Does anybody know what kind of weight program Cus had Mike doing? I've heard that Cus wasn't big on weight lifting, but Tyson was built like he lived in the weight gym. I once read Tyson bench pressed over 500 pounds. Anyone know anything about his weight lifting routine.

everyone wants to be like mike.

I don't think Mike lifted weights back then. He was always a big kid but I think Cus D'Mato had him to alot of natural isokenetic workouts. Pushups, situps, pullups, & hitting that heavy bag pumped him up even more.

You know how if you lift 3 sets of 3 on high weight you get big and if you lift 2 sets of 20 you get lean, its the same in boxing.
If you slam the heavy bag for 30 seconds and then take a break for 2 min, and do it again you get big, if you practice hitting for 2 min and take a 30 sec break than you get lean.
Tyson lifts a lot of weight now though, I think maybe that's why he got injured in his last fight.

How did Tyson get 28 inch legs without doing squats?

there are a number of ways

plyometric jumping

trampoline

etc

all of which are better for a boxer than weightlifting, sure you'll have massive strong legs but you'll tire much faster also, those big muscles take a toll on your lungs.

^^^I did not know that....

there are a number of ways

plyometric jumping

trampoline

etc

all of which are better for a boxer than weightlifting, sure you'll have massive strong legs but you'll tire much faster also, those big muscles take a toll on your lungs.

What exactly is plyometric jumping?

plyometric jumping could be jumping in the same spot over and over again, but when you land you need to jump up with full force immediately, no slow jumps.

True plyometric jumping is where you buy a set of like 5 -6 little pedestals. Each pedestal is very supported once placed on the ground, and you line them up, each pedestal higher than the last. You start at the lowest one, and then jump on one foot to the highest one, then back down. It is very difficult, especially for people my size. If a boxer were to master this, his leverage and foot coordination would be through the roof.

Afterwards if you cool down on the trampoline, you will be a leverage machine

Nope he didnt train heavily with weights with Cus D'amato...He started training with weights before the Williams fight (Freddie Roach did not approve of this)...which is a mistake because a lot of Tyson's power comes from his hand speed. Too much weight training can take away some snap and speed from your punches.

Nope he didnt train heavily with weights with Cus D'amato...He started training with weights before the Williams fight (Freddie Roach did not approve of this)...which is a mistake because a lot of Tyson's power comes from his hand speed. Too much weight training can take away some snap and speed from your punches.

I don't think any fighter should ever weight train, and most trainers who know what they're doing think the same. Adding more muscle mass slows you down (no matter who you are) and takes away your stamina (gotta feed that extra muscle). If you need more power, tone up the muscle you have...that makes you both faster, and stronger, don't build more muscle. If ****s a fighter up.

I don't think any fighter should ever weight train, and most trainers who know what they're doing think the same. Adding more muscle mass slows you down (no matter who you are) and takes away your stamina (gotta feed that extra muscle). If you need more power, tone up the muscle you have...that makes you both faster, and stronger, don't build more muscle. If ****s a fighter up.


Yup, that is another problem with bulking up too much...it's effects your stamina and makes you tire easy. A few years ago I started weight training and bulked up, I have since quit that....but anyway I found that when I was bulked out with muscle...I became lazy and liked to sleep a lot...it's like you said your system uses up it's energy to feed those big muscles...that's why your stamina is effected.

I don't think any fighter should ever weight train, and most trainers who know what they're doing think the same. Adding more muscle mass slows you down (no matter who you are) and takes away your stamina (gotta feed that extra muscle). If you need more power, tone up the muscle you have...that makes you both faster, and stronger, don't build more muscle. If ****s a fighter up.
What do you mean by "tone" up the muscle you have?
When you lift weights, the muscle-fiber expands and grows bigger. You don't "build" any new ones...
I don't understand what you mean?

What do you mean by "tone" up the muscle you have?
When you lift weights, the muscle-fiber expands and grows bigger. You don't "build" any new ones...
I don't understand what you mean?


When you increase your muscle mass, by lifting heavy weights, you incrase the oxygen and energy requirements of that muscle. However, if you simply increase the efficiency of the muscle mass you already have, through lighter, higher repetitions, you increase your speed and power without losing stamina.

When you increase your muscle mass, by lifting heavy weights, you incrase the oxygen and energy requirements of that muscle. However, if you simply increase the efficiency of the muscle mass you already have, through lighter, higher repetitions, you increase your speed and power without losing stamina.

Let me expand on this a little more, I didn't realize what you were asking until I'd already submitted the reply:

Any gains in strength from weight lifting, generally occur very early in a training program, and before much mass is gained, if any. Adding mass doesn't necessarily increase strength, and in fact isn't even necessary.

When I said "Don't build more muscle", I was talking about adding mass, not literally growing more muscle.

Anyway...and again...big muscles are a bad thing for a boxer, and not at all necessary to have plenty of strength.

Let me expand on this a little more, I didn't realize what you were asking until I'd already submitted the reply:

Any gains in strength from weight lifting, generally occur very early in a training program, and before much mass is gained, if any. Adding mass doesn't necessarily increase strength, and in fact isn't even necessary.

When I said "Don't build more muscle", I was talking about adding mass, not literally growing more muscle.

Anyway...and again...big muscles are a bad thing for a boxer, and not at all necessary to have plenty of strength.
Thanks :)
I never use weights myself. I throw medicine balls, stand on my hands (archie moore used to walk up and down stairs on his hands to develop the punching muscles) and generally I'm just very very strong, though I'm very skinny on my arms. Got real broad shoulders though :)

How did Tyson get 28 inch legs without doing squats?

Another good way to get really strong legs is to stand on one leg with the other leg bent at a 90 degree angle, go down and do a one leg'ed squat. 3 sets of 10 with your own body weight usually does alot more for me than squatting with weights.

Weights do not make u big if you use them correctly!!

low weight high reps = garbage (only conditions you)

High weight low reps=GOOD (gets you stronger and faster without getting big)

Medium weight medium reps= bodybuilding

I read somewhere that Tyson bench pressed 500 pounds, what kind of non weight workouts bring that sort of power?

his power is frmo his legs...and whe nhe was a tiny kid he alreayd had that power...he was knocking kids out wiht one punch on the street

i heard somehwere that Tyson was 5'8" and 205 lbs when he was 13 or 14 so I think that a lot iof hgis weigth was jsut natural. That being said however, he certainly did do a little bit of lifting but I think that Tyson was jsut genetically predisposed to being a big guy

I read somewhere that Tyson bench pressed 500 pounds, what kind of non weight workouts bring that sort of power?



Tyson was knocking out grown men at the age of 9 on the street-preboxing training...also when they first found Tyson off the streets at age 13, one of Tyson's first trainers put him on a bench press to see how strong he was...he bench pressed 200 lbs. no problem...this is when they took him raw off the street no training no weight lifting. So he had tremendous natural strength pre boxing.

someone told me brad pitt benched 450 during filming of fight club, dont believe everything ya read :) lol

bench dont mean **** in terms of punching power anyway

someone told me brad pitt benched 450 during filming of fight club, dont believe everything ya read :) lol

bench dont mean **** in terms of punching power anyway



I know that...I was just pointing out that he had natural strength...I'm not some illogical Tyson nuthugger who is claiming that Tyson is Superman...No, Tyson is the king of wasted potential.

Some lifting is good if done in a explosive way. Push-press, jump-squats etc
plyometrics are also great

Some lifting is good if done in a explosive way. Push-press, jump-squats etc
plyometrics are also great

Exactly!!

Plyometrics are the best!!!

just a random point. if you are deciding what to do in your routine with weights and such, don't compare yourself to Mike Tyson.
Especially if your going to fight as an amateur, Tyson wasn't even that great when his opponents got to wear head gear.

just a random point. if you are deciding what to do in your routine with weights and such, don't compare yourself to Mike Tyson.
Especially if your going to fight as an amateur, Tyson wasn't even that great when his opponents got to wear head gear.
Yea, i was on larry holmes web page and he talks on there, he said Tyson didn't hit all that hard. He said Shavers, Norton, and Cooney, even butterbean hit harder. He said Tyson was just very fast and sharp and hard to hit.

someone told me brad pitt benched 450 during filming of fight club, dont believe everything ya read :) lol

bench dont mean **** in terms of punching power anyway


I was there, he totally benched 450! He did like 3 sets of 15 reps.

I was there, he totally benched 450! He did like 3 sets of 15 reps.



So you saw his warm-up sets?

I was there, he totally benched 450! He did like 3 sets of 15 reps.

are u kidding?

No this is not a training regimen from gary todd's book.

Here's mike tyson's workout when he was a "kid"

IIRC Tyson in his youth didnt use weights at all but his 'bulk' came from being naturally big (200lb at age 15), eating high protein diets (steak, pasta and fruit juices were his ONLY diet up until firing Rooney in 1988).
Well i digress, his regimen in the olden days was this:

5am: get up and go for a 3 mile jog
6am: come back home shower and go back to bed (great workout for those huge legs of his)
10am wake up: eat oatmeal
12pm: do ring work (10 rounds of sparring)
2pm: have another meal (steak and pasta with fruit juice drink)
4pm: more ring work and 60 mins on the exercise bike (again working those legs for endurance and power)
5pm: floor exercises: 2000 sit ups; 500-800 'dips'; 500 press ups and 500 shrugs with a 30kg barbell and 10 mins of neck exercises (working the biceps, triceps, chest, abs and shoulders)
7pm: steak and pasta meal again with fruit juice (orange i think it was).
8pm: another 30 minutes on the exercise bike
9:30 watch TV and then go to bed.

I heard this on an interview with Tyson saying it himself to Ian Darke (Sky commentator)

Contrary to belief, Tyson wasnt always in the ring sparring for hours and hours, but he did his roadwork and kept his body in shape, with 10 rounds of sparring a day he virtually eliminated his ring rust and could work on the power punches which came from natural exercices (the press ups etc) and those big powerful legs. It's this discipline that made Tyson so great up until firing Kevin Rooney.



This is Tyson at age 18.

Tyson had this size when he was 16-ish really (214 pounds) but as the exercises were consistent everyday he didnt get weight gains or size gains due to the consistent regimen he followed. All he did was maintain his size, conditioning and stamina but learned ALL the time in the sparring sessions and his matches in the ring and THAT is what made him a brilliant boxer NOT his personal life which is what made him an ATTRACTION.

Thats hardcore

not really pretty much how I do it too, except apple juice.

just kidding

tyson lifted weight before fighting lewis , that i m sure.

about weights and boxing , the main interest of weights is to increase size and strenght , so its good if youre movin up in weight , i think it s the only way to grow into a biiger fighter.

youcan use it for strengt too , it increases power ,tzyu has performances in weight lifting that are almost ones of a powerlifter his size.

weights are good , just dont do them before sparring or fighting , cause yourbody needs to adapt to the new mass , turn it into an explosive muscle by using push ups and others calistenics.

Thanks :)
I never use weights myself. I throw medicine balls, stand on my hands (archie moore used to walk up and down stairs on his hands to develop the punching muscles) and generally I'm just very very strong, though I'm very skinny on my arms. Got real broad shoulders though :)


ancient archie moore also did plyometric pushups - when u get all the way up u're hands leave the gound( i've tried them, **** they are hard - on a good day i can do ten ). archie used this build up enormous ( like angelina jolie's lips ) strength is his shoulders, he has the most KO's of ANY boxer - 145