Bruce Lee Workout: Secrets Revealed

Bruce Lee’s workout was discovered by his daughter, Shannon Lee. Shannon Lee shared the Bruce Lee workout that she found in her late father’s possessions. The workout and training notes were featured in Muscle & Fitness (October 2014 issue).

The secrets revealed in Bruce Lee’s workout included his notes on power, agility, coordination, flexibility, endurance, agility and even rest. When it came to his workouts, Bruce Lee used the philosophical maxim:

Don’t allow your goals to be superficial. Think deeply about your motivations, and pursue them in ways that elevate your performance. Accept what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is essentially your own, and apply it to your workout.

Bruce Lee Circuit Training

The Bruce Lee circuit training routine was the foundation of his power. It was central to Lee’s overall strength, or what he calls “power.”

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Clean and Press	2	8-12
Barbell Curls	2	8-12
Behind-the-Neck Presses	2	8-12
Upright Rows	2	8-12
Barbell Squats	2	12-20
Barbell Row	2	8-12
Bench Press	2	8-12
Barbell Pullover	2	8-12

[Do one set of each, moving onto the next exercise after 1 set. Rest a minute. Then, repeat the circuit one more time. (to reach 2 sets of each exercise) Click exercise links (above) for videos and descriptions on how to do Bruce Lee Circuit Training.]

Bruce Lee developed a circuit training routine long before it was popular. He found that training all his muscles was a more balanced approach. For his goals, it was much better than focusing on a singular muscle group.

This is because Bruce Lee was focused on power and agility, but not massive increases in size. For anyone focused on a lean frame, circuit training is the way to go. By doing different exercises for different body parts, blood has to flow much quicker.

As your blood is flowing quicker through body, your heart has to work harder. Circuit training requires more pumping blood, increasing your heart rate. An increased heart rate during weight training (or cardio) is the key to fat burning.

Bruce Lee Workout For Lean Muscle Gains

The Bruce Lee Workout for lean muscle gains was something he created when he wanted to get bigger. Bruce Lee created a workout routine designed for lean muscle gains. This workout helped him gain 3/4″ (1.9 cm) to his upper biceps in just 44 days!

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell Squats	3	10
Lying Triceps Extension	4	6
Incline Dumbbell Curls	4	6
Concentration Curls	4	6
Weighted Push Ups	3	10
Barbell Curls	3	8
Overhead Triceps Extension	3	6-8
Dumbbell Rotation	4	AMAYC
Seated Wrist Curls	4	AMAYC
Reverse Wrist Curls	4	AMAYC
Situps	5	12
Calf Raise	5	20

[Click exercise links (above) for videos and descriptions on how to do Bruce Lee Workout for lean muscle gains]

 

AMAYC= As Many As You Can (i.e., To Failure)

Bruce Lee Total Body Workout

The Bruce Lee Total Body Workout is a collection of his notes that encompasses his exercise routine. These notes were found by his daughter, Shannon Lee:

Exercise	Sets	Format
Alternate Splits	3	Circuit
Run In Place	3	Circuit
Jump Squats	3	Circuit
Shoulder Circling	3	Circuit
Bruce Lee High Kicks	3	Circuit
Pushups	3	Circuit
Waist Twists	3	Circuit
Side Bends	3	Circuit
Ab Crunches	3	Circuit
Hanging Leg Raises	3	Circuit

[Click links above for exercise videos/demonstrations. Circuit format means you perform only 1 set of an exercise, then move to the next one. There’s also a Bruce Lee Abs workout that demonstrates these exercises on the next page.]

 

Read more about the Bruce Lee Workout on the next page: