Tyson Fury showed his power when he beat Wladimir Klitschko to claim the WBO, WBA, IBO and IBF heavyweight titles. But the Macunian’s boxing prowess didn't come easily. From cutting down on red meat to knocking the partying on the head, Fury worked hard to become world champion.
Boxing may be in his blood – Fury is the son of professional boxer John Fury, who started his career as a bare-knuckle fighter – but he realised that he couldn’t reach champion status without some lifestyle changes. Here’s how he did it.
1. Ate his greens
“I eat every two hours, basically just meat and vegetables,” Fury told Men’s Fitness in an interview. The boxer realised that he needed to ditch the junk to get to his optimum fighting weight. He gave up his beloved pies and instead followed a clean diet supplemented by shakes – his discipline paid off, and he went from around 140kg to a lean 117kg.
2. Banned the beef
Fury admits that he used to be a big fan of red meat, but cut down after realising how long it was taking for him to digest it. Nowadays, you’ll only find him tucking into a steak as a treat once or twice a week.
3. Asked for help
Sometimes, you have to call in the experts. Fury and his trainer enlisted the help of a nutritionist and dietitian to help put together his meal plans during training. His verdict? “It worked for me!”
4. Stopped behaving badly
“I packed up having a good time,” Fury told Sky Sports. Since 2012, he admits he’s only had “about three weeks’ break” from training, which is quite the turnaround for a man who admits he used to enjoy “going out late, drinking and clubbing”.
5. Stopped trying to copy Rocky
Fury realised that hitting the track wasn’t the best form of cardio for a guy of his size, as it put too much pressure on his legs and joints. He shook up his workout accordingly, replacing running with other lower-impact exercises on the bike, rowing machines and the cross-trainer.
