Braun Strowman On Struggling With Body Dysmorphia

Braun Strowman recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated and talked about how he's taken immense pride in tightening up his look over the past year, focused on presenting a leaner, healthier version of himself to the world.

Strowman noted that he's always had issues with the way he looked. His weight jumped from 285 pounds to over 400 while he was actively competing in strongman competitions, but now he's back down to 349 pounds.

"I hated the way I looked," Strowman said. "I've always struggled with body dysmorphia. It's still a tough battle, but I try to remind myself it's a process and I have my whole life to work on this. I admire the work I've put into this to change my life for the better.

"I needed to make some changes in my life, and since I was given some extra time at home because of the pandemic, I wanted to do something positive with it. I worked with a nutritionist, I worked with a new trainer, and I revamped the way I ate and what I do at the gym. It's a whole new lifestyle. It's been really cool for my mentality, and the feedback from people around the world has been so inspiring. I've had mothers message me that they've changed the way they cook for their kids. Someone messaged me saying he lost 200 pounds after seeing my transformation. That's very humbling. It's been a learning process for me, and I am really enjoying the experience."

Now weighing in at 394 pounds, Strowman said he's much more confident with his in-ring work, and happier with his look.

"I'm finally listening to my body," Strowman said. "I used to be so worried about just getting big. I was on path to do a bodybuilding show until I tore my meniscus back at Survivor Series last year, and that put a damper on my cardio. A lot of this is mental, and I'm working to give people the absolute best I can."

Strowman credited his five-month run as WWE Universal Champion with helping him have a new confidence in the ring. Despite taking place with no live fans in the crowd, Strowman believes that stretch allowed him to elevate his in-ring storytelling and overall presence. He is confident that he is the best big man in the business, something he will swear on.

"This is a profession that takes time," Strowman said. "I have less than six years on the main roster, and less than eight years in a wrestling ring. Working through the pandemic without a crowd, that was hard. It was so strange to have nobody there, hearing every breath you'd take. Looking back, that experience has made us better. We had to tighten up our game.

"I'm a big advocate of learning something new every day. That's what happened for me in WWE. This is where I belong. I love learning more about adapting and entertaining. I'm my own worst critic, and I read more of the comments than I should, and I know I'm not everyone's cup of tea, but I know I'm good at this. I'm the best damn Braun Strowman, I'm the best big man in the world. I'll swear on that. There ain't nobody on this planet my size that can do what I can do, talk like I can talk and wrestle like I can wrestle. I'm going to continue with the mindset. Why would I think any less of myself?"

Strowman is set to compete in a Triple Threat with Drew McIntyre and WWE Champion Bobby Lashley at the WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view on May 16.

Stay tuned for more.