Bruce Lee is famous for his devotion to martial arts and his great abilities in this field. He was not only an exceptional martial artist, but also a serious bodybuilder. He firmly believed that diet and nutrition played a very important role in achieving his objectives. However, he was not an expert in nutrition, he gained most of his information from bodybuilding magazines and experimented with different supplements in addition to eating a well balanced healthy diet. For Bruce Lee a good diet was one that provided him with the energy and nutrients to maximize his physical training.
The following diet rules are based on what is known about Bruce Lee’s daily eating regime. There are many references to “The Bruce Lee Diet”, but really such a diet simply attempts to replicate Bruce Lee’s dietary and eating patterns, as well as his fitness regimes, to try to attain a physique similar to that of Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee’s diet and exercise regime meant that he had close to zero percent body fat. Following this diet regime could help you to lose belly fat as well as improve muscular growth.
Bruce Lee Diet Rule 1: Avoid Refined Flour
Generally Bruce Lee avoided refined flour. So, he did not eat many baked foods such as biscuits and cakes, which he described as being “empty calories“. It is worth mentioning that today many people attribute irritable bowel syndrome to the excess consumption of refined flours. His philosophy was not to consume calories that did not provide some benefit to the body.
This approach to eating is very similar to that of the Buddhist scriptures, which states:
“You must learn to be moderate in eating, and eat only enough to remain healthy, and fit for trance. For excessive food obstructs the flow of the breath as it goes in and out, induces lassitude (lack of vitality), sleepiness, and kills all valour. As too much food has unfortunate consequences, also starvation does not lead to efficiency. For starvation drains away the body’s volume, lustre, firmness, performance and strength. You should take food in accordance with your individual capacity, neither too much nor, from pride, too little.”
Bruce Lee Diet Rule 2: Chinese Food
Bruce Lee enjoyed Chinese food, as he felt that western food was often too bland. Some of his favourite Chinese dishes were beef in oyster sauce and tofu. However, he loved to eat steak and liver too, but overall preferred the more balanced approach of Asian dishes. He felt that often Western food placed too much emphasis on protein and fat and not enough on carbohydrates from vegetables, rice, pasta etc.
Bruce Lee Diet Rule 3: Avoid Dairy Food
Bruce Lee did not like dairy food, and only ate dairy as part of protein drinks, usually using powdered milk instead of fresh milk. This rule only helps to reduce total energy intake. Calcium from dairy has been found to help reduce the amount of fat that is digested.
Bruce Lee Diet Rule 4: Smaller Portions and More Meals
For Bruce Lee concentration on the type of foods eaten were not the only important consideration, the size of portions and number of meals were just as important. Bruce Lee would usually consume four or five smaller meals a day rather than a couple of large meals, plus some healthy snacks such as fruits.
Today bodybuilders often follow similar eating habits, eating high protein meals approximately every four hours to ensure the body has a good supply of proteins to help build and repair muscle tissue. Eating more often than every four hours can put too much pressure on the digestive system, leading to indigestion. This is another reason why constant snacking is not good for you.
Bruce Lee Diet Rule 5: Drink Protein Drinks
Bruce Lee consumed one or two protein drinks every day, plus fruit smoothies too. Although his protein drinks varied, they generally consisted of:
- Non-instant powdered milk – which is reported to have a higher concentration of calcium than other forms of powdered milk
- Eggs – sometimes with the shells
- Wheat germ / wheat germ oil
- Peanut butter
- Banana
- Brewers yeast (contains concentrated B vitamins, which are essential in the release of energy from carbohydrates).
- Inositol supplement (Inositol is found in many foods, particularly in cereals with high bran content. Inositol plays an important part in the health of cell membrane, in particular the specialized cells in the brain, bone marrow, eyes and intestines. The function of the cell membrane is to regulate the contents of the cell, which makes effective functioning of the cell possible).
- Lecithin – taken in granular form. (Lecithin is a mixture of glycolipids, triglycerides, and phospholipids. It is needed by every cell in the body and is a key building block of cell membranes; without it, they would harden. Lecithin protects cells from oxidation).
All ingredients would be mixed thoroughly in a food blender. Bruce Lee suggested that for better results (i.e. for gaining more muscle mass quicker) milk and cream can be added too.
Please bear in mind that the supplements Bruce Lee took were popular when he was researching bodybuilding during the 1960’s and early 1970’s, these supplements may now be superseded by new ones producing better results. Also bear in mind that all supplements may have side effects if taken to excess. It is best to check with your doctor/GP before starting a bodybuilding diet.
Bruce Lee Diet Rule 6: Take Dietary Supplements
Bruce Lee also took many mineral and vitamin supplements. Today there is a much greater variety of supplements on offer than there were when Bruce Lee was training. Knowledge about how different supplements interact and benefit us has advanced a great deal since the 1960’s, as a result there may be better and more efficient supplements available than the ones listed below. However, here are some of the supplements Bruce Lee is known to have taken:
- Vitamin C
- Lecithing granules
- Bee Pollen
- Vitamin E
- Rose hips (liquid form)
- Wheat germ oil
- Natural protein tablets (chocolate flavour)
- Acerola – C
- B-Folia
Bruce Lee Diet Rule 7: Increase Carbohydrates by Juicing and Blending
Bruce Lee knew that carbohydrates are essential for people with very high activity levels. It was for this that he regularly consumed fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies. Fruit and vegetables provide the richest source of carbohydrates, so Bruce Lee would often make juices/smoothies comprising of carrots, celery, apples, bananas and some parsley.
Usually carrots would make up one half of the contents of the drink, the remaining being split between the other fruits and vegetables. He also sometimes used green leafy vegetables, again with a large proportion of carrot juice to help offset the bitterness of the green leafy vegetables. Bruce Lee was ahead of his time hear, as these are the basic rules applied in our article that details several ways to lose belly fat.
Juicing fresh fruit and vegetables is a great way to consume high quality carbohydrates. Juicing allows the body to assimilate many nutrients more easily. The enzymes in the juiced vegetables are also organic catalysts that increase the rate at which food is broken down and absorbed.
Many enzymes are destroyed when vegetables are cooked, especially if boiled, therefore consuming raw fruit and vegetables is best. Some nutritionists suggest that for better health and more energy, approximately half of the carbohydrates consumed should come from raw fruit and vegetables.
Bruce Lee Diet Rule 8: Eat Honey and Ginseng
Bruce Lee often drank a Royal jelly and ginseng drink to give him a quick boost. These drinks are very small, and provide a very quick release of energy. Royal jelly contains B-complex vitamins, including a high concentration of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), acetylcholine, hormones, and eighteen amino acids. It also contains trace of many minerals, trace amounts of vitamin C, some enzymes, as well as antibacterial and antibiotic components. Contrary to claims by many of those promoting its use, vitamins A, D, and E are completely absent from royal jelly.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Ginseng promotes Yang energy, improves circulation, increases blood supply, revitalizes and aids recovery from weakness after illness, and stimulates the body.
Bruce Lee Diet: Sample Meals
Obviously Bruce Lee’s diet would have varied greatly during the 1960’s and early 1970’s as his training methods evolved, but here is what is possibly one of his typical days meals:
Breakfast
- Food: A bowl of muesli cereal, comprised of whole grains, nuts, and dried fruits, plus 2% milk (semi skimmed).
- Beverage: Orange Juice and/or tea.
Snack
- Juice or Protein Drink: Protein powder, non-instant powdered milk made with water or juice, eggs, wheat germ, bananas, peanut butter. Brewer’s yeast was frequently added.
Lunch
- Food: Meat, vegetables, and rice.
- Beverage: Tea.
Snack
- Juice or Protein Drink: see ingredients for morning-snack protein drink.
Dinner
- Food: Spaghetti and salad, or another meal of rice, vegetables, and meat, chicken, or seafood.
- Beverage: One glass of 2% milk and/or tea.
This is the original Bruce Lee Diet
ruce Lee’s body depended more on what he didn’t have (body fat) and less on what he did (muscles). According to his wife Linda Lee Cadwell, Bruce started to take his diet and nutrition seriously after he moved to the United States. Bruce Lee developed an interest in healthy Chinese food, protein shake juicing and vitamin supplements nutrition. Bruce Lee refused to fuel his body with junk food.
Bruce Lee preferred Chinese or other Asian dishes due to the variety of asian cuisines. Bruce Lee’s favorite Chinese food dish was beef in oyster sauce. He also ate shrimp or chicken with vegetables and tofu. For Bruce Lee, the larger amounts of rice, noodles and vegetables often used in Chinese food are filled with more high-energy carbohydrates than western food portions that favor more fat and protein. Although his diet mainly consisted of Chinese food, he was also fond of steak and, for a time, ate liver once a week. Bruce even went to McDonalds every now and then.
Bruce Lee was not a vegetarian or vegan. According to the classic Bruce Lee training book “The Art of Expressing The Human Body”, Bruce Lee ate steak, liver, shrimp, chicken and beef. It is rumored that Bruce Lee ate a vegetarian diet for spiritual reasons during short periods of time, but he definitely ate meat.
Although Bruce Lee ate meat, he preferred vegetable-heavy Chinese food dishes. Bruce hated dairy and couldn’t understand why Western people ate cheese. He also used lots of vegetables in his Bruce Lee protein shake drinks. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan trying to follow the Bruce Lee diet, there are many non-meat protein substitutes you can eat, like green peas, beans, peanut butter and edamame, for a modified Bruce Lee vegetarian diet.
Bruce Lee would normally consume four or five smaller meals a day instead of 3 large meals. He would also eat fruit throughout the day to boost his metabolism. For extra energy in between meals, Bruce had his wife prepare congee, made by boiling rice to the point of soup-like consistency, mixed with organ meats like heart, kidney, brain or liver. Today’s bodybuilders have similar eating habits, eating approximately every four hours to ensure the body has a good supply of nutrients to help build and repair muscle tissue. Eating more often than that is not good and can put too much pressure on the digestive system, leading to indigestion.
Bruce Lee did not like dairy, so he used non-instant powered milk in his cereal and Bruce Lee protein shake. The non-instant variety of powdered milk supposedly has a higher concentration of calcium than other forms of powdered milk. Bruce knew he had to consume some form of dairy, regardless of his taste for it, due to its muscle-building qualities.
Bruce Lee avoided refined flour and baked goods, like cake or biscuits, describing carbohydrates as providing “empty calories” that did nothing for the body in a Bruce Lee diet.
Bruce Lee initially drank one or two protein shakes or smoothies a day, but stopped around 1970 to focus on developing strength without bulk. When Bruce Lee did drink protein shake smoothies, he usually used wheat germ (or wheat germ oil), peanut butter, banana, eggs (sometimes with shell), brewers yeast (for Vitamin B and releasing energy from carbs), Inositol and Lecithin supplements. Because Bruce Lee hated dairy, he used non-instant powdered milk (which supposedly has a higher concentration of calcium than other forms of powdered milk) in his Bruce Lee Protein Shake Smoothie Drinks instead of whole milk.
His wife Linda recalls that he “drank his own juice concoctions made from vegetables and fruits, apples, celery, carrots and so on, prepared in an electric blender.” Bruce especially loved carrots, using them in half his drink to offset the bitterness of the parsley and leafy vegetables. The remainder of the shake was split between other healthy and nutritious fruits and vegetables.
Bruce Lee believed juicing allowed one’s body to assimilate nutrients more easily. The enzymes in juiced vegetables act as organic catalysts that increase both metabolism and nutrient absorption. Bruce Lee knew that most vegetable enzymes are destroyed when cooked, especially in boiling, so he would consume raw veggies however he could.
Bruce Lee also used ginseng and royal jelly. They contain Vitamins A, C, D, E, minerals, acetylcholine, numerous amino acids and B-complex vitamins, including a high concentration of Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), all great nutrients for Bruce Lee juice. Ginseng is often used in traditional Chinese medicine to improve blood circulation, increase blood supply and allow for faster recovery times after physical exhaustion.
All ingredients in Bruce Lee’s drinks, smoothies and shakes would be mixed thoroughly in a blender.
Bruce was known to use the following Bruce Lee vitamins and supplements:
Magnesium
Inositol
Lecithin
Vitamin C
Bee pollen
Vitamin E
Rosehips
Wheat germ oil
Natural Protein Tablets
Acerola-C
B-Folia
caution-these are supplements are used by bodybuilders,martial artists,etc.please don't use them without consulting a dietician or a fitness expert.
Bruce Lee preferred Chinese or other Asian dishes due to the variety of asian cuisines. Bruce Lee’s favorite Chinese food dish was beef in oyster sauce. He also ate shrimp or chicken with vegetables and tofu. For Bruce Lee, the larger amounts of rice, noodles and vegetables often used in Chinese food are filled with more high-energy carbohydrates than western food portions that favor more fat and protein. Although his diet mainly consisted of Chinese food, he was also fond of steak and, for a time, ate liver once a week. Bruce even went to McDonalds every now and then.
Bruce Lee was not a vegetarian or vegan. According to the classic Bruce Lee training book “The Art of Expressing The Human Body”, Bruce Lee ate steak, liver, shrimp, chicken and beef. It is rumored that Bruce Lee ate a vegetarian diet for spiritual reasons during short periods of time, but he definitely ate meat.
Although Bruce Lee ate meat, he preferred vegetable-heavy Chinese food dishes. Bruce hated dairy and couldn’t understand why Western people ate cheese. He also used lots of vegetables in his Bruce Lee protein shake drinks. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan trying to follow the Bruce Lee diet, there are many non-meat protein substitutes you can eat, like green peas, beans, peanut butter and edamame, for a modified Bruce Lee vegetarian diet.
Bruce Lee would normally consume four or five smaller meals a day instead of 3 large meals. He would also eat fruit throughout the day to boost his metabolism. For extra energy in between meals, Bruce had his wife prepare congee, made by boiling rice to the point of soup-like consistency, mixed with organ meats like heart, kidney, brain or liver. Today’s bodybuilders have similar eating habits, eating approximately every four hours to ensure the body has a good supply of nutrients to help build and repair muscle tissue. Eating more often than that is not good and can put too much pressure on the digestive system, leading to indigestion.
Bruce Lee did not like dairy, so he used non-instant powered milk in his cereal and Bruce Lee protein shake. The non-instant variety of powdered milk supposedly has a higher concentration of calcium than other forms of powdered milk. Bruce knew he had to consume some form of dairy, regardless of his taste for it, due to its muscle-building qualities.
Bruce Lee avoided refined flour and baked goods, like cake or biscuits, describing carbohydrates as providing “empty calories” that did nothing for the body in a Bruce Lee diet.
Bruce Lee initially drank one or two protein shakes or smoothies a day, but stopped around 1970 to focus on developing strength without bulk. When Bruce Lee did drink protein shake smoothies, he usually used wheat germ (or wheat germ oil), peanut butter, banana, eggs (sometimes with shell), brewers yeast (for Vitamin B and releasing energy from carbs), Inositol and Lecithin supplements. Because Bruce Lee hated dairy, he used non-instant powdered milk (which supposedly has a higher concentration of calcium than other forms of powdered milk) in his Bruce Lee Protein Shake Smoothie Drinks instead of whole milk.
His wife Linda recalls that he “drank his own juice concoctions made from vegetables and fruits, apples, celery, carrots and so on, prepared in an electric blender.” Bruce especially loved carrots, using them in half his drink to offset the bitterness of the parsley and leafy vegetables. The remainder of the shake was split between other healthy and nutritious fruits and vegetables.
Bruce Lee believed juicing allowed one’s body to assimilate nutrients more easily. The enzymes in juiced vegetables act as organic catalysts that increase both metabolism and nutrient absorption. Bruce Lee knew that most vegetable enzymes are destroyed when cooked, especially in boiling, so he would consume raw veggies however he could.
Bruce Lee also used ginseng and royal jelly. They contain Vitamins A, C, D, E, minerals, acetylcholine, numerous amino acids and B-complex vitamins, including a high concentration of Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), all great nutrients for Bruce Lee juice. Ginseng is often used in traditional Chinese medicine to improve blood circulation, increase blood supply and allow for faster recovery times after physical exhaustion.
All ingredients in Bruce Lee’s drinks, smoothies and shakes would be mixed thoroughly in a blender.
Bruce was known to use the following Bruce Lee vitamins and supplements:
Magnesium
Inositol
Lecithin
Vitamin C
Bee pollen
Vitamin E
Rosehips
Wheat germ oil
Natural Protein Tablets
Acerola-C
B-Folia
caution-these are supplements are used by bodybuilders,martial artists,etc.please don't use them without consulting a dietician or a fitness expert.
Bruce Lee workout
Intensity
Even in the 1950s Lee was developing training methods that were comparable to modern methods. His programme would continuously evolve as he looked around for new techniques but throughout it all he stuck to his philosophy of training as hard as you fight. Lee would through punches at the bag as if it was his worst enemy, always with full intensity and stressing the importance of never letting your guard down, even in training. To remain light on his feet at all times he would continuously side-step and feint, never throwing a punch from a static position. Punching against the ‘wooden man’ was a way to build strength in the hands as well as overcome psychological hindrance to punch intensity.
Weights
Lee was a latecomer to the benefits of weight training but once he discovered it he became a true convert. The general take among martial arts trainers at the time was that too much weight training could make you too big and slow you down, but Lee worked weight training into a holistic programme. Initially he started with a repeated reverse curl to build up the strength in his forearm but moved on to an alternating set of weight exercises. A typical day’s lifting would include: Clean and press – 4 sets of 6 reps Squat – 4 sets of 6 reps Good morning – 4 sets of 6 reps Bench press – 4 sets of 5 reps Curls – 4 sets of 6 reps.
Cardio
For Lee, running was a form of meditation, time spent alone away from his hectic schedule. We wouldn’t over do it though and would run 6km three days a week first thing in the morning. He would vary the pace, running at a medium speed, then sprinting for 100 metres and back to medium speed. He would stop regularly and shuffle his feet quickly. When he wasn’t running Lee would skip for thirty minutes, he believed it would keep him light on his feet and build muscle tone and strength. He was also a fan of the cycling machine and after skipping would do 40 minutes cycling at medium speed.
Core
Just look at Bruce Lee’s physique and you can see that he spent a lot of time working on his core strength. An exhibition move was to lie on the ground and have someone drop an exercise ball from a height on his abdomen. Being able to take sustained blows to the midsection was important to Lee. A typical midsection work out might look like this: Side bends – 5 sets, Leg raises – 5 sets, Sit ups – 5 sets.
Nutrition
Lee has very clued into the eating properly many everyday foodstuffs were on his banned list including coffee, drinking tea instead. He was a devotee of Chinese food and was a big meat eater, favoring beef and liver. He resisted Western cooking as he claimed it contained too many ‘empty calories’. Refined flour was avoided and he ate plenty of carbs but favored those derived from rice. Lee avoided dairy foods and only consumed them as part of his protein drinks. Protein and whey powder drinks helped him gain 30 kg of muscle. Typical of the Chinese way of eating he would eat more meals with smaller portions. Vitamin supplements were a big part of his diet and he would juice fruit and vegetable broth for carbs and vitamins.
Commitment
Lee was dedicated to his art and everything he did was to support it. When he was driving he used the wheel to strengthen his grip and knuckles. If he was out walking and came to a hill he would always sprint up it, even when he was on location when exercise seemed almost impossible he would find a way. Lee worked out for hours every day, it was fundamental to his livelihood, but his approach was more than physical, his philosophy and the way he lived supported and were supported by his physical training. For Lee, internal training was just as important as external.
Source-
Run with the dragon: The Bruce Lee workout
Bruce Lee Diet
Even in the 1950s Lee was developing training methods that were comparable to modern methods. His programme would continuously evolve as he looked around for new techniques but throughout it all he stuck to his philosophy of training as hard as you fight. Lee would through punches at the bag as if it was his worst enemy, always with full intensity and stressing the importance of never letting your guard down, even in training. To remain light on his feet at all times he would continuously side-step and feint, never throwing a punch from a static position. Punching against the ‘wooden man’ was a way to build strength in the hands as well as overcome psychological hindrance to punch intensity.
Weights
Lee was a latecomer to the benefits of weight training but once he discovered it he became a true convert. The general take among martial arts trainers at the time was that too much weight training could make you too big and slow you down, but Lee worked weight training into a holistic programme. Initially he started with a repeated reverse curl to build up the strength in his forearm but moved on to an alternating set of weight exercises. A typical day’s lifting would include: Clean and press – 4 sets of 6 reps Squat – 4 sets of 6 reps Good morning – 4 sets of 6 reps Bench press – 4 sets of 5 reps Curls – 4 sets of 6 reps.
Cardio
For Lee, running was a form of meditation, time spent alone away from his hectic schedule. We wouldn’t over do it though and would run 6km three days a week first thing in the morning. He would vary the pace, running at a medium speed, then sprinting for 100 metres and back to medium speed. He would stop regularly and shuffle his feet quickly. When he wasn’t running Lee would skip for thirty minutes, he believed it would keep him light on his feet and build muscle tone and strength. He was also a fan of the cycling machine and after skipping would do 40 minutes cycling at medium speed.
Core
Just look at Bruce Lee’s physique and you can see that he spent a lot of time working on his core strength. An exhibition move was to lie on the ground and have someone drop an exercise ball from a height on his abdomen. Being able to take sustained blows to the midsection was important to Lee. A typical midsection work out might look like this: Side bends – 5 sets, Leg raises – 5 sets, Sit ups – 5 sets.
Nutrition
Lee has very clued into the eating properly many everyday foodstuffs were on his banned list including coffee, drinking tea instead. He was a devotee of Chinese food and was a big meat eater, favoring beef and liver. He resisted Western cooking as he claimed it contained too many ‘empty calories’. Refined flour was avoided and he ate plenty of carbs but favored those derived from rice. Lee avoided dairy foods and only consumed them as part of his protein drinks. Protein and whey powder drinks helped him gain 30 kg of muscle. Typical of the Chinese way of eating he would eat more meals with smaller portions. Vitamin supplements were a big part of his diet and he would juice fruit and vegetable broth for carbs and vitamins.
Commitment
Lee was dedicated to his art and everything he did was to support it. When he was driving he used the wheel to strengthen his grip and knuckles. If he was out walking and came to a hill he would always sprint up it, even when he was on location when exercise seemed almost impossible he would find a way. Lee worked out for hours every day, it was fundamental to his livelihood, but his approach was more than physical, his philosophy and the way he lived supported and were supported by his physical training. For Lee, internal training was just as important as external.
Source-
Run with the dragon: The Bruce Lee workout
Bruce Lee Diet
