Alright, so I heard about Mike Tyson getting back into training shape for something this year, 2024. And you know me, I like a challenge, or at least, I like the idea of a challenge. Thought I’d see what a little bit of that old-school intensity felt like. Not saying I was gonna be Tyson, hell no. Just wanted to dip my toes in, see what happened.
Getting Started – The Plan (Sort Of)
First thing, I looked up what his training used to be like. The real stuff. Absolutely insane numbers. Thousands of sit-ups, hundreds of push-ups, neck bridges, crazy roadwork. Right away I knew, nope, not happening. Not for this old body. So, the plan became: take the spirit of it, the discipline, the basic movements, but scale it waaaay down. Like, toddler-sized Tyson training.
My version was gonna be simple:
- Get up early. That seemed key. Discipline, right?
- Some kind of running or cardio first thing.
- Bodyweight exercises. Push-ups, squats, sit-ups. Basic stuff.
- Maybe some shadow boxing, just to feel the part.
Seemed manageable enough on paper.
The Actual Grind – Day by Day
Day 1: Woke up before the sun. Felt weird. Went for a jog. More like a fast walk, if I’m being honest. Lungs burning after ten minutes. Came back, did push-ups. Managed about 10 before my arms gave out. Squats were easier. Sit-ups… ugh. Felt okay, mostly just tired.
Day 3: Okay, now things started to hurt. Getting out of bed was rough. Everything felt stiff. The early morning jog was pure willpower. Pushed myself to do 12 push-ups. Small victory, but man, it felt like lifting a car. Did some shadow boxing in the garage. Felt completely ridiculous, punching the air. Pretty sure my neighbor saw me through the window. Avoided eye contact for the rest of the day.
Week 1 down: Sticking with it was the hardest part. The routine itself wasn’t that complicated, just repetitive and demanding, even my baby version. Getting up early every single day, pushing through the soreness. That was the real work. Started adding a few more reps here and there. The jog got slightly easier, maybe lasting 15 minutes before I felt like dying.
Week 2: Found a bit of a rhythm. Still tough, don’t get me wrong. Especially the mornings. But wasn’t dreading it quite as much. Could do maybe 20 push-ups straight. Squats were up to 50 or so. Still felt silly shadow boxing, but hey, it got the heart rate up. I skipped the neck exercises entirely. Heard too many horror stories, wasn’t gonna risk it.
What I Reckon After Trying It
So, after a couple of weeks of my scaled-down ‘Tyson 2024’ experiment? I didn’t magically get ripped or develop knockout power. Shocker, right?
But here’s the thing. Consistency is brutal. That’s the main takeaway. Showing up every day, even when you don’t want to, even when it’s basic stuff. It builds something. Not just muscle, but… grit? Maybe.
Felt a bit tougher mentally. Pushing through that “I wanna quit” feeling during the last few reps, or the last few minutes of the run. That stays with you.
Physically? Yeah, felt a bit tighter, maybe a little stronger. Had a bit more energy during the day, surprisingly. But the sheer volume Tyson used to do? It’s superhuman. Trying even a fraction of it gives you serious respect for that level of dedication.
Will I keep doing it exactly like this? Probably not the whole thing long-term. It’s a lot. But maybe I’ll keep the early morning workouts, keep the push-ups and squats. It definitely shook things up. Good reminder that sometimes you just gotta put your head down and do the work, even if it’s hard, even if you feel silly doing it in your garage.
