilding would eventually have to give way to being a father.

  Source: Fitness Volt: Chris Bumstead Discusses Diet, Reaffirms Retirement Stance
  View item: The ONE Thing1/44Backed by 1 of 44 stacks

Repeatable, mostly free routines with a defined trigger and dose.

• Resistance trainingDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.

  Lifting has been his job for a decade. Coming back after a six-week break in late 2024, he wrote that a dumbbell fly made him feel 20 years older and half as strong, so the plan was more time in the stretched position, slower negatives and maybe 2.5 to 5 percent more load each week. Jumping straight back to the heavy dumbbells, he says, is how you get injured.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: My Training Reset

  37/44Backed by 37 of 44 stacks
• Deliberate cold exposureDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.

  Ice baths three times a week, around 40 degrees Fahrenheit for eight to ten minutes, usually on rest days. He tried 35 degrees and found it too cold. As BarBend summarized his rest-day video, the point is less muscle recovery than inflammation and a morning lift when coffee is not enough.

  Source: BarBend: Here's Why Chris Bumstead Takes Ice Baths 3 Times Per Week

  23/44Backed by 23 of 44 stacks
• Protein-forward eatingDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.

  Dieting has become simpler for him over the years: he says he no longer tracks everything or stresses over exact calories, just hits a protein goal and lets carbs and fats move around by the day. It took a long time to get there, he adds, and it works because it is easy to follow.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: Get Lean Without Dieting

  19/44Backed by 19 of 44 stacks
• SaunaDoes it$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.

  Sauna shows up in his prep mornings after breathwork, sometimes on its own and sometimes combined with the cold tub. His rule, stated elsewhere, is that if he saunas he always finishes cold.

  Source: Breaking Muscle: Chris Bumstead Describes His Training Recovery Process

  16/44Backed by 16 of 44 stacks
• Eight hours of sleepDoes itFREE, no cost

  Eight hours is his stated minimum, and in a 2022 Q&A he put sleep level with two weekly rest days at the top of his priority list, calling it crucial for growth as a bodybuilder. Train hard every day, he adds, and you probably will not sleep well or recover.

  Source: Breaking Muscle: Bodybuilder Chris Bumstead Trains During Q&A, Discusses Retirement, Recovery, and Avoiding Burnout

  10/44Backed by 10 of 44 stacks
• CyclingDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.

  His post-retirement routine, as he laid it out in December 2024, starts on a bike. Five days a week, 30 minutes. Heart rate steady at around 130 to 135 beats per minute. He frames it as conditioning and endurance work, now that he is training to feel good rather than to look a particular way on stage.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: My Training Reset

  7/44Backed by 7 of 44 stacks
• Stability and mobility workDoes itFREE, no cost

  A shoulder injury straight after retiring forced months of rehab, and he says it changed how he trains. With coach Justin King he rebuilt his program around isometric holds, explosive work, sled pushes, rotational patterns and sprint mechanics alongside hypertrophy days, an approach they call Jacklete: keep the size, get athletic again.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: Build Muscle + Mobility That Lasts

  7/44Backed by 7 of 44 stacks
• YogaDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.

  Hot yoga is the workout he says he reaches for after a competition, and he tries to fit it in once a week. Travel and prep leave his muscles tight, and he credits the practice with helping him manage stress, improving mobility and sharpening the mind-muscle connection he relies on in bodybuilding. Not a workout most people associate with the sport, but one that keeps him balanced.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: Lessons From My Olympia Journey

  7/44Backed by 7 of 44 stacks
• BreathworkDoes itFREE, no cost

  During contest prep he wakes up and does three rounds of 30 breaths with a hold and exhale before cardio. He says he started it for the mental side and now does it mainly to oxygenate his body, adding that on those mornings he did not need caffeine to get through cardio.

  Source: Generation Iron: Chris Bumstead Breaks Down Full Prep & Offseason Morning Routine

  6/44Backed by 6 of 44 stacks
• Tempo trainingDoes itFREE, no cost

  Tempo prescriptions run through his newsletter workouts, and he says the reason is that controlling the eccentric keeps the muscle loaded instead of letting joints take over. It also keeps him honest: if he cannot control the weight, he takes that as a sign it is too heavy for the goal. He still lifts heavy, he adds, he just wants every rep to count.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: Get Lean Without Dieting

  3/44Backed by 3 of 44 stacks
• Reverse dietDoes itFREE, no cost

  After months of cutting for the Olympia he adds calories back slowly rather than jumping into a surplus, which he says keeps his energy steady and stops the post-show fat gain he sees other competitors go through. A good sandwich is still the first thing he eats.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: Lessons From My Olympia Journey

  2/44Backed by 2 of 44 stacks
• One and a quarter repsDoes itFREE, no cost

  A full rep plus a quarter rep, usually added at the bottom, is a technique he says he and Justin King experimented with heavily through 2024. He credits it with better range of motion, the disappearance of his shoulder pain and solid gains, and notes that it forces lighter weights, which he now accepts.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: Pushing My Limits

  1/44Backed by 1 of 44 stacks
• Zone 2 cardioRecommendsFREE, no cost

  Asked whether extra cardio can offset holiday eating, he says cardio should never be a punishment for food. What he does suggest is a walk after dinner, a 20-minute zone 2 session or light conditioning on off days, to keep digestion and energy moving rather than to burn off a cookie.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: Build Muscle + Mobility That Lasts

  12/44Backed by 12 of 44 stacks
• Morning sunlight exposureRecommendsFREE, no cost

  Sunlight in your eyes early. That is the first thing on his list for staying consistent while traveling, alongside drinking water and moving: a walk, a stretch, a quick hotel gym session, whatever feels good. Moving resets your body clock, he says, and gives you energy even after a bad night.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: The Power of Gratitude

  10/44Backed by 10 of 44 stacks
• Identity-based habitsRecommendsFREE, no cost

  Write down who you want to be, not just the goal but the type of person who achieves it, then start acting like that person today. He says he coached himself the same way during Olympia prep, picturing his future self and asking whether a champion would rack the weights early.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: How to Master Your Mindset

  4/44Backed by 4 of 44 stacks

Daily practices held long enough to become default behavior.

• Daily walkingDoes itFREE, no cost

  Walking instead of taking an Uber whenever possible is one of the six habits he says keep him on track on the road. It sits at the end of a list that is otherwise about food and an early workout, and he offers it without any step target attached.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: How to Master Your Mindset

  12/44Backed by 12 of 44 stacks
• JournalingDoes itFREE, no cost

  He keeps a Google Doc and phone notes where he jots thoughts and reflections through the day, and says it is how he worked out his priorities for 2026. The recurring finding was that he is at his best when he is creative, and that creativity shuts off when life has too much friction.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: Lessons I'm Taking Into 2026

  9/44Backed by 9 of 44 stacks
• Scheduled rest daysDoes itFREE, no cost

  Two rest days a week sit at the top of his priority list, he told fans in a 2022 Q&A, tied with sleep. Rest, sleep and eat, he said, there is no secret answer. He also warned that overtraining can be real even if the word gets overused: train hard every day and you probably will not sleep well or recover.

  Source: Breaking Muscle: Bodybuilder Chris Bumstead Trains During Q&A, Discusses Retirement, Recovery, and Avoiding Burnout

  2/44Backed by 2 of 44 stacks
• Training first thingDoes itFREE, no cost

  Working out early, before the day starts, is first on his list of six travel habits, with a blunt reason attached: if he plans to go later, he will not go. The list came in answer to a reader asking how he stays on track while living on the road.

  Source: The Standard newsletter: How to Master Your Mindset

  2/44Backed by 2 of 44 stacks
• Deliberate solitudeRecommendsFREE, no cost

  For people who cannot take two months off after one big day the way he could, his advice in a 2022 Q&A was to find one or two weekends a year to shut off completely and leave the phone behind. Solitude, he says, does more to reset the mind than people expect.

  Source: Breaking Muscle: Bodybuilder Chris Bumstead Trains During Q&A, Discusses Retirement, Recovery, and Avoiding Burnout

  8/44Backed by 8 of 44 stacks

• “One of my favorite workouts is hot yoga … Competing takes a toll on the body, and with all the travel, my muscles get tight and stiff. But it’s not just about flexibility. Hot yoga helps me manage stress, improve mobility, and even strengthens my mind-muscle connection, which is key in bodybuilding.”

  On Yoga

• “For me, it’s gotten way simpler over the years. I don’t track everything anymore. I don’t stress over exact calories. I just hit a protein goal and let carbs and fats move around depending on the day.”

  On Protein-forward eating

• “Justin King and I played around with it a lot this year, and I’ve noticed a ton of improvement in my range of motion, my shoulder pain’s gone away, and I’ve made solid gains.”

  On One and a quarter reps

• “So, at the top of my priority list is getting rest days in consistently, like two a week … Equally tied in importance is sleep. I need to get eight hours of sleep, minimum. Sleep is so crucial for growth as a bodybuilder.”

  On Eight hours of sleep

• “Three rounds of 30 breathes, hold and exhale and repeat. Three rounds in the morning then going to do cardio, I didn’t need caffeine. I could just blast through my cardio way easier. I always cold tub if I sauna because I like finishing with cold.”

  On Breathwork