Last Updated On June 26, 2023
Bruce Lee is a Hollywood powerhouse, martial arts master, and creator of the Jeet Kune Do mixed martial arts (MMA) system of self-defense. Through all of that, one of the things about Lee that stands out the most, though, is his muscular physique.
Because Bruce Lee conducted his workouts in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as mainly being done in Hong Kong, the actual workouts are hard to come by. What we have today are old gym cards that Bruce Lee kept showing his routines and how they changed over time.
This article will look at a modernized form of Bruce Lee's workout, diet, and supplement routines. If you can make MMA, weights, and cardio a part of your training routine, you, too, can have a frame and physique like his.
Workout Summary (Quick Guide)
Main Workout Goal | Functional Strength and Agility |
Program Duration | 10 weeks |
Workout Days Per Week | 6 |
Time Per Workout | 60 minutes |
Equipment Required | Dumbbells, Kettlebell, Barbells |
Recommended Supplements | Multivitamin |
Bruce Lee’s Workout Routine Explained
Bruce Lee once said, "Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own." This was also his approach to training and martial arts. Trained in Wing Chun by the infamous Ip Man, Lee learned early on how mixing offense and defense is the most effective.[1]
Bruce Lee learned to attack and defend at the same time, a technique far different from Karate, Kung Fu, and Tae Kwon Do, who block first and then attack. He also understood that the only limits on him and his muscles were those he set himself.
He added cardio, isometric training, and speed training to his martial arts. He also added weight training for strength, endurance, and resistance. Everything combined was a new style of weight training never before seen at the time, and the results speak for themselves.
Bruce Lee was among the first martial artists to combine so many different workout routines and martial art styles together. The Bruce Lee workout routine evolves with time, experience, and physical and mental growth.
Lee was a big fan of fitness in general. His exercises always went three rounds. He never skimmed on his abdominal work.
When he was told he might never walk or perform martial arts again following a severe back injury, Lee studied his body and developed his own recovery plan. Eventually, he could jump rope, continue training and improve his workout routines.
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Going by the gym cards from Hong Kong, those who studied under Bruce Lee, we have a modern version of the weight training sessions he completed on a weekly basis. You’ll see that a good portion of his daily routine uses no equipment and no weights.
Monday: Upper Body
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 12 | 20-40 secs |
Weighted Chin Up | 4 | 10 | 20-40 Secs |
Incline Reverse Dumbbell Flys | 3 | 10 | 20-40 Secs |
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 10 | 20-40 Secs |
Barbell Power Cleans | 3 | 10 | 20-40 Secs |
Face Pulls | 3 | 10 | 20-40 Secs |
Plank Rows | 3 | 10 | 20-40 Secs |
Sit-Ups | 3 | 25 | 20-40 Secs |
Planks | 3 | 60 seconds | 20-40 Secs |
Cooldown - 800m jog | 1 | 1 | 50 secs |
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Tuesday: Full Body and Endurance
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
100m sprint | 2 | 4 | 20-30 secs |
Mountain Climbers | 5 | 25 | 30-40 secs |
Kettlebell Swing | 5 | 15 | 30-40 Secs |
Pull-Ups | 5 | 10 | 30-40 Secs |
Deadlifts | 5 | 5 | 30-40 Secs |
Core:
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Sit-Ups | 3 | 25 | 20 secs |
Planks | 3 | 10 | 20 Secs |
Cooldown - 1600m jog | 1 | 1 | 50 secs |
Wednesday: Rest Day or MMA
Thursday: Lower Body
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Squats | 4 | 12 | 20-30 secs |
Weighted Lunges | 4 | 10 | 20-30 Secs |
Straight Leg Deadlift | 3 | 10 | 20-30 Secs |
Hamstring Curls | 3 | 10 | 20-30 Secs |
Light Front Squat | 3 | 15 | 20-30 Secs |
Calf Raises | 3 | 10 | 20-30 Secs |
Box Jumps | 3 | 10 | 20-30 Secs |
Sit-Ups | 3 | 25 | 20-30 Secs |
Planks | 3 | 60 seconds | 20-30 Secs |
Cooldown - 800m jog | 1 | 1 | 50 secs |
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Friday: Full Body
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
60 Calorie Run | 1 | 1 | 20-30 secs |
Leg Raises | 5 | 50 | 20-30 secs |
Push-Ups | 5 | 40 | 20-30 Secs |
One Arm Dumbbell Snatches | 5 | 30 | 20-30 Secs |
Double Unders | 5 | 20 | 20-30 Secs |
Burpees | 5 | 10 | 20-30 Secs |
Core:
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Sit-Ups | 3 | 25 | 20 secs |
Planks | 3 | 60 Seconds | 20 Secs |
Cooldown - 1600m jog | 1 | 1 | 50 secs |
Saturday: Rest Day or Mixed Martial Arts
Sunday: Rest
Who Was Bruce Lee? (His Brief Story)
Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco, California, while his parents were there for a tour of his father's concert. He began working in the Hong Kong film industry as a child. When he was a teenager, he started martial arts training.
He trained Wing Chun under grandmaster Ip Man, Tai Chi Boxing, and was known to pick fights on rooftops and back alleys to hone his street fighting skills. When he was 19, he moved to Seattle on his US passport with an aspiring goal of being an actor.
During his enrollment at the University of Washington, he learned he could conduct martial arts training to earn extra money. His first studio was out of his home, and then a second in Oakland.
He moved to Los Angeles, and his school there taught the likes of Chuck Norris, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and others. His popularity, determination, and dedication eventually landed him in his first American film.
After five films, he was almost a household name. He was credited with breaking Asian American stereotypes and promoting Kung Fu and martial arts in China. His actions and films almost single-handedly changed and influenced martial arts around the world.
By always changing his expectations, limits, and understanding of the human body, he created Jeet Kune Do, combining Wing Chun principles, Tai Chi movements, boxing speed, and judo close combat, and essentially created modern mixed martial arts.[2]
By the time of his death in 1973, he was an icon, instructor, influencer and named one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century.
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Bruce Lee married Linda Caldwell and had two children. Unfortunately, Brandon Lee followed in his father's footsteps and died in a tragic movie set accident. Bruce Lee's only living child, Shannon Lee, is also an actress, martial artist, and businesswoman.
Peak Body Stats
At his peak, Lee had one of the most shredded and defined bodies on the big screen. Even with his smaller stature and lighter weight, his muscles were solid, well-defined, and lean.
Thanks to his full body routine, lower body and upper chest workout routines, dedication to martial art warriors system training routines, and a healthy diet, he had one of the most admired and envied bodies of the 60s and 70s.
Bruce Lee’s perfectly tailored body stats at the height of his life and career were as follows:
Stat | Measurement |
|---|---|
Height | 5’7” |
Weight | 135 lbs |
Age | 32 |
Biceps | 14 Inches |
Waist | 30 Inches |
Chest | 38 Inches |
Legs | 16 inches |
Bruce Lee’s Workout Principles
One of the most amazing aspects of Lee's training style and training philosophy is that it was ever evolving. When Lee was a child first starting out on his martial arts journey, he learned quickly that conditioning was the main factor.
Lee decided to take it one step further, using full body routine training to build strength, endurance training for cardiovascular endurance and stretching for flexibility. While these aspects have continued to change and evolve, it was virtually unheard of until Bruce Lee did it.
Strength and conditioning, as well as evolving the workouts as the body evolved, were the primary principles Lee formed and stuck with. The Bruce Lee workout routine is one of the few (or only) training methods that always change.
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Train the body and the mind. Go jogging, lift weights, exercise and rest. When you hit the heavy bag, strike to kill. Have good mornings with a small, healthy breakfast, and enjoy your rest day when you have one. Lee proved that all of these philosophies could easily work together.
Accomplishments - List Of Honors & Awards
As a Hollywood and Hong Kong Film star, martial arts master and instructor, Bruce Lee has acquired plenty of awards and accolades. Too many to list here, but we do have some of the highlights.
Awards
Titles
Monuments
Bruce Lee's Diet
Bruce Lee followed a normal weight-lifter diet regimen. Multiple smaller meals keep the metabolism running compared to a slowed metabolism from fewer large meals[3]. Lee included small snacks throughout the day and insisted on healthy living as well as a healthy diet.
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Breakfast
Whole eggs and fruit were a common breakfast for Lee. The lean protein and natural sugars helped him start his day with energy and focus.
Lunch
A small lunch of beef, usually with oyster sauce, was consumed. Very rarely did he include any vegetables, but some fruit would occasionally make its way onto his plate.
Snack
A protein shake was a common snack between workouts and meals to keep him going until dinner.
Dinner
For dinner, Lee would often enjoy chicken and rice. He kept his meals full of protein and carbohydrates, but small meals were enough when consumed often.
Afternoon Snack
Another protein shake helped give him fuel and energy throughout the evening until he went to sleep.
What To Go For
What To Avoid
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What Supplements Did Bruce Lee Take?
In Bruce Lee's day, supplementation wasn't well researched or even explored. Because of this, Lee only subscribed to taking daily vitamins, and protein shakes. Martial artists' basic concepts are for mind and body to work as one.
Bruce Lee found the workout routine, circuit training, strength training, and full body workouts all came from a steady diet of healthy foods. If you didn't eat right, nothing else mattered. Today, everyone from weekend warriors to martial artist training routines all start with a healthy diet.
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Bruce Lee's Workout Routine & Diet Plan FAQs
Bruce Lee wasn't well known for long-distance running. Although he had the endurance for it, his mile time averaged just under 8 minutes but his best times were around six and a half minutes.
Lee consumed protein at every meal, including his protein shake snacks, eggs, peanut butter, yeast, and lecithin. The actual amount of protein is unknown, but we can make guesses based on modern science that it was about 400 to 550g per day.
To advocate weight training, Bruce Lee used a weighted dip belt to add weight to his pull-ups. He is on record as performing 50 one-armed pull-ups in a single session and 50 wide-grip chin-ups without stopping.
Bruce Lee is in the Guinness Book of World Records, doing 1500 push-ups (two-handed) at once, 400 one-handed push-ups, 200 push-ups using only 2 fingers (current record), and 100 push-ups on a single thumb. Bruce Lee's upper body strength was something that was never in question.
Bruce Lee died on July 20, 1973, of brain edema (fluid build-up around the brain). Lee was 32 years old, and the edema cause is suspected to be linked to an allergic reaction to a prescription painkiller.
Conclusion
Bruce Lee is a master of martial arts techniques, training and defying the odds (as well as physics). Speed, endurance, strength, and mixing various forms of martial arts were all a part of his workout routine.
Even with Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris and others, we may never see prevailing wisdom from a more effective martial artist in our lifetime. While his training programs take a little over an hour to complete, they aren't without results. Training today uses many of his principles, and you can see results, too.
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Following in his footsteps requires martial training, but you can skip this and stick to the weight and endurance aspects and still see significant gains. With the right diet and exercise, a tight, hard physique, speed increases, and flexibility can all be yours.
References:
1. https://wingchunconcepts.com/about.php
2. https://bruceleefoundation.org/jeetkunedo/
3. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/acute-effects-on-metabolism-and-appetite-profile-of-one-meal-difference-in-the-lower-range-of-meal-frequency/4AE8C3FC32CE7E456B9606F1AF963E76#
