The Bruce Lee workout and diet program developed one of the most famous physiques of all time. Do you have what it takes?
Before the recent explosion in martial arts popularity due to the UFC and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, there was Bruce Lee. Even though he tragically died far too young at 32, there is little debate that Bruce is among the most influential martial artists ever.
At a time when fighting was split into factions, Bruce was the first to combine multiple disciplines to create something uniquely his own. Lee’s philosophy and martial art, Jeet Kune Do, stressed adaptability and the use of many different methods. In a way, he was the first mixed martial artist.
Bruce introduced martial arts to the world and inspired millions through his movies and writings. But his impact goes beyond fighting or films. Even half a century after his death, people still want to know how he got his famous shredded look.
In this piece, we’ll examine the training and diet regimens that helped Bruce Lee achieve his aesthetic physique. Whether you want to become a better martial artist or just look like one, Bruce Lee’s program can help.
Typical Bruce Lee Workout Split
Here is a breakdown of a week in Bruce Lee’s training life. He followed a training schedule that could pass for a professional athlete.
Monday
- Morning: Run and Flexibility.
- Afternoon: Martial Arts Practice Punching-focused.
- Night: Abs and Forearms.
Tuesday
- Morning: Cycling, Jump Rope, and Flexibility.
- Afternoon: Martial Arts Practice Kicking-focused.
- Afternoon #2: Lifting Weights.
- Night: Abs and Forearms.
Wednesday
- Morning: Run and Flexibility
- Afternoon: Martial Arts Practice Punching-focused.
- Night: Abs and Forearms.
Thursday
- Morning: Cycling, Jump Rope, and Flexibility.
- Afternoon: Martial Arts Practice Kicking-focused.
- Afternoon #2: Lifting Weights
- Night: Abs and Forearms.
Friday
- Morning: Run and Flexibility.
- Afternoon: Martial Arts Practice Punching-focused
- Night: Abs and Forearms.
Saturday
- Morning: Cycling, Jump Rope, and Flexibility
- Afternoon: Martial Arts Practice: Kicking-focused
- Afternoon #2: Lifting Weights
- Night: Abs and Forearms
Sunday
- Rest Day
The Bruce Lee Workout Routine
Most of what we know about Bruce Lee’s training comes from John Little, who wrote the fantastic book Bruce Lee: The Art of Expressing the Human Body. I recommend grabbing a copy of the book if you want to dig deeper into Bruce’s training and ideas.
It is almost impossible to outline Bruce Lee’s exact training schedule because he continuously altered and updated it as he learned more. That said, here’s a look at some of the stuff he consistently did.
Cardio
Let’s start with his cardio routines. Bruce ran 2-6 miles on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On the other days of the week, he rode his bike about ten miles, followed by twenty minutes of jump rope work. I don’t know if he alternated running and cycling intentionally to prevent overuse injuries or to avoid boredom, but either way, it’s a great way to structure your cardio.
- Running: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 2-6 miles.
- Cycling: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, 10 miles.
- Jump Rope: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, 20 minutes.
Flexibility
Bruce took his flexibility work very seriously, doing it every day. If you’ve ever wondered how a short guy like Bruce Lee could kick seven-foot-two Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the head, the answer is years of flexibility training.
In a way, stretching has become somewhat underrated. It’s still the best way to improve range of motion. Plus, it’s a great way to recover and unwind from a hard training day.
He did high kicks, foreword bends, side bends, waist twisting, alternate splits on chairs, and wrestler bridging, among other stretches.
- Flexibility: Static stretching every day.
Martial Arts Training
It’s probably obvious, but Bruce’s martial arts training was a significant part of his program. In fact, he spent more time training in martial arts than anything else. It’s sometimes forgotten that he was a real martial artist and that no doubt played a significant role in developing his physique. Bruce resembled a real athlete more than a bodybuilder.
His martial arts training focused on punching on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. He would do shadow boxing, practice on the heavy bag, do footwork drills, and occasionally spar with other fighters.
On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, he focused on kicks. Like the punching-focused days, he did heavy bag, footwork drills, and the occasional sparring.
If you want to look like Bruce Lee, replicating his martial arts training is the most challenging part. Unless you are training for an upcoming fight, chances are you can’t do multiple martial arts sessions a day. That’s okay. A couple of days a week is all you need. You can practice any martial art you want, some options are Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Judo, Karate, and Taekwondo. It’s a great addition to your fitness routine.
Weight Lifting
When you think of Bruce Lee’s training, you generally do not picture him lifting heavy weights, yet he did. Barbell exercises were a crucial part of his program. However, he did not lift weights to boost his appearance. Bruce was interested in performance. He wanted the strength he built in the gym to be helpful in real-world situations. The extra muscle was simply a nice side effect.
By prioritizing strength and performance, he constantly pushed for new personal records. Breaking new ground in the gym is critical for continuous success. If you use the same weights for the same number of reps for an extended period, your growth will plateau. The takeaway is that getting stronger is key, even if your aims are solely aesthetic.
When lifting, Bruce prioritized barbell compound movements over single-joint isolation work. Here is an example of one of his weightlifting routines: a twenty-minute full-body workout done three days a week.
Full Body: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Barbell Clean and Press: 2 sets x 8 reps
- Barbell Squat: 2 sets x 12 reps
- Barbell Pullover: 2 sets x 8 reps
- Barbell Bench Press: 2 sets x 6 reps
- Barbell Good Morning: 2 sets x 8 reps
- Barbell Curl: 2 sets x 8 reps
Abs
One of Bruce Lee’s most distinctive features is his shredded six-pack abs. He built those abs through daily abdominal exercise, a strict diet, and cardio.
Sample Daily Abs Workout. Do four of five rounds or 15-20 reps.
- Decline Sit-ups
- Lying Leg Raises
- Broomstick Twists
- Hanging Knee Raise “Frog Kicks”
- Weighted Side Bends
Forearm and Grip
When looking at most fighters’ training regimens, one thing that stands out is the emphasis on forearm and grip training. Bruce Lee practiced his grip daily, which makes sense given the significance of grip strength in combat ability.
Forearms and Grip Training: Do four or five rounds of 15-20 reps.
- Wrist Roller
- Fingertip Pushups
- Barbell Reverse Curl
- Gripper Machine
- Wrist Curl with Dumbbell or Barbell
- Pinch Gripping
Bruce Lee Diet Plan
Bruce Lee’s diet was well-balanced and healthy. Most of it centered on Asian cuisine. He wasn’t overly strict, but he didn’t eat anything in abundance. That said, for how active he was, his diet was low-calorie. This is an important point. Eating low-calorie was one of the reasons Bruce was able to stay so lean.
Here is a sample breakdown of what he ate on a typical day.
Breakfast
- Whole-grain muesli cereal
- mixed nuts
- dried fruit
- 1 cup of black tea with honey
Homemade Vegetable and Fruit Juice
- 2-3 large carrots
- Apple
- 2-3 celery stalks
Lunch
- A small serving of chicken breast, lean red meat, or seafood
- Bowl of rice
- A couple of cups of vegetables
Protein Shake
- Protein powder or non-instant powdered milk
- Two eggs
- 1tbs wheat germ and 1 tbsp brewer’s yeast
- Spoon of peanut butter
- Banana
- Water and ice cubes
Dinner
- A small serving of chicken breast, lean red meat, or seafood
- Bowl of rice or noodles
- A couple of cups of vegetables
The entire day’s diet consisted of 120-130g of protein, 250-275g of carbohydrates, and 40-50g of fat. He also took Vitamin C, Bee Pollen, Vitamin E, and B Vitamins supplements.
How You Can Train Like Bruce Lee
So, you want to look like Bruce Lee. I have good news and bad news. The bad news is Bruce Lee’s life revolved around training. He was a dedicated student of fitness who always sought new methods to improve his performance. Chuck Norris, one of Lee’s close friends, stated that Bruce was either working out or thinking about working out. You have your work cut out for you.
The good news is that you can still get Bruce Lee-like results without devoting your entire life to training. Bruce was ahead of his time, but a lot has changed in the training world since the 1970s. I love Bruce’s dedication, but there were some diminishing returns. Quite frankly, he did too much.
Below is a Bruce Lee-inspired routine I created, designed to be efficient and effective. You will still need to train six days a week, but you won’t have to do multiple sessions a day.
Monday
- Squat: 3 sets x 5 reps
- Bench Press: 3 sets x 5 reps
- Romanian Deadlift: 3 sets x 8 reps
- Dumbbell Row: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Barbell Curl: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Pullup Bar Deadhang Hold: 3 sets x 30-60 seconds
- Decline Sit-ups: 3 sets x 10-20 reps
- Cardio: 20 minutes of running, cycling, or jumping rope.
- Stretching: 5-10 minutes of static stretching.
Tuesday:
- 60-90 minutes of martial arts training. Take a martial arts class (BJJ, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Karate, Boxing, etc.), hit a heavy bag or shadow box, or wrestle your buddies in the backyard. It doesn’t matter what you do. It just has to be something fighting-related.
Wednesday:
- Front Squat: 3 sets x 8 reps
- Overhead Barbell Press: 3 sets x 8 reps
- Power Clean: 3 sets x 3 reps
- Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Dips: 3 sets x failure
- EZ Bar Reverse Curl: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Hanging Leg Raise: 3 sets x 10-20 reps
- Cardio: 20 minutes of running, cycling, or jumping rope.
- Stretching: 5-10 minutes of static stretching.
Thursday:
- 60-90 minutes of martial arts training.
Friday:
- Deadlift: 3 sets x 5 reps
- Close Grip Bench Press: 3 sets x 8 reps
- Leg Press: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Chin-ups: 5 sets x failure
- Dumbbell Pullover: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Wrist Curl: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
- Weighted Side Bends: 3 sets x 10-20 reps
- Cardio: 20 minutes of running, cycling, or jumping rope.
- Stretching: 5-10 minutes of static stretching.
Saturday:
- 60-90 minutes of martial arts training, long run, or bike ride.
Sunday:
- Rest
Be Water, My Friend
I’ve been asked multiple times in my career how people can build a Bruce Lee physique. It’s a testament to his legacy. I mean, he was well before my time, but he impacted me, too. There was a time when I wanted to look like Bruce Lee.
When analyzing Bruce Lee’s workouts, it’s crucial to understand that he was a martial artist, not a bodybuilder. His primary focus was always on performance. Bruce was also an actor, so he was conscious of his appearance, but his training was always geared towards enhancing his martial arts skills, not just his physique.
So, what can we learn from this? A few things stand out. One is that if you want to follow in Bruce Lee’s footsteps, you need to practice martial arts. There is no authentic way around that. Beyond martial arts, you need to take a balanced approach to training. Do a little bit of everything. Lift heavy barbells, do plenty of cardio, and work on flexibility. The diet piece is critical, too. The only way you can stay that lean is with sound nutrition.
Bruce Lee was a little obsessed with fitness. I can relate. I’m not saying you need to be, but success doesn’t happen by accident.
For more information about training for combat, check out my ten favorite strength exercises for wrestling: https://kylehuntfitness.com/my-ten-favorite-strength-exercises-for-wrestling/.
Author: Kyle Hunt
Email: KyleHuntFitness@gmail.com
Hire Kyle as your coach: http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/services/