Michael Gerard Tyson, born on June 30, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York, is a name synonymous with boxing greatness. Known as ‘Iron Mike,’ he became the youngest heavyweight champion at 20, simultaneously holding the IBF, WBA, and WBC titles. Tyson's unique peek-a-boo boxing style, developed under the guidance of trainer Cus D’Amato, propelled him to legendary status. With 58 fights, 50 wins, 2 no-contests, and 6 losses, Tyson journey, from juvenile detention to bankruptcy and retirement, is a rollercoaster of triumphs and setbacks. From his explosive knockouts to his awe-inspiring physique, Tyson's intense training sessions have become the stuff of legend. Exploring Tyson’s regimen can push you towards achieving the peak of physical fitness.
Early Life and Discovery
Mike had a troubled childhood. As a street kid, all he knew was poverty and crime. Mike’s life took a turn when, at 13, he found himself in a juvenile detention center. Here, he crossed paths with Bobby Stewart, a former fighter known for teaching the young detainees the sport of boxing. Mike’s entry into Stewart’s group was a game-changer. Realizing he could only guide young Mike so far, Stewart reached out to the legendary boxing trainer, Cus D’Amato. Cus was like the real-life version of Mickey from the Rocky movies. He knew that D’Amato had to meet this kid with a mountain of potential. And from that moment, the rest, as they say, is history. It was in 1980, that the legendary boxing trainer Cus D’amato discovered the young juvenile delinquent, Mike Tyson. The first time Cus saw 13-year-old Mike Tyson spar, he said, “That is the future heavyweight champion of the world.” D’Amato took Mike into his home in Upstate New York and trained him during his teenage years. From that moment on, boxing became Mike Tyson’s life. He was obsessed, training full-time. 6 years later as a 20 year old kid, Tyson would destroy Trevor Berbick in 6 minutes to take the crown to initiate the start of his heavyweight reign. At first, 6 years may seem relatively meagre compared to that of a normal fighter working his way to the championship. But the difference between Tyson and most other fighters was in the intensity of his training regimes, meaning that his rate of improvement was staggering compared to most.
The Rigorous Workout Routine
Step into Tyson shoes and explore his rigorous workout routine that sculpted his formidable physique. The Mike Tyson workout routine is as intense as he is. Excelling in any sport, especially one as physically demanding as boxing, requires a total commitment to training. Tyson treated every fight like his last. He would train for up to 60 hours a week leading up to a fight and only took one day off. The day began with an early morning run.
Here’s a breakdown of his daily regimen:
4 AM Rise: Tyson rose at 4AM because he ‘knew the other guy wasn’t doing it’, which gave him a psychological confidence that he is working harder than his opponent, vital in establishing a feeling that you are entitled to victory.
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Morning Run (5 am - 8 am): Start the day with a 3-mile run to enhance lung capacity and stamina. Tyson believed in “winning the morning” for mental strength. Iron Mike reportedly started his day around 4AM and kicked off some cardio shortly thereafter, namely a 3-5 mile run. Before he was even a professional boxer, however, he would run every morning and follow that with 400 pushups and 400 squats, Mike Tyson style.
Boxing Practice (10 am - 1 pm): 8 to 12 rounds of sparring to hone technique. This is where the real quality is apparent. Cus D’Amato believed that a fighter had to spar often if he hoped to progress quickly. Tyson would do mitt and pad work, the speed bag, and the slip bag. After the skill work, Mike would do a ton of sparring. Cus was old school and felt that sparring was the most important thing a fighter could do. So, he would have Mike spar the equivalent of an entire fight.
Calisthenic Workout (1 pm - 4 pm): One of the most intense aspects of his training was the volume of the bodyweight exercises. He would do 2,500 situps, 2,000 air squats, 500 pushups, 500 bench dips, 500 barbell shrugs, and ten minutes of bridges six days a week. Cumulative reps for the day = 2000 decline sit-ups, 500 bench dips, 500 push-ups, 500 shrugs with a 30 kg barbell, and ten minutes of neck exercises in the ring.
Cardio Finisher (8 pm): 30-minute session on the exercise bike or low-impact cardio. After dinner, Mike would wrap up the day with some light work on an exercise bike. This last cardio session was lower intensity and was a form of active recovery from the day’s training.
Sleep (10 pm): Aim for a full 7 hours of sleep to support recovery.
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Weight Training and Prison Workout
Tyson focus on bodyweight exercises and practical boxing techniques was supplemented by weightlifting during his time in prison. Contrary to conventional boxing beliefs, Tyson aimed to enhance overall strength and conditioning through weightlifting. Remember, it was rare for boxers to lift weights when Tyson was coming up. There was a misconception that lifting weights would make you slow and clumsy. Plus, his trainer, Cus D’Amato, was old school in this regard. He didn’t think Mike needed much physical training outside of sparring. Mike started lifting weights for the first time in the mid-90s while in prison. By then, strength and conditioning information had become more available. Boxers began to recognize the benefits lifting could have.
Even during his 3-year prison stint, Tyson remained committed to his routine. His unique squat workout, using a deck of cards, became a testament to his dedication. This period saw him shed weight significantly, and he returned to the ring in 1995 with a victorious comeback.
The Importance of Sparring
Cus D’Amato believed that a fighter had to spar often if he hoped to progress quickly, and it would be wise to believe him, as he developed two fighters into the youngest heavyweight champions in history. Tyson would do padwork, bag work, and spar again a few hours later. It’s clear that the focus of his training was to replicate real ring situations, and make the training as boxing-specific as possible. It’s one of the reasons Tyson was so elusive and hard to hit early in his career, as he was well tuned to the physical cues that signal an incoming punch, through hours and hours of real fight simulation (sparring).
Diet Plan
Tyson diet, consisting of 3000-4000 calories a day during intense training, played a crucial role in supporting his grueling workouts. Mike was a big dude who trained all day long. Although this seems like a lot of food, it’s not when you consider his workload and that he weighed upwards of 220 pounds. This meal plan is what Mike would follow during a fight camp. When Mike wasn’t preparing for a fight, he would have big bowls of cereal for breakfast and ice cream for dessert. Mike was disciplined but loved food. As any sports lover is likely to know, Mike Tyson’s workout and diet plan was initially overseen by former trainer Cus D’Amato (who passed away just after Tyson’s professional career began). Employing some forward-thinking tactics, D’Amato stressed the importance of eating healthy foods and mostly kept Tyson away from the workout benches and weight machines.
Here’s a breakdown of what Tyson typically consumed:
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- Breakfast: The most important meal of the deal. Mike Tyson wasn’t afraid of a few carbs in the morning. His breakfast regularly stuck to a formulaic set of principles, with a basic source of complex, low-GI carbohydrates for energy. Oatmeal - Made from course flour and hulled oat grains, oatmeal is a nutritional source of complex carbohydrates and an excellent way to kick off the Mike Tyson diet plan. Milk - The nutrient-rich liquid is a great source of calcium and Vitamin D.
- Lunch and Dinner: Meals - The lunch and dinner that Tyson had was based on carbohydrates (rice or pasta), and protein (chicken or steak). It was important that Tyson’s intake was high, due to the intense nature of his training. Especially considering he trained 7 days a week, meaning he had little time for recovery. The carbs were a great source of energy throughout the day, allowing him to train essentially 8-10 hours a day. Chicken breast - High in protein and low in fat and carbohydrates, chicken breast is the ultimate muscle-building food. Rice - These carbs aren’t bad for you at all. Rice, particularly brown rice is packed full of whole grains. Steak - Loaded with iron, Vitamin B-6 and healthy fats, red meat is a staple of the Mike Tyson diet and a core component to Iron Mike’s physique. Also, red meat has little to no carbohydrate content. Pasta - Forget what you’ve read, pasta isn’t all bad. The carbohydrate-rich food will lift your calories and give you a lasting energy hit.
- Snacks and Cheat Meals: Mike Tyson’s training diet reportedly made room for cheat meals like ice cream and his favourite cereal, Cap’n Crunch. Apparently, even stone-cold Cus D’Amato wasn’t going to rip that bowl of cereal from Tyson’s hands. Ice cream - Dairy-heavy, so while ice-cream is loaded with sugar, it also has a solid amount of calcium.
- Supplements: The baddest man on the planet relied on supplements for recovery. Protein - A protein powder supplement is an indispensable part of Mike Tyson’s routine. Creatine - Creatine is one of the most researched sports supplements. It provides energy for longer and intense workouts, enhances strength, and helps in building muscle mass. Caffeine - Caffeine is a part of most people’s lives in one way or other. Vitamin D - It makes your bones stronger and helps in absorbing other nutrients in the body.
Psychological Training
Mike Tyson’s psychological training during his prime was crucial to his success. Unlike his views on strength and conditioning, his trainer, Cus D’Amato, was ahead of his time using sports psychology. Cus understood that controlling the mind was essential to success in the ring. He began by teaching Tyson to detach from his feelings and use his mind to bolster his confidence. This detachment allowed Tyson to make fear work for him. He wanted Mike to realize every fighter experiences fear. But fear is like fire. You can use it to warm yourself up or cook with it. One critical technique D’Amato used to improve Mike’s confidence was daily affirmations. He had Tyson repeatedly tell himself, “Day by day, in every way, I’m getting better and better,” and “I’m the best fighter in the world; nobody can beat me.” By constantly affirming these positive thoughts, Tyson gradually built an unshakable belief in his abilities. Alongside affirmations, D’Amato also famously harnessed the power of hypnosis. He would take Mike to see a hypnotherapist, and once he was in a relaxed state, D’Amato would reinforce his identity as a champion, saying things like, “You are a fighting machine, Mike. The best fighter God has ever created.” He did this for years. In the book “Iron Ambition“, Mike talks about Cus taking him to a hypnotist. Cus would say, “You’re a fighting machine, Mike. You’re the best fighter that God has created. The world has never seen a fighter like you because when you throw your punches in combination, you are ferocious. Ferocious. “Your jab is like a weapon. Like a battering ram. Your objective is to push his nose into the back of his head. You throw punches with bad intentions and move your head after every punch. I’m not telling you all this because you are incapable of doing these things. This is not a séance. This is what you are capable of doing.
Adapting the Tyson Routine
Most people do not have time for the entire Mike Tyson workout routine. That’s okay. Most of us are not getting paid millions of dollars to train. That said, we can follow the program’s main principles and still get phenomenal results. Let’s start with the obvious. If you want to follow the Mike Tyson workout, you must incorporate boxing. As you would expect, it’s a fundamental part of the program. Wake up and do cardio. You don’t have to go for a 4 am run, but crank out 20-30 minutes of low-to moderate-intensity cardio first thing in the morning. Pick the mode you like best-fast walk, rucking, incline treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical, or jump rope. It’s remarkable, but in the prime of Mike Tyson’s career, his strength training was almost entirely bodyweight exercises. He’s not alone. Other pro athletes have had tremendous success with bodyweight workouts, too. Most notably, Herschel Walker. The beauty of bodyweight exercises is their versatility; they can be performed anywhere without fancy equipment. But here’s the deal. To be like Mike, you have to do them every day. So, start with something reasonable and go from there. The main exercises to focus on are pushups, situps, and air squats. You can also throw pullups in if you have a doorway pullup bar at home. Do a little throughout the day instead of a huge chunk in one go. In his prime, Mike Tyson had a massive neck and traps. His neck was measured at 20 inches. This impressive look wasn’t accidental. In addition to doing shrugs at the gym, invest in a neck harness. You can get one on Amazon for under $30. Weighted neck curls and neck harness extensions are the two best exercises for neck training.
Individuality and Character
One thing that is abundantly clear, is that the foundation of a great champion is individuality and character, which has to be expressed in all manners of your approach to the sports. Tyson’s training was perfect for him specifically, but for another, it may not command the same results. For example, the amount of sparring that Tyson done, would lead to many injuries in other fighters, so it wouldn’t be wise for some to follow. Champions train harder that any of their peers, and this is where the difference is made. This is clearly evident in the training of Tyson. As a champion-in-training, you have to add the same aura of quality to your own training. Do things you know the others won’t be doing. Invest as many hours as you can to reach a rapid rate of improvement.