So, I got this idea in my head, you know? Seeing those old clips of Mike Tyson, the power, the shape he was in. Crazy. And I thought, maybe I could try and get some of that intensity going myself. Not to actually fight, haha, just to feel that kind of strong, you know?
Getting Started Was Rough
First off, I looked up what folks said he did. Man, the internet is wild. Numbers that seemed impossible. Waking up at 4 AM, tons of sit-ups, push-ups, neck bridges… I knew right away I wasn’t gonna just jump into that exact thing. I’m not 20 anymore, and definitely not a world-class athlete.
So, I decided to take the spirit of it. The discipline part. Getting up earlier, that was the first hurdle. Setting the alarm for 5:30 AM felt like a punch already. Dragged myself out, put on some sweats. The first few mornings were just miserable. Cold, dark, body screaming to go back to bed.
The Actual Work
I started simple. Didn’t want to break myself on day one.
- Bodyweight stuff mostly. Push-ups, as many as I could manage.
- Sit-ups, again, focusing on just doing them, not hitting some crazy number.
- Some squats.
- Tried jogging. Found a nearby park loop. At first, I could barely do one lap without gasping.
I wasn’t counting calories like a madman, but I definitely cut back on the junk. Less takeout, more basic stuff I cooked myself. Tried to eat cleaner, more protein. Felt like if I was putting in the work, I shouldn’t sabotage it with bad fuel.
Consistency was the real fight. Every day, especially when I was sore or tired, the little voice said “skip it today”. Had to just ignore that, push through. Some days were better than others. Some workouts felt great, others felt like moving through concrete.
Seeing Changes (Slowly)
It wasn’t like I woke up looking like Tyson after a week. Not even close. But after a few weeks, I noticed small things. Getting up got slightly easier. The jogging laps increased. I could do more push-ups before collapsing. My clothes felt a bit looser around the middle.
The biggest thing was the feeling, though. More energy during the day, surprisingly. Less sluggish. Felt a bit tougher mentally too, like I’d already won a battle before breakfast. It wasn’t about looking like Mike Tyson, really. It became about challenging myself, sticking to something hard.
Still doing it. Still tough some mornings. But it’s part of the routine now. It’s my version of getting “Tyson shape” – disciplined, consistent, and feeling stronger than I did before I started. And that feels pretty good.
