Urs Kalecinski made the trip from Germany to see Chris Bumstead!

The classic physique division is becoming more and more popular and many fans perceive this category much better than, for example, the open division. Many people and former competitors alike warn about the pace that the open category has taken. In fact, if we look at the mass monsters that have been presenting themselves on the podium over the last few years, we have to question the path this category has taken. Probably because of this, many bodybuilding fans prefer divisions that look not only at large volumes, but also aesthetics... Which is exactly what the competitors in the classic physique category are doing.

This fact has been confirmed by the current best classic physique competitor Chris Bumstead, who has managed to win three times at Olympia and is sure to score another triumph in this year's edition.

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

Chris is also incorporating sauna and ice baths into his preparation for the Olympia, which he says are designed to 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."

And just recently, another athlete in this division, Urs Kalecinski, who placed fourth at last year's Olympia, came to train with Chris. Among other things, Urs is supported by the VAYU brand, which you can buy in our shop.

And you can watch this training in the video below, which was recently released on YouTube.