Winning Mr. Olympia is undisputedly the pinnacle of achievement in bodybuilding. And it’s been that way for years: it’s the competition Arnold Schwarzenegger trained for in the classic 1977 documentary Pumping ironfinally. Just one win would be the pinnacle of a bodybuilder’s career. If you win several, it means you are an all-time great player.

Chris Bumstead has won five in a row. He competes in “classic physique,” ​​a newer category that emphasizes proportion and symmetry over absolute size. (You know, relatively speaking.) This week, he’s looking to extend that to a sixth consecutive title. Mr. Olympia is the only competition he competes in all year, but it still requires a year-round dedication to lifting and eating to get big and strong, and then “cut” into fighting shape.

He’s learned lessons along the way…GQ spoke to CBum as he prepared for this year’s competition and heard about his cleaner diet, intense recovery routine and the mental work he’s put in to stay cool under pressure.

For Real diet, GQ talk to athletes, celebrities and other top performers about their diets, workout routines and the pursuit of wellness. Keep in mind that what works for them may not necessarily be healthy for you.

GQ: You are now in the middle of preparing for Olympia. How is that?

Chris Bumstead: The best way I can explain it is that over the course of the year there are ups and downs in trying to grow and trying to get big. Most of my year consists of gaining weight, eating as much as possible, training to get as strong or as big as possible, and just building as much muscle as possible. Then 16 weeks before the race I go on a diet, start doing a little more cardio and then the goal becomes to reduce as much body fat as possible while maintaining as much muscle as possible. From there I reduce my calories and increase my cardio. So you are quite tired, hungry, exhausted and you have to work harder than you have all year round. It just becomes a mental battle of discipline and trying to get your body as lean as possible while still maintaining as much as possible.

How do you deal with that level of stress and mental fatigue?

I don’t really have much balance when it comes to preparation in bodybuilding. I just go balls to the wall, throw my limits out the window – when you’re busy preparing, you just have to do what you have to do. But because I only compete once, I can give myself some time throughout the year. I like to go out to dinner with my wife, travel, get a little rest and that builds me up to being able to do it again. If I were to compete constantly all year long, I would burn out much faster.

I also just force my brain to do things other than bodybuilding. My life consists of bodybuilding, but I don’t really spend much time talking about it. I’m at the gym a few hours a day and when I’m not there I’m with my family, with my wife, or I’m at work talking about business. Instead of constantly thinking about it 24/7, I can spend my time doing other things.