Bruce Lee Workout Program
Written by the Boostcamp staff
Train like the martial arts and movie legend
Bruce Lee was a Chinese-American martial artist and actor, known for some great roles such as Enter the Dragon and Fist of Fury. Bruce Lee was the founder of his own martial arts philosophy, Jeet Kune Do, which is a hybrid of several different martial arts, drawing from different combat disciplines. Sometimes Jeet Kune Do is credited with paving the way for the combat sport mixed martial arts, which has grown widely throughout the world. But aside from his incredible martial arts skills, Bruce Lee was known for a ripped physique, leaving many people wondering what exactly his workout routine consisted of.
That being said, the Boostcamp Team has found Bruce Lee’s workout routine, so you can build an athletic, ripped physique just like he did.
Bruce Lee Workout Routine
IMAGE COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM (@BRUCELEE)
The Bruce Lee workout routine is written by Paris Demers, and can be found on the Boostcamp App under “Bruce Lee’s Old School Training Plan”.
Program Description:
Bruce Lee may have passed away back in 1973, each and every year, the memory of the martial arts expert inspires millions around the world to start working out. These individuals often attempt to replicate Bruce Lee's old-school regimen beat for beat, hoping to be just as skilled and ripped as he was. However, Bruce Lee was a super athlete who had been training for over two decades by the time he reached his prime, with his training schedule including 2-3 sessions a day, 6-7 days a week, all year round. It sounds like overtraining, and many people will wonder how he did not sustain injury after injury, but he had a different approach to training, and a completely different discipline. Such intensity is not feasible for the average person's body to handle.
With that in mind, Paris Demers has distilled the principles that made Bruce Lee's program so effective and created a scaled-down (but still effective) version that's perfect for beginners to intermediate trainees. This 4-day-a-week program aims to increase overall fitness and build a ripped body akin to Bruce Lee’s!
This program is divided into four main components:
Martial Arts Training
PHA (Peripheral Heart Action) Weight Training
Rest Time Guidelines
Rest is crucial for recovery and allows your body to do a bit more when it comes to training. For the martial arts and cardiovascular training segments of the Bruce Lee Old School Training Program, rest times are noted in the exercise instructions or below in this description.
When you are performing the weighted circuits on Days 1 & 3, rest as little as possible while still being able to complete all your sets with proper lifting technique.
When performing the core giant sets on Days 2 & 4, rest for 1-2 minutes after completing one set of each movement before starting the next round of sets.
Training Intensity Guidelines
The Bruce Lee Old School Training Program utilizes the standard RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) system to guide your intensity level during each set of weighted or core movements. You don’t need to be going all out for everything that you do during this program, as there is a lot of frequency and volume so going all out consistently can lead to injury or just keep you out of the gym.
Difficulty, Length, and Equipment Needed
The Bruce Lee Old School Training Program is great for people of all skill levels, but is specific to beginners/intermediates. It runs for 8 weeks and requires a decent amount of equipment, but a lot of it is cardio and can be done within your own home with bodyweight exercises and if you have the equipment. There are exercises such as barbell squats, some Romanian deadlifts, and bench press variations, so you still will need a good amount of equipment.
Level - Beginner Intermediate
Program Length- 8 Weeks
Equipment Needed-
Heavy Bag
Jump Rope
Barbell
Dumbbells
Warm Up/Dynamic Stretching Routine-
3 Minutes Of Moderate Intensity Cardio
Goblet Squat Stretch x10 Reps
Deadhangs x60 Seconds
World’s Greatest Stretch x10/side
Jefferson curls x8
Caustic Squats Alternating Sides x16
Running Intervals Level 1-
Light Jog for 3 minutes
Interval 1- Run @65% for 3 minutes
Rest- light jog for 2 minutes
Interval 2- Run @75% for 3 minutes
Rest- light jog for 2 minutes
Interval 3- Run @65% for 3 minutes
Cooldown- light Jog for 2 minutes
Running Intervals Level - 2
Light Jog for 3 minutes
Interval 1- Run @70% for 3 minutes
Rest- light jog for 2 minutes
Interval 2- Run @80% for 3 minutes
Rest- light jog for 2 minutes
Interval 3- Run @70% for 3 minutes
Cooldown- light Jog for 2 minutes
Running Intervals Level 3-
Light Jog for 3 minutes
Interval 1- Run @75% for 3 minutes
Rest- light jog for 2 minutes
Interval 2- Run @85% for 3 minutes
Rest- light jog for 2 minutes
Interval 3- Run @75% for 3 minutes
Cooldown- light Jog for 2 minutes
More Workout Programs
Now maybe you do not want to train like Bruce Lee, and that is okay. There are plenty more workout programs available that you can check out the Boostcamp App. Boostcamp allows you to choose from over 50 free workout programs that cater to your goals, whether you want to cut down, bulk up, or something else.
However, you do not need to follow a pre-written program, as Boostcamp allows you to also create your own program that is made exactly how you want it. You can choose sets, reps, frequency, and so on.
No matter what you choose, you can also track your progress right in the Boostcamp App to make sure you are on the right track.
Bruce Lee Workout Program Wrap Up
Overall, Bruce Lee is someone who has inspired generations when it comes to fitness. So many people seek to replicate his athleticism and his physique, and now with the program from Paris Demers, you can work towards that goal. Will you be giving the Bruce Lee workout program a try? Or will you be checking out some other programs on Boostcamp?
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