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I’ve been seeing more than a few videos of Iron Mike as of late, but not so much the fights, but the man’s TRAINING.

Guy got WAY out of shape a few years back, then came back tremendously – all credit to Iron!

Iron Mike, not “iron”.

Or the iron IN him, which allowed him to take criticism he got like a man, and then COMEBACK – something which might not have quite happened during the young and wild days (we all have ’em, but I’d bet Tyson’s still that wild at heart. Hehe. He’s just toned it down a little).

Anyway …

His “peek a boo” style of fighting, not unique to him, but a style that most fighters prefer not to employ since it’s HEAVY on the legs, and tires you out quick – was something he used to devastating efficiency in his hey day.

Iron Mike’s built like a brick outhouse, which y’all know.

But he wasn’t especially tall, and when competing with giants (i.e.taller than 6 feet), in boxing, he naturally had to make use of his strengths while minimizing his weaknesses.

For him, that meant getting “inside” his opponent’s long reach, which he did not have, and then unleashing his POWER.

Iron Mike’s one of those guys that is built naturally strong, like my buddy from the Marines (though even he’s quite not up to Iron Mike levels, but he’s a ways there!).

Like “natural lumberjack”.

And while there’s plenty of reasons for Mike Tyson’s punching power, I’ll list some out …

One, his conditioning – and his massive, strong, legs – that kept going, going, going.

(true, some may debate that , but I’m talking about Iron Mike in his PRIME).

Two, those naturally strong arms, shoulders, and traps …

Three, his core – solid as a brick – more so!

his speed.

Training – hours and hours put into the punching bag for one.

Much more, a killer instinct he was born with.

But most of all, it boils down to #3.

You look at Tyson’s core, THAT is really where that punching power comes from.

Remember, your core ain’t the six pack.

It’s everything down from the lower chest to your knees.

Hips, thighs, butt, lower back – and of course, the abdominal area, you just look at the guy, guy’s MASSIVE in the core – yet lean, toned and flexible!

Like, you’d think you’d HURT your hand just punching him there!

Brings to mind what I wrote about “soft and flexible”, ask Iron Mike, he’ll be the first to tell you the truism of this too.

Martin Farmer Burns once wrote about this in “Lessons of Wrestling and Physical Culture“.

“My own abdominal muscles are soft enough when relaxed, yet if I were to tense them to prepare for a man striking me, they would be hard enough so that his fists might incur damage, but not my abdominal muscles”.

This is a quote from memory, not verbatim, but he was talking about someone striking him with full force in his stomach for this one.

(read the book, you’ll know).

Thats what a core should be like, my friend.

And core, ultimately is what gave Iron Mike that tremendous punching power he has.

Now, you might not ever turn into someone like Tyson when training hard.

You might not even have that as a goal.

You might not be as genetically gifted in that department. I ain’t, I’ll tell you that.

(and even Tyson, look at the first place he puts on weight when he does..)

But there is no reason YOU shouldn’t get  a core of steel – the best you can – today, my friend.

Some of the best exercises for doing so?

Hindu squats. 

Some of the exercises I have in Corrugated Core.

Pushups, tons of them (Mike Tyson did 500 pushups, 500 dips, 2000 situps a day in addition to ALL else he did, you can surely do 100 pushups a day if nothing else?)

And of course, that fabled HILL – any hill – hike hills hard and long, your core issues will start to take care of themselves.

Alright my friend.

Get to it NOW.

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

PS – I haven’t been writing a lot about CLUB swinging as of late, but those are another superb means to build the core. Like the old time Indian wrestlers did, and its going to be all detailed in the upcoming book Lumberjack “Lodestone” Fitness.

From one that was never a natural at it … you’ll want to reserve your copy of this book NOW.