| According to various sources on the internet, a | | | | Exercises for neck (with partner) |
| 1996 article in Iron Man Magazine revealed Bruce | | | | Leg exercise (squat with partner on back) |
| Lee's workout. In addition to his cardio and karate | | | | Back and Abdomen exercises with |
| workouts, Lee lifted weights three times a week | | | | partnerElsewhere in the book, Oyama said that he |
| and performed the following routine: | | | | would bench press 175 pounds 500 times a |
| clean and presses 2 x 8 | | | | day.Then there are karate-specific exercises such |
| squats 2 x 12 | | | | as straw striking and exercises that are specific |
| barbell pullovers 2 x 8 | | | | to board and stone breaking abilities. All this was in |
| bench presses 2 x 6 | | | | addition to practicing forms, sparring, |
| good mornings 2 x 8 | | | | etc.Comparing Lee and OyamaNow, what strikes |
| barbell curls 2 x 8 | | | | me as the essential difference between Lee's and |
| Unfortunately, he injured his back doing good | | | | Oyama's workout styles is volume. Lee's weight |
| mornings, which nearly ruined his career. | | | | training routine is relatively brief, and he avoided |
| Otherwise, his weight training was successful in | | | | lifting on days of heavy martial arts training.While |
| that it is credited with helping him add 30 pounds | | | | Lee might do an exercise for 2 sets of 8 reps |
| of solid muscle to his relatively small | | | | (which is fairly typical), Oyama would do it for |
| frame.Although Lee is the most famous martial | | | | hundreds of reps. Clearly, Oyama's is a more |
| artist ever, it may be that the strongest was a | | | | time-consuming approach that would require a lot |
| man named Masutatsu Oyama. Therefore, it will | | | | of dedication.If you look at pictures of these men, |
| be interesting to contrast Lee's workout with | | | | they have quite different builds. For Lee, his |
| Oyama's.The Karate Bull-FighterOyama was one | | | | training goal was apparently to add bulk. Before |
| of the first to bring Karate to America and | | | | the weight training, he weighed only 135 pounds, |
| founder of the Kyokushin style of Karate. His | | | | and he added 30 pounds of solid muscle.Oyama, |
| 1958 classic "What is Karate?" was one of the | | | | on the other hand, was obviously a stockier |
| first books on the subject written in English, and | | | | fellow, and talks in his book about losing weight |
| designed to make the subject accessible to | | | | during periods of intense training. Judging from |
| westerners.Oyama initially became famous with | | | | pictures of him with other people, I would say |
| stunts such as bull-fighting Karate-style. Unlike | | | | that he was probably slightly taller than Lee (who |
| Mexican bull-fighters, he would actually wrestle the | | | | was 5' 8"). Although Oyama was of average |
| bull to the ground and break off one of its horns. | | | | height, he doesn't look like a small guy when |
| (He wasn't too popular with animal rights activists | | | | standing next to American professional wrestlers, |
| in Tokyo.)Oyama's Strength TrainingAccording to | | | | boxers, and strongmen.Possible ConclusionsThe |
| Oyama's 1958 book, strength and speed are | | | | point is not to compare them as saying one was |
| more important than skill for Karate, and speed | | | | better than the other. I do wonder what affect |
| more important than strength. Also, he said it was | | | | their training style had on the way they looked |
| very important to practice jumping.Here are some | | | | and how much was just genetic.At any rate, if |
| recommendations he gives in "What is Karate?" | | | | Oyama struggled to keep his weight down, it |
| (He doesn't give an exact workout.)Running - 4km | | | | sounds like high volume training helped him to |
| per day | | | | achieve that. Lee, on the other hand, seems to |
| Rope-skipping - 20 minutes per day | | | | have been naturally lean and wanted the weight |
| Dumbell arm exercise (shoulder press?) - 200 | | | | training to bulk up (probably to look better on |
| times | | | | camera). Too much volume (without steroids |
| Dips - 100 times | | | | anyway) might be counter-productive to that |
| Push ups (with hands in fist) - 300 times | | | | goal.So, maybe the lesson in this is that if you |
| Inclined push ups - 100 times | | | | want to lose weight while simultaneously getting |
| Jumping side kick over 4 foot vaulting horse | | | | stronger, it might be worth considering an |
| Inclined dumbell bench pressExercises requiring a | | | | old-fashioned high volume workout routine, |
| partner: | | | | assuming you can make that kind of dedication. |
| Hitting bag with upper elbow and side of elbow - | | | | On the other hand, if your goal is to look like |
| 200 times each | | | | Bruce Lee... well, all I can say is "good luck"! |
| Practicing jumping kick with bag | | | | |