It's a decent standard of camp, I think you'll agree, but that all of these men are from the same family is nothing short of miraculous! I wondered what glitzy training regime - you know the one all famous heavyweights have - of mirrors, photographers, clubs, press, "yes men", bling, had got Tyson to where he is? I couldn't have been more wrong....
Day one started off with a circuit session.....in an open sided garage......in the snow......at -7c. An hour of press ups, squat thrusts, sit ups, star jumps. It was quite unlike anything I'd been expecting. Nobody complained, every single one of them put every ounce of themselves into it - Hughie eventually retching. Then food -
chicken or fish, potatoes or rice - and protein shakes, followed by an hours rest. Early afternoon on this day was an hour and a half of gym work. This started with half an hour of skipping then an hour of mixed pad work and light sparring. Home, then more food, protein shakes, then rest. Around 8pm in the snowy Flemish night we all gathered on the quiet road outside Peter's house and started (minus myself, who followed in the support vehicle) a 6 mile run. Not just some jog, a run, interspersed with stops for press ups, squat thrusts, star jumps. Again, it was cold, -9c that evening.
Day two started at 9am at a fairly local gym, run by an ex-bodybuiler champion (Jacque) in a nearby town. We turn up in the Team Fury large mini-bus and are treated like royalty. Shakes are made fresh for the boxers by Jacque, weights are measured, and body fat is worked out (Tyson presented with 9% body fat - considering the Christmas break and that this was the start of the second week back in training, this is impressive). Todays session focussed on the arms and chest. All boxers are rigorous with their exercises and the whole programme is, as ever, overseen by Peter.
The afternoon session is a trip to "Super Pro" gym in Holland for more focussed sparring. Super Pro is an MMA gym and is widely considered to be one of the best sparring gyms in Holland. It's an "invitation only" place and has trained many world champions in K1, K2 and MMA. The Fury's mostly use MMA/K1/K2 fighters as sparring partners for Tyson and there is a very good reason for it.
I'll illustrate it with this tale - A certain undefeated American heavyweight boxer, who shall remain nameless,