What Chris Bumstead's Retirement Taught Him About Strength, Health, and Playing the Long Game

Yahoo

16-07-2025

One thing most retired athletes can agree on? It's brutally hard to accept that their playing days are over. While many go on to do something adjacent—coaching, commentary, business—nothing compares to the roar of the crowd or the adrenaline of stepping on the field or stage. It happens to all of us eventually (well, everyone except maybe Tom Brady), but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow. The truth is, our bodies start to decline, priorities shift, and injuries become more frequent, a reality six-time Mr. Olympia Chris Bumstead knows all too well.
Last year, Bumstead surprised fans and judges when he announced his retirement at just 30 years old. With the birth of his daughter and a nagging shoulder injury keeping him out of the gym, he's shifting his focus. Now, it's all about playing the long game, staying healthy and strong so he can chase his kids around for years to come."I've started shifting toward a mix of athletic and functional training," he told Men's Journal. "I want to be able to do things like sprint, jump, and maybe even play basketball again. That's partly for me, but also for the future, so I can run around and play sports with my kids."
But don't let his focus on longevity fool you, Bumstead still wants to be an absolute animal in the gym. And honestly, who can blame him? If you were one of the most jacked guys to ever walk across the Olympia stage, you'd want to stay that way, too.
"At the same time, I still love bodybuilding and hypertrophy, so I'm keeping that in the mix," he adds. "The mix is just more balanced now. I have new goals, and I'm excited to train with that kind of purpose in mind. The goal is to be a 'jacklete,' both jacked and athletic."
For most of the past two decades (he started bodybuilding at just 14), Bumstead's focus was all about getting as big and shredded as possible. But since retiring, he's shifted gears. These days, it's less about chasing aesthetics or moving huge weight (though that still plays a role) and more about keeping his body healthy.
"It's about training smart, taking de-loads, knowing when to pull back, and prioritizing the stuff you don't always want to do–mobility, stretching, isometrics, injury prevention, all of it," he says. "Right now, I'm doing a lot of rotator cuff work for my shoulder and stuff to help stabilize my knees. It's definitely not the glamorous side of training, but it's the work you need to put in to stay in the game long-term."
He's also not living in the gym like he once was. While he's still training regularly, he's now focused on becoming a better all-around athlete, not just a bodybuilder.
"With my intention of becoming more athletic, I need to do a lot more remedial structural balance work, such as training my tendons, mobility, etc," he says. "I have also started doing more light cardio, like bike rides outdoors and hikes when I get the chance to focus more on my cardiovascular health."
What Chris Bumstead's Retirement Taught Him About Strength, Health, and Playing the Long Game first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 15, 2025