I Tried Mike Tyson Push-Ups for 30 Days—Here’s What Happened

As you probably know, I’m a big fan of push-up variations. When I travel, they’re my go-to exercise because of their versatility, minimal setup, and the fact that they don’t require any equipment.

If you’re a Mike Tyson fan like I am, you know he was a boxing legend at his peak. Inside the ring, his presence, skill, and raw power earned him the title of heavyweight world champion.

Being someone who thrives on challenges, I’ve often wondered how I could tap into even a fraction of the physical attributes that made Mike Tyson so iconic.

With the buzz around his upcoming fight sparking a surge in his online content, I stumbled upon the Mike Tyson push-up. Intrigued, I decided to give it a try for a month to see what changes I could notice.

So, here’s my experience with the Mike Tyson push-up, followed by the five key benefits I discovered from doing them.

My 1-Month Mike Tyson Push Up Challenge Breakdown

To give you a better idea of what to expect, I wrote down my thoughts as the challenge progressed. I’ve organized them into each week to give you a better idea of the timeline and how things changed.

Week 1

So, the Mike Tyson push-up is like a normal push-up and squat movement rolled into one. However, you perform it with your feet against the wall. I’m pretty confident with both movements, so I feel like I’ll be able to do them without any issues. 

After a warm-up and some practice reps, I feel like I’ve got the general form down. My aim for this week is to add them to my regular bodyweight routine. I’ll be performing three sets of ten repetitions as part of my bodyweight workout five times this week. 

The main thing that I found difficult was keeping a fluid movement between the push-up and the squat. Maybe this is because I’m used to the normal push-up variations. However, after a few practice reps, I started to enjoy the dynamic movement. 

At the end of the month, I want to perform 50 reps comfortably. Let’s see how I go!

Week 2

It’s the start of week two and I feel pretty happy with my general progress. I’ve performed 3 sets of 15 reps at the end of my five bodyweight sessions with no real issues. 

I must admit, I did start to feel tired towards the end of last week but I’m feeling better now. I really like performing them at the end for a full-body conditioning finisher. It almost feels like I’m doing a weighted cardio movement.

My goal for this week is to increase my volume to three sets of 15 repetitions.

At the end of the week, I feel great. I’ve definitely gotten used to the movement. I feel like my cardiovascular system is getting a good challenge with the higher volume. 

I managed to perform the repetitions but struggled on the last few. Because of this, I’ll keep the same volume for week three. 

Week 3

At the start of week 3, I’m excited to see how far I can push myself. Even with my training experience, I’m surprised just how hard these push-ups are. I can feel my upper body, quads, and core getting a good workout. 

My goal for this week is simple — perform the three sets of 15 repetitions so I can progress for my final week. 

I’ve been pretty busy traveling this week so I performed the sets throughout the day when I got time. I did them on the go, in my room, or outside.

One thing I’ve started to notice is that I feel a lot more mobile and flexible. My quads and core feel more functional when I’m carrying my bags and walking up the stairs. 

My aim for next week is to perform three sets of 20 reps. This puts me over my 50-repetition target. Hopefully, I can do it! 

Week 4

So it’s my final week of doing the Mike Tyson push-up challenge. I’ve got the movement down, my mobility has improved, and I’m generally feeling fitter. Let’s hope I can hit the 50-repetition goal! 

Luckily, I’m not traveling too much this week so I can take more time to complete my workouts. 

At the start of the week, I managed to get three sets of 20 repetitions! The last few reps are definitely a struggle, but I’m still maintaining my form.

I performed some sets on the balls of my feet to see if I always needed the wall. They work great this way as well. 

At the end of my four-week challenge, it’s safe to say that I’ll be adding them to my bodyweight routine. I really do like everything about them. They’re functional, challenging, and great to perform anywhere.

Exactly what I need!

Here Are The 5 Benefits That I Noticed After The Month

The benefits of push ups are well-published throughout the scientific literature. Even with this, some of these may surprise you! Here are my top five that I want to share. 

It Really Felt Like A Full-Body Workout

The Mike Tyson push-up is marketed as a full-body workout and this is not wrong. It combines a squat with a high push-up position. This means that it also requires core stability.

When coming down and pushing up, I could feel my chest, shoulders, and triceps working. Transitioning from the push-up to the squat required core stability and back strength. When coming in and out of the squat, I could feel my quads and hamstrings firing. 

This is one of the biggest reasons why I liked it. It’s a challenging full-body bodyweight workout. While full-body workouts have the same effect as split-body workouts when volume is matched, the smaller frequency suits my schedule.

I Noticed More Explosive Strength And Power When Playing Sport 

Even though I’m traveling, I like to play sports as much as I can. Because I don’t often use a commercial gym, I try to focus on explosive bodyweight movements. Two of my favorites are jumping squats and dynamic lunges. 

After performing the Mike Tyson Push-ups, I definitely felt more explosive. When jumping off the floor on the basketball court, my legs felt more powerful. Even when passing the ball, I felt stronger. 

While it’s a bodyweight movement, the transition from squat to push-up isn’t easy. For me, adding it to my workout really did provide the intensity I needed for improvements in strength and power. 

My Cardiovascular System Was Definitely Challenged

I like to think I’m generally quite fit. I spent a lot of time walking around exploring new places. I also try to exercise at least 3–5 times a week as a minimum. Even with this, the Mike Tyson push-up really challenged me. 

After five repetitions, I could feel my heart rate increasing. I started breathing heavier and sweating from the movement. While the heat definitely had an impact, I felt challenged. 

Because of this, I’ll keep performing Mike Tyson push-ups at the end of my workouts. I’m going to use them as a cardio-strength hybrid exercise to keep good cardiovascular health. 

My Mobility And Flexibility Got Better

When it comes to mobility and flexibility, I make a conscious effort to perform daily stretches. These are done to improve my range of motion. I also make sure to perform functional movements that I know will benefit my daily activity.

To correctly perform the Mike Tyson push-up, you need to sit right back before driving forward into the push-up. This helped with my hip, knee, and ankle mobility. 

The seated position opened up my hips, providing a great hip flexibility movement. Keeping my ankles against the wall worked on my ankle flexibility. Even coming back into the squat position involved a large degree of shoulder flexion. 

Because of this, I felt a difference in my mobility and flexibility at the end of the month. This is just one of the many reasons why they’ll now be part of my routine. 

I Found It Hard To Keep The Correct Form

While this may not seem like a benefit, bear with me. In some of my easier movements, I’ve often found myself adopting a few bad habits. I think this happens when I’ve gotten used to the technique. 

To keep your feet against the wall, you need to maintain the correct hip alignment and torso position. Correctly shifting your weight into the push-up position requires an awareness of how your upper body is moving. 

Due to this, I often found it hard to keep the correct form. This made me become more aware of my body position and taught me to keep the correct form at all times. It’s definitely an unforgiving exercise in a good way.   

How To Perform Mike Tyson Push Ups

1. Find a suitable wall with enough space for you to come out into a push-up position. Bring your feet against the wall and assume a position facing the floor. Your feet should be around hip-width apart.
2. Bring your knees off the floor so your legs are straight behind you. Your shoulders should be stacked over your hands with your arms shoulder-width apart. 
3. Inhale and engage your core. Exhale and flex your elbows to come down into a normal push-up position. Extend your elbows to come to the normal high plank starting position. 
4. Once you come back to the high plank, bend your knees and shift your hips back. Squat as far as you can towards the wall while maintaining the same foot positions.
5. Keep your core engaged with a neutral back position. Your head should follow your body 
6. Inhale and explode back into the starting push up position. Steps 3–6 should be performed in one fluid movement.
7. Perform for the desired number of sets and repetitions. 

Tips To Master The Exercise

• Don’t Lift Your Heels — Your feet should stay in contact with the wall at all times. If they start to lift off, reduce your squat range of motion. 
• Avoid Letting Your Hips Dip — Keep your core engaged with your body in a straight line. Letting your hips dip can reduce movement efficiency and range of motion. 
• Use One Movement Pattern — The push-up to squat should be a dynamic movement pattern. It should be more of a full-body conditioning exercise rather than separate movements. 
• Allow Your Head To Follow Your Body Movement — As you perform the push-up and come back into the squat, allow your head to naturally follow. This prevents possible neck strain and injury from occurring. 

My Verdict

After one month, I was definitely surprised at how hard I found them at the start. Even with my previous push-up experience, the dynamic squat element really did challenge me.

With its explosive strength and power elements, it’s definitely well-suited to be named after a boxing legend like Mike Tyson. Adding this to your routine will certainly put you on the right track for full-body fitness and athleticism.

Frequently Asked Questions