Greatest Ever Boxing Workouts - including Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Roberto Duran. Gary Todd
fights and remarkable rematches.
ANTONIO TARVER’S TYPICAL DAY
What time do you get up in the morning to run? 5:30am.
Do you stretch before you run? No.
How far do you run? I run three-five miles on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and I concentrate on explosive sprinting on Tuesdays and Thursdays. (I also go swimming, once a week, to loosen up.)
After your roadwork, what do you do? I stretch, then I relax.
What do you have for your breakfast? Egg whites, oatmeal, fruit, water, and I take vitamins.
What time do you go to the gym? 12:00 midday. About two months before I fight, I concentrate on strength and conditioning. No boxing, just exercises.
What time do you leave the gym? 2:00pm.
What do you do after training? I love playing golf. I practice and practice. I like playing my PlayStation, and I love listening to music.
What do you have for your dinner? Chicken, fish, brown rice and salads.
Do you have any interests or hobbies? Golf, baseball and watching sports.
What time do you go to bed? 10:30pm.
What is your favourite exercise in the gym? Focus pads.
How many days do you work out? Six days. I go for a long run in the morning, then I go and play golf in the afternoon.
Before you won the world title, did you have a job? Yes, I worked at Warehouse Home Depot.
ANTONIO TARVER’S WORKOUT
SPARRING DAYS
STRETCHING: ten to 15 minutes.
SHADOWBOXING: two x three-minute rounds.
SPARRING: four to ten rounds, depending on stage of preparation.
FOCUS PADS: two x three-minute rounds.
SPEED BAG: three x three-minute rounds.
RELAX
NON-SPARRING DAYS
STRETCHING: ten-15 minutes. I would then wrap up my hands.
SHADOWBOXING: two x three-minute rounds.
HEAVY BAG: four-six x three-minute rounds.
FOCUS PADS: three x three-minute rounds.
FLOOR TO CEILING BAG: three x three-minute rounds.
SKIPPING: 15 minutes, non-stop.
SHADOWBOXING: three x three-minute rounds.
COOL DOWN
NOTE: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in training camp.
8:00PM AT NIGHT: extra session for strength and conditioning. Plyometrics, medicine ball/stomach work, dips, pushups and lots of stretching out. (No weights.)
MASSAGE: twice a week.
Country: Australia
Date of birth: 2 June 1955
Wins: 48 (15 KOs)
Losses: nine
Draws: three
Australian Lightweight Champion
Commonwealth Lightweight Champion
Australian Light Welterweight Champion
IBF Super Featherweight Champion of the World
Fighting out of Melbourne, Australia, Barry Michael was a working-class man that the people could look up to and admire. In a 14-year professional career he travelled the world, chasing a dream, fighting guys like Najib Daho, Lennox Blackmoore and Rocky Lockridge.
Michael wasn’t a huge puncher but he wore his opponents down with his debilitating combination punching and a non-stop, in-your-face attacking style, which entertained fight fans every time he stepped through the ropes.
In his 60 fights, only two men would stop him: Lennox Blackmoore and Rocky Lockridge.
Blackmoore was a skilful boxer who carried his punching power right to the end of his fights. He stopped Michael in the seventh round of their non-title fight in 1978, and would later go on to challenge the legendary Light Welterweight World Champion Aaron Pryor for his WBA title in 1981, but was blasted out in two rounds by ‘the Hawk’.
Rocky Lockridge was a devastating puncher who had beaten Roger Mayweather for the WBA Super Featherweight title in explosive style, knocking him out in the first round in 1984. He also took the great Julio Cesar Chavez the distance in 1986, and, earlier in his career, narrowly missed out on a split decision to the brilliantly talented WBA Featherweight Champion, Eusebio Pedroza, in 1980.
When Barry Michael faced the dynamite-fisted American in 1987, Lockridge was at his awesome best and stopped him in eight rounds, taking away the tough Australian’s IBF Super Featherweight Championship belt.
This was the title that Michael had won from fellow Australian Lester Ellis in Melbourne, in 1985. Michael and Ellis fought out a gruelling 15-round battle at the legendary Festival Hall, with Michael dominating the final round to win on points and win the hearts and minds of Australian fight fans forever.
BARRY MICHAEL’S TYPICAL DAY
What time did you get up in the morning to run? 6:30am.
How far did you run? Ten kilometres [eight miles] took me 48 minutes.
After running, what did you do? Shower, then breakfast.
What did you have for breakfast? 1500-calories-a-day controlled diet: porridge, with skimmed milk, one piece of toast with vegemite, and one glass of orange juice. (No sugar or butter on the porridge.)
What did you do after breakfast? Back to bed for a few hours sleep.
What time did you go to the gym? 4:00pm.
What time did you finish your workout? Between 6:00pm and 7:00pm. (I also taught the kids in the gym when I finished.)
What did you do after training? I went home for my dinner.
What did you have for your dinner? Fish, steamed veggies with lemon juice and rice.
Did you have any interests or hobbies? I liked playing pool, I liked watching the fight tapes, and I also enjoyed reading.
What time did you go to bed? 10:00pm.
What was your favourite exercise in the gym? I loved sparring, I would spar