THE MYTH OF BRUCE LEE IN THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON!

In addition to his incredible punches and fight scenes as a pioneer of martial arts, Bruce Lee is and remains in the memory of us all for something else - his well-trained and defined body quickly became Bruce Lee's trademark.
The low body fat percentage of around 6% in his prime, the incredibly defined abdominal muscles and especially his latissimus are unforgettable. Hence his nickname "Dragon". Bruce himself developed the martial art "Jeet Kune Do".

Crazy about training in the best sense of the word, he tailored his training approach and units perfectly to his film roles. Functional training helped him to be prepared for every situation with his unique strength and physical aesthetics. Bruce always paid attention to the perfect combination of strength training, cardio and combat training.
A special diet was also very important for the martial arts legend to support the maximum amount of training. He always paid attention to the value of the nutrients in order to make the most of his physical performance. The interplay of training and nutrition made Bruce Lee one of the most distinctive actors and athletes of all time.
Bruce has been dedicated to martial arts and self-defense since his school days. In his youth, he won several titles in his native Hong Kong and later in the USA and was able to defend himself against racist attacks against him at school.

Bruce Lee discovered his love of Asian martial arts through his training in Wing Chun Kung Fu. In the USA, where he lived with his future wife, he opened his own dojos and taught his students how to fight. His self-developed techniques, such as the finger punch, still underline his absolute pioneering role today. His guiding principle of Jeet Kune Do, "Be water, my friend", is still used today. It is about the important ability to adapt seamlessly and draw strength from it. Incidentally, his breathtaking body control came not only from his training, but also from cha-cha-cha. What hardly anyone knows is that Bruce Lee was also a gifted dancer in addition to his martial arts skills.

Bruce Lee's workout

Bruce laid the foundations for his fighting skills in the gym. In order to be able to apply maximum force at the right moment, he placed great emphasis on punching power, especially in the early years of his training. The arm and back muscles in particular receive extreme attention. This training plan dates back to his early days in Hong Kong. In combination with his cardio and combat training routine, he went through a demanding training cycle. The weights were continuously increased.

Bruce trained according to this training plan every day. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, he combined this workout with his "king of exercises", a four-mile jog. He also did 30 minutes of rope skipping as a warm-up every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. He then did another 45 minutes on the ergometer.

To perfect his fighting skills, he also did punching exercises every day. He regularly threw 500 punches with his bare fists against wooden posts or gravel buckets to toughen up. The punching bag as a sparring partner for training kicks or Shadow boxing to improve his punching speed was then his training session of choice. Stretching exercises for the whole body and the actual technical training of martial arts were of course on top.

Over time, he continued to refine his training methods. He continued to combine his cardio sessions and fighting exercises with a strength training plan that was increasingly focused on the functionality of his muscles. Bruce recognized the importance of his back muscles and began to develop his reputation as a "dragon" with the following plan. Again, he steadily increased the weight.

• Clean and press: 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions
• Barbell curls: 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions
• Barbell shoulder press, behind the neck: 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions
• Upright rowing: 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions
• Squats: 2 sets of 12-20 repetitions • Barbell rowing: 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions
• Bench press: 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions
• Barbell pull-ups: 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions

For a change, however, Bruce often trained according to a plan based on the cross-fitness scene. The times are designed to train the respective exercise with 8-12 repetitions each. The exercises are performed as circuit training and without breaks.

• Pull-ups, for 30 seconds
• Leg press, for 30 seconds
• Two-sided, alternating hip/knee extension, for 30 seconds
• Shoulder press, for 30 seconds
• Calf raises, for 30 seconds
• Cable curls, for 30 seconds
• Lateral one-arm arm lift, for 30 seconds
• Bench press, for 30 seconds
• Deadlift, for 30 seconds
• Underlift, behind the neck, kneeling, for 30 seconds
• Tricep press, for 30 seconds
• Sprint, for 90 seconds
• Forearm rolls with forearm trainer, for 60 seconds
• Neck stretches, for 60 seconds

Bruce Lee in Hollywood

To further develop his acting career, Bruce Lee went to the USA to study. After meeting his wife there, studying acting and opening his first dojos, he was drawn to the center of the film industry and entertainment - Hollywood!