Bruce Lee's principles of nutrition and training. Description of Bruce Lee's training methods: what exercises he used
During training, many men set themselves the goal of pumping up a beautiful body, developing strength, striking speed and endurance. Their role model is Bruce Lee. Despite his small height and weight, he managed to achieve unique results, achieve success in sports, conquer Hollywood and master martial arts to perfection. Bruce Lee was the first to master the martial art of Wing Chun. Then other types.
Extraordinary physical abilities were the basis, but he achieved unprecedented results thanks to exhausting work and systematic exercises. He developed his own training program, which is often used by modern athletes.
For example, little Rusei Imai constantly uses the methods of Bruce Lee, the famous “dragon,” thanks to which the six-year-old boy became famous throughout the world.
Basic principles of training
Bruce Lee's training is not aimed at increasing muscle mass, but at creating a strong body and hardy muscles that will withstand long-term stress. The course of exercises was focused on:
- pumping the press;
- conducting sparring;
- alternating workouts.
The athlete's weekly schedule was carefully thought out. He exercised every day. At the beginning of each training there was running, namely sprinting over long distances. Having warmed up his muscles, joints and ligaments, Bruce Lee always devoted time to abdominal exercises. Strength training was of secondary importance to him. However, while working out with a barbell, he managed to draw each muscle group, emphasizing their beauty and elegance.
He preferred to train for striking speed in the form of sparring. He believed that this was the way to improve his technique and methodology. Bruce Lee loved training fights because they help not only for strength, but also improve flexibility, increase speed and flexibility, and make the training “alive.”
The athlete always emphasized that it is necessary to train not only the body, but also the spirit, take a comprehensive approach to studying the capabilities of your body, develop dexterity and hone your movements. He never stopped improving and did not stop there. This is the main secret of his success.
Types and features of classes
Bruce Lee's training was never monotonous. He gave preference to certain exercises, but skillfully combined them, swapped them, supplemented them and complicated them. If you want to practice the dragon technique, you must be prepared to work at the limit of your capabilities. In order to prepare the muscles, the athlete and actor used isometric exercises. Their meaning boils down to the fact that at the peak of the load, muscle tension must be maintained for as long as possible. His personal best was 12 seconds.
His training system did not exclude strength exercises. The athlete, who conquered more than one martial art, preferred to work with free weights. He practiced:
- - 2 sets of 12 repetitions;
- turns and bends with a barbell on the shoulders - 2 sets of 8 times;
- biceps curls - 2 sets of 8 reps;
- bench press - 2 sets of 6 reps.
For iron abs, he used the Dragon Flag exercise. To perform this, you need to lie down on a bench and grab it with your hands at head level. Using your abdominal muscles, lift your entire body slowly up. At the maximum point, the emphasis is on the shoulders. As you exhale, gently lower your body to the starting position. Bruce Lee's training system necessarily included jumping rope, swimming, push-ups, pull-ups and static movements.
What is wing chun
In the films where Bruce Lee starred, you can see very rare footage of the “inch blow”. This is a special technique of brush behavior. A person strikes with his fingers from a short distance, putting into it the strength of all possible muscles. With this technique, with minimal effort and little physical contact, you can throw your opponent several meters to the side.
Bruce Lee practiced the "inch punch" all his life. The technique of fighting comes down to the fact that each subsequent attack follows from the previous one, and the distance to the enemy is gradually reduced. It is necessary to put weight into the blow and “reduce force”, so it will not be possible to perform it correctly without coordinated muscle work. Perfecting the “inch punch” takes time. It’s easy to quickly grasp the basics, but without practice you won’t be able to learn how to conquer an enemy from a short distance.
Dragon diet
If you look at Bruce Lee's physique, the first thing that catches your eye is the lack of fat. He managed to achieve ideal physical shape thanks to the fact that he skillfully combined training and the principles of proper nutrition. The food of the famous athlete and actor was nutritious and healthy, because he needed strength and energy to exercise. At the same time, food should not be deposited as a layer of fat. Bruce Lee's main nutritional rules are:
- You need to eat in small portions, but often. During the day you need to eat 5-6 times.
- Drinking ginseng tea. A drink that gives energy and strength is easy to make. To do this you will need honey, tea (for the base) and ginseng.
- Using homemade protein shakes. It's not as difficult to do as it might seem. Suitable ingredients are bananas, eggs, milk, wheat germ.
- Introduce dietary supplements into your diet. Every day the body should receive vitamins and microelements. Dietary supplements and multivitamin complexes can replenish the required amount of nutrients.
- Less fatty foods. As for meat, you should give preference to beef. It has a delicate taste and provides the body with the necessary protein that is needed to restore muscle fibers.
This video contains unique footage:
Bruce Lee will forever remain an example of hard work and dedication. Using his training and basic rules, you can achieve excellent results, become stronger, faster and learn a unique striking technique. The main thing is to devote maximum time and effort to training, and to do it in a good mood.
Regarding the unrivaled martial artist Bruce Lee There have been a lot of stereotypes and judgments that, to put it mildly, are not entirely true. This is partly due to basic ignorance, partly due to forgetfulness regarding certain facts. In particular, it is generally accepted that above all else in the training process the legendary dragon placed exercises on concentration of effort, dynamics, and speed. Strength training was allegedly not held in high esteem by him. But an attentive viewer was sure to notice that, unlike many aces of martial arts, Bruce Lee’s body could well be a visual aid for studying the anatomical atlas in terms of muscles - literally every muscle stood out on it in such relief. Is this possible without strength training? Hardly.
And indeed, not so long ago it became known (from the personal archives of the famous athlete) that he was passionate not only about karate; bodybuilding was also included in his sphere of interests and the master’s attitude towards him was more than serious. In addition to the purely sporting aspect, another point is important here: in order to successfully act in films (of the appropriate genre), the body must look spectacular - this is an important factor in success. Such entertainment is almost impossible without bodybuilding.
Therefore, the eternal debate about whether athletes whose specialty is martial arts need heavy strength training or whether they can limit themselves to the development of flexibility and dynamics, from the point of view of the example of Bruce Lee, is resolved unambiguously: they are necessary, necessary. Objections regarding muscle tightness and decreased muscle reactivity as a result of bodybuilding can only be partially accepted. It's all about a competent combination of strength and other exercises, and selection of the optimal training regimen.
Colleagues tell
Let us turn to the testimony of, as they say, eyewitnesses. John Lewis (one of the students of the invincible dragon) recalls how Bruce Lee once weighed himself before starting training (his weight was about 70 kg), then picked up two dumbbells, each of which weighed approximately half of his own weight (37 kg). The next step, he took the dumbbells and spread his arms (very slowly) to the sides. He held the training apparatus in this position for twenty seconds. J. Lewis noted to himself that not every bodybuilder weighing even about a hundred kilograms could repeat this.
Another American specialist in martial arts and their apologist, John Rea, claims that Bruce Lee greatly valued muscle strength. According to him, the dragon was very strong; Ree had never seen similar strength in anyone he knew. In the presence of John, Bruce did multiple push-ups from the floor (including on one hand and, finally, on one finger).
It is clear that Bruce Lee is a unique athlete with outstanding natural abilities. At the same time, arrogance was not in the least characteristic of him, and he attached great importance to constant training (and especially strength training). Evidence of this is the entries in the athlete’s personal diary. Another fact that speaks about Bruce Lee’s attitude towards strength exercises: the famous master owned a collection of posters, photographs depicting famous representatives of bodybuilding (among them a photo of Dave Drapper, who was not very famous at that time).
Bodybuilding in the life and career of Bruce Lee
In a word, it is not difficult to conclude that the dragon was not at all a stranger to bodybuilding; on the contrary, Bruce was well versed in its intricacies and loved this mixture of art and sport. It is known from open biographical sources that the outstanding master of martial arts back in 1969 “was friends” with his namesake Jimmy Lee, who was seriously involved in bodybuilding. Friends often trained together; In those days, Bruce participated in training and together with other fairly significant figures in the world of bodybuilding. At the same time, he showed awareness in theory and noticeable skills in practice. Now there is information that the dragon was previously fond of exercises that developed muscle strength. In particular, new data shows that in 1965 (not yet living in the USA), the athlete was actively working in the gym. Then he usually performed a set of twelve exercises (ten of them using the superset method). However, at that time the athlete had not yet reached his best condition.
At the beginning of his career, Bruce Lee often felt a lack of stamina and strength, although from the outside it was mostly invisible. But the athlete’s wife Linda said that in fairly long fights, Bruce clearly felt a lack of energy to adequately complete the fight; this fact greatly disappointed and upset him. Indeed, the final phase of the fight is the most important, decisive for the outcome of the battle. It was during this period that Bruce Lee turned to bodybuilding for help. He carefully studies the theory of the issue in established literature and new publications (in particular, in the magazines “Bodybuilder and Strength”, “Mr. Olympia”), tries many methods and techniques in practice, and chooses the most suitable ones for himself. Having already moved to Los Angeles, again according to Linda’s recollections, Bruce continued to look for literature that interested him on various issues related to bodybuilding (nutrition, training, regimen, recovery, etc.). After the tragic death of the famous master, his son inherited an extensive library of specialized literature, which included many works on martial arts and about one hundred and forty works on bodybuilding.
Also in Bruce Lee's house were the necessary equipment for strength training - barbells, large dumbbells, dumbbells in a set (total weight - 50 kg), racks for bench presses. The training regime of the outstanding athlete is now known: he did (only strength exercises) three times a week. In addition, there were daily aerobics and flexibility classes. Details and lesson plans are now easily available on the Internet or in special publications. Bruce Lee was also interested in methods of combating subcutaneous fat deposits; he bought various drugs recommended in the literature and tried their effects on himself. Unfortunately, his conclusions on these issues remained unknown.
Own system of diverse training
Bruce Lee finally implemented his concept of the training process methodically around 1970. Its basic position was the search for an individual approach based on trial and error, intuitive findings, confirmed by practice.
Bodybuilding has taken its strong place in the personal training system of an athlete and has become an integral part of it, although somewhat earlier it acted as a temporary assistant in maintaining and developing muscle strength. Until the end of his life, the martial arts genius invariably showed interest in new methods of strength training; Based on some of them, he improved his own training regimen. In particular, one of his characteristic techniques was the use of an amplitude section in which the muscles contracted maximally. This technique, according to Bruce Lee, is excellent for developing concentrated, “explosive” strength.
According to Linda Lee, her husband, as a result of regular bodybuilding, achieved outstanding athletic performance. Amazing speed, lightning-fast reaction, masterful concentration of effort, incredible physical strength, remarkable theoretical knowledge and the highest combat skill - these are the main components of the invincibility of the famous dragon.
Nowadays, theorists see the main reason for Bruce Lee’s outstanding achievements in the fact that he, unlike the great masters of martial arts, took it upon himself to somewhat deviate from centuries-old traditions. The system of training fighters was fully developed already in the Middle Ages; it was sacredly revered and remained absolutely unchanged for a long time. For all her merits, she clearly sinned with conservatism - everything in the world must develop. Bruce Lee was not afraid to “shake” some age-old foundations, expand their scope, and improve them at the ideological level. His genius manifested itself in conceptual approaches to the training process and allowed him to combine the strengths of bodybuilding and martial arts. This combination made him great and invincible. Information from Bruce Lee's previously classified personal training diaries fully supports this point of view.
Video "Bruce Lee - Possibilities"
Friends, hello everyone. In this issue we look at a man who, unfortunately, is no longer among the living, but he is a man of Legend, probably even more than a Legend, it is difficult to imagine, his name and fate are shrouded in so many myths and mysticism that it is impossible to discuss or remember this man - impossible. He truly is the greatest martial artist of all time, as well as the star of the silver screen - Bruce Lee.
We will mainly analyze his training and diet (diet), in particular we will focus on diet. Because Bruce Lee's visual form is very impressive, because he did not have a drop of excess fat. And this, of course, can be achieved through correctly selected products (the most severe diet).
Bruce Lee was born on November 27, 1940 in San Francisco, height 171 cm and weight 61 kg. Died on July 20, 1973 at the age of 32.
At the end of his short but bright life (at 32 years old, it was at that time that he was at the peak of his physical shape, so he formed 6 nutritional postulates, which are stated below:
1.Avoid empty calories
What did Bruce Lee mean? By empty calories, he understood those foods that supply the human body with energy and calories, but in his opinion they do not provide any other benefit.
For example: Instead of these empty calories, Bruce Lee suggested taking confectionery products (flour products) from such familiar and basic products (wild rice, spaghetti from coarse varieties of wheat and the same oatmeal).
2.Eat less, but more often
A very familiar rule J, everyone has known it for a long time. But perhaps at the beginning of the 60-70s people did not yet understand this, although there are unique people who still do not understand: D, but it’s still nice to repeat once again that you need to divide the total food intake during the day into the maximum number of minimum meals food by volume.
3.Honey and ginseng
Bruce Lee prepared energy drinks for himself for filming and training, and many people, such as his partner (colleague) on the set of the film “Games of Death” - Karim Abdul-Jabbar, confirmed that Bruce Lee, in between filming processes, raised his energy level by drank a pre-prepared drink that contained honey with ginseng diluted in water, or, most often, tea with honey and ginseng diluted.
4. Balance your diet
What does this mean? What I meant was the same proportion between proteins, fats and carbohydrates, which I have mentioned many times in many issues.
In short this is:
- Carbohydrates - 50-60%
- proteins – 20-30%
- fats – 10-20%
Now it seems to us that all these postulates have long been known to everyone, but do not forget that Bruce Lee created them in the 60-70s, in those days there were no sources of information as there are now (the Internet, etc.) just think about it These postulates are not only true, at that time they were simply brilliant.
5.Drink tea
Bruce Lee, as a true man from the East, of course loved tea, used many varieties in his diet and diet.
6. Use sports supplements
At that time, I think there were practically no sports supplements. I heard everything about those times, people took brewer's yeast and mixed it with something, and mixed milk powder, in general, all sorts of outlandish cocktails (a kind of primitive cocktails), but in the case of Bruce Lee, he still lived in California, Some protein shakes, vitamins and minerals have already appeared. So, Bruce Lee, again, according to eyewitnesses at that time, said he prepared cocktails for himself according to special recipes and drank them 2 times a day. Bruce Lee was also convinced that he needed to take multivitamins and minerals. Those. you see that he relied on both regular healthy food and sports supplements. This is the sixth rule of his diet.
Bruce Lee workouts
Ogggo. Friends, I don't even know where to start. Here you can write an article like this, about 50 or even more characters. However, this man is a great martial artist, and we are here discussing training in bodybuilding, fitness, powerlifting and occasionally about martial arts.
But still, I will tell you a little from his biography about the training. I hope you find it INTERESTING 😀
Reading all kinds of literature, the secrets of Bruce Lee’s training are as follows::
- Sparring
- Alternation of training
- Perpetual motion machine
- Discipline
This is what I found in the wilds of the World Wide Web. Let's take a closer look at each point.
Bruce Lee spent a lot of time running. Justifying this by the fact that if a person cannot withstand such a load (running), then he has nothing to catch in sports. He himself ran about 6 times a week, for a quarter of an hour.
Bruce Lee used free sparring, of course in protective equipment, so as not to get injured. He began the training by practicing strikes on wooden dummies, bags filled with beans, and only then moved on to free sparring. He believed that this was the only way to perfect his fighting style.
Bruce Lee alternated his workouts, i.e. not only fought, but also developed flexibility, strength, and agility. Bruce Lee trained every day, alternating training on arms, legs, endurance, strength, paid special attention to flexibility, trained his abdominal muscles (abdominals), as well as endurance (without, cycling, jumping, etc.). Every day, for two hours a day, he perfected various strikes.
Bruce Lee never stopped, constantly trained both physically and intellectually, i.e. In addition to daily training for many hours, he also devoted himself to the self-development of his soul and mind.
Bruce Lee was disciplined. When the necessary equipment for full-fledged training was not at hand (for example, on a field trip, when he was far from his home), he practiced isometrics. (with isometric exercises), for example, he could spend quite a long time making efforts to move something stationary.
In general, this is where I end this issue. I hope you found it interesting. Until next time.
Best regards, administrator.
The content of the article:
Most people have their own idols whom they strive to imitate in life. This applies to all areas of human activity, including sports. Bruce Lee continues to be one of these for many. For most of us, this man is an outstanding athlete and martial artist. Not many people know that he was also a writer and teacher. However, today we will talk about how Bruce Lee trained.
Undoubtedly, it was Bruce Lee's training that became the foundation on which his success was built. He became an unsurpassed martial artist only because he worked on his body every day. This outstanding person still has quite a lot of fans today, but they cannot achieve the same heights. This is primarily due to the fact that most of them rely on physical training. At the same time, they completely forget that Bruce Lee actively worked on the mental preparation of his body, and also constantly honed the technique of performing all movements.
Technique is of fundamental importance in all sports. Looking at the photographs of the master, you can immediately notice that Bruce Lee’s training was not primarily aimed at the physical component of the body. He did not have a mountain of muscles, but tried to make them stronger and more resilient. You can achieve great heights only if you devote yourself wholeheartedly to your studies.
The basis of Bruce Lee's training was isometric exercises, working on the abdominal muscles and jogging. Of course, Bruce Lee also worked with weights, using a high-repetition regime, to increase muscle endurance. Bruce Lee himself has repeatedly stated that the basis of a good fighter is a high-quality muscular corset. This is due to the possibility of carrying out a long battle, in which endurance is of utmost importance. That is why he spent a lot of time working on his abs.
How were Bruce Lee's training sessions structured?
We have already said that Bruce Lee paid a lot of attention to isometric training. We will begin our conversation with them about the master’s training program.
Isometric exercises
These are fairly simple exercises, which, if used correctly, are also very effective. The main advantage of isometric training is that you can do it anywhere and you do not need any sports equipment for this.
Of course, your workouts will be even more effective if you use weights. For example, you can take a barbell whose weight exceeds your physical capabilities and try to lift it off the ground. When your muscles are at maximum tension, you should remain in this position for 6-12 seconds. Despite its apparent simplicity, with the help of isometric exercises you can effectively develop muscles.
Strength training
The basis of Bruce Lee's strength training was working with free weights. Here are the movements that the master used:
- Bench presses.
- Work on the abdominal muscles.
- Squats.
- Rotations with a barbell placed on the shoulders.
- Biceps curls.
Bruce Lee's training program
After Bruce Lee's death, a lot of information remained about his training program. We have already said that he paid special attention to cardio exercises and especially running. After a long run there was a warm-up and sparring. To avoid unnecessary injuries, appropriate protective equipment was used during training battles.
Bruce Lee began his training by practicing punches on a wooden dummy and bags filled with sand. Only after this did sparring with a real opponent begin. It should be noted that the master constantly alternated his classes and this is one of the reasons for his success. To achieve a positive result, you should not focus only on strength training or sparring. It is also necessary to develop endurance, flexibility, agility, etc.
It is very important to never stop there and always keep moving forward. Discipline is very important here. This applies not only to strict adherence to the training schedule, but also to those moments when, in the absence of the necessary sports equipment, it has to be replaced with improvised means. For example, Bruce Lee could perform isometric exercises in such situations.
If we talk about strength training, we can give an approximate training plan for Bruce Lee with a barbell:
- Standing presses - 2 sets of 8 repetitions each.
- Biceps presses - 2 sets of 8 repetitions each.
- Squats - 2 sets of 12 repetitions each.
- Forward bends - 2 sets of 8 repetitions each.
- Bench presses - 2 sets of 6 repetitions each.