Train the Bruce Lee way
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Training was just a way of life for Bruce Lee
While Bruce was in Hong Kong filming in the early seventies, he had his
weight equipment and training gear shipped to him instead of clothing!
That is dedication to your art.
Bruce Lee considered training number one and was constantly training.
When he watched TV or went to the movies, he conditioned his knuckles. When he
was driving, he worked the hand grips. If he walked to a bookstore and came to a
hill, he always ran. Time was never wasted.
Why was this man so obsessed
with training? A few reasons.
First, according to Lee, training was
important because you couldn’t perform up to your capabilities if you weren’t in
shape
Lee felt you had no business being in the martial arts
if you weren’t in shape "If you weren’t in shape you couldn’t be 100
per cent efficient.
Second, he had lofty goals. He wanted to be
the best and he wanted to be the best martial artist. And nobody
could dispute that he was.
Lee and Strength
To get in excellent shape, Lee felt you needed strength. He considered
strength training very important. He was constantly looking for
ways to improve, including weight training and isometrics. Although Lee felt
strength was important, he did not believe bodybuilding was the answer.
While Bruce was in Hong Kong filming in the early seventies, he had his
weight equipment and training gear shipped to him instead of clothing!
That is dedication to your art.
Bruce Lee considered training number one and was constantly training.
When he watched TV or went to the movies, he conditioned his knuckles. When he
was driving, he worked the hand grips. If he walked to a bookstore and came to a
hill, he always ran. Time was never wasted.
Why was this man so obsessed
with training? A few reasons.
First, according to Lee, training was
important because you couldn’t perform up to your capabilities if you weren’t in
shape
Lee felt you had no business being in the martial arts
if you weren’t in shape "If you weren’t in shape you couldn’t be 100
per cent efficient.
Second, he had lofty goals. He wanted to be
the best and he wanted to be the best martial artist. And nobody
could dispute that he was.
Lee and Strength
To get in excellent shape, Lee felt you needed strength. He considered
strength training very important. He was constantly looking for
ways to improve, including weight training and isometrics. Although Lee felt
strength was important, he did not believe bodybuilding was the answer.
Lee felt it was important to have definition, but he did not feel you had to
overboard with it. He just did not feel it was necessary to develop large
muscles. On the other hand, strength and definition enhanced certain functions,
such as kicking and punching.
And Lee’s conditioning entailed more than
hand grips, sit- ups, weights, running and conditioning drills.
Lee spent a lot of the time reading and analysed different arts. He had a
keen eye and an analytical mind and did a lot of researching. While you may
never develop Lee’s skills, you can certainly train the way the this Legend of Martial Arts
did.
Here are a few of the exercises Lee used to develop power.
Lee’s Strength Routine
Barbell Push
This exercise strengthens your arms, forearms, shoulders, biceps, lats, triceps, chest and
abs. This exercise works your whole body
To begin, stand with your feet slightly wider than
shoulder width. Squat, grab the barbell with an underhand grip and stand up.
Keeping your elbows by your side, raise the weight straight out, hold for a
second, return and repeat.
Do three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. When
you’re done, do three sets of 8 to 12 reps with overhand grip.
Punching With a Dumbbell
This exercise improves your shoulder
endurance, which is vital for sparring.
Lee was know to do this a lot.
Hold a five-pound dumbbell in each hand, assume a fighting stance
and alternate throwing punches with each hand.
Try to throw your punches at a decant pace.
To prevent an injury, however, don’t throw your punches too fast.
Do two to three sets, 10 to 15 reps per set.
overboard with it. He just did not feel it was necessary to develop large
muscles. On the other hand, strength and definition enhanced certain functions,
such as kicking and punching.
And Lee’s conditioning entailed more than
hand grips, sit- ups, weights, running and conditioning drills.
Lee spent a lot of the time reading and analysed different arts. He had a
keen eye and an analytical mind and did a lot of researching. While you may
never develop Lee’s skills, you can certainly train the way the this Legend of Martial Arts
did.
Here are a few of the exercises Lee used to develop power.
Lee’s Strength Routine
Barbell Push
This exercise strengthens your arms, forearms, shoulders, biceps, lats, triceps, chest and
abs. This exercise works your whole body
To begin, stand with your feet slightly wider than
shoulder width. Squat, grab the barbell with an underhand grip and stand up.
Keeping your elbows by your side, raise the weight straight out, hold for a
second, return and repeat.
Do three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. When
you’re done, do three sets of 8 to 12 reps with overhand grip.
Punching With a Dumbbell
This exercise improves your shoulder
endurance, which is vital for sparring.
Lee was know to do this a lot.
Hold a five-pound dumbbell in each hand, assume a fighting stance
and alternate throwing punches with each hand.
Try to throw your punches at a decant pace.
To prevent an injury, however, don’t throw your punches too fast.
Do two to three sets, 10 to 15 reps per set.
When Bruce Lee kicked, you don't shut your eyes. Because when you shut your
eyes, you cannot see Bruce Lee kick it´s so fast! Human beings cannot move like cartoon [sound effects], that´s the fastest you can be. Even Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson, their punches are fast, but you still can see [them]. Jackie Chan |
Training Bruce Lee style
One-Hand Dumbbell Drill
This drill strengthens your wrist,
which means your punches will be stronger. Lee used this exercise to enhance his
one-inch punch.
When your wrist is strong, you get more power.
And it’s good when you’re in close range because there isn’t much room
for your wrist to travel. This is a good drill for the one-inch punch
To begin, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, and hold a
five-pound dumbbell in your right hand. Keeping your arm to your side and using
only your wrist, raise the dumbbell as high as you can and lower it as far as you
can. Do two sets of 25 reps. When you’re done, do two sets of 25 reps, moving
your wrist from side to side as far as you can.
Isometrics
This is isometric training for power punching and was one of
Lee’s favourite drills because it built speed and punching power at different
ranges. To do this, you can use a jump rope, a karate belt or a strand of rope.
To begin, assume a fighting stance and hold the rope in both hands. Place your
left hand behind your back, wrap the other end around your shoulder and throw a
short-range punch. Hold it for five seconds, extend your punch to ¾ distance,
hold it for five seconds, extend it to full range and hold. For each arm, do
five sets of five reps.
Board Isometrics
This drill is for
leg strength and mobility.
"This exercise can put intense pressure on you knee's.
To do this drill, you’ll need a four- foot
long board with a shoulder harness strapped in the middle. To begin, assume a
fighting stance on the board and place the harness around your neck. Exerting a
constant upward pressure, lean forward and then lean back.
This drill
enables you to develop explosive power and to close the gap more
efficiently.
Do three sets of one minute. As you improve,
increase your time.
Hand Isometric Drills This drill strengthens your
forearms, which is great for trapping and punching. You will need the board for
this exercise also. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, wrap the straps
around your forearms and exert pressure upward. Do three sets of one minute.
Don’t rest more than one minute between sets.
Bull Worker for
Punching
This drill also strengthens your punching power.
To do this
drill, you’ll need a Bull Worker, which you may be able to find at a sporting
goods store.
Assume a fighting stance, hold the bow straps in each hand,
and throw as many punches as you can, as fast as you can.
Do two to three sets. You can
throw back fists or straight punches. This device also enables you to adjust the
tension.
Bruce lee was a specimen of health. He trained every day and consumed
only the proper food. He was a martinet who never let his work interfere with
his training. Even when he was sent to India to find suitable locations for
filming, he took along his running shoes.
Aerobic Exercises
Lee’s daily training consisted of aerobic
exercises, plus others which were patterned to develop his skill in fighting. He
varied his exercises to avoid boredom. One of his favourite exercises was running
four miles a day in 24 to 25 minutes. He would change his tempo while running
— after several miles of constant, even
strides, he would sprint several feet and then return to easier running. Between
changes in running tempo, he would also shuffle his feet. Lee was not particular
where he ran: at the beach, in parks or woods, up and down hills or on surfaced
streets.
Besides running, he also rode an bicycle to develop his endurance, legs and
cardiovascular muscles. He usually rode full speed — 35 to 40 miles an hour continuously for 45
minutes to an hour. Frequently, he would ride his bicycle right after his
running.
Skipping Rope
Another aerobic exercise that Lee scheduled in his
routine was skipping rope, which you can adopt. This exercise not only develops your
stamina and leg muscles but also improves your balance and makes you more agile
Ten minutes of skipping rope is
equivalent to 30 minutes of jogging. Both are very beneficial exercises for the
cardiovascular system.
Skipping rope properly is one of the best exercises for developing a sense of
balance. First, skip on one foot, holding the other in front of you; then rotate
your foot, skipping on the alternate foot with each revolution of the rope, from
a gradual pace to a really fast tempo. Minimize your arm swing; instead, use
your wrists to swing the rope over. Lift your foot slightly above the ground,
just enough for the rope to pass. Skip for three minutes (equivalent to a round
in a boxing match), then rest one minute only before you continue for another
round. Three rounds of this exercise are sufficient for a good workout. As you
become conditioned to skipping, you can omit the rest period and do the exercise
for as long as 30 minutes straight. The best rope is made of leather with ball
bearings in the handles.
Shadowboxing and Sparring
Additional endurance exercises are
shadowboxing and sparring. Shadowboxing is a good agility exercise that also
builds up your speed. Relax your body and learn to move easily and smoothly. At
first, concentrate on your form and move with lightness on your feet until it
becomes natural and comfortable — then work
faster and harder. It is a good idea to start your workout with shadowboxing to
loosen your muscles. Imagine your worst enemy stands before you and you are
going to demolish him. If you use your imagination intensely, you can instill
into yourself an almost real fighting frame of mind. Besides developing stamina,
shadowboxing increases your speed, creates ideas and establishes techniques to
be used spontaneously and intuitively. Going several rounds is the best way to
learn proper footwork.
Too many beginners are too lazy to drive themselves. Only by hard and continuous exercise will you develop endurance. You have to drive yourself to the point of exhaustion . The best endurance training method seems to be a lengthy period of exercise interspersed with many brief but high-intensity endeavour's. Stamina types of exercise should be done gradually and cautiously increased. Six weeks in this kind of training is a minimum for any sports that require considerable amounts of endurance. It takes years to be in peak condition, and unfortunately, stamina is quickly lost when you cease to maintain high-conditioning exercises.
I wanted to do in boxing what Bruce Lee was able to do in the martial arts.
Lee was an artist and, like him, I try to get beyond the fundamentals of my
sport. I wanted my fight's to be seen as plays.
Sugar Ray Leonard
Lee was an artist and, like him, I try to get beyond the fundamentals of my
sport. I wanted my fight's to be seen as plays.
Sugar Ray Leonard