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Mike Tyson is a name that will forever be associated with brutality in the boxing ring.
During his reign as the heavyweight champion from 1987-1990, Tyson was an unstoppable force, winning his first 19 fights by knockout.
His speed, power, agility, and aggression made him difficult to fight and incredible to watch.
But have you ever wondered what Iron Mike did to achieve this level of peak performance?
Today, we will discuss the Mike Tyson workout routine and diet plan, including his training principles and supplement preferences to give you a body like The Baddest Man on the Planet.
Let’s jump in.
Mike Tyson Current Bio and Stats
Michael Gerard Tyson was born in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York City on June 30, 1966.
From a young age, Tyson lived in neighborhoods with high crime rates where he would sadly get bullied for his high pitched voice and lisp.
During this time, he had many run-ins with the law, being arrested 38 times by the age of 13.
Following this, Tyson moved into Tryon School for Boys in Johnstown, New York.
It was here that Mike was discovered by social worker and former boxer Bobby Stewart. Stewart saw his natural gift for fighting and agreed to train him for a handful of months before introducing him to Cus D’Amato.
D’Amato would become Tyson’s legal guardian as he taught him a style of peekaboo boxing. This is based on keeping the hands up at the cheeks while moving in a bobbing motion.
This style would favor his smaller size, making him far more evasive to oncoming strikes, especially against many of the larger heavyweights.
During Tyson’s amateur career, he won back-to-back gold medals at the Junior Olympic Games. This was only the beginning.
Iron Mike would go on to win a gold medal at the National Golden Gloves before claiming another gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The following year, Tyson made his professional debut defeating Hector Mercedes in a first-round knockout at just 18 years old.
During that first year, Tyson would fight 15 bouts. He would continue in subsequent years with 26 of his 28 victories coming from KO – 16 of those decided in the first round.
From here, Tyson would climb the ranks defeating potential contenders Marvis Fraziers, Mitch Green, Jesse Ferguson, and Jame Tillis.
These wins led him to a World Boxing Council (WBC) title fight against Trevor Berbick on November 22, 1986.
Much like the fights before, Tyson dominated, winning the fight in the second round and becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
Tyson’s record for his career stands at an impressive 50 wins from 58 total fights, with 44 wins by KO.
- Age: 57 Years Old
- Height: 5’10” (178 cm)
- Weight: 218 lbs (99 Kg)
- Birthday: 30th June, 1966
- Occupation: Boxer (Retired), Actor, Writer, Producer
- Retired/Active: Retired (Boxing)
Mike Tyson Workout Fundamentals
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Mike Tyson’s ability to dominate in the ring came from his incredible discipline.
Each day, Tyson would wake up at 4am and run three to five miles. He stated, “I believe the other guy isn’t doing it, and that gives me a little edge.”
Tyson training hard would make his fights easy, explaining, “The most difficult part about fighting is the training, because believe it or not, the easy part about fighting is the fighting.”
Following his morning run, Tyson would return to bed for additional rest before starting the day’s activities around mid-morning.
This is when he began putting in an incredible 55 hours in the gym per week, including 200 rounds.
His time in the gym is based on traditional boxing conditioning, including jump rope, heavy back, and neck crunches.
Tyson’s training was heavily based around the peekaboo style of boxing with a focus on ducking and bobbing, plus other techniques to keep him mobile.
Iron Mike would also use a numbers system for his various types of punches, and filmed his sessions to continue cleaning up his technique on the fly.
In the afternoons, Mike would handle media and press obligations before heading home to review tape.
Tyson would endure this style of training over the course of many months leading up to a bout, even going as far as living with his trainer to help him lock in to his routine.
Mike Tyson Workout Routine
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Now that we have covered Mike’s bio and training fundamentals, it’s time to get into his workout routine.
Below we will be covering a range of Iron Mike’s training routines, including his daily workout routine, boxing workout routine, and calisthenics routine.
Tyson built his routine around these two training styles for prep and conditioning.
We’re opting out of traditional weight lifting in favor of bodyweight workouts with rep numbers ranging in the thousands.
This will help build mass, increase muscular endurance, and keep you limber and functional.
The workouts we list below will also come with a weekly schedule to guide you through your training block like the legend himself.
Mike Tyson Daily Workout Routine
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Train | Train | Train | Train | Train | Train | Rest |
| Time | Exercise |
| 4:00 AM | 3-5 Mile Run |
| Sleep | |
| 10:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 10:30 AM | 10-12 Rounds Sparring |
| Calisthenics | |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch |
| 6 Rounds Sparring | |
| Bag Work | |
| Study Film | |
| 5:00 PM | Dinner |
| 6:00 PM | Stationary Bike |
| 7:00 PM | Study Film/Relax |
Mike Tyson Boxing Workout Routine
| Exercise | Duration/Reps |
| Warm-Up Run | 45 Mins |
| Squats | 2000 |
| Tricep Extensions | 500 |
| Push-Ups | 500 |
| Shrugs | 500 |
| Neck Crunches | 500 |
| Boxing/Sparring | 10-20 Rounds |
| Technique Training | 45 Min |
| Warm Down – Bike | 90 Mins |
Mike Tyson Calisthenics Workout Routine
The Mike Tyson calisthenics routine is legendary, and one that has many people scratching their head in awe as to how he managed to complete this on a regular basis.
The repetitions below number between 4,000-5,000 in total. Thankfully, they were not all completed in one single workout.
Tyson’s average day would consist of eight hours of boxing training. His calisthenics would be broken up around his sparring and bag work.
If you are going to attempt this style of training, we recommend starting slowly working up to the numbers below, performing them in smaller increments.
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Train | Train | Train | Train | Train | Train | Rest |
Mike Tyson Dieting and Food Preferences
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The Mike Tyson workout routine is one of the most grueling workouts we have covered, and if you are thinking about training like Mike, you will need to eat like Mike.
Tyson’s diet and food preferences were as disciplined as his training.
His meals are based on complex carbohydrates for fuels, plus protein for muscle growth and recovery totalling a massive 4,000 calories.
Below is a list of Mike Tyson’s diet and food preferences to help you understand what The Baddest Man on the Planet ate on his way to world domination.
| Meal | Food |
| Meal 1 | Oatmeal, Milk, Multivitamin, Magnesium, fish Oil |
| Meal 2 | Chicken Breast, Rice, Orange Juice |
| Snack | Protein Shake (6x Bananas) |
| Meal 3 | Steak, Pasta, Orange Juice |
Mike Tyson Diet Plan
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Mike Tyson’s food preferences were incredibly strict, and while we want to assist you in achieving these results, we believe that adding some flavor may help you stick it out for the long haul.
Below is Mike Tyson-inspired diet that is based on the heavyweight champs eating. However, there are some subtle changes to make it more palatable and help you reach those lofty calorie targets.
Meal 1
- 2x Poached Eggs
- Whole Wheat Toast
- 1x Scoop Protein Shake (1 Cup Oats, Banana, Berries, Protein Yogurt)
Meal 2
- 2x Portuguese Grilled Chicken Wrap
- Stir Fried Vegetables
- Brown Rice
- Orange Juice
Snack
- 2 x Scoop Protein Shake (1 Cup Oats, 2x Banana, Berries, Peanut Butter)
Meal 3
- Grilled Steak
- Baked Potato
- Green Salad (Tomato, Avocado, Red Onion)
- Orange Juice
Tyson’s diet was relatively simple compared to the standard bodybuilding and athlete nutrition plan, especially since it only contained four meals per day.
However, he would have had to consume large quantities to hit his 4,000 calorie target to fuel his body for his intense training routine.
For you to take full advantage of the Mike Tyson workout routine and diet plan, we recommend monitoring your macros and tracking your calories.
Tracking your nutrition is a great way to ensure that you are hitting your calorie targets and eating the correct amount of carbs for fuel, protein for building muscle, and fat to absorb essential nutrients.
To get on top of your nutrition, try our advanced calorie and macronutrient calculator.
Here you can add your age, gender, height, weight, and activity level. You’ll get an accurate daily calorie and macro intake that will help you smash your training and transform your body like Iron Mike.
Mike Tyson Supplement Preferences
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For Mike Tyson to train day in and day out at such a high standard, there is no doubt that his nutrition needed to be on point.
However, with training of this level, Tyson also used supplements to fill those additional gaps.
Here is a list of Mike Tyson supplement preferences:
- Creatine – Improves energy and performance
- Vitamin D – Improves calcium absorption and reduces inflammation
- Caffeine – Increases energy
- Beta-Alanine – Enhances performance, decreases muscle fatigue
Final Thoughts
Mike Tyson was without a doubt one of the most formidable and intimidating forces on the planet.
His blind dedication to becoming the best in the world is still revered to this day, long after his retirement.
From the brutal early morning running session, mammoth calisthenics workouts, and hours hitting the bag, he will go down in history as one of the all-time great athletes.
So, if you are thinking of giving the Mike Tyson workout routine and diet plan a shot, be sure to take it slow, build up your calisthenics and boxing routine, and focus on nutrition.
Nailing down these elements will help you achieve that elite boxing physique.
Now, are you thinking of trying the Mike Tyson workout routine and diet plan? Which part of his routine do you think will suit your training style?
Let us know in the comments.
How many hours does Mike Tyson workout?
Mike Tyson would train eight hours a day. This would contain a variety of running, boxing, and calisthenics to help improve strength, conditioning, and performance.
How many pushups did Mike Tyson do a day?
Mike Tyson used to do 500 push ups a day. This was a part of his intense calisthenics routine which contained other movements including squats, dips, shrugs, sit-ups and neck bridges.
Did Mike Tyson do his workout everyday?
Yes, Mike Tyson did train everyday, performing a workout six days per week with Sunday being an active recovery day.
Leading up to a fight, Tyson would increase this to all seven days to get in every last bit of training before a big bout.
What are Mike Tyson push ups?
A Mike Tyson push-up is where you press your feet against a wall and your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart.
Lower yourself into a normal push-up, and then push yourself up while bending your knees and allow your hips to unhinge towards the wall.
In this position, your arms and upper body should be in a straight line, while your upper knees bent and your upper leg parallel with the wall.
What muscles do Mike Tyson push ups work?
Mike Tyson push-ups work the chest, shoulders, triceps, and abs.
How to fight like Mike Tyson?
Mike Tyson uses a peekaboo style of boxing which focuses on keeping your hands at your cheeks and ducking and bobbing.
This style of training favored his smaller size and made it difficult for other fighters to land blows during a fight.
How much can Mike Tyson lift?
Mike Tyson reportedly could lift over 200 pounds. However, he rarely performed weight training, opting for calisthenics and boxing to build muscle mass and endurance.
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