The Scientist

Golfers are hitting the ball harder, faster and further, but no player has

done more to establish the sport’s muscular image than US pro Bryson

DeChambeau – nicknamed ‘The Scientist’ for his analytical approach

Men’s Health: 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 that. I went from 200lb [14st] to 240lb [17st] 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 hired 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, such as 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 quickly.

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: Can you tell me what effect your weight changes have had on your muscles and strength?

BD: If anything, my strength has increased. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to swing [my clubs] 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 with 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 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. But yes, it was validating.