Have you ever wanted to train like Bruce Lee? In this video, I am going to show you five core principles pertaining to the Bruce Lee workout and diet plan that helped to make him a lasting fitness icon so that you can implement them into your own workouts and meal plan.
The first principle of training like Bruce Lee is to lift what can be lifted. What this means is that you should have command and control of the weight through space. How can this command and control be displayed? Easily, actually. If you cannot stop the weight from moving at any point through the range of motion, then the weight is too heavy. For example, can you stop a dumbbell at point during a front raise? Or is the dumbbell so heavy that momentum is carrying it through the range of motion? Bruce Lee was a master of this and translated this demand of command and control into his martial arts practices as well.
The second principle to train like the legendary Bruce Lee is contraction creates command. By contracting the muscles following an exercise, there is an opportunity to create a greater mind-muscle connection. With a greater link between the two, you will have greater command over the muscles themselves in their pursuit of growth. Bruce Lee famously did this with pushups where, following a set, he would cross his arms and flex his chest. The good thing is that this can be done with almost any exercise and corresponding muscle group. For example, following a set of curls you would flex your biceps, or lat pulldowns; you would be flexing your back. Apply this technique to your training and see for yourself how you create a better mind-muscle connection to lead to further muscle growth than you previously thought.
Bruce Lee’s third training principle was to create strength by not losing strength. You’ve likely heard me say in the past that to improve performance on an exercise, you have to plug the energy leaks. Bruce Lee had a very similar approach to his training and workouts. This was displayed with his famous fingertip pushups – without creating rigidity and stability throughout the body, the exercise would be near impossible to perform. But this principle applies to more than just fingertip pushups; plugging the energy leaks can be done on so many exercises in so many forms.
Another application of creating strength was Bruce Lee’s inclusion of overcoming isometrics. He commonly did this on the bench press and the squat by pressing the bar against the pins of the rack so that the bar would move no further. Overcoming isometrics is a time-tested lifting technique that has helped to produce great strength results and is something you should look to include in your workouts as well.
To train like Bruce Lee, you have to understand his philosophy on food; being that you are what you eat. Bruce Lee was very conscious of the food that he put in his body and took great care to make sure that he was putting high quality, nutritious food into his system. He famously had an industrial juicer in his home, something unheard of at the time, to help prepare his meals. Bruce also understood the importance of including high quality protein in his meal diet as well. Taking care of what he ate and what he put into his body helped create the body that he sported and the performance to go along with it. I, myself, can’t stress the importance of high quality nutrition if you want to achieve the body you are looking for. Aesthetics or performance, it doesn’t matter; they are going too heavily rely on the food you eat.
The last principle of Bruce Lee’s training and workouts is that your abs should be like steel. While some might focus on their abs solely for appearance, Bruce Lee felt that the core was important for his martial arts performance as well. Thus, he focused on resilience and rigidity in his ab training. One ab exercise that Bruce Lee was famous for performing was the dragon flag, but if that move is too advanced, you can achieve similar results with exercises like the step out and plate drags. In this training principle, it’s important to take note of the obliques, but being able to train them with overload is even better. This can be done easily by hanging from a bar and performing oblique focused exercises there.
If you are looking for a program that will get you looking ripped and athletic like Bruce Lee and puts his training principles into effect, then head on over to athleanx.com via the link below and be sure to check out instant access to all 42 workout programs.
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Informative, super fun to watch and a respectful tribute to the great legend. Thank you for the video. I watched it multiple times because this video offers so much value.
Jeff, I have a question, can I workout if I have a severe myopia, will I be able to still workout? Especially it bothers me, because I love calisthenics and I love incorporating Pike Push Ups, Handstand Push Ups, and other exercises in the vertical close chain environment. Does it has any impact on my eyesight and in the long run will it be detriment to me? I will be grateful if you cover my question in some of your future AX Jeff videos.
Watch out bitches! Bruce Lee and I have the same size arms! I’m going to tell this to everyone calling me skinny lol
This is the way 🐲
You are what you eat? Thats why everyone calls me an asshole😌
A shame that we don't have Bruce's workout details from 1972-1973 as his physique was really at its peak during this time. You only need to watch Way of the Dragon and Enter the Dragon to see this
Great video about a great man – delightful to watch. Well done guys.
2:05 "Lift What Can Be Lifted"
2:20 ROM/TUT
2:50 Yielding Isometric
3:40 "Contraction Creates Command"
4:07 Intra-set
5:21 "Create Strength By Not Losing Strength"
6:08 Plug Energy Leaks
7:50 Overcoming Isometric
8:25 "You Are What You Eat"
10:00 "Abs Should Be Like Steel"
Great Video Jeff!
" Cardboard cutouts don't hit back " Kudos to Jeff and Jesse & Bruce for being in such phenomenal shape
To much protein destroys Kidneys! The living Legend Dr Robert Morse has been healing bodybuilders for decades because of eating to much protein! Pay Attention!! Lights
Jeff, reach out to Dan Inosanto if you want first hand stories of Bruce Lee. I'm sure he could give you some sort of insight into how Bruce worked out and his training philosophy
Ok, what is that lat pull-down attachment (at 3:07) called, and how do I get one?
Was just lookin this stuff up yesterday
Outstanding insights
I threw my juicer away and just eat my food. I want my fiber…John Pinnette juiced a ham…
His First ever movie I watched as a little kid was "Enter the dragon" That inspired me so much and kids of my age to join Kung-Fu classes and learn something non-traditional for an Indian kid. Now I'm 47 and still admire him as legend and an ideal. Thanks Jeff for bringing this up. Love your work and programs( I'm part of a few).
THE ATHLEAN X! When is upper/lower back ranked exercises coming?
Did any of this contribute to him dying at 32?
excellent video, thank you!
I always appreciate the use of the term “moment arm”. Not heard it used outside of aviation.
Thanks for another great video Jeff !
Please make a video on corrective exercises for functional thoracic scoliosis
Try walking like a Komodo Dragon… Or the reverse, like a spider, but stomach and knees up…😮
My core was devastated after several surgeries and extended recoveries. I’m not back to my previous core strength, but this a goal.
You can hate me later 😂
Awesome I'm not super late this time
Hey man great video, been following for years now and your advices been really effective and helped me lots. Lately, been having nausea after leg day, how do I counter that?
Thank you for great advice and guide 🙏🏿🙏🏿
I found this video really insightful. I am currently doing the Dragon Bonus program. I am gonna apply these concepts to these workouts.
X0 3? 😃😃
Wwe Roman ring workouts videos upload
I can not find any official fights of Bruce Lee, championships, tournaments or others, people, help me to understand, he is just a legend or myth…??????
He used a Bull worker too.
How do I make my wrists stronger? They always feel sore and fatigued after doing push-ups and pikes. Want to strengthen them so I can do more.
Overcoming isometric is awesome
It is amazing the strength he had for the size he was.
Jeff, if you could do a video on what is the best workout plan in Ramadan and how can we maintain the muscle mass with the fasting, it will be very beneficial video 🙏
🙏
Hello, I tried to download your app on android and it seems it not compatible with new android phone. Could you please confirm when are you releasing new version?
For tearing a bicep it doesn’t look like you’ve lost any strength after healing. Was there a behind the scenes rehab series to get back to form? I tore a bit more of mine and still struggle getting strength back a year later. 🤕
I'm going to assume that this is impossible because Bruce Lee was a machine and not human.
I'd do anything for a gym like his
Hey jeff, I've been training hard for 2 months now and I've definitely noticed an increase in strength and muscle, along with fat loss as well. Although I've been loyal to my training program and diet, I'm still doing what I can do keep improving my program and diet. Something that I've tried researching on my own is the effects of marijuana with regards to the rest. Right now, I'm doing a training routine with heavy lifting in a pull/push/leg split and an off day to follow. My typical routine coming home from work (around 6pm) is to train, have one hit of marijuana after the training session, eat my dinner, then have my protein shake. What I'm wondering is how does marijuana affect my rest with regards to muscle growth? I've had this thought that having the marijuana will do more harm than good because my body is resting to not only heal my muscle fibers, but to fight off the THC in my system as well. In my opinion, my body can only do so much, and with my body trying to ditch the THC from my system, I can't help but wonder if my body has too much on its plate while resting, leaving valuable protein unused. I haven't been able to find any information online on whether or not this is the case, but if you could shed some light on this for me, it would be greatly appreciated.
Me anxiously decoding each secret of this video:
Be
Sure
To
Drink
Your…
OVALTINE!?!!
I DID replay that scene… again and again.
Great teaching. Great editing. GREAT guys!
Keep waiting for Jeff biceps to pop. Literally.
BRUCEEEE LEEEEEEEEEEE
There is no secret……..
3:48
For how long to hold that contraction?
Thank you for paying respects to both of my childhood heroes. Firstly with Sylvester Stallone and now to Bruce Lee!