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Bruce Lee’s Strength Training

Bruce Lee’s physique and his dedication to strength training has long been documented. In fact when he traveled, he had his training equipment shipped to him so he could train on location. (3)

Bruce built his legendary strength (holding a 100lb barbell at arms length for several seconds, thumb push-ups, 1″ power punch, just to name of few) and power with a combination of martial arts, isometrics, weight training, calisthenics, cardio fitness and stretching, hand grippers and hill running. (1) He knew that if he engaged in a variety of modalities it would give him the most “functional” strength. It would not be gained by just weight training alone.

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“If you’re talking about combat — as it is — well then, baby you’d better train every part of your body!” — Bruce Lee (from the video, Bruce Lee: The Lost Interview)

He trained every day in some form or the other.

But, he also knew the importance of periodizing intensity. He knew you couldn’t go day in and day out with a high intensity for your workouts.

“Since weight training involves repetitions, a great deal of energy must be exerted. Therefore, weight training should be practiced only every other day.” – Bruce Lee

Training as “the art of expressing the human body.” – Bruce Lee

It is an ongoing process that must be monitored and assessed everyday.

This is of great importance when discussing strength training for fitness enthusiasts and athletic preparation.

Be Like Water

“Be Like Water” Bruce was famous for saying when talking about fighting and moving when facing an opponent.

“Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water.”

For the application of strength training, I could liken this statement to two things.

Flow or mobility – as we have talked about previously, flow and mobility is essential for long term health, feeling and moving better AND getting the most out of your workouts
Real-time adjustments in your workout dependent upon your current state of recovery

For the purposes of this article, we will “be like water” in how we approach and execute our workout.

The Shit Workout

We’ve all had them. You walk in, the weights feel heavy, we never get warmed up and we just go through the motions to finish the workout. I hate these workouts, you hate these workouts and they pretty much suck.

Let’s break down the actual workout, here is an example:

Bench Press, 4×15

DB Clean and Press, 3×12

Pull-ups, 4×8

Face Pulls, 3×20

DONE

So, you start with the first set of bench press and it is just a grinder. Each rep feels bad. Shoulders aren’t feeling great, your lower back is tightening up from bracing and you can’t find the bar path you want.

In a normal workout, you’ll just go to the second set of 15 reps and repeat.

WHY!!!!

Because it is written down on your sheet. You have to do it to “complete” the workout.

Let me offer an alternative.

That is the old way of doing things.

Auto-regulation and You

You hit a wall and smash into it right? Or do you absorb the impact and “flow” around it? Auto-regulation means making “real-time” adjustments in your workout to make each one the most productive it can be.

Like we talked about, each time you go into the gym you must account for the sleep you got the last couple of nights, how intense your last workout was, how your nutrition has been and just basically how you are feeling right now.

You can’t just go into the gym and hit 4 sets of 15 just because that is what you wrote down. It doesn’t have to be that way and it can’t be that way.

So how does it work?

Let’s say you go into the gym and hit your warm-up and your first set feels horrible. Think about what the goal of the workout is? Upper body and strength or lower body conditioning or whatever… Try to reach that goal a different way OR try to set yourself up to reach your goals for the next workout.

Step away from that exercise and / or workout and find an alternative.

If you were hitting bench press, switch to ring push-ups…

If you were hitting high rep squats, switch to sled dragging…

If you were hitting 85% + of 1RM, switch to 50-70% of 1RM and increase the reps slightly…

Advanced Techniques

If you were hitting high reps of any exercises, lower the reps for each exercise and add in mobility or foam rolling BETWEEN EXERCISES.

Get away from straight sets of one particular exercise and add in a variety of DIFFERENT modalities per set.

Regardless of the techniques you use, the purpose of this article is to show you that 4×15 does not mean 4×15.

Adjust, adapt and improve.

Jim Smith, CSCS

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