Anthony Joshua’s physique is broken down to reveal what it takes to make the ultimate champion
From his incredible reach to thighs bigger than some women's waists, Joshua's physique and training regime sets him apart from his contenders.
Anthony Joshua is a force to be reckoned with, but what exactly does it take to be considered a ‘lethal weapon’?
From his incredible reach to thighs bigger than some women’s waists, Joshua’s physique and training regime sets him apart from his contenders.
The boxer has bulked up even further and weighed in at his heaviest ever, at 18st 2lb, ahead of his clash against late stand-up Carlos Takam.
The info-graphic by breaks down Anthony’s anatomy and what exactly it takes to be world champion.
100m in 11.6secs
The sparring speed often sets him apart from his opponents, he dishes out relentlessly quick punches.
But Joshua has also recorded impressively quick time on the track- at 13 he ran 100m in 11.6 seconds.
For the Olympic games, male sprinters who clocked 10.16 or quicker were eligible to compete in the 100m event.
The time clocked by 13-year-old Joshua is quicker than what is required for qualification of female sprinters.
Chin
Joshua’s sturdy chin has been on the receiving end of many a blow.
In his victory over Vladimir Klitschiko, it removed any question marks over the strength of his chin.It absorbed all of Klitschko’s 94 brutal punches.
Joshua the giant
At 6ft6, Joshua is a giant in the ring.
He was two inches taller than Klitschko and will tower over Carlos Takam by a significant 5 inches.
Ambidextrous?
Joshua utilises both his hands to great effect delivering bludgeons to his opponents.
His mean right-hand is renowned for delivering his infamous uppercut as a penultimate blow.
His left hand then delivers a devastating blow that silences his opponents; this set-up was seen in his most notable victory to date, against Klitschko.
Ten out of 19 of his victories have finished with his left hand, including his last three fights against Klitschko, Molina and Breazle
Do you squat bro?
The man is a machine.
He loads up 378kg of resistance to strengthen his hip extensor muscles-it also adds extra bite to his punching power.
This means Joshua is loading up a weight almost equal to a grand piano, in an exercise that creates an anabolic environment promoting body-wide muscle building.
Cardio
Joshua’s gruelling fight against Klitschko lasted 32 minutes, in order to sustain his pace and power over this he trains in a modified environment.
He trains in low oxygen, nitrogen pumped, environments to build red blood cells.
Thighs of steel
Joshua’s thighs equal the size of Great Britain’s greatest ever cyclist Sir Chris Hoy.
Measuring a whopping 27 inches in circumference the men’s thighs are wider than some women’s waists.
17 inch Calves
Joshua’s calves measure 17 inches in circumference and allow him to move at speed around the ring as well as providing him with a firm foundation.
He’s incorporated low impact resistance training in sand pits, taking inspiration from Brazilian footballers, to build unrivalled leg power and stability.
The sand-based training is great for building explosive strength as well as forcing the muscles to work harder to stabalise Joshua’s joints in his size 16 feet, knees, hip and lower back.
18 inch neck
The boxer boasts a neck of 18 inches which has been enhanced through the use of a neck harness in training. This exercise was made famous by Mike Tyson
Mighty reach
Joshua has an 82 inch reach which will dwarf Takam’s.
This gives the Watford-born boxer the competitive edge between the ropes.
Food fit for a king
He wolfs down 5,000 calories a day- double the amount of calorie consumption that is recommended for an average male.
For brain power, Joshua consumes five poached eggs for breakfast and a diet that is rich in omega 3 fatty acids to make him alert, focused and ready to land.
