When I first heard that Mike Tyson was planing a comeback to the ring I was sceptical. The last time I watched his podcast, Hotboxin he was high as a kite on cannabis and along with his fondness for cannabis which I’m sure he has no problem accessing with owning a cannabis farm. He also looked overweight and unhealthy.
He said himself on the Joe Rogan podcast that he doesn’t like to train now because it could lead him down the old road of vanity and obsession once again, which he no longer wanted. He didn’t want to access his inner warrior which had been laying dormant for more than 15 years since his last professional fight against Kevin McBride which he lost after throwing in the towel, and emotionally said at the time he had lost the passion for boxing.
Fast forward less than a year since that podcast and we see a completely transformed Mike Tyson, he’s shaven his beard, lost weight and build an impressive amount of muscle. Then there are the videos on social media where he’s hitting the bag, looking powerful, fast and formidable as ever. This moment was the turning point, little did we know we were about to see the return of arguably the greatest boxer of all time.
Behind the scenes, it became apparent that it was Tyson s wife who awoke the monster inside the 54 year old Mike Tyson, when she insisted her husband start exercising again. What started with 30 minutes on the exercise bike, quickly became 2 hours, which became a desire to put the gloves back on and step back in the ring.
I watched Mike Tyson over the past few months get back into shape, the transformation was incredible. Tyson went from looking like a grandfather to becoming a very powerful, and fit middle aged man. I rarely see men 20 years younger with the conditioning Tyson has achieved. Something we can take away from this is Tyson’s mindset for success, It’s clear Tyson has two modes, off and full beast mode, with no middle ground. This transformation of Tyson should inspire men everywhere to stand up and stop making excuses for not being in shape.
Here is a man who had let himself go, turned to cannabis to calm his mind and gained an unhealthy amount of weight, yet managed to turn himself into an athlete in just a few months. What’s your excuse for not doing the same? Sure Tyson has a natural advantage over most of us, but it doesn’t matter what your version of being fit looks like, the important thing is being fit in itself. Even if you don’t look like an ex world champion boxer, you will certainly feel like one. Tyson smokes canabis daily and even just before this fight, he claims it doesn’t negatively affect him in the ring, but let’s be honest no professional athlete would do such a thing.
The fight was great to watch, there were many signs of the old Tyson, his footwork, head movement and the speed of his arms was impressive, he didn’t have the same knock out power, at least his opponent wasn’t get knocked out. The fight eneded with a draw. But who knows what could happen if he keeps training. Is it surprising Tyson still has the moves? Would Nigel Mansel not still have the skill if you put him behind the wheel of a car? Sure it wouldn’t have the stamina to compete at the highest levels, but I’m sure he would still be very good. One of the greatest heavyweights of all time is likely going to remember the skills, much of it embedded into the memory of his muscles.
If you’re over 50, 60 or even 70 what are your excuses for not getting back in shape? It’s clear that age is only a number when it comes to fitness, and in fact as you get older it’s even more important to keep yourself healthy. People with good cardiovascular and muscular health live longer, healthier lives.
So how did he do it?
Tyson s workout routine included the following:
Most of the exercises were body weights, this makes sense and it would allow him to build strength and muscle which can move and create power.
- 200 decline sit-ups
- 50x bench dips
- 50x push-ups
- 50x shrugs
Diet
To build muscle and develop strength Tyson consumed between 3000 and 4000 calories daily.
This diet included lean proteins such as chicken and steak along with whole grains.
Stem Cell treatment
Tyson also had steam cell treatment before the fight to improve his physical condition.
It’s clear that this is not the same old Mike Tyson from his prime, but I’m sure all those Tyson fans out there would agree it’s good to see him looking fit and healthy again.
