MIKE TYSON REACHED the very top of boxing off the back of an unparalleled work ethic, unflinching training routine and strict diet plan. Now at 58 years old and almost 20 years removed from his last professional bout, Iron Mike is re-entering the ring to take on the upstart Jake Paul. And, as a good indication of the current state of boxing, the clash between a YouTuber and a man who’s nearly eligible for a pension is expected to be the biggest and most watched fight of the year.
With the prospect of facing a much younger opponent looming and both his pride and reputation at stake, Tyson has been back in the gym, working with that same trademark resolve that propelled him to such heights. He recently shared a glimpse into his current training schedule with Jimmy Kimmel. “I’m training extremely hard,” he said. “I start at 11 in the morning, do an hour of cardio, then take a bath, wake up at 1, go to the gym, train eight rounds, boxing. Hit the bag. Then I train with my strength and conditioning coach, and then I work again. It’s just an all-day process.”
As gruelling as that regimen may seem, it doesn’t hold a candle to the routine Tyson used earlier in his career. It would be unfair to expect Tyson to maintain this lifestyle into his late fifties, but knowing his renowned work ethic, we wouldn’t be surprised if he is still working at a similar output. See the training routine and diet plan that helped Mike Tyson become a world beater below.
INSTAGRAM | @miketyson
Mike Tyson’s training routine and diet plan
Tyson’s original training protocol was designed by his famed trainer, Cus D’Amato, who passed away not long after Tyson started rising through the ranks on the pro circuit. Even after his trainer’s death, Tyson continued to give credence to his methods by prioritising healthy wholefoods and focusing on cardio, ring work and calisthenics rather than free weights and machines.
This is the daily routine Tyson followed throughout his professional boxing career. Fair warning, it’s not for the faint of heart, with a 4am start and 16 hours of nearly continuous workouts.
4am: Wake up, stretch, 10 interval sprints and 10 box jumps
4:30am: 5km run, followed by a 1.5km walk
5:30am: Shower and back to sleep
10am: Wake up again and have a breakfast of oatmeal and milk
12pm: Ring work, typically 10 rounds of sparring
2pm: Lunch, fruit juice with either chicken and rice or steak and pasta
3pm: Second training block. More ring work for 1 hour, plus 1 hour on the exercise bike
5pm: Calisthenics. 2000 squats, 2500 sit ups, 500-800 dips, 500 push ups, 500 shrugs with 30kg barbell, 10 minutes of neck strength work
7pm: Dinner, chicken and rice or steak and pasta with orange juice
8:30pm: 30-45 minutes on the exercise bike
9:30pm: Time for bed
View this post on Instagram
Is Mike Tyson still vegan?
While Mike Tyson incorporated chicken and steak into his diet during his boxing career, he famously became a vegan following his retirement because he felt like his previous diet wasn’t giving him the physical results he wanted. Since switching to veganism, Tyson has said that his plant-based diet allowed him to lower his blood pressure, ease his arthritis and lose weight.
More recently though, Tyson has given up on his full-vegan diet in favour of occasional meat – which may be necessary if he wants to consume enough protein to take on Jake Paul, whose own protein intake has been going viral. Speaking on Newsmax’s ‘The Record with Greta Van Susteren’, Tyson explained that he has started eating meat again, but only on days where he’s training. When he goes through an extended period where he doesn’t train, he doesn’t eat meat.
What time is the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight in Australia?
The first fight on the card for Tyson vs Paul begins at 12pm, November 16th, Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT). But that doesn’t mean Tyson and Paul will actually fight at that time. There are six other fights on the card before the two main draws, meaning their bout will likely take place closer to 3pm.
The fight will be streamed live on Netflix and will not be pay-per-view. Anyone with a Netflix subscription can tune in.
INSTAGRAM | @miketyson
Related:
Mike Tyson on the benefits of meditation: “I pretty much die when I’m meditating”
Here’s why Mike Tyson packs such a mean punch, according to an Olympic boxer
