A good all around athlete as a kid, he played Football and Baseball. He was known for his enthusiastic and intense pre-bout training. His early conditioning would be considered unorthodox for Boxing. He favored multiple sets of push-ups, chin-ups and extensive barbell training (which was considered strictly taboo in the conventional boxing wisdom of the day). He even was an exponent and graduate of the famous Charles Atlas Dynamic Tension mail order course.
From: The Ring Magazine.