Bryson DeChambeau Is Adding Muscle to Golf’s Image
It’s Masters week, and Bryson DeChambeau – one of golf’s more polarising figures – is back on the course, aiming to claim the coveted Green Jacket for his major trophy collection. Known as ‘The Scientist’ for his meticulous and analytical approach to the game, DeChambeau raised eyebrows in 2022 when he referred to Augusta as a ‘par 67’, citing his ability to reach the par fives in two shots – he finished in 34th place.
In an exclusive interview with Men’s Health UK, DeChambeau delves into his fitness regimen, discussing how his significant three-stone weight gain impacted both his performance and overall well-being. He also sheds light on why his remarkable driving distance is not solely attributable to physical strength but also to his mental fortitude.
MH: You bulked up considerably in 2020. What prompted that?
Bryson DeChambeau: I was trying to gain as much strength as possible, as quickly as possible, and didn’t understand the consequences of it. I went from 200lb [14 stone] to 240lb [17 stone] in a year and a half – not the healthiest thing to do, but I learned from it. I was doing blood work, and my hs-CRP [a marker of heart health] went up to where my risk of a heart attack was three times higher!
I made a pact with myself that I’d never let myself get that bad again. I said, I need to get a chef because there’s no way I’m going to change my diet on my own. I took a Zoomer peptide test, which tells me what foods I’m sensitive to, and which increase inflammation in my arteries and heart. I was lucky enough to hire a chef who made me breakfast, lunch and dinner, all relative to my sensitivities.
It took me about a month [to acclimatise]. After that, I started to see all of my levels, like my blood sugar, even out. It got to a place where I felt like my energy was very consistent and I wasn’t getting as fatigued as quick.
MH: What sort of diet did the chef put you on?
BD: I was sensitive to gluten, wheat, dairy, rice, eggs and a few others, so she essentially cooked all the foods that I liked without those ingredients in them. We use a lot of almond flour and oat flour.
MH: What effect have your weight changes had on your muscle and strength?
BD: If anything, my strength has increased. But that doesn't mean I’m going to swing it faster – there are still neurological and fast-twitch components.
Throughout the season, I may be slowest at the start, but I’ll gain speed over the course of the season. [That’s because] I’m not going to be working out as hard as I am in the off-season, and I’m going to be focused more on golf. I’ll still be working in the gym every day, but it won’t be three sets. It'll be one or two sets so my body can recover quickly.
MH: When you did bulk up, at least at the beginning, there were performance benefits. Was it hard to give those up?
BD: I wasn’t giving them up – I think [my strength and size exceeded] the technology that was provided for drivers at that time. Next off-season, I'm really going to start speed training a little bit more again, compared to just working out. I think I gained a bunch of strength this off-season, so the next off-season is going to be more focused on speed training and getting faster.
MH: I read that Rory McIlroy was doing speed training in order to match the speed and power you’re able to generate. How do you feel about influencing the field?
BD: It was a bit of vindication, because there were a lot of people telling me, ‘It’s not going to work, it’s not going to work.’ And then once I did it, and had other people following me, it was like, whoa, see? I told you guys! Now, there’s only so much you’re going to get from it over the course of time with the current technology that we have. But yes, it was validating.
The Swing King
If you want to hit the ball further, then bench-pressing isn’t always going to help. That’s where DeChambeau’s legendary speed training comes in. His technique is fairly extreme and he cautions against attempting without proper supervision, but the results speak for themselves: ‘You can legitimately change your fast muscles if you focus on it hard enough and train hard enough.’
The aim is to take ‘around 100 swings as fast as you possibly can,’ says DeChambeau. You’ll monitor your swings on a piece of tech like a swing tracker. This piece of kit can be quite expensive, but will show you how fast the ball is being driven.
Once you hit 30, or 40 balls your speed will start to decrease. ‘You’ve just got to push through that barrier,’ he says. ‘Keep pushing through these barriers until your body starts getting faster and faster and faster.’
In order to retain speed, you have to do this as regularly as your muscles allow. It'll take a couple of months to see a difference, he says.
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