You only need to look at Mike Tyson or his beastly new protege Francis Ngannou to see that he’s capable in both the gym and the ring. We learned this week one of Tyson’s favorite moves, which is derived from old Indian customs and burns every muscle group in one revolutionary motion.
After a viral video of the legendary boxer performing this move circulated on the internet, amateur gym rats and professional athletes all over the world have added it to their training regimen. Learn how to perform the ancient Indian ‘and’ or ‘Hindu Push Up’ exercise and reap its benefits.
What Is the Mike Tyson Push-Up?
As previously stated, these push-ups have some similarities with ‘Hindu push-ups’, which involve strong forward and backward movements combined with the traditional up-and-down motion associated with regular push-ups. Our friends at Vitalised Future explain the key difference.
The positioning of your feet distinguishes them from standard push-ups: instead of resting them on the floor behind you, you plant them flat against a wall behind you. This enables you to perform a squat-like movement at the top of your push-up, similar to a horizontal squat against the wall.
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The trick is to use your core to control the movement and then come back to the starting position. Although it takes some getting the hang of the Mike Tyson push-up, the benefits are well worth the effort.
Which Muscles Do Mike Tyson Push-Ups Work?
Mike Tyson push-ups serve as a disguised full-body workout. While they primarily work the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core, they also put a strain on your quadriceps. This exercise works a large number of muscle groups due to its dynamic range of motion.
This exercise not only increases muscle strength and endurance but also improves cardiovascular fitness.
Benefits of Mike Tyson Push-Ups
A Leg Workout Surprise
While traditional push-ups primarily target the upper body, Mike Tyson push-ups highlight your legs, particularly the quads. The squat-like movement against your preferred wall engages your legs, providing a refreshing lower-body workout in addition to the highly anticipated upper-body burn.
A challenge for experienced fitness enthusiasts.
If you’ve been completing standard push-ups with ease, it’s time to step it up. Mike Tyson push-ups provide a refreshing challenge, working your muscles in a new way and adding often-overlooked cardiovascular fitness to your workout.
How to Do Mike Tyson Push-ups
- Start in a push-up position, with your feet flat against the wall and your toes on the floor.
- Bend your legs and push your glutes backward to mimic a squat.
- Move forward until your shoulders, elbows, and wrists are all aligned.
- Lower your chest to the ground and perform a standard push-up.
- Engage your core to slow your upper body’s descent and keep it from contacting the ground.
- Push yourself back into the starting position.
- Repeat each step for the desired number of reps and sets.
If you want to look like Tyson, perform like Tyson, or ideally do both, you must train as hard and quickly as he did. This punishing push-up variation may be your first step toward greatness.
Other Exercises to Train the Whole Body
Some alternatives to the Mike Tyson push-up that can also train the entire body are:
Overhead Press Squats.
Combining an overhead press with squats is another excellent way to work both your upper and lower bodies at once. To get your cardio in, complete this exercise with heavy dumbbells that you lift into the air as you rise from your squat.
Ball Slams
A weighted ball slam workout is another excellent way to work your shoulders, core, back, and legs all at once, while also incorporating some cardio at the appropriate intensity. Begin by picking up the ball from the ground, raising it above your head while standing upright, and then slamming it back down for a squat.
FAQs
Did Mike Tyson ever lift?
If you are wondering, “Did Mike Tyson lift weights?” the answer is Yes. Mike benchpressed more than 200 pounds as a teenager, despite having no formal training.
Are Mike Tyson push-ups effective?
The move not only activates muscles and increases strength throughout your body, but it also raises your heart rate and endurance. You can incorporate the move into your upper-body routine or calisthenics workout, or set a target number of reps as a challenge.
Why Mike Tyson doesn t lift weights?
Mike Tyson did not have a weightlifting routine while training with Cus D’Amato. Cus repeatedly told Mike that weightlifting would slow him down, and he did not want his fighters to lift, so Cus devised a calisthenics routine for Tyson to improve his strength and endurance.
What was Muhammad Ali’s workout?
Ali did not train with weights, but he did train hard six days a week. He ran 6 miles in under 40 minutes per day and worked out in the gym for 3 hours every day, doing sit-ups, bag punching, ball punching, skipping, sparring, shadow boxing, and so on.