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Post by Maximum6 on Apr 28, 2004 21:00:08 GMT -5
What about Bruce Lee..he is a hero to my race..... ;D I hear he runs many miles a day...makes his very own recipe of protein shake...does insane types of Workout...with mind blowing positions that most body builders can't do...
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Post by Tim Wescott on Apr 28, 2004 21:17:28 GMT -5
Max, I moved your post on Bruce Lee to the strength category as he wasn`t a competitive bodybuilder. Bruce was a fantastic athlete and I will try to find some of the feats of strength and endurance he had accomplished. Thanks Max!!
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Post by Tim Wescott on Apr 28, 2004 21:34:35 GMT -5
Max, Here`s a lot of amazing and cool stuff I found on Bruce`s feats of strength. Enjoy!!
Bruce Lee`s Strength Feats !!!
Bruce Lee's feats have been well and truly documented by his friends and admirers alike, amazed by his superhuman qualities which belied his small frame. Bruce, standing at only five feet, seven-and-a-half inches tall and weighing a modest 135 pounds performed legendary feats of strength, agility and speed, those of which have never been matched up to this day. So I bring to you quotes and anecdotes from Bruce Lee's friends, students and training partners who all bear witness to 'Bruce Lee's Amazing Feats'
What they said:
Herb Jackson (Friend and training partner of Bruce Lee - also commissioned by Bruce to build equipment and training apparatus for him)
"Bruce was interested in becoming as strong as possible."
"The biggest problem in designing equipment for Bruce, is that he'd go through it so damn fast! I had to reinforce his wooden dummy with automobile parts so he could train on it without breaking it. "
"...The reason for the machine was simply because no one could stand up to his full-force punches and kicks - Bruce's strength and skill had evolved to the point where he had to fight machines!"
Danny Inosanto (Best Friend, student and training partner of Bruce Lee - only person authorised to teach Bruce's Jeet Kune Do)
"I remember once Bruce and I were walking along the beach in Santa Monica, all of a sudden this huge bodybuilder came walking by, and I said to Bruce, 'man, look at the arms on that guy!' I'll never forget his reaction - he said, yeah, he's big - but is he powerful?"
"Bruce had tremendous strength in holding a weight out horizontally in a standing position. I know because I've seen it. He'd take a 125-pound barbell and hold it straight out."
Chuck Norris (World Karate Champion, actor and student of Bruce Lee - appeared opposite to Bruce in 'Way of the Dragon')
"Bruce Lee, pound for pound, might well have been one of the strongest men in the world - and certainly one of the quickest."
Jhoon Rhee (American tae kwon do grandmaster, friend and training partner of Bruce Lee)
"Bruce was really gifted. Pound for pound, I've never seen anyone as strong as he was. He used to do push-ups with one finger - on one hand! I can't even do it with four fingers!"
Joe Lewis (World Karate Champion and student of Bruce Lee)
"Bruce was incredibly strong for his size. He could take a 75-pound barbell and, from a standing position with the barbell held flush against his chest, he could slowly stick his arms out straight out, lock them and hold the barbell there for 20 seconds - that's pretty damn good for a guy who at the time weighed only 138 pounds! I know 200-pound weightlifters who can't do that!"
Jesse Glover (First student of Bruce Lee in the United States)
"Bruce would take a 70-pound dumbbell with one arm and raise it to a lateral position - level with his shoulder - and then he'd hold the contraction for a few seconds. Nobody else I knew could even get it up there, let alone hold it up there!"
"He was very, very quick, we timed him with an electric timer once and Bruce's quickest movements were around five-hundredths of a second; his slowest were around eight-hundredths, and this was punching from a relaxed position with his hands down at his sides from a distance between 18-24 inches. Not only was he amazingly quick, but he could read you too. He could pick up on small subtle things that you were getting ready to do and then he'd just shut you down.
Wally Jay (Premier jujitsu performer in the United States)
"Bruce had a big heavy bag hanging out on this patio. It weighed 300 pounds. I could hardly move it at all. Bruce said to me 'Hey, wally, watch this!' and this monster of a heavy bag went up to the ceiling - thump! - and came back down. I still can't believe the power that guy had."
Hayward Nishioka (Pan American Gold medal winner in judo)
Talking about Bruce's trademark "one-inch" punch - "I got knocked up against the wall by that punch. I didn't think it was possible that he could generate that much power in his punch, especially when he was just laying his hand against my chest - he just twitched a bit and - wham! - I went flying backward and bounced off a wall! I took him very seriously after that."
More Feats Of Bruce Lee:
One stunt Bruce liked doing was thrusting his fingers through unopened cans of Coca-Cola - this was before cans were made with aluminium, which is a much softer material than what the cans were made of back in the days.
Bruce use to explode 100-pound heavybags with a simple side kick as witnessed by James Coburn.
For a party trick Bruce would place a dime in a participant's upturned palm and told them that he would try to pick the dime out of their palm before they could close their hand. So with the unsuspecting participant ready Bruce's fingers were poised above the upturned palm, then within a flash Bruce would snatch - it would seem Bruce was too slow with the smiling participant with closed hand thinking that they still had the dime within it. But to the participant's amazement Bruce was successful - upon opening their hand they were stunned to find Bruce had grabbed the dime, but even more amazing was that he left a penny in it's place.
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Post by Tim Wescott on Apr 28, 2004 21:35:45 GMT -5
Two finger push-ups!! Bruce working out! The lean muscular physique of Bruce Lee!
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Post by Maximum6 on Apr 28, 2004 21:40:35 GMT -5
So incredible..he is like a real life super man. I wonder what his diet was......it probably was alot of veggies
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Post by oldtimer1 on Mar 13, 2005 19:03:54 GMT -5
I remember reading that he used whole body routines. Very basic compound exercises. He was also a very avid bodybuilding fan. He had a subscription to one of the Weider magazines. He also ran a lot of miles to get that amazining definition.
If you want specifics I could dig out old articles about his weight training.
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littlec
Novice Bodybuilder
Posts: 12
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Post by littlec on Mar 16, 2005 10:46:50 GMT -5
Bruce Lee's Weight Training
Bruce Lee never bragged about his muscular body, but he was proud of it, especially of his highly developed abdominal muscles. When Bruce wore loose clothing, he looked like a normally built guy. But underneath the clothing, he was a man with extraordinary muscles.
"I've seen many muscular bodybuilders," one of his fans said, "but never like Bruce. He is built perfectly, not bulky. He has muscles on top of muscles, yet he moves with the finesse of a ballet dancer. Those men with bulky muscles can't move like that; they are too tight and clumsy."
Fred Weintraub, the producer of Enter The Dragon, gave this description of Bruce: "...His body never had an inch of fat; it was pure muscle, like steel."
Bruce had to work hard to develop those muscles. "l used to have a big, soft belly," he explained. "My stomach protruded and I looked terrible for a young guy. I decided to streamline my waist."
From that revelation, Bruce took up weight training. He was always a bundle of energy. He was like a small kid who would never tire. If he had his mind set to do something, nothing could have stopped him.
He combined weight training with his regular workout.
He spent as much as four hours in his garage, hardly taking a break, as he worked on the equipment, built by his students to his specifications. He designed his weight-training workout to avoid bulky muscles that might interfere with his performance. For instance, he did not want muscles that restricted the movement of his elbows.
"You must tuck your elbows in quickly when a blow is directed to your midsection," he explained. "Some bodybuilders are so bulky that they have no way to defend the solar plexus area with efficiency. They can't cover the area with their elbows, so when they use another method to protect it, they leave other parts of their body open. Weight training is supposed to help you, not screw you.
Bruce concentrated heavily on his abdominal muscles because he believed that the body is "the biggest target and the least mobile. The more muscles you have around your abdomen, the more blows it can take." Bruce's body was covered with ripples of muscles. Broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, he was the envy of even bodybuilders.
To Bruce, training was a full-time job. Even while watching television, he would be in motion. He would do his sit-ups very slowly, his body descending slower than ascending. "You'll get more benefit by doing them slowly," he said. "It's not the number of repetitions, but the way it's done."
When he wasn't doing sit-ups, he would be squeezing a rubber ball or pumping a pair of dumbbells. Desiring accolades, many times he would ask a friend or acquaintance to place a hand on his abdomen or leg to "feel my stomach muscles" or "feel how hard my legs are."
Bruce wasn't particular about what he ate. He avoided cigarettes, wine and liquor, but never refused a cup of hot tea. He would eat anything: pork, chicken, fish, beef, vegetables. His favorite dishes were Chinese and Japanese.
Although he was small man, 5-foot-7 and 135 pounds, he had a voracious appetite. In a restaurant, he always ordered an additional plate of food for himself- one serving was not enough. He also drank a lot of water, probably because he perspired so much.
Bruce took a daily amount of vitamin pills, apparently influenced by the body-building magazine he subscribed to. He prided himself on being healthy.
This material has been excerpted from the Ohara Publications Inc. book Bruce Lee: The Incomparable Fighter, authored by M. Uyehara
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littlec
Novice Bodybuilder
Posts: 12
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Post by littlec on Mar 16, 2005 10:49:24 GMT -5
Bruce Lee's Speed Training by Bruce Lee and M. Uyehara
What is speed in fighting? Is it the velocity of your hands, feet and body movement? Or are there other, prevalent essentials in a good fighter? What is a good fighter?
A good fighter is one who can hit his opponent quicker, harder, without much perceptible effort, and yet avoid being hit. He doesn't only possess a pair of fast hands and feet and quick body movement, but he has other qualities such as non-telegraphic moves, good coordination, perfect balance and keen awareness. Although some people are endowed with a few of these qualities, most of these attributes are developed through hard training.
All the strength or power you have developed from your training is wasted if you are slow and can't make contact. Power and speed go hand-in-hand. A fighter needs both to be successful.
One immediate way to increase your speed at impact is to "snap" or "whip" your hand just before contact. It is the same principle as the overhand throw. For example, if you throw a baseball with a full swing and snap your wrist at the last moment or the tail end of your swing, the ball will have more velocity than without the snap. Naturally, the longer swing with a snap will have more acceleration at the end than a shorter swing with a snap.
Speed in Punching The backfist is not the quickest or strongest technique because you can't utilize your entire body in the movement. It is, however, one blow that you can apply the whipping or snapping motion to.
The backfist is usually thrown at your opponent's head, and it is used heavily in combination with lop sao (grabbing-the-hand techniques). It is delivered from shoulder height but can also be used as a surprise attack and can be launched anywhere from your waist to your shoulder. It is very difficult to block once you have acquired non-telegraphic moves.
Although some power is lost in this punch, it is compensated for or redeemed when combined with lop sao. If you can develop a strong pulling power in your arm, you will be able to jerk your opponent forward and apply the backfist. The impact should be devastating.
Candle Drill To develop speed or quickness in the backfist, light a candle and attempt to extinguish it with the acceleration of your punch.
Blocking Drill Another interesting exercise is to have a partner attempt to block your punch as you throw it at his face. If he misses his block, you should be able to stop your punch about 1/4-inch from his skin.
Finger Jab The leading finger jab is the fastest attacking weapon available to you. It is fast because it travels only a short distance. It is also the longest hand weapon accessible to you. Since you do not clench your fist, you add several more inches to your reach.
To protect your fingers while throwing this technique, make sure you use the proper hand form. Align the tip of your hand by slightly bending the longer fingers to adjust to the shorter fingers and tuck your thumb in.
Your hand should resemble a spear.
To develop speed in the finger jab, you need a great deal of practice and initiative. Speed relies on economy of motion, and the jab is one technique you have the opportunity to experiment with. The jab, like all jeet kune do blows, must be thrust forward without any retracting motion. It is like a snake darting at its prey without warning.
Paper Drill The more hours you spend speed hitting, the faster your hands will travel. One excellent training device for this is the paper target. It is inexpensive, easy to construct and valuable
Leading Straight The leading straight is the fastest of all the punches. Not only is it the main offensive weapon, but it's also an important defensive tool. And it is a "speed" punch. Like the finger jab, the leading straight travels only a short distance to the target because the hand is already extended.
The leading straight is also the most accurate technique because it is delivered straight forward at a close distance, and your balance is left intact. Like the finger jab, it is hard to block, especially if you keep it in a continuous, small motion.
You can put some "zip" into your punch by snapping it just before impact. Keep your hand loose and tighten your fist only an instant before contact. To put explosiveness in the blow, utilize the flowing-energy concept by adding heaviness to your hand.
The leading straight is not an end, but a means to an end. It is not a powerful blow that will knock your opponent flat with one punch. It is, however, the most dominating jeet kune do punch and is used profusely with the other combination punches and kicks.
The straight punch should be delivered from an on-guard position with the point of contact in line with the surface of your shoulder. Against a short opponent, bend your knees so your shoulders are aligned with the point of contact. Likewise, if your opponent is tall, stand on the balls of your feet.
Later, as you progress, you can throw the straight punch with your hands in any position. But the punch must be launched with your body in balance to be effective. Unlike the classical stance, your hand is never placed on your hip, nor is the punch initiated from there. It is impractical to have your hand traveling the extra, needless distance. Furthermore, delivery of your punch from the hip exposes a large area of your body.
The leading straight will have more sting if you pivot your hips and utilize all the other functions for a heavy blow. But sometimes this will telegraph your movement, and you have to decide whether to sacrifice speed for power. This depends on your opponent. If he is very slow and awkward, you can utilize the powerful blows. But if he is fast, you may have to concentrate on speed more than power.
Speed Bag Among the best equipment to develop speed and accuracy is the old-fashioned speed bag. To use the bag properly, you have to be quick with your hands. You also have to hit the target perfectly so the bag will bounce directly back to you.
In the beginning, use both hands to punch the bag and stand with your feet parallel but comfortably apart. Hit the bag straight, using your nose as the guiding point. The most valuable feature of the bag is that it compels you to hit directly and crisply so it returns to you sharply. You cannot hit the bag if you punch from your hip; it takes too long to react. And you are liable to be hit in the face since your hands will not be able to protect your head from the oncoming bag.
Punching Pads You can use punching pads to increase your speed and heavy punching.
If you are working out with one pad, have your partner hold the pad in front of him. Whenever you try to punch it, he should jerk it swiftly either upward or downward, trying to make you miss.
You can do the same exercise with two pads.
Wooden Dummy The wooden dummy can also be used to learn speed punching. The disadvantage, however, is that you can hurt your hands if you are not conditioned to hit solid objects.
Slapping Game An excellent child's game that is fun and can be played with anyone is the "slapping" match. Extend your arm fully in front of you with your hand outstretched. Make sure your thumb is on the top and hold it vertically. When your partner swings his hand to slap yours, jerk your hand upward and toward you, trying to avoid contact. You let him do the slapping until he misses, then reverse roles.
Non-telegraphic Punch Jeet kune do features the non-telegraphic principles of fencing, and this sets the style distinctively apart from the classical styles of hung fu and boxing. For example, jeet kune do utilizes their footwork and the principle of thrusting your hand before your body, which makes it almost impossible to parry or block speed punches such as the backfist, jab or lead punch.
The idea of non-telegraphing is to initiate your punch without any forewarning (tensing your shoulders or moving your feet or body) so your opponent does not have enough time to react. If you punch with jut a slight motion of your feet or body, you have "telegraphed" or warned your opponent of your intention.
The secret is to relax your body and arms but keep them slightly weaving. Whip your hand out loosely so your shoulders don't become tense, and clench your hand an instant before contact. And keep a poker face. You don't want to telegraph your intentions.
Reference: Muscle and Fitness
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littlec
Novice Bodybuilder
Posts: 12
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Post by littlec on Mar 16, 2005 10:50:35 GMT -5
Jeet Kune Do
Bruce Lee
Three swordsmen sat down at a table in a crowded Japanese inn and began to make loud comments about their neighbor, hoping to goad him into a duel. The master seemed to take no notice of them, but when their remarks became ruder and more pointed, he raised his chopsticks and, in quick snips, effortlessly caught four flies wings. As he slowly laid down the chopsticks, the three swordsmen hurriedly left the room.
The story illustrates a great difference between oriental and western thinking. The average westerner would be intrigued by someone’s ability to catch flies with chopsticks, and would probably say that has nothing to do with how good he is in combat. But the oriental would realize that a man who has attained such complete mastery of an art reveals his presence of mind in every action. The state of wholeness and imperturbability demonstrated by the master indicated his mastery of self.
And so it is with martial arts. To the westerner the finger jabs, the side kicks, and the back fist, etc, are tools of destruction and violence which is, indeed, one of their functions. But the oriental believes that the primary function of such tools is revealed when they are self-distracted and destroy greed, fear, anger and folly.
Manipulative skill is not Oriental’s goal. He is aiming his kicks and blows at himself and when successful, may even succeed in knocking himself out. After years of training, he hopes to achieve that vital loosening and equability of all powers which is what the three swordsmen saw in the master.
In every day life the mind is capable of moving from one thought or object to another – “being” mind instead of “having” mind. However, when face to face with an opponent in a deadly contest, the mind tends to stick and loses it mobility. Stick ability or stoppage is a problem that haunts every martial artist.
Kwan – in (avalokitesvara), the goddess of mercy, is sometimes represented with one thousand arms, each holding a different instrument. If her mind stops (999) will be of no use whatever, it is only because of her mind not stopping with the use of one arm, but moving from one instrument to another, that all her arms prove useful with the utmost degree of efficiency. Thus the figure is meant to demonstrate that, when the ultimate truth is realized even as many as one thousand arms on one body may each be service able in one way or another. “Purposelessness”, “empty – mindedness” or “no art” are frequent terms used in the orient to denote the ultimate achievement of a martial artist. According to Zen, the spirit is by nature formless and no “ objects” are to be harbored in it. When anything is harbored there, psychic energy is drawn toward it, and when psychic energy loses its balance, its native activity becomes cramped and it no longer flows with the stream, where the energy is tipped, there is too much of it in one direction and a shortage of it in another direction. Where there is too much energy, it overflows and cannot be controlled. In either case, it is unable to cope with ever – changing situations. But when there prevails a state of “purposelessness” (which is also a stage of fluidity or mindlessness) , the spirit harbors nothing in it, nor is it tipped in one direction; it transcends both subject and object; it responds empty – mindedly to whatever is happening.
True mastery transcends any particular art. It stems from mastery of oneself – the ability, developed through self – discipline, to be calm, fully aware, and completely in tune with oneself and the surroundings. Then, and only then, can a person know himself.
---- Bruce Lee
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littlec
Novice Bodybuilder
Posts: 12
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Post by littlec on Mar 16, 2005 10:53:16 GMT -5
now the moment you've been waiting for.. his training and diet. ---------- How Did Bruce Lee Get Those Washboard Abs? by Jake Seal
Of all the body parts Bruce Lee developed, his abdominal muscles were the most spectacular: rock solid to the touch, deeply cut and highly defined. Bruce believed the abdominals were one of the most important muscle groups for a martial artist since virtually every movement requires some degree of abdominal work. Perhaps more importantly, the "abs" are like a shell, protecting your ribs and vital organs.
Lee was more than merely a fitness fanatic; he was an extremist, always in search of new ways to push his body to the limit, constantly tuning it while striving to achieve maximum efficiency. He felt many martial artists of his day lacked the necessary physical fitness to back up their skill. In his book Tao of Jeet Kune Do, he wrote "Training is one of the most neglected phases of athletics. Too much time is given to the development of skill and too little to the development of the individual for participation."
Black Belt magazine owner Mito Uyehara recalls that "Bruce always felt that if your stomach was not developed, then you had no business doing any hard sparring."
Lee's wife, Linda Lee Cadwell, claims her former husband "was a fanatic about ab training. He was always doing sit-ups, crunches, Roman chair movements, leg raises and V-ups."
According to some of Lee's early training notes, his daily abdominal workout included: Waist twists - four sets of 90 repetitions. Sit-up twists - four sets of 20 repetitions. Leg raises - four sets of 20 repetitions. Leaning twists - four sets of 50 repetitions. Frog kicks - four sets of 50 repetitions. Lee further developed this routine, adding additional sets of sit-ups, side bends, leg raises, "flags," twists and back bends to his abdominal workout regimen. The "flag" exercise was a particularly difficult drill Lee devised for working the abdominal. While lying on a bench, he would grasp attached uprights with both hands and raise himself, supported only by his shoulders. Then, with his knees locked straight and his lower back raised off the bench, he would perform leg raises.
Bolo Yeung, Lee's co-star in Enter the Dragon, recalls seeing his friend perform this exercise with just his shoulder blades resting on the end of the bench, and with his legs and torso suspended horizontally off of it. "He was able to keep himself perfectly horizontal in midair!" Yeung notes.
Of course, Lee's washboard stomach did not come from mere abdominal training; he was also a zealous proponent of cardiovascular conditioning and would regularly run, jump rope and ride a stationary bicycle. A typical Lee run covered a distance of two to six miles and was accomplished in 15 to 45 minutes. According to Lee's friend and fellow actor Bob Wall, "Bruce was pretty much a five-mile runner, but then Bruce was one of those guys who I just challenged the heck out of himself. He ran backward, and he ran wind sprints where he'd run a mile, walk a mile, run a mile...." Lee would alternate running with stationary bicycling, which, according to Uyehara, he'd ride for 45 minutes (about 10 miles).
Lee's student, Herb Jackson, remembers another, more unorthodox method Lee used to increase his muscle definition. According to Jackson, Lee would wear a type of sauna belt when riding his stationary bicycle because he believed the belt focused heat on his abdominal muscles and helped reduce fat.
Another element in Lee's quest for abdominal definition was nutrition. According to Linda Lee Cadwell, soon after he moved to the United States, Bruce started to take nutrition seriously and developed an interest in health foods and high-protein drinks. "Several times a day, he took a high-protein drink made up of powdered milk, ice water, eggs, eggshells, bananas, vegetable oil, peanut flour and chocolate ice cream," recalls Cadwell, who claims Bruce's waist fluctuated between 26 and 28 inches. "He also drank his own juice concoctions made from vegetables and fruits apples, celery, carrots and so on, prepared in an electric blender."
Lee ate lean meat sparingly and consumed large amounts of fruits and vegetables. In later years, he became very knowledgeable about vitamin supplements, and each day apportioned himself exactly the right quota of vitamins A, B,C,D and E.
According to 1996 article from Iron Man, Bruce Lee utilized an weight lifting schedule on an every other day basis to allow for recovery. Lee coordinated his bodybuilding workouts so they fell on days when he wasn't engaged in either endurance-enhancing or overly strenuous martial arts training. He increased his body weight from 135 pounds to 165.
Lee geared his training for function rather than muscle size. Three areas most important in Lee's physical fitness program were stretching for flexibility, weight training for strength, and cardiovascular activity for his respiratory system.
The Weight Training Program Bruce Lee weight trained on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays using this plan. clean and presses 2 x 8 squats 2 x 12 barbell pullovers 2 x 8 bench presses 2 x 6 good mornings 2 x 8 barbell curls 2 x 8Clean and Presses
Lee would take a shoulder wide grip on an Olympic barbell. Bending his knees, he squatted in front of the resistance, and with a quick snap of his arms and a thrust of his legs he cleaned the barbell to his chest and stood up. After a brief pause he thrust the barbell to arm's length overhead, paused briefly and then lowered it back to the top of his chest. After another brief pause he lowered the bar back to the floor. After eight reps Bruce Lee would take a very short rest and do his second final set.
Squats Lee's squats were done with a barbell on his shoulders and his feet shoulder width apart. He slowly descended to a full squat position and with no pause came back up to the starting position. With a short breather he would then do set two.
Pullovers Bruce Lee performed pullovers by lying on his back on a flat bench and taking a shoulder-width grip on a barbell that he pressed out to full extension above his chest. From this position he lowered the barbell behind his head-making sure to keep a slight bend in his elbows so as not to strain his elbow joints-until it touched the floor ever so slightly and provided a comfortable stretch in his lats. From this fully extended position he slowly reversed the motion by contracting his lats, pecs and the long heads of his triceps.
Bench Press The bench press was the only direct barbell movement Bruce Lee used for his chest according to his personal records. He used a shoulder wide grip on an Olympic barbell. He pressed the weight off the support pins to arm's length above his chest. From this locked-out position he then lowered the bar to his chest and exhaled as he pressed it backup to the fully locked-out position.
Good Mornings Good mornings should be done carefully and only after a good warmup. Lee did this exercise to strengthen his lower back but in 1970 he damaged his fourth sacral nerve in his lower back doing this exercise with 135 pounds and without a warmup. This caused him terrible back pain for the rest of his life. So if you do this one be careful.
Good mornings are done by placing a barbell across your shoulders and positioning your feet three inches apart. Bend at the waist, keep your hands on the barbell. When you get your back at a 90 degree angle to your hips, return to the upright position. Personally this is one I don't do.
Barbell Curls Lee took a comfortable shoulder-width grip on the barbell with his palms facing forward. Keeping a slight bend in his knees, Lee contracted his biceps and curled the barbell up until it was on a level with his upper pecs. Pausing briefly in the fully contracted position, he then slowly lowered the barbell back to the starting position.
Other Bruce Lee Training Bruce Lee incorporated weights in his martial arts training. Lee would shadow box with weights in his hands.
Abs Bruce Lee trained his abs daily, believing that if your stomach wasn't developed you had no business in the ring.
Lee was always doing situps, crunches, Roman chair movements, leg raises, and V-ups. Chuck Norris went on record saying he saw Bruce bouncing Brandon Lee on his abdomen while simultaneously performing dumbbell flyes, and leg raises while watching tv.
Forearms In order to improve his gripping and punching power, Lee became an avid forearm trainer. He trained his forearms daily and had several gripping machines built for him.
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littlec
Novice Bodybuilder
Posts: 12
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Post by littlec on Mar 16, 2005 11:00:16 GMT -5
more training info PART I --------- 1. Abdominals Let's face it, one of the most awe inspiring things about Bruce Lee's body were his abs. They were thick, striated, and cut. Now you can definitely build an impressive set of abdominals, but it just isn't going to look that great if it's covered by fat. You can not spot reduce this area, so don't even bother doing marathon abdominal sessions, it's a waste of time, and a waste of energy. Abdominal training is different from other body part specialization, in that it is the only body area that really requires a three prong attack to obtain good results. Training the abs consist of all the following ploys: 1) Progressive use of weights (In order to build up the muscularity) and 2) Aerobic activity (To burn off fat) 3) Dieting (Also to reduce fat, but also has the advantage of preventing your stomach from getting overdistended. What do I mean by overdistended? Drink a six pack of beer..that's overdistended). Personally, I'd rather cut down on the calories as opposed to aerobic work..I mean, what's easier to do to obtain a negative calorie balance? 1 hour of walking on a treadmill, or passing on the slice of chocolate cake? One takes one hour, the other takes 1 second. If you don't want to do the aerobic work or diet (you can do one or the other, as well as both) then don't bother doing abdominal sets either...the TWO have to be done at the same time. Does this mean that you should just ignore your abdomen? No, not at all. You will find that doing some of the basic exercise that I describe in the Hardgainer section cause your abdominal muscles to be used (some for stabilization, and others as a byproduct of training the other areas), so don't worry too much about them falling behind. Bruce Lee had five abdominal exercises which he used, 3 which he used all the time, and two which he added at times as a supplement. The Sit Up: Don't even bother doing this exercise, it makes use of leg muscles (psoas), and can be done more efficiently with better abdominal results as I'll describe in the next section Leg Raises: Another popular exercise from the past, but like the sit up, has an improved version. The twist: Next! Frog Kicks: Pretty much hanging from a bar and touch your knees to your chest.....yeah right... Side Bends: Done with a weight opposite the side that you are working on. There is a more efficient way to work these muscles. 2. Forearms Forearms? Does anyone really train forearms? If they did, why?!?! Well, to put it bluntly, if you don't have a good grip, you aren't going to be able to handle the kind of weights (read as heavy weights) that you need to to really build muscle. It will be the weak link in your form. In other words, your bench press, deadlift, lat pulldowns etc will be limited by the fact that your forearm muscles are going to tire and weaken before the larger muscles do. Bruce Lee focused on forearm training mainly to improve gripping and punching power. He also felt that training them daily was ok as the muscles involved were very very dense and could withstand this kind of training. Rep ranges were anywhere from 5-17. Bruce Lee's Forearm exercises included the following: Wrist Roller: A thick handled bar to which a rope was attached which held a weight. Fingertip push-ups: Bruce was able to do this on just his indexfinger and thumb! Reverse Curl: A simple biceps curl with the palms facing down. Gripping Machine: This machine was actually created by Bruce Lee. IronMind sells a forearm gripper which simulates this machine, and at different weight settings (100lbs, 200 lbs. etc). Their website can be found a www.ironmind.com They are called Captain's of Crush, and though I've never used them, I heard they are very good. Barbell Wrist Curl: Done seated with the forearms resting on your thighs. These are done in both supinated and pronated hand positions. Leverage Bar: Better described in the next section. 3. Neck and Shoulders " We should not neglect the training of our neck muscles. This kind of training is very important in sports." - Bruce Lee. Basic shoulder muscles were also incorporated into Bruce Lee's training routine. The Wrestler's Bridge: Do not do, very dangerous. Upright Row: Not a bad exercise prior to doing shoulder presses, but you will find that there IS a maximum weight that you can use. Standing Barbell Press: Could be hard to maintain balance here. Clean and Press: A good basic movement, but I would wait until one has been training for a while. Press behind neck: There's nothing like miscalculating in this exercise and having the barbell come crashing down on your head, or worse, your neck. I think this one can be left out of any routine. Seated Press: Good safe movement, I would include this. Dumbbell Lateral Raise Standing. For extra training intensity, do these standing one arm at a time, with the opposite arm using a doorway or upright bar for support. The key here is to do these SLOW!
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littlec
Novice Bodybuilder
Posts: 12
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Post by littlec on Mar 16, 2005 11:01:36 GMT -5
part2 --- 4. Chest Bruce Lee didn't want to build a huge bodybuilding chest, as he felt that it could be an obstacle to good blocking techniques. He did however realize that a lot of the high and low blocks that passed across the body, as well as uppercuts, hooks and crosses, required a contraction of the chest muscles. As you can see in the picture, he had very sharply defined upper and lower pectoral muscles. (You can almost see where the pec muscles insert into his upper arm!) The Bench Press: The most popular chest exercise in the world! Decline Press: Recently has gotten some press as being slightly more effective overall than Incline presses. If you are working out alone though, these can be difficult to do. Incline Press: Supposedly focuses more on the upper chest. Close Grip Bench Presses: Productive if done correctly, very damaging if not. The problem is, 95% of the time, these are NOT done correctly. Dumbbell Press: Greater stretch at the bottom of the movement, but once you get to heavy weights, they are tough to get into position if working out alone. Bent-Arm pullover: I find that these are actually great for working out the pec-lat muscle areas. Decline Pull-Over: Allegedly causes a sharp delineation around and under the pectorals. Dumbbell Flyes: Good finishing movement, I prefer Pec-Dec flyes. Unilateral Cable Crossovers: Not bad if you can find this kind of set-up. 5. Back I'm not going to go on and on ad nauseum about Bruce Lee's back development. Bottom line is that it was awesome! He used to blow his lats out in such a way as to imitate a Cobra. Anyone who has seen "Way of The Dragon" has got to remember the scene where Bruce is doing exercises on a balcony, then suddenly goes into a full lat spread. Rowing Motion: Real tough (as in painful) to the lower back. One Arm pulley row: Allegedly supposed to target the lower lats. One Arm Dumbbell row: You'll feel this in your lower back too. The trouble with this movement is that it really becomes easy to cheat, using other muscles to hoist the weight up rather than relying solely on the lats. Punching with weights: Finally, a REAL use for all those heavy hands that everyone has bought at some time or another! These actually do work the lats, as does punching on a heavy bag. Behind the Neck Pulldown: I don't think that there is any reason or benefit to doing these behind the neck. At any rate, doing them in this manner forces you to have a pronated or overhand grip. As I stated before, these put you at a mechanical disadvantage with your forearm muscles being the weak link; they'll tire out before your back muscles do. Chin Up (Overhand): The chin up is actually known to be more effective at building the back than doing the lat-pulldowns. Of course if you can't do a chin up the point is moot. Use an underhand grip for the same reasons as those stated above. Chinning behind the Neck: See above. Good Mornings: This is actually what caused Bruce Lee to be laid up in bed for awhile (not some martial arts contest as stated in the movie "DRAGON") Bruce didn't warm-up, did it with a 135 lbs. on his back, got hurt. He realized afterwards that just using a bar would have been fine. He had lower back pain for the rest of his life because of this by the way... Hyperextension: Whatever you do, don't do these on an apparatus where your face risks smashing into a pole at the end of a rep.... Deadlift: A great back and leg muscle building movement!! Stiff-Legged Deadlift: These are actually more effective if your knees are slightly bent. 6. Arms Bruce Lee didn't really train his arms for show, they were by-products of the training that he did to develop functional strength. This is actually somewhat similar to the Hardgainer Philosophy as you will see later. Personally, I don't do specific arm exercises, as they get enough of a workout doing the basic larger muscles exercises. Chin Up (Underhanded): The right way to do them:-) Standing Barbell Curl: If you are going to insist on doing these, at least stop when your forearms are 45 degrees from the horizontal (as the top of the movement), and not when the barbell is resting on your shoulders. Triceps Push-Down (Pulley): You should be slightly standing back from the machine, so that when you are at full extension, the cable is not running straight up, but rather slightly back towards you, this keeps constant tension on the tri's. Push-Ups: If you've got access to nothing else, these are pretty good in a pinch. French Press: Potentially damaging to the elbows... Triceps Raise: I'm not even going to describe this, because in my opinion the triceps are just used as stabilizers in this exercise. Dumbbell KickBack: These are good for "Toning", in other words..next!! 7. Legs and Calves Ok, like pretty much 99% of the people out there, I hate working out my legs. It's demanding, painful, and in my opinion, self-torture. Still, I have read over and over again that doing Squats or any heavy leg movement is the key to building mass. Supposedly, heavy leg exercises are so taxing to your body that your body is forced to go into hyper anabolic mode to compensate for this increased stress. What this means is...more muscle gain. I finally broke down (crying and whining all the way mind you!) and added 20 rep squats into my training routine. I've actually found after a while that I enjoyed doing squats, because afterwards, I know that I did something that most people would just blow off :-) Let's face it, spindly legs on a massive upper body look ridiculous...so if you are serious about building muscle, just commit yourself to doing Squats. Besides, the crying you will do the night after doing squats really aids in the sleep process (At least it did for me!) Squats: Ahhhhh!!!! Just do them. Don't use any boards under your heels either! Jumping Squat: Hmmm...think I'll pass on this, has the potential to cause spinal compression. Breathing Squat: This is the dreaded 20 rep squats. By the 15th rep, if your not taking a lot of breaths in between reps, you aren't working hard enough. (Incidentally, if by the 15th rep the room is spinning, and you feel like retching, you are working TOO hard. Put down the weight and stop. Get driven to Emergency Room. Check yourself into hospital...) The Jefferson Lift (Straddle Squat): Good for people who can't Squat (This does not include people who don't WANT to Squat) Leg Extension: Don't bother until you are doing seriously heavy Squat weights. This exercise is not going to build mass as efficiently, if at all. Stop making excuses, do the Squats. Heel Raise: At the bottom of the movement don't fall down hard on your heels. In fact your heels should never touch the ground if possible, except at the end of the set. Variations of the Heel Raise: It has been thought that the direction of your toes affects the effect on the calves differently. Not true. Seated Calf Raise: If you can do these, sure why not.
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littlec
Novice Bodybuilder
Posts: 12
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Post by littlec on Mar 16, 2005 11:02:09 GMT -5
part3 -------- Isometric Training This kind of training is good for building strength at "sticking points" of your exercises. These can be done on any machine if a heavy enough weight is used to render the bar immovable. On the other hand, you could also just grab anything that you can't move...use your imagination. Bruce Lee for example had a bar that was attached to a weight, which was attached to a chain, attached to a wooden platform, which he stood on. He altered the height of the bar by rolling up the chain. He also used a Power Rack at times. There are 3 basic positions in which to perform isometric exercises: Three inches above the starting position Three inches below the finishing position An intermediate position in between the first two. For the Bench press for example, number one would be pressing on an immovable bar 3 inches above your chest, 2) would be 3 inches below complete arm lockout, and 3) would be at a position between these two. There are 8 Basic Exercises, do one repetition for each exercise, with each rep involving maximum exertion for 9-12 seconds. Press LockOut: The Shoulder press, with the bar 3 inches below arm lockout. Press Start: Bar at about chin height. Rise on Toes: Watch out for spinal compression, don't go crazy here. Pull: Bar 6-7 inches below the waist. Like the beginning of a biceps curl. Parallel Squat: Where your thighs are 3 inches above parallel in a typical squat. Shoulder Shrug. Go to shrug machine, load up a weight you can't possible move, and shrug. Dead Weight Lift: Set bar at 2 inches below your knees. Pull upwards using your back and legs. Quarter Squat: Bar at 4 inches below where it would be if you were standing full upright. Flexibility Training It has already been discussed in Emotional Content the importance of stretching, so I won't go over that again. It is a good idea to try to stretch everyday if possible. You can do it as soon as you wake up, and maybe just before going to bed. If you are going to lift with weights that day, just add some stretches for the body part that is going to be worked on. It has become common knowledge that the "Bounce" method of stretching is out. Limit the stretches in the beginning to 20 seconds each, and for only one rep. This can reach a maximum of 45 seconds for each stretch. The key thing is to slowly "ease" into the stretch; allow the muscles to slowly relax and stretch on their own. Hamstring Stretch: Both legs forward, try to touch toes. One can try to slowly slide one's hands down the shins. Hamstring Stretch (On a bar): Like ballet dancers with one leg up, I actually do this on my balcony in the mornings. Hurdler's Stretch: One leg forward, the other foot's sole pressed against the extended leg. Or stick with the basic hurdler's position. Seated groin Stretch: Both soles together, use the elbows to push down against the knees. Standing Hip Stretch: If you have a pulley, use it. I use the balcony bar. You can also just place your foot against a wall like you were side kicking it and stretch. Lunge Stretch: Step forward with one leg like a lunge, back leg stays straight. Keep torso upright, hands on hips. Thigh Stretch: Grab right ankle behind you with right hand, pull upwards. you can use the opposite hand to hold on to something for balance. Calf Stretch: Kind of like the lunge, but done against a wall, and the back foot remains flat on the ground. Lower Back Stretch: Legs splayed outwards, seated on ground, use hands to crawl forward as far as one can go. Side Stretch: Like weighted side bends. Cardiovascular Training I think the main thing to remember here, is that cardiovascular training is like any other form of training: it is progressive. Don't start off thinking you're going to run 5 miles. Start off with a block if you want, 50 yards, and increase it by 10 yards WEEKLY, not daily. I'm currently experimenting with the idea of "Sprinting" as opposed to jogging, as for some reasons it hurts my knees less. Stepping: We all know this type of workout. You can start at one minute per leg. Increase it by 2 minutes a week, and you'll be doing 30 minutes straight in two months. Jogging: I know this is probably good for you, but it's so damn boring!! Tough on the knee joints too..and feet. The last variation is one that Bruce Lee prescribed for a student of his: Jogging (1 minute), Sprint (as long as you can), Walk (1 minute), then repeat this Giant Set as many times as you can. Ok, that's it for Bruce Lee's Training Routines. While I think that he was definitely on to something, and the body to back up his theories, I think that on the whole he may have been overtraining. As you will see in the following section, one does not have to put in the kind of hours that Bruce Lee did into building a decent physique. You will notice too that some of the exercises that Bruce Lee did are not included in the next section. They were omitted because either they aren't productive, are dangerous, or both. Now before anyone starts telling me where I can go...just remember that Bruce Lee himself was constantly changing his own workout routines as he found better ways to train, and realized that some of the exercises were not working that well. I too have tried many different routines before finally coming upon the HardGainer's routines which for me anyway, has worked very very well. By the way, a lot of this material was found in John Little's book "Bruce Lee: The Art of Expressing the Human Body". This author is responsible for releasing a complete set of recent books about Bruce Lee. Is the book worth buying? Definitely, especially if you are a Bruce Lee fan, but also if you are into serious training. There is a lot of good material there, and as some people say, "If you want to look like Bruce, you have to train like him." This book will indeed give you his exact training routines, as well as how he did the exercises, and variations.
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Post by vindog on Mar 18, 2005 8:40:43 GMT -5
Bruce was a Fantastic Role Model for anyone!!!I remember his statement about his high degree of skill in his disipline.He stated something to the affect that he does not make his skill to happens ,he allows if to happen.He does not hit or strike IT strikes.When you think about it ,it can be applied to any area of life.Have a clear cut idea of your goal but release the process to Greater forces.I admired the Man and his Philosophy then and now.He really gives you something to think about!!!
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Post by FuryofFists on Mar 21, 2005 14:31:28 GMT -5
So incredible..he is like a real life super man. I wonder what his diet was......it probably was alot of veggies Bruce Lee was, and still is the most talented gung-fu practioner of all time. He re-defined the genre of gung-fu movies forever, running miles of tremendous numbers in short periods of time, lifting over his body weight, and also being healthy at the same time. I myself adore him, being a tall 6'4'' without shoes, and having significant low body weight. Since I was a child I always loved his movies, and I wanted to be like him. My mother didn't really understand MA nor my father, but I did. Since I've gotten up in age, I understood most of some MAs like Karate, and such. That really didn't spark me--gung-fu was the only. Gung-fu is the art of self-defense in calm form--so I learned some of the arts associated with it. Since then, I loved it spritualy, and physically. I bought one of his books called, " Bruce Lee: The art of expressing the Human body, " which has all of his exercise routines, and how to do them also nutrition. If I find the book, I can tell you his nutrition secrets, and how he went into it. Alright, that's it. Good day.
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Post by Maximum6 on May 29, 2005 22:22:24 GMT -5
i just read somewhere in these pages that he went from 135 to 165...and he had shakes that had egg shells??
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