Workout Routines
Bruce Lee Workout Routine
What was Bruce Lee’s workout routine?
If Bruce Lee wasn’t the greatest martial artist of all time, then certainly he is the number one candidate, given Bruce Lee’s contribution as a martial artist to the world.
Lee became famous as an actor in martial arts films; and now, decades later, he’s considered one of the biggest mixed martial arts icons of all time.
His films have created box office records, eventually changing the way martial arts and films related to it were looked upon by the world.
Within this article, we’ll discuss Bruce Lee’s workout routine, diet and supplements and so much more:
Current Stats
Height: 170 cm – 5’7″
Weight: 60 kg – 132 pounds
Age: 32 years old
Birthday: 27th of November, 1940
Death: 20th of July, 1973
Accolades: Hong Kong Film Award for Star of Century, 2005
Workout Principles
Bruce Lee was well aware that both strength and conditioning played a huge role in martial arts, and he made sure his workout routines incorporated just that.
Although he used basic concepts like weights for strength, jogging for endurance, and stretching for flexibility, these methods have come a long way since the 1960s and ’70s.
Bruce Lee’s Workout Routine
Today, Lee would not seek “best,” but he would continue to seek “better.” Bruce Lee’s workout routine focused on building strength and cardiovascular endurance while still leaving enough time for recovery and his normal martial arts training.
Here is Bruce Lee’s workout routine:
Monday: Upper Body
On Monday, he performed an upper-body routine with 10 different exercises with a total of 4 sets and 25 reps)
Here’s Bruce Lee’s upper body routine:
1. Barbell Bench Press (4 sets, 12 reps)
2. Weighted Chin Up (4 sets, 10 reps)
3. Incline Reverse Dumbbell Flys (3 sets, 10 reps)
4. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press (3 sets, 10 reps)
5. Barbell Power Cleans (3 sets, 10 reps)
6. Face Pulls (3 sets, 10 reps)
7. Plank Rows (3 sets, 10 reps)
8. Sit-Ups (3 sets, 25 reps)
9. Planks (3 sets, 60 seconds)
10. Cooldown (800m jog)
Tuesday: Full Body and Endurance
On Tuesday, Bruce Lee performed a full body and endurance routine.
Here’s Bruce Lee’s full-body and endurance routine:
5 Rounds for Time:
1. 100m sprint (5 sets)
2. Mountain Climbers (5 sets, 25 reps)
3. Kettlebell Swings (5 sets, 20 reps)
4. Burpees (5 sets, 15 reps)
5. Pull-Ups (5 sets, 10 reps)
6. Deadlifts (5 sets, 5 reps)
Core:
1. Sit-Ups (3 sets, 25 reps)
2. Planks (3 sets, 60 seconds
3. Cooldown (1600m jog)
Wednesday: Rest Day or Mixed Martial Arts
On Wednesday, Bruce Lee had a rest day, or he performed MMA.
Thursday: Lower Body
On Thursday, he performed a lower body a routine by doing 10 different exercises.
Here’s Bruce Lee’s lower body routine:
1. Squats (4 sets, 12 reps)
2. Weighted Lunges (4 sets, 10 reps)
3. Straight Leg Deadlift (3 sets, 10 reps)
4. Hamstring Curls (3 sets, 10 reps)
5. Light Front Squats (3 sets, 15 reps)
6. Calf Raises (3 sets, 10 reps)
7. Box Jumps (3 sets, 10 reps)
8. Sit-Ups (3 sets, 25 reps)
9. Planks (3 sets, 60 seconds)
10. Cooldown (800m jog)
Friday: Full Body
On Friday, he performed a full-body routine by doing 9 different exercises.
Here’s Bruce Lee’s full-body routine:
1. 60 calorie run
2. Leg Raises (5 sets, 50 reps)
3. Push-Ups (5 sets, 40 reps)
4. One Arm Dumbbell Snatches (5 sets, 30 reps)
5. Double Unders 5 sets, 20 reps)
6. Burpees (5 sets, 10 reps)
Core:
1. Sit-Ups (3 sets, 25 reps)
2. Planks (3 sets, 60 seconds)
3. Cooldown (1600m jog)
Saturday: Rest Day or Mixed Martial Arts
On Wednesday, Bruce Lee had a rest day, or he performed MMA.
Sunday: Rest
Sunday is a rest day.
Bruce Lee’s Diet
Bruce Lee preferred to consume four or five smaller meals a day, instead of eating a couple of large meals. He’d also include some healthy snacks into the mix, such as fruits.
Eating large amounts of food at a time causes the body’s metabolism to slow down, resulting in the excess calories being stored as fat.
Here is Bruce Lee’s diet:
1. Breakfast:
- Eggs
- Fruits
2. Lunch:
- Beef
- Oyster sauce
3. Snack:
- Protein Shake
4. Dinner:
- Chicken
- Rice
5. Afternoon Snack:
- Protein Shake
Supplements
Bruce Lee used the following supplements to help fuel his gains:
Summary
The man the myth the legend Bruce Lee changed the world with his martial arts skills.
Lee divided his routine into several specific parts to reinforce his martial arts prowess:
- Weight training
- Calisthenics
- Cardio fitness
- Stretching.