THERE is no doubt that Tyson Fury is one of the greatest heavyweights the art of boxing has ever seen.
But how does the Gypsy King perform to the incredible degree that he does in his fights?
As he prepares to face off the formidable ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou, Fury will be taking every measure to optimise his performance and solidify his legendary title as the undisputed world champion.
The two most important factors? His diet and workout regime.
Here, we take a look at Fury’s pre-fight rituals – including a whopping 6,000 calories a day and roast potatoes for breakfast.
According to the 35-year-old’s nutritionist George Lockhart, the 6ft 9in athlete’s favourite foods are black pudding, fish and anything spicy.
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He’s not a fan of vegetables, and would chow down exclusively on chicken nuggets if he could.
In the week before a fight, he typically scoffs his breakfast at 10am, then eats again at 1pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm and midnight.
This works out at about 6,000 calories a day – almost triple that of the maintenance calories for the average man.
Lockhart said this huge intake helps maximise energy output on the day of the fight and helps keep fatigue at bay.
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“Tyson is like clockwork,” he added. “It’s the exact same way every single time. It’s almost like you press play, and repeat.
“We’ve found the formula he likes, and the weight that he wants to be at.”
Fury’s standard brekkie includes several scrambled eggs, which the nutritionist claims are one of the “best digestive proteins” the body can absorb with ease.
This provides optimal muscle growth and recovery to accompany Fury’s twice-a-day, seven-day-a-week rigorous training program, he added.
The boxer, who weighs 19st 1lb, also gets a serving of black pudding, which is “really high in iron”, as well as lean pork or chicken.
Lunch is one of the more variable aspects of Fury’s usually rigid diet plan, as the components are altered to fit his unique nutritional requirements throughout the seven-day lead-up.
However, Lockhart always tries to squeeze in a helping of salmon due to its high omega-3 content, which reportedly improves his brain function and boosts his ‘fight IQ’.
Salmon is also full of proteins and essential fatty acids, which are needed for muscle growth and the healthy maintenance of bone density and cartilage health that provide support for the muscles, which house the bursting power of Fury’s explosive punches.
Tyson Fury’s diet the week before facing Francis Ngannou
MONDAY
- 10am: 5 eggs, spinach, turkey bacon omelette, 2 large roast potatoes, 1/2 avocado
- 1pm: 2 bananas, 1 cup of Greek yoghurt, smoothie
- 3pm: : lemon pepper salmon, 230g roasted sweet potatoes, 1 tbsp hummus and 1/2 avocado
- 6pm: 230g BBQ chicken breast, 1 cup of rice with broccoli and tomatoes cooked in chicken broth
- 9pm: 1 cup Greek yoghurt, 1 cup blackberries, 1 cup of blueberries, 1 cup of strawberries and 1/4 cup of granola
- 12am: 2 smoothies, 2 bananas, 1 cup of Greek yogurt
TUESDAY
- 10am: rosemary roasted potatoes, 2 turkey sausages, 2 scrambled eggs with cheese, 1 cup pineapple
- 1pm: protein shake, 1 banana, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 cup Greek yoghurt
- 3pm: 230g chicken curry, peas, carrots, 2 cups basmati rice
- 6pm: lamb kebabs with tzatziki sauce, hummus, basmati rice, sliced cucumber
- 9pm: 1 cup raspberries, 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup Greek yoghurt
- 12am: shake, 1 banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 cup Greek yoghurt, dark chocolate
WEDNESDAY
- 10am: 3 eggs scrambled with cheese, roasted rosemary potatoes, shake, Greek yoghurt, 2 cups blueberries, 2 chicken sausages
- 1pm: sliced apples, sliced oranges, 1 cup mixed nuts, 1 cup Greek yoghurt, 1tbsp honey
- 3pm: 2 chicken thighs, 1 cup garbanzo beans cooked with spinach in chicken broth with chicken gravy
- 6pm: 1 chicken breast, 1 large baked potato, sliced melon and pineapple, asparagus with lemon salt and pepper
- 9pm 1 cup Greek yoghurt, 1 cup sliced banana, 1 cup sliced strawberries 1 cup dark chocolate
- 12am: 1 banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp honey, 1 cup Greek yoghurt
THURSDAY
- 10am: 3 eggs scrambled with cheese, 2 chicken sausages, roasted rosemary potatoes, 1 cup pineapple
- 1pm: shake, 1/2 banana, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 cup Greek yoghurt
- 3pm: BBQ chicken breast, 1 cup peas and carrots, 1 large baked potato
- 6pm: 230g lemon pepper salmon, 1 cup basmati rice with tomatoes, spinach, and basil cooked in chicken broth, 1/2 avocado, lemon pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil
- 9pm: 1 cup blueberries 1 cup raspberries, 1 cup blackberries, dark chocolate, 1 cup of Greek yoghurt
- 12am: shake, 1 banana, 1 cup strawberries
FRIDAY
- 10am: 3 eggs scrambled with cheese and spinach, 3 turkey sausages, rosemary roasted potatoes, 2 cups of mixed fruit
- 2pm : 230g blackened salmon, 2 cups rice cooked with spinach chickpeas, tomatoes, in chicken broth with hummus and avocado
- 6pm: 2 chicken thighs, roasted potatoes, 2 cups mixed berries, nuts
- 9pm: 1 cup blackberries, 1 cup raspberries, 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup Greek yoghurt, 1/2 cup granola
Where Lockhart has changed his tune regarding Fury’s programme is on the subject of red meat.
Before his fight with Dillian Whyte, the health expert was insistent on adding a helping of red meat to at least one meal every day as “chicken isn’t as nutrient dense”.
However, he has since revised his opinions so as not to hinder Fury’s physical fitness.
“I’ll only do red meat on days that he’s off, to give his body the time to digest it,” he told Betway.
“Red meat is the most nutrient-dense meat out there, but it also takes time to digest, so I don’t want to be giving it to him every day.”
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And throughout the day, Lockhart has to ensure his client is getting his five-a-day, which he claims he has to sneak into Fury’s meals because he hates vegetables with a passion.
- Fury takes on Ngannou in Saudi Arabia at 10.45pm on October 28.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
