Workout Of The Week: Bruce Lee 2017
Bruce Lee was easily one of the greatest martial artists to ever live, if not the greatest. He took his training and philosophies to another level, showcasing his art. After hurting his back, Lee needed to work more on his physical shape. Mentally he was tough but, he needed to improve his body.
Lee had read a lot about strengthening the body from magazine and books. He created a simple yet effective routine to help get his body in the best shape imaginable. His routine consisted of the classic squat, bench, row exercises with some curls and pushups. It obviously worked well for him BUT lets fast-forward to today.
In 2017, do you think he would still be following the same routines? I don’t! I think that Lee would adapt to the changes of today’s training. Not only would he have perfected his Jeet Kune Do even more than he had, but I think he would have taken and perfected other arts like Jiu Jitsu and Judo. But I do think his strength and conditioning would definitely be updated to a newer style.
If you look back at his training philosophies that he kept logged over the years, his routines were split into:
1.Exercises for Strength
2.Exercises for Speed
3.Exercises for Coordination
4.Exercises for Flexibility
5.Exercises for Endurance
6.Exercises for Agility and finally
7.Exercises for Basic Fitness.
Taking these principles, I decided to create a circuit routine that I believe Lee would follow now, while still staying true to his original philosophies. The routine can be done 2-3 times a week with your martial arts training taking up the other days.
The Bruce Lee 2017 Workout:
Circuit 1
1.Kettlebell Clean and Press 10 reps
2.Kettlebell Swings 20 reps
3.Wall Balls (with a hold on the bottom squat for 10 seconds then explode up) 10 reps
4.Kettlebell Stiff Leg Deadlift 10 (with a 3 count negative)
- Ball Slams 20 reps.
Repeat 3x with a 30 second rest between sets.
Circuit 2
1.Kettlebell Box Squats 45 seconds
2.TRX Atomic Pushups 45 seconds
3.Incline Treadmill Sprint 30 seconds
4.TRX Muscle Ups 45 seconds
5.Kettlebell Thrusters 45 seconds
Repeat 3x with a 30 second rest between sets.
Circuit 3
1.1 Arm Kettlebell Snatch 8 each
2.Explosive Medi-Ball Chest Pass (from the ground) 15
3.Sledge Hammer Wood Choppers 10 each
4.1 Legged Burpee- Box Jumps 10
5.Rower 500 meters
Repeat 3x with a 30 second rest between sets.
Bruce Lee Core Routine:
1.V-ups (with a 10 second hold at the top of the V)
2.Russian Twists 10 each
3.Reach Crunch 10
4.Inside Heel Touches 10 each
5.Bicycles 10 each
6.Leg Raises 10
7.Toe Touches 10
8.Alternating Hip Bridge with a Reach 10 each side
Repeat 3x NO rest!
*Tabata Planks 10 rounds 25 seconds On 5 Seconds OFF: 2 Front 2 Side 2 Front 2 Side 2 Up/Down.
Be water, my friend!
