Back in the day, when Mike Tyson would enter the ring, he would bring along a sense of intimidation with him. A heavyweight in its truest sense, with a well-built body and a determination to annihilate his opponents, he was one who never went out without putting up a good fight. Years later, he continues to hold on to these attributes, especially the well-built body. Such consistency implores a question. How? Especially when he continues to suffer from a life-altering condition.
In 2022, it was reported that the former heavyweight champion was diagnosed with a condition called sciatica. It is a nerve-impacting illness that causes pain in the lower back and leg. Speaking about his condition, Tyson had noted, “I have sciatica and from time to time this problem comes up. When it flares up, I can’t even talk.” However, despite these tribulations, the former fighter has a physique that reminds fans of his bygone days in the ring. What is his secret, you may ask? Well, Bryan Salmond enquired the same.
Mike Tyson’s secret: Eating, Exercising, and a lot more
In a recent conversation with Bryan Salmond, ‘Iron Mike’ spilled the beans on what he does to keep his body in the impressive condition that it is. Fans have often wondered how he manages to stick to such a physique despite his illness and age. It does seem daunting, doesn’t it? But the fighter has it controlled. He says it is eating a balanced diet, anti-aging products, and blood spinning that have done it for him.
Does he use creams or ‘stuff’ like that? “Nah, I don’t do that. It’s all about your body. It’s all about what you eat and stuff. Cause As you get older, your body doesn’t process the food as it did before,” he revealed. Vegan or Vegetarianism, his mantra? Nah, again. He said, “I balance it. I don’t believe in being vegan. I once did. But I think you should balance your food system. Because your food is your medicine.”
He must have figured out a specific regimen, right? Sort of. He explained, “Yeah, I do a lot of rowing, a lot of cardio stuff, with the ball and stuff. I don’t do a lot of weights unless I have a project.” It might seem like he has it all sorted, but there was a time when the fighter had to go through his own journey to figure out what works for him and what does not. So much so that he transitioned from veganism to bison meat. Drastic?
A decade of veganism for Mike Tyson
It was in 2020 when Mike ventured into the ring after having retired 14 years ago. For his fight against Roy Jones Jr., the fighter had to lose the ’27-stone’ weight that he had put on since hanging his gloves. And so he did. However, what marked the transformation was his transition from veganism to carnivorism. The fighter till then had been a plant-based eater for about a decade.
Then he realized that meat worked better for him, hence, he shifted. What meat? He specified, “I only eat elk and bison – wild stuff – and I’m starting to feel fit. I realized the stuff that’s good for other people – like kale, vegetables, and blueberries. For me, it’s really poisonous… Kale will kill me!”
