Head judge Steve Weinberger still thinks Chris Bumstead would have done damage in the Men’s Open class. In a June 29 Instagram post, he argued that with more size and training, ‘Cbum’ could reach the top five at the 2026 Mr. Olympia.
In 2024, Bumstead retired on top after securing his sixth and final Classic Physique Olympia title. En route to gold, he bested a crop of elite contenders, including Mike Sommerfeld, Wesley Vissers, and Ramon Queiroz.
Before calling it a career, Bumstead tested himself in the Men’s Open for a one-off contest. He briefly prepared for the 2024 Prague Pro and made his highly anticipated debut. He managed to push Martin Fitzwater to claim second place. Though the Canadian native opted to retire, Weinberger believes he could hold his own against the world’s biggest and best.
Steve Weinberger Says With More Size, Chris Bumstead Would Finish Top 5 at 2026 Mr. Olympia
In the Instagram post, Weinberger answered “absolutely” when asked if ‘Cbum’ could crack the top five at the 2026 Mr. Olympia.
“You think Cbum can make top five in the Open?” asks Frank Sepe.
“Absolutely,” replied Steve Weinberger.
“In the current Open that it is now?” said Sepe.
He added that Bumstead would need to put on size to boost his odds of success in the Open.
“If he put the size on that needed to be, then absolutely. Look, he did great when we were over in Prague. He almost won in Prague. He competed [prepped] for that show for four months. Could you imagine if he put a year together, what he would look like?”
With a year of hardcore training, Weinberger shared that Bumstead could break into the top five against names like Derek Lunsford and Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea.
“So you got Cbum in the top five in the Open Olympia, the current lineup, with Derek, Andrew?”
“With over a year of hardcore training, I would, yes.”
Though he reached incredible heights as an IFBB Pro, Bumstead admits his career came at a cost. He recently opened up about damage to his body from competing as a young adult, which he said nudged him to retire from the sport.
“There’s definitely is some damage that happened to my health, and that was another huge reason why it was easy for me to retire because I wasn’t willing to make that sacrifice anymore. I was very conscious that bodybuilding is not good for your health.”
Despite these challenges, Steve Weinberger still considers Bumstead a top-tier bodybuilding threat. With a year of dedicated training, he could see ‘Cbum’ fighting for a top-five spot at the Open Mr. Olympia.
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