Bruce Lee Modified

Program Description

The purpose of this program is to adapt the late Bruce Lee’s bodybuilding program to something that can be used today. By providing the skeleton of a program you can then choose how you execute it to taylor it to your own needs. The general idea for this program is to perform your reps regardless with proper form, but to modify the tempo of those reps depending on your goals. It’s a 3 week program that then should be followed by a rest/deload week. Progressive Overload: No matter what style or what you train for progressive overload is key for improvement. Progressive overload means changing an aspect of your training from a general week to week basis. For this program I suggest adjusting your volume and intensity accordingly. Your volume being if you can only get 12 reps for a 10-15 rep range just increasing your reps to 13 that next week, and intensity being if you can do a 135 lbs bench for 15 in a 10-15 rep range then go to 140 lbs next week and go forward with that. You can also progressively overload each individual set differently, as you will not always see the uniform 4 reps across all 4 sets. For example for your first 2 sets of a rep range of 4-8 you get 8 full reps but your last set you get 6, that following week you can increase the weight on the first two sets and stick with the same weight on the last set and just increase the volume of that set to 7. Athletics: For the purpose of building speed, power, and endurance with this plan I would suggest to do the following. Take your reps and pick a weight that you can move fast with, attempt to complete each set as fast as possible while maintaining good form. Rest for shorter periods of time in between sets but longer in between exercises. Hypertrophy: For hypertrophy you will want to do somethings similar to athletics namely in regard to weight. You do not need an incredible load for hypertrophy, but instead should pick a weight that, when slowed with proper form, can take you as close to mechanical failure as possible. Be sure to really slow down the eccentric parts of movements and pause in the stretched positions. You also don’t need to rest TOO long in between sets with this style of training in mind, but don’t make it too rigorous. Strength: Finally with strength solely in mind it will be a very different style of training, almost as if a blend of the other two. Your goals with strength training should be to load as much weight as possible with proper form, or to chase bigger numbers. You don’t have to focus on slow controlled movements or pausing as much, especially regarding the eccentric parts of the movement, as with hypertrophy, but you’re also not picking such a light weight so that you can explode as fast as possible like with the athletics focus on power and speed. Your only goal should be to maintain proper form and chase bigger numbers. Rest amply between sets and exercises as you want to be able to move as much weight as many times as possible to progress.

Program Overview