Bruce Lee is a legend.
He revolutionized films and martial arts.
He additionally boasted unbelievable power and all-around physicality.
Lee may place his fist one inch from the chest of a person twice his dimension and unleash a fast, cobra-like strike that’d ship his opponent flying.
Lee may carry out push-ups utilizing simply two fingers of 1 hand.
Lee wasn’t large, however his lean, chiseled, outlined physique was broadly admired, and bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray, and Dorian Yates all acknowledged the impression it had on their careers.
Co-star and fellow martial artist Chuck Norris described Lee’s ripped physique as “muscle upon muscle.”
A lady who requested if she may contact Bruce Lee’s flexed bicep (a typical request he appreciated receiving) described it as “heat marble.”
How did Lee develop his power and physique? Was he merely a genetic freak?
Nope. Should you take a look at early photos of the Little Dragon, he was a fairly scrawny man.
As a substitute of genetics, Lee systematically and relentlessly constructed his physique with bodily coaching.
Because of the meticulous analysis of martial artist and author John Little, we all know precisely what Lee did to attain his outcomes. Little shares the main points of Lee’s health coaching in his 1998 guide Bruce Lee: The Artwork of Expressing the Human Physique. The guide is an absolute gold mine of health historical past and knowledge, and I extremely advocate choosing up a duplicate.
In at this time’s article, we check out the ideas that knowledgeable Bruce Lee’s coaching and the parts of his routine that turned a person right into a legend.
The Second Bruce Lee Acquired Severe About His Bodily Coaching
All through his childhood, Lee was extremely energetic. He bought in bother at college, and his spiritedness drove him to mischief and avenue fights. If Lee had grown up within the twenty first century, he in all probability would have been recognized with ADHD. His hyperactivity impressed his household to name him “by no means sits nonetheless.”
To channel Lee’s power into much less harmful actions, his father signed him up for kung fu instruction below the tutelage of grasp Ip Man. Thus, at age 13, Bruce started the lifelong apply that might make him a worldwide legend.
By the point Lee was in his twenties, he had developed sufficient bodily conditioning to excel as a martial artist, however remained a thin man.
Then got here a second that might take his bodily coaching to the following stage.
Within the early Sixties, Lee lived in Oakland, CA, and had begun instructing kung fu. Lee didn’t discriminate in who he took on as a scholar, and based on some accounts, some conventional Chinese language kung fu masters within the space weren’t pleased with him instructing the martial artwork to non-Chinese language. So in 1964, they offered an ultimatum to Lee: participate in a kung fu battle towards their greatest fighter; if Lee misplaced, he needed to shut down his kung fu class.
Whereas completely different variations of precisely how the struggle went down exist, based on Bruce, the struggle lasted three minutes and primarily concerned him chasing his opponent round a constructing till he pressured him to submit.
Regardless of profitable, Lee was disillusioned with how he carried out. He was sad concerning the form he was in and had begun to really feel that the parameters of conventional martial arts had been impractical for avenue fights. He concluded that to appreciate his full bodily potential and turn into one of the best martial artist on the planet, he’d want to maneuver past kung fu and increase his repertoire of bodily modalities.
This second of discontent not solely impressed Bruce Lee to get severe about his bodily health, however birthed a martial artwork and general life philosophy he known as Jeet Kune Do or the Approach of the Intercepting Fist.
The Sources of Bruce Lee’s Bodily Coaching Philosophy
In shifting ahead from the struggle, Lee sought to develop a bodily coaching system that emphasised “practicality, flexibility, pace, and effectivity” and drew from a variety of coaching strategies.
Whereas Jeet Kune Do feels like a proper martial artwork type like Tae Kwon Do, Lee meant it to be “the type of no type” — a martial artwork that transcended formal guidelines and integrated one of the best concepts from numerous disciplines.
To seek out these concepts, Lee grew to become a faithful scholar of the artwork and science of bodily coaching.
Although Bruce had struggled in class, he had a powerful dedication to steady studying and was a voracious reader all through his maturity. Over his life, he amassed an enormous private library of over 2,500 titles.
He educated his thoughts by studying Jap and Western philosophy (Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas; The Ebook of 5 Rings by Miyamoto Musashi), in addition to American self-help (As a Man Thinketh by James Allen; How one can Win Pals and Affect Individuals by Dale Carnegie).
He additionally religiously studied the whole lot he may get his palms on about coaching the physique.
Lee thought there was one thing to be discovered from all combatives and browse books about boxing by Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, and Rocky Marciano, texts on karate and aikido, and over sixty volumes on fencing.
Within the Sixties, bodybuilding magazines had been the first sources of knowledge on power coaching, and Bruce Lee subscribed to all of them. If he discovered an article that contained helpful info, he’d clip it and put it in his submitting system.
Lee additionally browsed used bookstores and acquired copies of well being and health books from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, together with Energy and How one can Receive It by bodybuilder and strongman Eugen Sandow and The Software of Measurement to Well being and Bodily Training written in 1945 by H. Harrison Clarke.
Lee continued so as to add health books to his intensive library all through his life and by no means let a set lens contort his studying selections; if a guide or journal had some helpful data in it, he purchased it and browse it.
Apart from magazines and books, Lee would ask his associates and college students for coaching recommendation. Two males who had an enormous affect on Lee’s bodily schooling had been James Yimm Lee and Allen Joe. James Lee (no relation to Bruce Lee) was an Oakland-based martial artist and weightlifter, and Allen Joe was the primary Chinese language-American bodybuilding champion. Each males launched Lee to the best way of the iron and helped develop his first weightlifting program.
The Components of Bruce Lee’s Bodily Coaching
Should you’re speaking about fight — as it’s — nicely then, child, you’d higher practice EVERY a part of your physique.
— Bruce Lee
Lee’s examine of all features of bodily coaching led him to experiment with completely different health modalities, together with barbell coaching, isometrics, plyometrics, circuit coaching, working, and stretching.
His apply of those various modalities all had a single objective: turning into a greater martial artist.
Whereas Lee solely selected workout routines that might assist him enhance as a fighter, as a result of martial arts require the total spectrum of bodily capabilities (power, energy, pace, endurance, and suppleness), Lee systematically educated all these capabilities; he didn’t specialize.
Under, we’ll take a look at the primary parts of his bodily coaching:
Weightlifting
Because of his analysis and his personal expertise, Lee developed a deep appreciation for bodily power and believed it was the muse of all different bodily capacities. Should you get stronger, you may transfer sooner, with extra energy, for longer intervals of time.
And the simplest and environment friendly strategy to get stronger is thru resistance coaching.
Within the early a part of his coaching profession, Lee used isometrics to construct power. Then he found the effectiveness of barbell coaching and started to pump iron.
Whereas Lee’s weightlifting programming advanced all through his life, in the event you take a look at his programming as an entire, 5 key components emerge:
Compound Actions: One of many ideas of Jeet Kune Do was financial system of movement — utilizing the shortest and most direct path to attain the specified final result and minimizing wasted motion and power.
Thus when Lee selected an train for a exercise, he regarded for ones that would give him essentially the most bang for his buck, like compound lifts, which work a number of muscle teams concurrently, selling general power and energy. Lee was a fan of squats, clear and presses, bench presses, and rows, feeling that these actions not solely had excessive ROI for constructing power, but additionally achieved the concord between muscle teams that was important for optimum energy technology in martial arts.
Low Quantity: Whereas many sources declare that Lee used extraordinarily excessive repetitions, John Little’s intensive evaluation of Lee’s exercise data confirmed that he sometimes employed a average rep vary of 8-12 reps per set for many workout routines. The exception was leg coaching, the place he did favor increased repetitions and aimed for 12-20 reps per set.
Lee additionally saved the quantity of his exercises low, doing solely 1-2 units per train. Lee was doing Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Obligation program earlier than Mike Mentzer.
Progressive Overload: Lee firmly believed within the overload precept and persistently strove to extend the calls for on his physique for steady enchancment. Relying on his health targets on the time, he’d attempt to obtain progressive overload by including weight, rising repetitions, or lowering his exercise time.
Give attention to Velocity: Lee prioritized pace and energy as a result of they usually distinguished an incredible fighter from a mean one. He understood that energy is the flexibility to precise power rapidly. To that finish, he usually integrated velocity work into his weight coaching. As a substitute of utilizing gradual, managed actions, Lee would make the concentric a part of the carry fast and explosive.
Minimalist Strategy: One other precept of Jeet Kune Do was simplicity, and this was mirrored in Lee’s continuous refinement of his weightlifting applications; he labored to get rid of pointless workout routines to optimize outcomes from minimal work. Should you take a look at the evolution of Lee’s weightlifting exercises, they bought shorter and shorter; he went from doing hour-and-a-half lengthy exercises with a bunch of workout routines to a exercise with only a few actions that may very well be completed in lower than half-hour. By specializing in an efficient number of compound lifts, completed at low quantity, he bought the outcomes he wished briefly, intense exercises.
Whereas Lee’s barbell-training exercises advanced over time, he finally settled on a program during which he did a 20-minute session 3X every week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) that always regarded like this:
- Clear and press: 2 units of 8 reps
- Squat: 2 units of 12 reps
- Barbell pullover: 2 units of 8 reps
- Bench press: 2 units of 6 reps
- Good mornings: 2 units of 8 reps
- Barbell curl: 2 units of 8 reps
Along with normal weight coaching, one space of his physique that Bruce Lee took time to do particular workout routines for was his forearms; we’ll be dedicating an entire put up to his forearm-training routine down the highway.
Cardio
Lee caught the jogging bug within the Nineteen Seventies. He thought working was an efficient and protected method to enhance his stamina and endurance. He’d jog two to 6 miles on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and would all the time have a pair of sneakers with him so he may get a run in even when he was away from residence.
Lee integrated the progressive overload precept into his working by rising his pace or distance. He was additionally an early practitioner of the “heavy palms” methodology of cardio exercise and would maintain mild dumbbells or put on ankle weights whereas working.
Lee would typically complement the working he did for cardiovascular well being by biking or leaping rope on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Stretching
You’ve possible seen photos of Lee displaying his phenomenal flexibility with one among his excessive kicks. That flexibility got here from his dedication to each day stretching. Upon rising and earlier than he bought off the bed, he would do his “Wake-Up Routine” — a set of six stretches and physique activation workout routines:
- Full-body stretch: 5 instances, sustaining stretch 3 seconds, relaxation 2 seconds
- Arch again: 5 instances
- Leg tensing: 12 instances, 3 seconds tensing, 2 seconds relaxation
- Belly tensing: 10 instances, 3 seconds tensing, 2 seconds relaxation
- Sit-up, contact toes: 5 instances
- Bent-leg raises: 5 instances
Later within the morning, Lee would spend 15 to twenty minutes on a full stretching routine. He even created particular tools that might enable him to progressively overload his stretches.
Right here’s an instance of what one among his stretching classes would seem like:
- Seated straight leg stretch
- Facet stretch
- Hurdle stretch
- Seated groin stretch/butterfly stretch
- Thigh stretch/standing quad stretch
- Entrance pulley stretch. This stretch required a pulley and cord set-up. Whereas standing, Lee would place one foot in a strap related to a rope after which pull on the rope, which might elevate the leg right into a stretched place.)
- Facet pulley stretch. Identical as entrance pulley stretch however the leg was positioned in a aspect kick place.)
Apart from his devoted stretching classes, Lee would stretch all through the day. Whereas he was studying, he usually propped his leg up on a desk or desk so he may get in some stretching whereas he developed his thoughts.
Core Work
Lee believed that the stomach was the “heart or generator” of the physique as a result of it was the place within the physique that coordinates all its elements and contributes to each punching and kicking energy. Consequently, Lee educated his abs on daily basis. The end result was a robust core and a decent, trim, 26-inch waist.
Along with the well-known dragon flag train, which Lee popularized, he did quite a few different workout routines for his abdomen and waist. Right here’s an instance of one of many each day ab routines Lee did:
- Sit-ups: 4 units of 20
- Facet bend: 4 units of 15 to twenty. Lee would maintain dumbbells in his palms to extend the depth of this motion.
- Leg raises: 4 units of 20
- Twists: 4 units of fifty. To carry out this motion, Lee would maintain a stick throughout his shoulders, bend ahead on the hips and twist proper, aiming the left stick finish towards his proper foot. After returning to the upright place, he would then twist left to carry the proper stick finish towards his left foot.
- Frog kicks: 4 units of 20. Lee carried out this train by hanging from a pull-up bar and elevating his knees as much as contact his chest.
Punching and Kicking
After all, martial arts coaching was a part of Lee’s bodily routine. He’d alternate days the place he’d work on combative leg strikes with days he’d give attention to arms and palms. He usually aimed to do 500 punches a day and threw a few of these punches whereas holding mild weights. He’d give attention to pace and endurance together with his kicking and punching classes, however would additionally practice energy by incorporating work with a heavy bag.
Under is a kicking and punching routine that Lee utilized in 1970:
Kicking
- Facet kick: left and proper
- Hook kick: left and proper
- Spin kick: left and proper
- Rear entrance thrust: left and proper
- Heel kick: left and proper
Punching
- Jab: pace bag, foam pad, high and backside bag
- Cross: pace bag, foam pad, high and backside bag
- Hook: pace bag, foam pad, high and backside bag
- Overhand cross: pace bag, foam pad, heavy bag
- Combos: heavy bag, high and backside pace bag
An Instance of Bruce Lee’s Coaching Routine
Lee educated all through the day, practically on daily basis. He did a number of hours of each day train, scheduled into morning, afternoon, and night classes that had been every centered on coaching a specific modality.
What he did throughout these classes advanced over time, based on what he had discovered in his research, the actual film he was subsequent to star in, and his private targets.
However to offer you an concept of how he introduced collectively the above components and integrated them into his each day routine, right here is an instance of one among his coaching schedules from 1970:
Monday
- 7 AM to eight AM: Ab work and Flexibility
- 12 PM to 1 PM: Run
- 5:30 PM to six:30 PM: Punching
Tuesday
- 7 AM to eight AM: Ab work and Flexibility
- 12 PM to 1 PM: Resistance Coaching
- 5:30 PM to six:30 PM: Kicking
Wednesday
- 7 AM to eight AM: Ab work and Flexibility
- 12 PM to 1 PM: Run
- 5:30 PM to six:30 PM: Punching
Thursday
- 7 AM to eight AM: Ab work and Flexibility
- 12 PM to 1 PM: Resistance Coaching
- 5:30 PM to six:30 PM: Kicking
Friday
- 7 AM to eight AM: Ab work and Flexibility
- 12 PM to 1 PM: Run
- 5:30 PM to six:30 PM: Punching
Saturday
- 7 AM to eight AM: Ab work and Flexibility
- 12 PM to 1 PM: Resistance Coaching
- 5:30 PM to six:30 PM: Kicking
Sunday
The Overarching Secret of the Jeet Kune Do Option to Bodily Health: Self-Expression
Soak up what is helpful; reject what’s ineffective, and add what’s particularly your personal.
—Bruce Lee
Maybe an important element of Bruce Lee’s method to bodily coaching is that he made it uniquely his personal.
Every practitioner of Jeet Kune Do is inspired to develop his personal “private type” inside its framework. For Lee, each preventing particularly, and bodily coaching typically, was not some rote behavior you went by the motions with and rotely checked off your to-do checklist every day. As a substitute, motion was one thing you place “emotional content material” and “passionate that means” into. For Lee, physicality was existential.
To achieve the heights of his potential, Lee created ever-changing coaching protocols that had been suited to him and his private targets. He didn’t observe cookie cutter applications. He didn’t observe precisely what the specialists instructed him he was imagined to do.
He experimented. He acted. He felt into his coaching till he had found his private coaching type — his strategy to “absolutely categorical the human physique.”
Supply:
Bruce Lee: The Artwork of Expressing the Human Physique by John Little
