Mike Tyson Prime Time Workout Routine and Diet Plan

Mike Tyson might have ended his career prematurely after biting an opponent, but he remains the fiercest and most complete fighter in the world.

Besides holding the third-longest undisputed championship reign, mike was the youngest athlete to win the WBA, WBC, and IBF world titles simultaneously.

Although Mike’s genes might have contributed to him being the fastest and hardest hitter in the game, his workout routine and diet plan were leaps and bounds above average. 

Mike Tyson’s knockout power made him the most feared heavyweight boxer in the world. His ferocity, energy, and speed made him unstoppable. 

Mike told reporters in the 80s that he trained for 50 to 60 hours every. Additionally, he followed a strict diet plan and won’t even taste a beer to celebrate his achievements. By pushing himself through limits, Tyson became a force to be reckoned with, dominating and knocking out even the most formidable opponents. 

In his prime, Mike Tyson was the SI unit of peak performance and athleticism. He might not be undefeated like Mayweather or political like Mohamed Ali. Still, he became one of the most ferocious fighters we enjoyed watching. 

Within this piece, we’ll scrutinize Mike Tyson’s workout regime and diet plan and try to understand how he managed to become the most feared heavyweight fighter in the world. But before that, let’s delve into Mike Tyson’s history. 

Who Is Mike Tyson? 

Born on June 30, 1966, Tyson is an American professional boxer in a tough neighborhood in Brooklyn. Born with a high-pitched voice and lisp, Mike got into several fights confronting those who bullied him for his condition. 

By age 13, Tyson was arrested more than 38 times. During his stay in prison, he met a warden who started training him in boxing and connected him with his trainer and manager, Cus D’Amato. 

Tyson didn’t know his father, and it’s reported that his father-in-law disappeared when he was young. Tyson’s mother passed when he was 16, and his manager Cus became his legal guardian. Although mike joined high school, he dropped out in his junior year but participated in Junior Olympics in 1981 and 1982 and won gold medals in successive years.

At age 20, Mike Tyson won the heavyweight, becoming the youngest boxer to do so. He remained undisputed for two years and defended the title for eight years. He won the WBA, WBC, and IBF world titles and was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

When he bit his opponent’s ear, things turned ugly, and he was disqualified. The life outside the ring didn’t favor him either. In 1992, mike was arrested and charged with rape, spending three years in prison. He has seven children from three marriages.

 Mike ventured into acting, playing a fictional character in The Hangover and the solo show dubbed Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth, which later became a best-selling book. Mike Tyson weighed 213 – 221 pounds in his prime, and is 5 feet 10 inches. Now, let’s jump into his workout regime and diet plan. 

Mike Tyson’s Workout Routine

Many people attribute Mike Tyson’s success to his genetic makeup, but his workouts were insane, and not many of us would even attempt them. Under the guidance of Cus D’Amato, his head coach, and his two assistants, Kevin Rooney and Teddy Atlas, Mike trained for 50-60 hours a week. He would work out 8-10 hours daily, and 2 to 3 hours were for mental training. 

Mike Tyson’s day started as early as 4 am. He would immediately get into training, starting with morning runs, then sparring, calisthenics, bag work, more sparring, stationary bicycle, and bag work. The best thing about Mike’s workout routine is that it remained the same every day. 

Mike was a beast in training. Even before he received formal training as a teenager, he was bench-pressing over 200 pounds. Although he kept training most of the time, the workouts became intense four to five weeks before a fight. Mike would work throughout the week and would only rest on Sunday. 

One surprising fact is that Mike used to spar without headgear as his coach believed covering the head gave fighters a false sense of security. 

Punching and Tough Bag Work

Although most people claimed that Tyson was a natural puncher, his coach didn’t agree with those sentiments reiterating that Mike worked hard to become the best. His knockout power came from rigorous bag work. After seeing Tyson’s fighting style, head coach Cus observed that he needed to train hard to gain immense punching power in both hands.

 At 13 years, CUS put Mike on a 300-pound bag, and by the time he hit 18 years, he had accumulated incredible punching power that most fighters would be able to walk away from. Later, the coach introduced water bags, which mike loved punching because they felt like hitting another person. Mike also explained that he would jog up to three miles carrying 50 pounds on his back to increase his stability and agility.  

Mike Tyson’s Daily Training Schedule

• Wake up at 4 am and run for 3 to 5 miles
• Go back to bed
• Wake up at 10 am and eat breakfast
• Do 10-12 rounds of sparring
• Do over 200 reps of calisthenics 
• Break for lunch at 12 pm 
• Bag work, six rounds of sparring, pad work, rope jump, slip bag, and speed bag
• More calisthenics
• Shadowboxing focused on technique
• Study fight films
• Dinner
• Mike did 30 minutes of stationary bike cardio after dinner. 

Sparring and Technical Training

• 6 sets of slip bag punching, 8 minutes each
• 5 sets of speed bag sparring, 10 minutes each
• 4-6 sets of Willie bag, 3 minutes each
• 4-6 sets of focus mitts, 3 minutes each
• 45 minutes of technical training
• Shadowboxing, focusing on one technique until failure

Callisthenic and Strength Training

• 10 sets of push-ups – 50 reps
• 20 sets of sit-up – 100 reps
• 30 kilos shrugs – 500 reps
• 10 sets of dips – 50 reps
• Neck bridges for 30 minutes
• 500 reps of neck crunches
• 500 reps of tricep extensions

Conditioning and Cardio

• 3-5 miles jog
• 10 minutes of rope jumping

Mike Tyson’s Diet Plan

Mike Tyson’s head coach, manager, and guardian, Cus D’Amato, ensured that Tyson remained dedicated to the workout routine and diet. The boxer ate a diet full of protein and energy that would be transferred to training. Tyson also attributed his discipline to the tight schedule filled to the brim every day. He didn’t have time to fill his body with junk and other processed foods. 

Some of the delicacies you would find in his diet plan include oatmeal, chicken, steak, juice, pasta, and plenty of water. Tyson would snack with things like bananas and protein powder. 

Mike Tyson’s Diet Details

Heavy Meal for Champions

Mike Tyson understood that he needed to eat well to stay in tip-top shape. His no-nonsense meal plan included milk and oatmeal for breakfast, rice, juice, and chicken breast for lunch, and pasta, steak, and more juice for dinner. 

Healthy Snacks 

Mike would fuel up with a protein shake made from protein powder and six bananas. 

Winners Need Supplements

Tyson had to take vitamin supplements in the morning to ensure that he was ready for the day’s training regimen. 

Cheat Treats

Now and then, Tyson would treat himself to Cap’n Crunch cereal and ice cream. 

Mike Tyson’s Daily Diet Plan

Breakfast

• Oatmeal
• Milk
• Vitamins

Lunch 

• Rice 
• Chicken breast
• Orange juice

Snack

Protein shake with 6 bananas

Dinner

• Pasta
• Steak
• Tropical juice

Foods that Mike Tyson Avoided

• Junk food
• Soft drinks
• Fast Food
•  Alcohol
• Processed food
• Artificial additives
• Chemicals. 

Things to Consider if You Want to Eat Mike Like Mike Tyson

• The magnitude of your workout. If you’re working out for more than 8 hours a day, you’ll need to keep your body energized at all times
• How much muscle are you losing? If you discover that you’re wearing down muscles, you’ll need to eat more proteins. 
• Does your diet offer sufficient nutrients for your workouts? Mike Tyson used a few supplements to fill the nutrient gap. Ensure that you’re not missing any nutrients as you might start burning through your body reserves.

 Your diet shouldn’t focus only on building blocks and energy; your body also needs minerals and vitamins for vital things such as blood transportation and the transmission of signals to the brain. 

Final Verdict

If you’re ready to take on this routine, you’ll need to be disciplined, dedicated, and mentally prepared. The amount of focus, pain, and sheer grit that Mike Tyson had to endure to become one of the most decorated heavyweight fighters in the world is unfathomable. 

However, since he knew his goal was to become a world champion, he trained relentlessly and stayed on a diet until he reached the pinnacle of success, bagging the world’s most prestigious heavyweight belts. 

Iron Mike set precedence for athletes who want to be the best versions of themselves. Coming from the toughest neighborhood in America and concurring the world from his teenage years is something that should motivate anybody who wants to get better. 

If you’re looking to get a peak physique, toned muscles, and incredible strength, the Mike Tyson workout routine will offer you everything you need. Start today and see if you can hack it.