A Wetpaint Site | TV Fandex 100

Bruce Lee |

Version Compare

Version	User	Scope of changes
Feb 19 2008, 5:04 PM EST (current)	NinjaSimari	1492 words added, 2 photos added
Feb 19 2008, 2:36 PM EST	NinjaSimari	1 photo added

Changes

Key: Additions Deletions

1940 - November 27 - San Francisco- In the
The Year of the Dragon between 6:00 a.m. and
8:00 a.m. (the hour of the dragon), Lee Jun Fan,
Bruce Lee is born at the Jackson Street Hospital
in San Francisco Chinatown while his father
and mother traveled to the U.S. Lee Hoi Chuen,
Bruce's father, was performing with the Cantonese
Opera Company in America. At three months old,
Bruce debutes in "Golden Gate Girl" in San Francisco, CA.
He plays role of a female baby, carried by his father.
1941 (Age 1): Hong Kong - Bruce and his parents return
to Kowloon, their family home. They move to into an apartment
at 218 Nathan Road, Kowloon district. The apartment is located
on the second story of a building which contained a store
on the ground level.
1946 (Age 6): Hong Kong - Bruce makes his first
major childhood movie in The Beginning of a Boy.
Later this year, he performs in The Birth of Mankind,
and My Son, Ah Cheun. (During the later years of his
chilhood, Bruce appears in 20 more films in Asia. In these
films, Bruce's vivid facial expressions begin to devlop, and
they forshadow his future expressions in his famous Kung-Fu
movies. Bruce becomes nearsighted and starts wearing glasses.
(He will later start wearing contacts, suggested to him by a friend
who is an optometrist.)
1952 (Age 12): Hong Kong - Bruce begins
attending La Salle College.

Sifu Yip Man
1953 (Age 13): Hong Kong - After being
beaten up by a street gang, Bruce begins
to take Kung-Fu lessons, despite local Hong
Kong laws, outlawing streetfights. This is
the first, and the last time Bruce looses a
fight. He begins to train under Sifu Yip Man,
a master of the Wing Chun system of Kung-Fu.
1954 (Age 14): Hong Kong - Bruce takes
up cha-cha dancing.
1958 (Age 18): Hong Kong - Bruce wins the
Crown Colony Cha-Cha Championship. Bruce
has a leading role in the film The Orphan. This
is the last movie Bruce makes as a child actor.
This is the only movie where Bruce does not fight.
1958 (Age 18): ??? - Bruce enters the 1958
Boxing Championships and defeats the reigning
three year champion, Gary Elms.
1959 (Age 19): Hong Kong - Because of
numberous street fighting, causing police
involvement, Bruce's father and mother decide
that Bruce should take a three week voyage to
the United States. The trip is a possible means
to get him back on the right track. He return to
his birth-place -- San Francisco Chinatown. Time
was also running out for him to claim his American
Citizenship.
1959 (Age 19): San Francisco - Seattle -
With $15 from his father, and $100 from his
mother, Bruce arrives in the United States, l
iving with an old friend of his father's. He
works odd jobs around the various chinese communities.
Later, he moves to Seattle to work for Ruby Chow,
another friend of his father's. He lives in a room above
her restaurant while working as a waiter downstairs.
He eventually enrolls in Edison Technical School and
earns his high school diploma. Bruce begins to teach
his Martial Art skills in backyards and city parks.
1961 - March (Age 21): Seattle- Bruce enrolls at the
University of Washington, studying Philosophy. He teachs
Kung-Fu to students at school.
1963 - Summer (Age 23): Hong Kong - Bruce proposes
to Amy Sanbo but is turned down. Bruce returns to
Hong Kong with friend Doug Palmer for the first time
since his arrival in the U.S. to visit family. He then
returns to Seattle at the end of summer to continue
his education.
1963 - October 25 (Age 23): Seattle - Bruce takes
out Linda Emery (his future wife) for their first date.
They have dinner at the Space Needle. Bruce gives
notice to Ruby Chow and leaves her restaurant. He
starts the first Jun Fan Kung-Fu Institute.
1963 - Fall (Age 23): Seattle - Bruce moves his Jun
Fan Kung-Fu Institute into a building (4750 University
Way) near the university campus. He teaches any person
of any race. (most Asian Martial Arts schools would only
teach people of their own race)

The One Inch Punch
At Garfield High School, Bruce demonstrates the
"One-Inch Punch". This is the punch he would later
make famous at the 64' Long Beach Internationals
and which was developed by him and James DeMile
in Seattle. Bruce would hold his arm straight out,
and with a shrug of his shoulder, knock a man straight
across the ground.
1964 (Age 24): ??? Bruce meets Jhoon Rhee at the
International Karate Championships. The two would
remain good. (Jhoon Rhee will invite Bruce to Washington, D.C.
to appear at tournaments.)
1964 - June (Age 24): ??? - Bruce discusses with James
Yimm Lee plans to open a second Jun Fan Kung-Fu
Institute in Oakland, CA.
1964 - Summer - Oakland (Age 24): Plans are finalized,
and Bruce leaves Seattle to start a second Jun Fan Kung-Fu
school in Oakland. His good friend, Taky Kimura, takes over
as head instructor.
1964 - August 17 (Age 24): Seattle - Bruce returns to
Seattle to marry Linda. They soon move to Oakland.
1964 - August 2 (Age 24): Long Beach, Ca - Ed Parker,
known as the Father of American Karate (Kenpo), invites
Bruce to give a demonstration. Bruce shows off his
"one-inch punch," and his two-finger push-ups, where
he literally does "two" finger push-ups. At his first International
Karate Championships, Jay Sebring, the hair stylist for Batman,
William dozier, a producer, who is looking to cast a part in a TV
series he was developing. Sebring then gives a film of Bruce's
demo to Dozier who is impressed at Bruce's super-human
abilities. Bruce later flys down to Los Angeles for a screen test.
1964 - August 4 (Age 24): Oakland - Bruce leaves for
Seattle. He will propose to Linda.
1965 (Age 24): Oakland - Several months after he begins
teaching, he is challenged by, Wong Jack Man, a leading
Kung-Fu practitioner in the Chinatown Community. They
agree: If Bruce looses, he will, either close his school, or
stop teaching Caucasians; and if Jack looses, he will stop
teaching. Jack Man Wong does not belie Bruce would actually
fight, and tries to delay the match. Bruce becomes angered and
insists that they not wait. Wong then tries to put limitations
on techniques. Bruce refuses "rules"and the two go no holds
barred. Bruce begins to pound his opponent in only a couple
of seconds. As Bruce is winning, Wong attemps to flee, but is
caught by Bruce. Bruce begins to beat him on the ground.
Students of the other teacher attempted to step in and help
their teacher, James Lee, Bruce's good friend prevent this.
Later he is bothered on why the fight took so long and begins
to re-evaluate his style. He is determined that he is not in his
top physical condiiton. Thus, the early concepts of Jeet Kune
Do (JKD), "The art of the intercepting fist" is created. JKD is
an art including techniques of all types of fighting. (i.e. American
Boxing, Thai Kick Boxing, Japanese Karate, etc.) His style is no
style.
Bruce is signed to a one-year option for The Green Hornet.
He is paid an $1800 retainer.

Linda, Bruce,
and son, Brandon
1965 - February 1 (Age 25): Oakland, CA
- Brandon Bruce Lee is born.
1965 - February 8 (Age 25): Hong Kong
- Bruce's father passes away in Hong Kong.
Bruce returns to Hong Kong for his fathers
funeral. As tradition dictates, in order to
obtain forgiveness for not being present
when his father died, Bruce crawls on his
knees across the floor of the funeral home
towards the casket wailing loudly and crying.
1965 - May (Age 25): ??? Bruce uses the retainer money
from the Green Hornet and flys himself, Linda, and Brandon
back to Hong Kong in order to settle his father's estate affairs.
While in Hong Kong, Bruce takes Brandon to see Yip Man to
persuade Yip to perform on tape. Bruce wants to take the footage
back to Seattle and show his students what the man looks like in
action. Yip modestly declines.
1965 - September (Age 25): Seattle - Bruce, Linda, Brandon
return to Seattle.

Bruce Lee
as Kato
1966 (Age 26): Los Angeles - Bruce and family move to Los
Angeles to an apartment on Wilshire and Gayley in Westwood.
This is where he begins working on a new TV series called
The Green Hornet as Kato. The Green Hornet series starts
filming and Bruce is Paid $400 per episode. Bruce buyse a
1966 blue Chevy Nova. Bruce is later known to have gotten
the part of Kato because he was the only person who could
accurately pronounce the star's name, Britt Reid. He later opens
third branch of the Jun Fan Kung-Fu Institute in Los Angeles' Chinatown.
1966 - September 9 (Age 26): Los Angeles - The
Green Hornet series premiers.
1967-1971 (Age 27-31): Hollywood - During this time,
Bruce lands bit parts in various films and T.V. series.
He also gives private lessons for up to $250 an hour to
personalities Steve McQueen, James Coburn, James
Garner, Lee Marvin, Roman Polanski, and Kareem Abdul
Jabbar. Bruce meets Chuck Norris in New York at the All
American Karate Championships in Washington D.C.
Chuck fights Joe Lewis and wins.
1967 (Age 27): Washington, D.C. - Bruce meets Joe
Lewis at The Mayflower Hotel while both were guests
at the 67' National Karate Championships. Joe is
competing in the tournament and Bruce is making
special appearances as Kato.
1967 - February (Age 27): Los Angeles - Bruce
opens a 3rd school at 628 College Street, Los Angeles, CA.
Dan Inosanto serves as assistant instructor.
1967 - July 14 (Age 27): Los Angeles - The last
episode of The Green Hornet Series shows. The movie
is later said to have failed because Bruce, a minor role
became more popular than the main character.
1969 - April 19 (Age 29): Santa Monica, CA Shannon
Lee is born.
1969 (Age 29): ??? - A scriptwriter is hired and paid
$12K by Stirling Silliphant and James Coburn to write
a script for the Silent Flute. The script produced is
unacceptable, and no other scriptwriter could seen to
do the job. They then decide to write it themselves.
1970 (Age 30): Los Angeles - Bruce injures his sacral
nerve and expreiences severe muscle spasms in his
back while training. Doctors told him that he would
never kick again. During the months of recovery he starts
to document his training methods and his philosophy of
Jeet Kune Do. Later after his death, The Tao of Jeet
Kune Do is published by his wife in memory of Bruce Lee.
1970 (Age 30): Hong Kong - Bruce and Brandon fly to
Hong Kong and are welcomed by fans of The Green
Hornet Show.
Bruce sends Unicorn to talk to Run Run Shaw on his
behalf and inform Shaw that he would be willing to
do a movie for him for $10K. Shaw makes counter-
offer of a seven year contract and $2K per film which
Bruce declines.
1971 - February (Age 31): India - Bruce, James Coburn,
Stirling Silliphant fly to India to scout locations for The Silent Flute.
They spend one month searching but are forced to call off
the search as Coburn backs out of the project. This trip gives
Bruce the idea for Game of Death, where a fighter, mastering
in several techniques, will go from one level to the next in a
temple: the first level (the level of weaponry), the second level
(the level of the nine degree black belt), and the third level
( "The level of the unknown.")
1971 (Age 31): Hong Kong. - Bruce takes a short trip
back to Hong Kong to arrange for his mother to live in the
U.S. Unknowingly to him, he had become a superstar for
The Green Hornet was one of the most popular TV shows
in Hong Kong. Later, he is approached by Raymond Chow,
owner of a new production company, and offered the lead
role in a new film called The Big Boss. Bruce accepts.
Bruce is supplied with small furnished apartment at 2
Man Wan Road - Kowloon, HK. Wu Ngan, moves in with
Bruce and Linda. Later Wu Ngan marries and his new
wife moves in as well. Brandon attends La Salle College.
The same school Bruce attended only 15 years before.

Bruce Lee
interviewed by
Pierre Berton
Bruce is inteviewed by Canadian talk
show host, Pierre Berton, for a tv program
being filmed in Hong Kong. This is the
only on film said to be in existance.
1971- July (Age 31): Thailand - Filming
begins for The Big Boss
(released in the U.S. as Fists of Fury).
The Big Boss opens in Hong Kong to
great reviews and mobs of fans. Proceeds to gross
more than $3.5 million in little than three weeks.
1971 - December 7 (Age 31): Hong Kong - Bruce
receives telegram, notifying him that he had not been
chosen fo the part in the upcoming series, The Warrior.
This series was later released as Kung-Fu, staring
David Carradine, who doesn't know shit about martial
arts. (The show aired as ABC-TVs Movie of the Week
on February 21, 1972.)

Bruce in
Fists of Fury
1972 (Age 32): Hong Kong - Fist of Fury
(released in the U.S. as The Chinese Connection)
is released. It grosses more than The Big Boss and
further establishes Bruce as a Hong Kong superstar.
Bruce gets a larger budget, a larger salary, and more
power of directing in this film.

Bruce and
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
in Game of Death
Bruce of Death and films
several fight
scenes including Danny
Inosanto and Kareem Abdul-
Jabbar.
Bruce appears on Hong
Kong's TVB channel for a
hurricane disaster relief
benefit. In a demo Bruce
performs, he breaks 4 out
of 5 boards, one of which is hanging in the air with
a line of string. Brandon even performs and breaks
a board with a sidekick!
Bruce helps Unicorn, a fellow actor, by assisting
him for one day and supervises fight action
sequences in Unicorn's film, The Unicorn Palm
- Footage of Bruce on the set is used in the
movie and Bruce's name appears in the
credits to his surprise causing Bruce to become
angry and make a public announcement denying
his endorsement of the film. Unicorn was advised
to get Bruce's name in the credits, so his movie
would have a better chance at being a success.

Bruce Lee and
Chuck Norris
in Return of
the Dragon
1972 (Age 32): Rome, Italy - Location shots are
made for Bruce's third film
The Way of the Dragon
(released in the U.S. as The Return of the Dragon).
This time Bruce gets almost complete control
the the movie, which he writes, directs, and
stars in. Chuck Norris is Bruce's adversary in
the final fight scene. Again, this film surpasses
all records set by his previous two films.
1972 - December 28 (Age 32): Oakland
Bruce's brother, James, dies of "Black Lung."

Enter the Dragon
1973 - February (Age 33):
Hong Kong - Bruce gets his
chance at American stardom
as filming of
Enter the Dragon begins while
Game of Death is put on hold.
It is the first-ever production between the U.S. and
Hong Kong film industries.
On February 20, Bruce is guest of honor at St. Francis
Xavier's school for Sports Day ceremonies.
1973 (Age 33): Los Angeles - Grace Lee, Bruce's
sister, sees Bruce in Los Angeles, CA. Bruce tells
her that he does not expect to live much longer and
that she is not to worry about finances as he will make
sure she is provided for. She rebukes him for talking that way.
1973 - April (Age 33): Hong Kong - Filming of
Enter the Dragon is completed.
Bruce is at Golden Harvest Studios in Hong
Kong dubbing his voice for "Enter The Dragon".
The air conditioners had been turned off, so the
microphones won't pick them up. The temperature
soared. Bruce takes a break looping lines to go to
the bathroom and splash water on his face. In he
bathroom, he passes out on the bathroom floor. He
revives twenty minutes later just as anassistant sent
to find out what was keeping him walks in and
discovers him onthe ground. He tries to conceal his
collapse by acting as though he hasdropped his glasses
on the floor and is searching for them and is helped
up bythe assistant. As they are walking back to the
dubbing room, Bruce collapses again and is rushed
to a nearby hospital.
1973 - July 10 (Age 33): Hong Kong - Bruce Lee
is walking through the Golden Harvest Studios and
overhears Lo Wei in a nearby room bad mouthing him.
He confronts Lo Wei who retreats and summons the
local police. When the police arrive Lo Wei falsely
accuses Bruce of threatened him with a knife
concealed in his belt buckle. He further insiststhat
Bruce sign a statement that he will not harm him.
Bruce signs thestatement to get Lo Wei off his back
although Lo Wei lied to the police and Bruce never
had a knife nor thretened to kill him.
That same day, Bruce appears on the Hong Kong TV
show, Enjoy Yourself Tonight with host Ho Sho Shin.
Bruce alludes to his problems with director Lo Wei,
but does not mention him by name. Bruce is asked to
display his physical prowess and demonstrates his
abilities. Bruce demonstartes a technique and Shin
is hurled across the stage. The show of power causes
the press to indite Bruce in the paper and accuse him
of bullying the talk show host though this was not the case.
1973 - July 16 (Age 33): Hong Kong - Heavy rains
fall caused by a typhoon off the coast of Hong Kong.
Bruce makes a $200 phone call to speak to Unicorn
in his hotel room, who is filming a movie in Manila.
Bruce tells Unicorn that he is worried about the many
headaches he is experiencing.
1973 - July 18 (Age 33): Hong Kong - A bad
Feng Shui deflector, placed on the roof of
Bruce's Cumberland Road home in Hong Kong
is blown off the roof by heavy rain and winds.
The deflector had been placed on the house
to protect Bruce and family from bad Feng Shui;
previous owners had all been plagued by financial
disaster and it was believed that this was
because of the incorrect positioning of the house.
The deflector was to ward off evil spirits.
1973 - July 20 (Age 33): Hong Kong - Early
in the morning Bruce types a letter to his attorney,
Adrian Marshall, detailing business ventures he
wants to discuss on his upcoming trip to Los Angeles.
Bruce had tickets already set to return to the US for a
publicity tour and was scheduled to appear on the
Johnny Carson show.
Raymond Chow goes by Bruce's house and the two
discuss plans for their upcoming movie
Game of Death. Linda kisses Bruce goodbye and
says she is going out to run some errands and will
see him later that night.
Raymond and Bruce visit Betty Ting Pei at her
apartment to discuss her role in Game of Death.
That evening plans had been made for them all to
meet George Lazenby over dinner and enlist him
for a part. Bruce explains that he has a headache,
takes a prescription pain killer offered by Betty, and
lies down on her bed to rest prior to dinner. Raymond
Chow departs and says that he will meet them later.
Raymond Chow and George Lazenby meet at a
restaurant and await Bruce and Betty's arrival, but
the two never show up. At 9:00 p.m. Chow receives
a call from Betty; she said that she has tried to
wake Bruce up but he won't come to.
Betty summons her personal physician who fails to
revive Bruce and who has Bruce taken to the hospital.
Bruce does not revive and is pronounced dead. The
doctor's are surprised that he had lasted as long as he
did that night but unfortunately Betty did not get him help
as soon as she could have.
Bruce Lee dies in Hong Kong of an apparent
cerebral edema (swelling of the brain). After much
confusion and debate, doctors declared the death
of Bruce Lee as "death by misadventure." Enter
the Dragon was delayed from its inital premieres
a four days later because of the actors death.
1973 - July 25 (Age 33): Hong Kong - A funeral
ceremony is held for friends and fans in Hong
Kong consisting of over 25,000 people. Bruce
is dressed in the Chinese outfit he wore in
Enter the Dragon.

Bruce's Gravestone
1973 - July 30 (Age 33): Seattle - After a
smaller second ceremony in Seattle, Washington
at Butterworth Funeral Home on East Pine
Street, Bruce Lee is buried at Lake View Cemetery.
His pallbearers included Steve McQueen, James
Coburn, Danny Inosanto, Taky Kimura, Peter
Chin, and his brother, Robert Lee.
1973 - August 24 Hollywood - Enter The
Dragon premiers at Graumann's Chinese
Theater. The movie is a success, and Bruce
Lee achieves world-wide fame.

According to 1996 article from Iron Man, Bruce Lee utilized a weight lifting schedule on an every other day basis to allow for recovery. Lee coordinated his bodybuilding workouts so they fell on days when he wasn't engaged in either endurance-enhancing or overly strenuous martial arts training. He increased his body weight from 135 pounds to 165.

Lee geared his training for function rather than muscle size. Three areas most important in Lee's physical fitness program were stretching for flexibility, weight training for strength, and cardiovascular activity for his respiratory system.

The Weight Training Program

Bruce Lee weight trained on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays using this plan.

clean and presses 2 x 8

squats 2 x 12

barbell pullovers 2 x 8

bench presses 2 x 6

good mornings 2 x 8

barbell curls 2 x 8

BRUCE LEE'S TOTAL WORKOUT

Clean and Presses

Lee would take a shoulder wide grip on an Olympic barbell. Bending his knees, he squatted in front of the resistance, and with a quick snap of his arms and a thrust of his legs he cleaned the barbell to his chest and stood up. After a brief pause he thrust the barbell to arm's length overhead, paused briefly and then lowered it back to the top of his chest. After another brief pause he lowered the bar back to the floor. After eight reps Bruce Lee would take a very short rest and do his second final set.

Squats

Lee's squats were done with a barbell on his shoulders and his feet shoulder width apart. He slowly descended to a full squat position and with no pause came back up to the starting position. With a short breather he would then do set two.

Pullovers

Bruce Lee performed pullovers by lying on his back on a flat bench and taking a shoulder-width grip on a barbell that he pressed out to full extension above his chest. From this position he lowered the barbell behind his head-making sure to keep a slight bend in his elbows so as not to strain his elbow joints-until it touched the floor ever so slightly and provided a comfortable stretch in his lats. From this fully extended position he slowly reversed the motion by contracting his lats, pecs and the long heads of his triceps.

Bench Press

The bench press was the only direct barbell movement Bruce Lee used for his chest according to his personal records. He used a shoulder wide grip on an Olympic barbell. He pressed the weight off the support pins to arm's length above his chest. From this locked-out position he then lowered the bar to his chest and exhaled as he pressed it backup to the fully locked-out position.

Good Mornings

Good mornings should be done carefully and only after a good warmup. Lee did this exercise to strengthen his lower back but in 1970 he damaged his fourth sacral nerve in his lower back doing this exercise with 135 pounds and without a warmup. This caused him terrible back pain for the rest of his life. So if you do this one be careful.

Good mornings are done by placing a barbell across your shoulders and positioning your feet three inches apart. Bend at the waist, keep your hands on the barbell. When you get your back at a 90 degree angle to your hips, return to the upright position. Personally this is one I don't do.

Barbell Curls

Lee took a comfortable shoulder-width grip on the barbell with his palms facing forward. Keeping a slight bend in his knees, Lee contracted his biceps and curled the barbell up until it was on a level with his upper pecs. Pausing briefly in the fully contracted position, he then slowly lowered the barbell back to the starting position.

Other Bruce Lee Training

Bruce Lee incorporated weights in his martial arts training. Lee would shadow box with weights in his hands.

Abs

Bruce Lee trained his abs daily, believing that if your stomach wasn't developed you had no business in the ring.

Lee was always doing situps, crunches, Roman chair movements, leg raises, and V-ups. Chuck Norris went on record saying he saw Bruce bouncing Brandon Lee on his abdomen while simultaneously performing dumbbell flyes, and leg raises while watching tv.

Forearms

In order to improve his gripping and punching power, Lee became an avid forearm trainer. He trained his forearms daily and had several gripping machines built for him.

According to 1996 article from Iron Man, Bruce Lee utilized a weight lifting schedule on an every other day basis to allow for recovery. Lee coordinated his bodybuilding workouts so they fell on days when he wasn't engaged in either endurance-enhancing or overly strenuous martial arts training. He increased his body weight from 135 pounds to 165.

Lee geared his training for function rather than muscle size. Three areas most important in Lee's physical fitness program were stretching for flexibility, weight training for strength, and cardiovascular activity for his respiratory system.

The Weight Training Program

Bruce Lee weight trained on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays using this plan.

clean and presses 2 x 8

squats 2 x 12

barbell pullovers 2 x 8

bench presses 2 x 6

good mornings 2 x 8

barbell curls 2 x 8

Clean and Presses

Lee would take a shoulder wide grip on an Olympic barbell. Bending his knees, he squatted in front of the resistance, and with a quick snap of his arms and a thrust of his legs he cleaned the barbell to his chest and stood up. After a brief pause he thrust the barbell to arm's length overhead, paused briefly and then lowered it back to the top of his chest. After another brief pause he lowered the bar back to the floor. After eight reps Bruce Lee would take a very short rest and do his second final set.

Squats

Lee's squats were done with a barbell on his shoulders and his feet shoulder width apart. He slowly descended to a full squat position and with no pause came back up to the starting position. With a short breather he would then do set two.

Pullovers

Bruce Lee performed pullovers by lying on his back on a flat bench and taking a shoulder-width grip on a barbell that he pressed out to full extension above his chest. From this position he lowered the barbell behind his head-making sure to keep a slight bend in his elbows so as not to strain his elbow joints-until it touched the floor ever so slightly and provided a comfortable stretch in his lats. From this fully extended position he slowly reversed the motion by contracting his lats, pecs and the long heads of his triceps.

Bench Press

The bench press was the only direct barbell movement Bruce Lee used for his chest according to his personal records. He used a shoulder wide grip on an Olympic barbell. He pressed the weight off the support pins to arm's length above his chest. From this locked-out position he then lowered the bar to his chest and exhaled as he pressed it backup to the fully locked-out position.

Good Mornings

Good mornings should be done carefully and only after a good warmup. Lee did this exercise to strengthen his lower back but in 1970 he damaged his fourth sacral nerve in his lower back doing this exercise with 135 pounds and without a warmup. This caused him terrible back pain for the rest of his life. So if you do this one be careful.

Good mornings are done by placing a barbell across your shoulders and positioning your feet three inches apart. Bend at the waist, keep your hands on the barbell. When you get your back at a 90 degree angle to your hips, return to the upright position. Personally this is one I don't do.

Barbell Curls

Lee took a comfortable shoulder-width grip on the barbell with his palms facing forward. Keeping a slight bend in his knees, Lee contracted his biceps and curled the barbell up until it was on a level with his upper pecs. Pausing briefly in the fully contracted position, he then slowly lowered the barbell back to the starting position.

Other Bruce Lee Training

Bruce Lee incorporated weights in his martial arts training. Lee would shadow box with weights in his hands.

Abs

Bruce Lee trained his abs daily, believing that if your stomach wasn't developed you had no business in the ring.

Lee was always doing situps, crunches, Roman chair movements, leg raises, and V-ups. Chuck Norris went on record saying he saw Bruce bouncing Brandon Lee on his abdomen while simultaneously performing dumbbell flyes, and leg raises while watching tv.

Forearms

In order to improve his gripping and punching power, Lee became an avid forearm trainer. He trained his forearms daily and had several gripping machines built for him.

BRUCE LEE'S TOTAL WORKOUT