Setting The Standard

• Mr. Olympia Prep

• A Powerful Leg-Day Split

• 3 Foods I Can’t Live Without

First of all, I want to say thanks for checking out my newsletter!

As you read this, I’m about 48 hours away from competing for my sixth straight Mr. Olympia Classic Physique title.

Every year, people assume it gets easier, that I’ve found some magic formula to handle the grind.

But the truth is, the physical challenge never gets easier. The dieting, training, and extreme fatigue from low calories and high cardio in the final weeks is still as tough as ever.

What’s changed for me is how I approach the mental battle.

Back in 2017, when I first stepped on the Olympia stage, I was the underdog. There was no real stress, no pressure — I was just having fun.

But winning year after year changes things. The expectations rise. People accept nothing less than your best because you’ve shown them what you can do.

That kind of pressure can weigh on you if you let it, but I’ve learned not to carry other people’s expectations. Instead, I focus on what I expect from myself.

My self-worth isn’t tied to winning Mr. Olympia, and that takes a lot of the weight off my shoulders. And my family helps keep things in perspective. Courtney, and our new daughter Bradley, they don’t really care whether I win or lose.

It’s easy to get caught up in winning, but I know the most important part of my life isn’t the titles. It’s being the best version of myself, not just as a competitor, but as a partner and father.

My legacy won’t be my Mr. Olympia titles. It will be as a dad, teaching Bradley the values that matter — character, how you treat people, and that your worth isn’t tied to what you achieve but to how you live. I want her to grow up seeing that.

I have more responsibilities now than I did when I started. I’m running businesses, traveling, filming every single day, and enjoying my family. I can’t just shut out the world and focus solely on bodybuilding like I used to.

It makes me think that if I could live without distraction all year, things might be easier. But I’m grateful for these other aspects of my life, so I wouldn’t change a thing.

Bodybuilding is often called an art form, but for me it’s not about looking like a sculpture. The art is in understanding what your body needs and trusting your intuition because you’ve done it so many times. 

My experience gives me a massive edge, mentally and physically, that allows me to just chill out and focus on the flow, and to do what I’m capable of doing.

As for the competition, sure, there are always new faces every year. But I’m too focused on showing up better than I was last year to concern myself with the other guys.

The top five or six of us chat throughout the year, but as the Olympia approaches, we all lock in and go quiet. It’s game time, and the competitive instincts kick in.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the saying, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

And I love what I do, truly love what I do. But there are definitely aspects of what I do that I don’t love, that do feel like work, and that I don’t always want to do in the moment.

But because I crave the end result so much, and I love the end result so much, I’m willing to do them.

When I get to this point in my prep, a few days out from competing, and I’m enjoying it, that’s when everything clicks and I think, “Wow, this is so worth it.”

So, on Saturday, I’ll step on the stage and do my best. That’s all I can ask of myself, that’s all any of us can ask of ourselves.

Set The Standard!

Chris

Last summer, I was feeling broken and tired 10 weeks out from Mr. Olympia, so my team recommended splitting leg day. 

 A split routine allows you to:

• Focus equally on each muscle group.

• Use targeted exercises to activate each one.

• Add training volume without overloading in a single session.

• Reduce injury risk from overtraining and muscular imbalance.

• Use better form and train with more intensity.

• Stay fresher mentally.

• Correct muscular imbalances for a more symmetrical look.

Here’s the workout we created to isolate my glutes and hamstrings:

• Lying Hamstring Curls – 4 sets ascending weight, drop set, last set. 

• Reverse Hack Squat Good Morning – 4 sets of 12-15 reps.

• Single-leg RDLs – 4 sets, 12-15 reps each leg.

• Seated Hamstring Curl – 3 sets, 8-10 reps, double drop set, last set.

• Adductor Machine – 4 sets of 12-15 reps.

• Calf Raises – 6 sets of 10-12, rest pause last two sets.

Q: Hi Chris, you only get to eat three foods for life, what are they? 
— Will S., Allentown, Pa.

A: Hey Will, I think I could eat a chicken and rice stir-fry literally every meal, every day, especially if I can use different sauces.
 
I would also do pancakes because I know I can make healthy pancakes that are bland and easy to digest, and I can have them during prep and in the off-season, and adjust the calories accordingly. 

Lastly, sandwiches are my favorite thing to eat especially if you include tacos. I know they aren’t healthy, but I could not live without sandwiches, especially in the offseason. 

For more on what and how I eat, check out my Full Day of Eating series on YouTube. 

 Question for Chris? Email [email protected] and we’ll consider it for inclusion in a future issue of The Standard.

Champion Mentality 

“I find more meaning in driving progress toward my goal, than in achieving the goal itself. I used to train to win Mr. Olympia. But I realized that if I added up all the joy I’ve gotten from competing my entire life, it doesn’t compare with the joy I felt working toward the competitions. It’s about showing up every day and making progress.”  

Introducing: The New STNDRD in Fitness 

I’m stoked to launch my new app STNDRD. It’s stacked with my latest plans, programs, and tips. Download it on Apple or Google Play. 

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