Bruce Lee's 20 Minute workout

What Bruce Lee was doing was extremely radical.

NO ONE lifted weights AND practiced Martial Arts.

Very few people practiced the secret called "Martial Art" at all.

Bruce Lee was in uncharted territory, not knowing what he was doing.

That is one of the reasons that he wrote every thing down.

It was his only point of reference.

He did not spring form the womb fully formed.

We do not use his writings as the basis for all exercise
because they are limited and are old-fashioned.


To embrace ALL that he did without detailed analysis is
the same sort of thing that ballerinas do when choosing
their workouts

I never tried to teach anyone, nor did I claim I was trying to. never wanted to do anything like that.

I posted this thread because I liked what I read in bruce lee's book. a lot of people still use what he teaches, including good mornings. there is an inherent risk in any physical exercise. the question is about technique.

NO. "good mornings" do not deserve your defense

Claiming that you can give a definitive statement about exercise is the same ans assuming that you can give advice about dental care without schooling or give massage without license

I think the Bruce Lee's routine is sound and works for a lot of different goals. It's definitely pretty advanced, but I've been using portions of it for a couple years now to build my fitness.

Lee's weight's portion is kind of a bodybuilding routine, but sometimes we forget . . . Mr. Lee was first and foremost and entertainer and an actor. Showy muscles were part of the image he was presenting.

Personally, I don't have an issue with the Good Mornings. They are risky, though, and especially if you add a lot of weight to the exercise. I think there are safer exercises to get the same results, but train smart and you'll be fine with the Good Mornings.

Personally, I feel them more in my hamstrings then my lower back.

In my opinion, the lower best back exercise in the world is the back bridge that wrestlers do, or the wheel pose in yoga.

Blue Rattler wrote:

I think the Bruce Lee's routine is sound and works for a lot of different goals. It's definitely pretty advanced, but I've been using portions of it for a couple years now to build my fitness.

Lee's weight's portion is kind of a bodybuilding routine, but sometimes we forget . . . Mr. Lee was first and foremost and entertainer and an actor. Showy muscles were part of the image he was presenting.

Personally, I don't have an issue with the Good Mornings. They are risky, though, and especially if you add a lot of weight to the exercise. I think there are safer exercises to get the same results, but train smart and you'll be fine with the Good Mornings.

Personally, I feel them more in my hamstrings then my lower back.

In my opinion, the lower best back exercise in the world is the back bridge that wrestlers do, or the wheel pose in yoga.

"Opinion", you "Think", you "Feel",


EXACTLY 100% not acceptable.

You would be sued and, really, have no concept of the elements of exercise that
change for no one.

The body never listens.
You know it or you do not.

There are many things about the body that can never be guessed.

Urban Avenger wrote:

I never tried to teach anyone, nor did I claim I was trying to. never wanted to do anything like that.

I posted this thread because I liked what I read in bruce lee's book. a lot of people still use what he teaches, including good mornings. there is an inherent risk in any physical exercise. the question is about technique.

These first and second paragraphs contradict each other.

You state that you don't want to teach anyone and then, you make a definitive statement for people to use

Flora V. Arbor wrote:

Blue Rattler wrote:

I think the Bruce Lee's routine is sound and works for a lot of different goals. It's definitely pretty advanced, but I've been using portions of it for a couple years now to build my fitness.

Lee's weight's portion is kind of a bodybuilding routine, but sometimes we forget . . . Mr. Lee was first and foremost and entertainer and an actor. Showy muscles were part of the image he was presenting.

Personally, I don't have an issue with the Good Mornings. They are risky, though, and especially if you add a lot of weight to the exercise. I think there are safer exercises to get the same results, but train smart and you'll be fine with the Good Mornings.

Personally, I feel them more in my hamstrings then my lower back.

In my opinion, the lower best back exercise in the world is the back bridge that wrestlers do, or the wheel pose in yoga.

"Opinion", you "Think", you "Feel",


EXACTLY 100% not acceptable.

You would be sued and, really, have no concept of the elements of exercise that
change for no one.

The body never listens.
You know it or you do not.

There are many things about the body that can never be guessed.

Flora, with all due respect . . . I'm not sure what you're getting at. I guess you disagree with my opinion. Fair enough.

All I know is that I've followed a routine like this for a couple years now and have literally transformed my life with it. It has worked for me to get to my fitness goals, somehow . . . in spite of me having "no concept of the elements of exercise."

Blue Rattler wrote:

Personally, I feel them more in my hamstrings then my lower back.

Funny you say that, in The Art of Expressing the Human Body, they say that it also stretches the hamstrings, due to your posture.

Flora V. Arbor wrote:

Urban Avenger wrote:

I never tried to teach anyone, nor did I claim I was trying to. never wanted to do anything like that.

I posted this thread because I liked what I read in bruce lee's book. a lot of people still use what he teaches, including good mornings. there is an inherent risk in any physical exercise. the question is about technique.

These first and second paragraphs contradict each other.

You state that you don't want to teach anyone and then, you make a definitive statement for people to use

Please show me anywhere where I said use this exercise. or where I ever claimed I was a fitness instructor.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of people who work out in the world. I'm pretty sure very, very few of them have your "credentials". and most assuredly, a lot of them are better than you, and some aren't.

I do what works for me, and what I like. And when I get hit on by Marina Sirtis (among a lot of other people who occasionally have asked me if I work out) I must be doing something right,

"must be doing something right' like brushing your teeth.

I am a certified fitness professional.

After two decades of martial arts and 32 years of yoga
and over forty years of dance, NONE of what I knew was allowed in classes
and I had to learn why.

I am nationally recognized, a teacher of other teachers and a
Recognized Expert Witness on the subject of weight lifting.

I ONLY answer questions, here, for free because you guys are RLSH.


I DO find arguments INSULTING to allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the teachers of my knowledge

I am gifting you with ideas for which you would have to pay LOADS

I know that you guys can't be knowing who I am but


just take this one gift:

NO "good mornings".

Please, use the band or the pulley and do the move like starting a lawn mower

Flora, I agree with you on the Good Morning. My issue with that exercise (especially with a weighted bar) is that if one gets in trouble, there's no easy way to dump the bar. Usually in that case, one ends up twisting their back -- thus hurting themselves. That's what happened to Lee.

But besides the Good Mornings, what do you think of the rest of Lee's strength training routine?

I don't profess to be an expert . . . just one who enjoys fitness (which I think covers a lot more than physical fitness -- but that's for another thread).

Like Urban Avenger -- I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do. I think Lee, though, can act as a role model to many RLSH. In that regard, it's interesting to look at what he did and try to emulate some of that.

To become like someone else, you have to study and do like they did (to some extent, anyway).

I get a lot of free fitness and dieting advise from Miss Fit. She's a former Miss Olympia and a professional body builder and personal trainer. She gives advise because I'm her friend. She's not arrogant, she is walking proof positive of what works for her and her career reflects that. The one thing I love about out her is she doesn't waive her credentials in everyones face like a condescending PE teacher. Proclatiming her infinite knowledge on one specific subject.

As you can tell, I am VERY passionate about exercise.

After studying for many decades and dealing with the snotty-ness of dance
and the

"you're too white and a girl and Western and, therefore, could never understand the secrets of Martial Arts and Yoga",

I cherish being able to understand the body.


Bruce Lee is more than a role model.

He is and will be a legend

but, yes, he is and will be a role model.

Many people who haven't studied will look at his things and
do WAY better than without.



Because exercise is THE best thing for health,
I am very very very passionate about being very very very careful

about exercise and therefore, cannot recommend his entire routine.


We, in fitness, are poised to kick the ( ) out of stuck-up, drug-pushing doctors

and we need precision to do that

Urban Avenger wrote:

I get a lot of free fitness and dieting advise from Miss Fit. She's a former Miss Olympia and a professional body builder and personal trainer. She gives advise because I'm her friend. She's not arrogant, she is walking proof positive of what works for her and her career reflects that. The line thing I love about out her is she doesn't waive her credentials in everyones face like a condescending PE teacher. Proclatiming her infinite knowledge on one specific subject.

I only share my credentials because you have no other way of knowing why I am firm in my statements.

Body Builders are not versed in the safety-of-all-people.


"What works for Me" or "what works for her" is a terrible paradigm.

There are many ballerinas who inspire and are capable and gorgeous
and will talk about "what works for them" but no one would call that good advice.


PE teachers do not have to know what I know
and none of the are Recognized Expert Witnesses on the subject of Weight Lifting nor will
be asked to be

nor will body builders PRECISELY because they can only speak to
"what works for them".


I type to you because I want you NOT hurt.
Other wise I would read, laugh and click off

Here is some more information that might help:

Billy Blanks, a wonderful person, GREAT Martial Artist
and FABULOUS bod got sued for "flick kicks".

ALL certified aerobics instructors why do to NO flick kicks
but Billy Blanks was not certified ( did not have to study the human body )
and so,...sued.

Flora V. Arbor wrote:

adamm[] wrote:

bicep guy is doing poorly formed curls. you shouldnt be moving your elbows, they should be locked in position and the only part of your body that should be moving is your formarms.

and for good mornings, start VERY VERY VERY light, if youve never done them before you could f'k yourself up.

exactly

While it's probably not what this guy is doing, I will regularly use slightly 'poorer' technique in my bicep curls to lift heavier. I start with good technique, but then move into poor technique in order to perform more reps and thereby go past failure. Perfect technique isn't everything, and I think a lot of people don't push themselves far enough for fear of going outside of that. Watch Arnie or Frank Zane or Coleman any of the big bodybuilders train and you'll see they don't have such perfect technique at all!

The idea of being lax about form has been, firmly, rejected because it leads to so many injuries.

Top trainers can afford much care and tending.

Most of us cannot.

From the view point of my advanced age,
I caution, very firmly, against being lax about form.


Go perfect.
Go hard.
Go fed.
Go shower.
Go sleep.
Get up.
Go help.

I like it :-D As long as 'go hard' is in there - when I look around the gym I just see far too many people slowly curling 5kg and stopping long before failure and I think it's because they're too scared of putting the effort in for fear of hurting themselves. What are your preferred methods of pushing past failure out of interest?

I've noticed as well that for some people it seems to be more of a problem than others - for a long time I've been using 'cheats' and had no problem (never even pulled a muscle touch wood), but when I tried to get one of my friends doing my routine he hurt his back and tore his biceps. I think part of the thing is knowing to listen to your body and that comes with a lot of hours in the gym only.

We can't tell people to listen to their bodies.

That's how Cheetos got invented.

Do you see why I worry?



Go in fed.
Line every thing up exactly.
Pump EXACTLY 6-10 PERFECT REPS,
four sets, twice a week for three years.
Raise the weight.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Now, add plyos.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Now, add weapons.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Now, add a weighted vest.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Now, do it all up hill like the gyurkas do.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.

I'm, exactly, at the second "Repeat." after "...weapons."

This one only goes from age twenty to age 85.

We really must add in singing
for nine more years
and then, "lead groups", "write about it" and, "die".

I know this is a big bump,

I did this workout for about 2 years except I swapped good mornings with deadlifts, the whole workout was very beneficial, I always go back to it for a few months a year

Its best to do 3x a week so you can do endurance and flexibility on the other days

Also The Art of Expressing the Human Body by John Little is a fantastic book for this

I have this to offer: dead lifts on the Smith Machine

I personally just prefer deadlifts of any kind cos you can drop the weight if you have a problem

I do not see the benefit of dead lifts.