Anthony Joshua Workout And Diet
Professional Boxer
Born: 1989
Anthony Joshua was born in England. As a child, he was an top athlete. Joshua played soccer and broke his school’s 100m record at 11.6 seconds. When he was 18, his cousin pro boxer Ben Ileyemi suggested Joshua try the sport. ‘AJ’ Joshua represented England at the 2011 World Championships as a super-heavyweight and won silver, then went to the Olympics in 2012 and took gold. Joshua went pro in 2013 and has won the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles twice, from 2016-2019, and then again from 2019-2021. He has been a top ranked heavyweight since 2014. Joshua was awarded the OBE (Officer of the British Empire) in 2018 for his efforts representing the UK. He has his own line of apparel and boxing equipment as well as numerous endorsement deals including Under Armour and Hugo Boss. Joshua has 1 son. He has millions of followers on social media. Holloway is 6 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs about 250 lbs.
Known For:
Anthony Joshua’s Diet
Summary
Joshua is a super-heavyweight, but he still pays close attention to his diet. Still, he doesn’t go to extremes, and eats moderately from all food groups. Breakfast is a surprisingly normal oatmeal and fruit; it’s lunchtime when he really starts eating hefty but still clean with fish, wholegrain rice and lots of veggies. He also loves his mom’s traditional Nigerian cooking and usually has it for dinner. He’ll also have a protein shake most days. He drinks 5 liters of water daily, kicking off with a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Estimated Macros
- Medium Fat 30%
- Medium Carb 40%
- Medium Protein 40%
Diet Details
Hydration First
Upon waking, Joshua drinks a glass of water. He then follows it up with a piece of fruit which is also hydrating.
Light Start
Joshua generally has oatmeal for breakfast, which is high in fiber and nutrients, and delivers a steady stream of energy.
Go Pro(biotics)
Joshua is a fan of Greek yogurt, which is thick and creamy and delicious, all while delivering solid nutrition and good-for-your-gut bacteria.
Power Up
After his lightweight morning meal, Joshua hits it hard. He’ll have salmon, wild rice, and lots of vegetables for lunch — and then he’ll go back for more.
Ethnic Faves
Joshua loves his mom’s Nigerian cooking and often has it for dinner. He likes eba (cassava) and egusi (melon seeds), and pounded yam.
Clever Cheats
Joshua eats pretty clean, and even when he’s looking for a treat, he’s smart about it. If he has chocolate, it’ll be made with honey rather than sugar.
What to Eat
Water
Fruit
Oatmeal
Greek Yogurt
Eggs
Salmon
Wild Rice
Vegetables
Yams
Eba
Egusi
Dark Chocolate
Protein Shakes
What to Avoid
Junk Food
Fast Food
Refined Carbs
Processed Items
Hydrogenated Fats
Chemical additives
Artificial ingredients
Joshua’s Health Tips
‘I get 10 hours of sleep a day and drink 5 liters of water.’
Joshua on Cheat Meals
‘I think I can have cheat meals now, but I can be clever about them as well.’
Joshua on Midnight Snacks
‘[My cook] leaves little treats for me, like homemade protein bars.’
Anthony Joshua’s Workout Routine
Weekly Routine
A Natural
Joshua came to the sport of boxing quite late. He was 18 when his cousin talked him into trying it out.
Old School Rules
Joshua says he prefers the old-style approach to training with minimal equipment.
Fight for It
Joshua likes to push himself by running up hills and at altitude so he has to fight to breathe. No treadmills for him.
All Day Workout
Joshua’s workout starts at 6:30 in the morning and finishes around 8 at night. Mornings, he does cardio and stretches. He’ll then do 3 gym sessions at 11:30, 1:30 and 5:30. He takes weekends off.
Full-Body Training
Joshua focuses on multiple muscle groups in his bodyweight resistance training sessions. He runs to keep his stamina up, and he focuses on core for maximum speed and power for his punches.
Fresh Air Focus
Joshua prefers to take his exercise outdoors. He says he likes the wind in his face, and that training in nature is more challenging than using gym equipment.
Exercise Style
A Sample Anthony Joshua Routine
Run: outdoors 40+ min daily
Resistance training
Bodyweight work
Core work
Heavy bag
Speed bag
Sparring
Some of Joshua’s Favorite Exercises
Planks: 30 sec x 4 /20 sec rest
Barbell squats: 6 reps x 4 sets, 2 min rest
Step up with barbell: 6 reps x 4 sets, 2 min rest
Burpees: 10 reps x 3 sets, 2 min rest
Clap press-ups: 10 reps
Barbell single-leg Romanian deadlift
Inverted hang
Sandboxing
Joshua on Becoming a Boxer
‘You don’t need much to be a boxer: a pair of gloves, some shorts, a heavy bag, and a coach.’
Joshua on His Focus When Working Out
‘I do a lot of core and rotational movements to generate power, so when it comes to transferring power into my boxing, it’s already there.’
Joshua’s Tip to Build Leg Strength
‘I do a lot of shadow-boxing work in the sand because it’s an unstable surface. It helps condition my legs.’
Joshua on Boxing
‘Boxing training is still quite old-school and rugged in many ways. I like it that way because it keeps you grounded.’
Joshua on His First Love, Soccer
‘I still play a lot of football throughout the year.’
Anthony Joshua’s Supplements
Whey Protein
Joshua is a brand ambassador for the UK supplement company Bulk. He usually has a whey protein shake every day to build muscle, burn fat and speed recovery.
Pre-Workout
Post-Workout
Joshua takes a post-workout that contains protein to help with recovery.
Multivitamin
Caffeine
Anthony Joshua’s Lifestyle
Rest Is the Key
Joshua does not mess around when it comes to sleep. He aims to log 10 hours every single night.
Not Just a Muscleman
Joshua enjoys playing chess, and feels it improves his boxing skills by teaching him strategy and planning. He was introduced to the game by former heavyweight champ, Lennox Lewis. Joshua also enjoys reading.
A Few Missteps
In 2009, Joshua spent time in prison for fighting ‘and other crazy stuff.’ He faced 10 years in prison, but got off with just 1 year under house arrest instead. He says this was a wake-up call for him, and credits boxing for helping him stay on the straight and narrow.
Grand Ambitions
Joshua has stated that his dream is to surpass Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s earnings of $700 million, and preferably become a billionaire.
Alternate Reality
Joshua worked as a bricklayer before getting into boxing, and says that was his intended career path if ‘the sweet science’ didn’t work out.
Special Ink
Joshua has several tattoos, including a map of Africa with Nigeria highlighted, the word ‘wisdom,’ and 2 lions, one on his neck and another on his finger.
Even Stars Get Star-Struck
In 2013, Joshua spotted Jay-Z at a movie premier. He grabbed the media mogul’s wrist and asked for a photo. Jay-Z complied, but told Joshua he would get a knuckle sandwich if he didn’t let go of his arm.
Joshua on Sleep
‘You push yourself to the limits every day, and you recover best in your sleep. I try to get as much sleep as possible.’
Joshua on Chess & Boxing
‘Chess, it’s the same type of thing in the ring, like taking one of your opponent’s pieces, and then counter-attacking. You need to be 2 moves ahead all the time.’
Joshua on Brainpower
‘From the neck up is where you win or lose the battle. It’s the art of war. You have to lock yourself in and strategize your mindset.’
Joshua on His Financial Goals
‘When I first started, the aim was to become a multi-millionaire. But now there are ordinary people, grandmas and granddads, who are worth millions…So the new school of thought is that I need to be a billionaire.’
Joshua on Discipline
‘As long as you have discipline, you can be a success. Discipline is what makes you do everything you need to do.’
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