"The Classic Physique division is healthier for your body than the Open Bodybuilding category," says Bumstead

One of the most popular competitors in the Classic Physique division is definitely Chris Bumstead, who has managed to win three consecutive titles at the Classic Physique Olympia. Chris is gearing up for another Olympia this year and most fans suspect that he will defend his previous titles this year and add another one to the list.

Chris is including sauna and ice baths in his preparation for Olympia, which he says will help with recovery and overall health.

I haven't always loved the extreme heat, but the sauna always feels damn good. It helps facilitate stretching, relieves tension headaches and is a great way to detox. I haven't always liked colds either, but I've definitely learned to love ice baths because they help reduce overall inflammation, which is great for my autoimmune and overall health. When used alone they are both amazing, but together their benefits just stack on top of each other, such as aiding circulation/blood flow leading to better heart health, reducing stress in the body, muscle recovery, and more.

Bumstead incorporates ice baths so he can better fight inflammation and get a quick dopamine hit in the morning. According to medical hypotheses, ice baths are good for the following reason:

"Because of the high density of cold receptors in the skin, a cold shower is expected to send a tremendous amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which could have an antidepressant effect. (1) Cold water swimming has positive effects on the cardiovascular system, endocrine system, immune system, and psyche."

Although Chris competes in the professional arena, which requires the use of banned substances, he tries to take care of his health and make up for his care in other ways. He doesn't even include huge amounts of food in his volume. On the contrary, his intake is around 4133 calories.

The total intake of the maker:

• 4,133 calories per day
• 460 grams of carbohydrates
• 264 grams of protein
• 140 grams of fat

On his diet, he said the following on YouTube:

I feel like my metabolism has slowed down. Maybe my body was gaining muscle mass more easily. I used to have to eat 5000-6000 calories to look like this. Thanks to 4100 calories, I just gained weight now. I have nothing to complain about!

If my weight doesn't go up in two to three weeks, I'll add 500 calories. Personally, that's what I do. I give myself about two to three weeks. If I don't see any gain, I add some food. If I gain too much weight, I go back down.

And just in a recent interview with Muscular Development Magazine, Bumstead said he thinks competing in the Classic Physique category is healthier than competing in the Open Bodybuilding division.

"Open Bodybuilding is too difficult, too big, too wild, and too much of a risk, whereas Classic hovers in the middle and is healthier for your body."

What do you think about this, is Chris right or does it depend on each competitor's approach regardless of division classification?