# Bruce Lee



## RMJS (Jun 9, 2005)

Any other fans of Bruce Lee, here?

Some people say he was, pound for pound, one of the strongest men who has ever lived; I read somewhere that the guy would regularly do one hand push-ups with 240lbs straped on his back.. Considering he was only 140lbs himself, that's nothing short of obscene; he would quickly destroy any wooden or leather kick-and-punch bags, so he eventually started practicing on solid metal; people whom he practiced his kicks on said that when they were hit by him, it felt as though they were being hit by a car....

I absolutely idolize the guy. He's my motivational tool on those days when I don't feel like doing my work-out.


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## likewater (Aug 3, 2006)

I read somewhere he could generate enough force to knock someone down from only 1 inch away .. rediculous

I had a bruce lee quote in my sig for a while >>
"Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend."

it describes exactly what I aspire to. to become formless, to reach what they call beginners mind. a state where you react to situations for what they are rather than your proconcieved notions of them.


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## RMJS (Jun 9, 2005)

likewater said:


> it describes exactly what I aspire to. to become formless, to reach what they call beginners mind. a state where you react to situations for what they are rather than your proconcieved notions of them.


Very, very deep idea.

But yeah, this is how he was able to generate such incredible force within such a small distance in those 1-inch punches of his: It involves moving your entire body in unison so that every muscle you have does work in delivering the blow.

When you are ready to do the punch, the first movement you make is to thrust your thighs forward, then twist your torso forward, then jerk your arm forward, then flick your wrist upward -- it's like a snowball rolling down a hill, gaining size and momentum; each movement you make is added onto the next, and the next... and the end product is the sum of all movements you have made.

It takes hours and hours of practice, but when you get it just right, it's like a perfect flow of your body. And at the end of that punch (the wrist flick), all of your body's power really is focused into that one infinitely small piece of time when you make contact with your target.... and whatever it is... it goes flying.

Anyone could learn if they wanted.


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## kowabonga (Jun 10, 2006)

RMJS: Are you practising martial arts?


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## RMJS (Jun 9, 2005)

Yes.


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## RMJS (Jun 9, 2005)

Well, not formally, I should say. I read about it and then practice what I've learned.

Even though I don't have some "master" teaching it to me, I'm never disappointed with the results I get after practicing and mastering a certain technique.

Anyone really could do it... It's just a matter of being able to read how to physically do a movement without making any minor mistakes in form, and to practice, practice, practice.


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## kowabonga (Jun 10, 2006)

Okay sounds interesting.


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## swiv2D (Oct 20, 2005)

Seriously I wanna have a body like his, not completely over the top but you know so I look almost like an athelete. 
This is one goal I've set for myself. Having to listen to my relatives, my cousin, step-uncle, brother, friends all go on just cause I'm alittle on the plus side about how to develop a body or fight and do this and that. 
If theres anything I can change with my life it can be this, I don't have anything over them, I'm not the coolest, I'm not social or popular but at least I can have this and shut them up for once. Just to see the envy on their faces.


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## kowabonga (Jun 10, 2006)

I can relate a lot with you swiv2d. Getting a fit body is also one of my goals. Doesn't get that much fitter even though I run 2 or 3 times a week and bike some too.


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## RMJS (Jun 9, 2005)

To get a body like his... I don't know, man. I've been trying for about a year and a half of ridiculously hard training - always pushing myself to my absolute - and I still can't seem to get my shoulders and abdominals as developed as his.... yet.

Just keep in mind that he devoted hours of his time/day to resistance training and aerobics to get that body... everyday.

You should probably start with smaller goals first, and when you acheive it, set a higher goal, and before you know it, you'll be as strong as Bruce!

http://tkfiles.storage.msn.com/x1pnp_rg ... ojnFRoBpOc

His shoulders look disproportionate in this photo, but that's only because he's flexing very hard. They're almost broad enough to enable him to go gliding.


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## likewater (Aug 3, 2006)

those aren't shoulders, those are lats. and some crazy lats they are. best excercise to build those is overhand pullups, lots of them.

also keep in mind getting as cut as him is probably close to impossible for a lot of people. its genetics.


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## RMJS (Jun 9, 2005)

Wow.. My entire life I thought that muscle was part of the shoulders and no one has corrected me until now. Thanks. :um 

Yup; I do many, many over-hand chin-ups with weight attatched to my back. Still, I don't have that gliding appearance, though.

You say him being cut is genetics; agreed. Asians have a tendancy to burn fat more quickly and be thin relative to caucasians. As far as saying that it's "close to impossible" for a lot of people to become as cut as he was could also be true, but if you have a natural tendancy to be thin and slim, then you could, with hard work, achieve a body like Bruce's without even coming close to sparring with impossibility.


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## likewater (Aug 3, 2006)

was that sarcasm? if so sorry I didn't mean to come off harsh, just wanted to clear up any confusion.

yeah asians definetly have a tedency to be thin and stringy. I have those genetics, unfortunately I'm going for more of a bulked look.


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## RMJS (Jun 9, 2005)

likewater said:


> was that sarcasm? if so sorry I didn't mean to come off harsh, just wanted to clear up any confusion.
> 
> yeah asians definetly have a tedency to be thin and stringy. I have those genetics, unfortunately I'm going for more of a bulked look.


Hahaha... God no, man. No sarcasm intended. I just found it ridiculous that no one's ever pointed that out to me before.


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## likewater (Aug 3, 2006)

cool man. listen if you're lats aren't coming in like that, maybe you're just not posing correctly. theres a bodybuilding pose for flaring your lats. mine aren't really that big but when I flared them correctly I was kinda weirded out cause they stick out so much. check it out


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## swiv2D (Oct 20, 2005)

We should keep this one running, pass on any work out tips we can find to help.
This is one site that started me off.
http://www.mikementzer.com/blee.html
Don't get me wrong I don't want a body completely like Bruce Lee's just one almost alike, and no way I wanna look like Mike Mentzer, I just like some his philosophy on bodybuilding.


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## RMJS (Jun 9, 2005)

swiv2D said:


> We should keep this one running, pass on any work out tips we can find to help.


Alright, well, most people do push-ups with their elbows locked at a roughly 90 degree angle, right? Well, what I do for more resistance is touch my right index finger tip with my left, and my right thumb tip with my left, then position them in a way that forms a triangle, with your thumbs being on the bottom. Next, lay down face first and place your triangle anywhere from your forehead to you naval, and push up the way you would when performing a regular push-up.

Personally, I do sets of these with the triangle at my naval and at the center of my chest. It gives you a pretty full chest work-out (although, not complete, better then any normal push-ups, in my opinion) and an excellent tricep work-out. Once they become too easy, you can begin straping weight on your back.

Anyone know of some unique full-abdominal exercises?


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## UnseenShadow (Sep 26, 2004)

Bruce Lee has always been one of my inspirations. On the big screen he fought with devastating brutality and yet paradoxically, his movements were graceful, almost balletic. But it was what he did offscreen that I admire most. He went through so many struggles in elevating the martial arts and contending with bigotery, yet endured and always ended up better because of it. But enough of my babbling :b I don't know if his physique is a result of genetics but I do know he worked his *** off for it. Try reading the Tao of Jeet Kune Do, some of his training routines and philosophies are inside.


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## swiv2D (Oct 20, 2005)

Here's another tip while running on a treadmill (cause you'll look silly doing this outside) stick-out your lower abdominal, the lower part of your stomach, so that it feels like your lower part of your stomach is out and your upper abdominals are tucked in. Holding this while running try breathing while pushing down on your diaphragm muscle so it allows more air into your lungs, slouch down alittle if it'll help, and just breath like that and see how many strides you can take before you have to breathe again. This should work your abdominals plus increase oxygen in take, it helps your cardio out.


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## RMJS (Jun 9, 2005)

swiv2D said:


> Here's another tip while running on a treadmill (cause you'll look silly doing this outside) stick-out your lower abdominal, the lower part of your stomach, so that it feels like your lower part of your stomach is out and your upper abdominals are tucked in. Holding this while running try breathing while pushing down on your diaphragm muscle so it allows more air into your lungs, slouch down alittle if it'll help, and just breath like that and see how many strides you can take before you have to breathe again. This should work your abdominals plus increase oxygen in take, it helps your cardio out.


I've been doing this for the last week and it's working quite nicely, swiv.

Here's another one for the abdominals that I've devised a few days ago: Lay flat on your back on a hard surface. Now, lift your legs - while keeping them completely straight - and lift your back as you would when performing a regular sit-up - keeping it as straight as possible - with your hands behind your head and your elbows pointed completely outward, and hold; 10, 20, 30 seconds.

Keep in mind that if anything other than the small of your back is touching the floor, you're doing it wrong. You can adjust the height of your back and legs, just ensure that the small of your back is the only thing touching the floor -- make sure it's what's keeping you balanced.

You can throw some wrist and ankle weights on for more intensity.


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## swiv2D (Oct 20, 2005)

You tryin to kill me, lol, just kidding. I'm not sure if there's a way of improving this method by sticking your hands out in front, straight while flicking your fingers open and closed, I think that helps your abs or chest, pancreas something I dunno.

Been doing quiet well myself I've had trouble pushing past a certain weight, you know that feeling like you've been trying so hard and you feel different, but the scale doesn't move a millimetre. Well now that it has it's a relief. I'm looking to join a Brazilian JiuJitsu class to keep me active and occupied. 
Feel a bit nervous about it but I want to do it, so I figured why not. Always had a thing for martial arts, even try practising kicks cause of Bruce Lee.

By the way this is a cool documentry about Bruce Lee's One Inch Punch 



Looking at it, it looks a little more, most people who claim they can do it, watching them they move their hands further forwards into the guys chest, so it's more like 3 inches.


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