5x Classic physique champion Chris Bumstead turned back the clock. The king of Classic Physique reminisced on why he started training in the gym and how it transformed his life forever. The dad-to-be explained that he didn’t start lifting weights to become a five-time Olympia-winning bodybuilder. He just needed something to focus on.

Cbum said he “fell in love with being in the gym,” while speaking on For The Love Of Training by Raw Nutrition. Chris Bumstead treated the gym like a safe space. It became a place where he “could just push aside and avoid feeling anything stressful” in his life. As a kid looking for an outlet to do something constructive, Cbum started chasing strength goals.

“I remember hitting deadlift PRs,” said the bodybuilding champion. The teenager would squat and deadlift five plates, and bodybuilding wasn’t even on his radar. “I would always walk out of the gym feeling better than when I walked in,” he said. “At a young age, it was an outlet that I needed when I didn’t know how to process difficult things,” confessed Chris Bumstead.

However, despite loving training, not everything about it was positive. Chris Bumstead said that while the gym helped, it also helped to push aside and bury mental distress. Although he was happy, he stopped dealing with the problems. After becoming the Classic Physique champ, Bumstead didn’t feel joy but relief.

It was as if the weight of the world came off his shoulders. Despite becoming a champion, Cbum ultimately had to face his demons. Thankfully, training and bodybuilding also gave him millions of loyal supporters as well as brought him to the woman who would become his fiance, Courtney King. King helped Chris Bumstead deal with many of his buried emotions. The 29-year-old isn’t done yet.

Two Titles Short of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Record, Chris Bumstead Critiques His Favored Chest Exercise

Chris Bumstead wants to shed the baggage

The 29-year-old has dealt with nearly every emotional hurdle that held him back. However, the dad-to-be wants to be ready to greet his baby girl into the world as an emotionally present man. Chris Bumstead confessed to missing many things in the heat of chasing the title and other significant commitments. However, Cbum has since changed his approach.

Despite still being the champion, Bumstead has taken the time to slow down. The bodybuilding champion also said that slowing down hasn’t been easy either. Yet, he has been especially “intentional” with his life outside of competition in the past few months. So “when the big day comes I can be fully present in welcoming our girl into this world,” said Chris Bumstead.

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So, training has been like a double-edged sword for Cbum. While it helped him persevere through hard times, it also enabled him to bottle up emotions. However, the bodybuilding champion is in a place where he has addressed the lingering issues while still retaining his love for training and working out.