Since pro bodybuilders spend most of the year on calorie-restricted clean diets, they often don’t hold back during the off-season. However, five-time Classic Physique champion Chris Bumstead doesn’t go overboard with his off-season diets. The bodybuilding icon’s latest Instagram story proves how he likes to keep his meals low-key despite eating in a calorie surplus.

Instead of having junk calories to put on weight, Bumstead ate a clean yet high-calorie meal. CBum liked it so much that he shared it with his fans. He posted a picture of two sandwiches and a beverage. “Tuna sandwich soaked in olive oil,” wrote the King of Classic Physique. The bodybuilder had spread a thick layer of tuna fixed with shallots and seasoning on two pieces of bread.

“One of my favorite off-season treat meals,” the Canadian wrote in his Instagram story. Chris Bumstead also seemed to have used his favorite Ezekiel bread as the base. However, he didn’t just love the sandwich but the beverage too. The reigning champion even went so far as to compare the beverage with his energy drink brand.

“These are also fire… tastes like the non-caffeinated Bum Energy,” Chris Bumstead wrote about the OLIPOP’S Classic Grape Prebiotic Soda. CBum eats around 3500 calories, according to his last update in 2023. While the five-time champion upped his calorie intake to 5000 a day, he lowered it by 1,500 last year. However, Bumstead didn’t announce any changes for this year’s off-season.

Last year, the defending champion divided his 3,500-calorie off-season diet into five meals. However, Bumstead continues to consume a clean diet for his bodybuilding prep. While eating junk food may help him put on weight faster, Bumstead believes it would also result in a more difficult cutting phase. That doesn’t mean CBum never has junk food, though.

Chris Bumstead ate junk food in Mexico

A week ago, Chris Bumstead traveled to Mexico and uploaded a humorous post on his Instagram story. The bodybuilding icon explained that he went to Mexico to eat “Sushi I guess… and a pound of chips and guac,” wrote the bodybuilding icon. However, the champion bodybuilder didn’t visit Mexico to eat junk food but to seek treatment.

While Chris Bumstead is making progress on his Olympia prep, he visited Dr. Adeel Khan for stem cell therapy. The bodybuilder has been working with Dr. Khan for the past year and has experienced impressive results from this experimental alternative treatment. As Bumstead’s prep intensifies in the final stages, he aims to take all necessary precautions to prevent injury.

Chris Bumstead is taking several precautions. From eating clean, stem cell therapy, and physical rehab, the bodybuilder is leaving no stone unturned to ensure he has a flawless fifth title defense.