Bodybuilding is a sport that sculpts not just the body, but also the mindset. Behind every rep, every set, and every pain, there’s a story—a story of struggle, dedication, and self-belief.
But there are some people who change the world not just with their muscles, but with their mindset. Today, we’re going to talk about one such legend for whom bodybuilding wasn’t just a competition, it was a mission.
Chris Bumstead—or “Cbum” as he is known to the world—is not just a six-time Mr. Olympia Classic Physique Champion, but a global inspiration.
He made his weaknesses his identity and built a business empire where every product of his is a reflection of his character, honesty and hard work.
Cbum’s journey is from a simple athlete to a visionary businessman – a story that teaches that success isn’t just about winning trophies on stage, but about writing your own story.
HOW CHRIS BUMSTEAD MADE CRORES FROM BODYBUILDING
The biggest weakness in life becomes our biggest identity. Today we will talk about an athlete who not only won medals and trophies with his physique but also built his own business empire on the basis of that physique.
I am talking about 6 times Mr. Olympia champion in the classic physique division, Chris Bumstead, who you also know as Cbum, has won the classic physique title six times in a row, but his story is much more than trophies.
This is the story of an athlete who turned his bodybuilding success into a business empire. A speech problem due to which people used to make fun of him in childhood.
Today, the same physique that he used to build is the name of his highest selling brand. A physique for which he worked hard for years is the foundation of his business.
In this blog, we will learn how a bodybuilder made his physical and emotional weakness a part of his business strategy.
How an athlete recognized his brand value and how he monetized it. This is the story of Chris Bumstead – the journey from a champion to a businessman.
A journey that teaches every athlete how an athlete can seize his success and secure his future.
PARTNERSHIP WITH RAW NUTRITION
Achieving success in sports is a common thing but converting that success into wealth is the real game. Chris Bumstead has mastered this game.
A sports career is always limited, it has a very limited self-life. After all, for how many years will you keep giving top performance, 5 years or 10 years, then what will you do after that?
This is the reason why a smart player converts his brand into his business at the peak of his career. Chris Bumstead won the classic physique division title 6 times continuously from 2019 to 2024.
He did not earn his popularity just by winning trophies, rather he built his own business empire. It is important to understand how Cbum transformed his name into a global brand. First of all, he used his talent.
Being a top performer in his sport, he knew that people wanted to take fitness advice from him. In 2024, he launched a standard app in which his exact workout programs are available, the programs on which he won the title of Mr. Olympia 6 times.
This app is not free but is paid and its subscription cost is 100 dollars per year. And he created such products which fulfilled their needs and nutrition Along with this, he launched Thavage Pre Workout, a product which was based on his training routine.
The reason for its high sales in the market was that it was more authentic but what was the biggest smartness of cbum, instead of starting the business alone, he established a strategic partnership with the company.
This was a very important decision. In September 2021, he became a partner of Raw Nutrition and before becoming a partner of Raw Nutrition, Chris Bumstead used to promote the products of Jacked Factory.
The brand of which Bhuwan Chauhan is an athlete. Along with Raw Nutrition.
Cbum launched its signature brand Pre Workout Thavage Pre Workout and you know what was the result of this, massive sales and the reason for this was the honesty and credibility of Chris Bumstead.
STORY BEHIND THAVAGE PRE WORKOUT
The story behind the name “Thavage” is connected to a deep personal story. Cbum grew up with a speech impediment since childhood.
He would try to speak “Thavage” and it would come out of his mouth. This impediment made him very shy and self-conscious.
Children would make fun of him in school and he was afraid to say anything in groups. When he was nervous, his lips became even more noticeable.
But that weakness has become the foundation of his powerful brand today. The very speech impediment he felt embarrassed about, Cbum gave his brand name to.
This is a true example of self-acceptance and a confident spirit. After becoming a partner of Raw Nutrition, Cbum was added to its brand.
Gaining creative freedom to create his dream product, cbum personally decided the quantity of each ingredient in his product and said, “I will only use the ingredients that I personally use, the formula that helps me win Mr. Olympia.”
This shows a genuine passion of Chris Bumstead, not for earning money, but for creating quality products.
From packaging to marketing, cbum personally takes care of everything. The touch was that they kept the slogan designed by Thavages for Thavages which made the fans feel that they are part of a community.
This was the marketing strategy of CBUM.
Thavages was very successful after its launch. Limited flavours came, limited editions came. Fans liked this brand so much that it was out of stock in almost every retailer.
Till today it is the most popular product of Raw Nutrition. So what do we learn from this story? Converting your weakness into your strength is a real winning mindset.
Getting a celebrity endorsement is one thing but taking ownership of the product and giving your heart and soul is a real successful business.
CBUM used brand power for brand creation. Similarly, he also partnered with Bum energy drink in March 2023 and in September 2024 he partnered with Gymshark apparel with a valuation of 1 million.
Imagine how big a move this was for Chris Bumstead.
HOW CBUM BECAME A PARTNER OWNER OF GYMSHARK
The story of cbum and Gymshark began with an interesting business venture. In 2018, when Chris Bumstead was competing, he hadn’t even become Mr. Olympia.
He joined Gymshark as a sponsored athlete. This partnership lasted for four years, and during this time, both Chris Bumstead and Gymshark grew.
But in 2022, something happened that cbum left Gymshark and decided to develop his own brand. Many were shocked, but such tough decisions have to be made in business.
But three years later, in 2024, there was a strong comeback. Chris Bumstead returned to Gymshark, but this time not just as an athlete. Rather, think about becoming a part owner of a brand.
Imagine how big an achievement it is to first work for a company and then become a partner of that company after a few years.
Cbum said in an interview that bodybuilding has given me many opportunities and I knew who I wanted to join in fitness and for what reasons.
When Gymshark told me their vision of promoting gym culture in the world, I understood that if I were to partner with anyone, it would be Gymshark. That’s why I became a partner owner of Gymshark.
This is the sign of a true business mind. Keeping emotions aside, He made the right business decision. Chris Bumstead understood how important it is to work with the right people.
He worked with experts in every field from supplements to raw nutrition apparel to Gymshark and these partnerships saved him from micro-managing every business so that he could focus on his main profession of bodybuilding.
Imagine if Chris Bumstead launched his own clothing brand, could he have created a brand like Gymshark? Maybe or maybe not.
If you can’t compete with them, join them by the way. Today, the valuation of Gymshark is around 1.3 billions dollars.
CBUM DIVERSIFIED HIS BUSINESS PORTFOLIO
Like a smart businessman, Cbum diversified his business portfolio and didn’t make the mistake of relying on just one business.
His portfolio includes Raw Nutrition, Bum energy drinks, Standard App, a digital fitness app, and a Gymshark partnership.
This way, Chris Bumstead created income sources in every direction so that if one business slows down, the other business will continue to run.
Chris Bumstead has approximately 25 million followers on Instagram. Having so many followers means free marketing. Whenever he launches a product, millions of his fans immediately see the brand.
Many marketing companies have to spend lakhs of rupees on marketing, but for Chris Bumstead, one post and massive sales are enough.
The real power of social media is to make social media your marketing tool. Chris Bumstead not only shared videos of his training but also showed clips of his personality and brands.
Examples of this strategy are also clearly visible. Every product launch and every partnership is an instant million dollar sales hit.
This shows that by understanding the power of social media, credibility can be achieved for a business.
LEARNING FROM CHRIS BUMSTEAD STORY
Chris Bumstead’s story isn’t just about a bodybuilder—it’s about a mindset, a vision, a philosophy that inspires every athlete.
He showed the world that even a weakness, if channeled in the right direction, can become a strength. He built his brand, his empire, and his identity from a “speech problem” that people once considered a joke.
Today, Bumstead has more than just titles, but a legacy—an example that teaches every fitness enthusiast that bodybuilding isn’t just about building muscles, but a combination of self-belief and smart decisions. He conquered the world with his body, and the business world with his mind.
This journey proves that when you align your passion with your business, you create not just a brand, but a movement.
Chris Bumstead transformed his name into a vision—and today, for every gym lover, “Value” is not a product, but an emotion.
So the next time you go to the gym and think about your goals, remember—”greatness” isn’t just about muscles, it’s about mindset.
Chris Bumstead proves it—True champions don’t just win titles; they build legacies.
“From speech problem to fitness empire – Chris Bumstead didn’t just lift weights, he lifted an entire generation of dreamers.”
