Fat phenoms: are hot dogs and beer part of your training regimen? Maybe they should be

Men's Fitness, Oct, 2004 by Jacob Kalish

A proper diet is integral to athleticism, right? Someone forgot to tell that to the sports stars who thought booze and pizza were the Breakfast of Champions. So we compiled stats on the fittest and fattest to determine who's got the edge.

BASEBALL: RUTH VS. KAPLER

Babe Ruth: One day in Coney Island, Babe Ruth--arguably the greatest baseball player ever--ate four porterhouse steaks and eight hot dogs, and drank eight sodas. That, of course, was just a pre-game snack, and the norm for his career.

Gabe Kapler: The journeyman outfielder, 28, now with the Red Sox, arguably has the best body in baseball. He has 5% body fat, works out religiously, and sticks to a diet of 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat.

                         Babe Ruth          Gabe Kapler

Career batting avg.      .342               .270
HRs per 162-game avg.    46                 15
RBIs per 162-game avg.   143                66
Men s magazine covers    0                  1
Nickname                 Babe               The Babe
Workout                  Home-run trots     Daily lifting
Weight                   A rotund 215 lbs   A buff 200 lbs
Edge                           [left arrow] Fat guy

BOXING: FOREMAN VS. HOLYFIELD

George Foreman: Cruised burger joints in a limo in his prime. After his infamous Rumble in the Jungle defeat, the nasty KO artist reinvented himself as the jolly fat guy. His comeback got him the belt--and zillions in grill cash.

Evander Holyfield: Trained by Mr. Olympia Lee Haney, the former heavyweight champ used his chiseled physique to win four world heavyweight championships. One of the best-conditioned athletes of all time.

               George Foreman          Evander Holyfield

Height         6'3 1/2"                6'2"
Reach          81"                     77"
Record         76-5                    38-7
Head-to-head   Holyfield won in 1991 in 12-round decision.
Children       10                      10
Weight         A squishy 250 lbs       A svelte 208 lbs
Edge                     [left arrow] Fat guy
                     (We love our Foreman Grill.)

BASKETBALL: BARKLEY VS. MALONE

Charles Barkley: The perennial all-star power forward, named to the NBA's 50 Greatest Players team, preferred sucking down snacks and beers to exercise. His girth may have helped him dominate the boards, however.

Karl Malone: The Mailman, also named to the NBA's 50 Greatest Players team, may be 41, but he still started for L.A. last year. He rigorously rides a stationary bike after playing a full game, and he even graced the cover of MF.

                 Charles Barkley          Karl Malone

Career PPG       22.1                     25.0
Career RPG       11.7                     10.1
All-star games   11                       14
MVPs             1                        2
Championships    0                        0
Body fat %       Too high to count        2.6%
Weight           250 lbs -- all blubber   259 lbs -- all muscle
Edge                   [left arrow] Even [right arrow]

GOLF: DALY VS. WOODS

John Daly: He regularly smokes two packs of butts, downs bag after bag of M&M's, and--in his on-again, off-again bouts with alcoholism--can guzzle gallons of beer a day. His restaurant of choice is McDonald's.

Tiger Woods: While he keeps his training regimen secret, we do know that he starts his day at six a.m. to run a mile or ride an exercise bike. After that, he eats lots of whole wheat and fruit. (Tiger loves cantaloupe.)

                     John Daly     Tiger Woods

2004 tour earnings   $2,108,007    $3,523,258
Career earnings      $6,601,195    $43,300,523
PGA wins in 2004     1             1
Career PGA wins      5             40
Career majors wins   2             7
Driving distance     305.3 yds     301.8 yds
Weight               220-lb mess   180-lb master
Edge                    Fit guy [right arrow]