| Why is there such a mystery surrounding the Bruce | | | | Vertical Compression on Thigh |
| Lee workout? | | | | Behind Buttocks Compression |
| His workouts have been well documented, and he | | | | Lean over Compression. |
| even left notes. Bruce Lee tried just about every piece | | | | Dead Lift. |
| of exercise equipment that was available in his day. | | | | Leg- |
| One of them was called the Tensolator. | | | | Stiff Legged Outward Stretch |
| What is the Tensolator? | | | | Knee Outward Stretch |
| Essentially, it consisted of two tubes, one sliding into the | | | | Standing Calf Press Down. |
| other with handles at each end and a steel cable | | | | Knee Squeezing Inward on Grip |
| covered by plastic wrapping it. I know it's hard to | | | | Lifting in Step Upward. |
| visualize. You really have to see it, in a moment I will | | | | Circulation Exercise |
| show you what it looked like. | | | | Bruce Lee was obsessed with making his body as |
| The Tensolator, used a coiled spring to provide | | | | powerful as possible and no doubt he achieved his |
| resistance and incorporated isometrics into its training | | | | goal |
| program. The creator of the Tensolator, Gert F. kolbel, | | | | Here are some of the feats of strength that he |
| a German inventor designed this portable home gym | | | | performed: |
| after a device that was being used for research in a | | | | * Lee's striking speed from three feet with his hands |
| major German Think Tank. | | | | down by his side reached five hundredths of a second. |
| The Bruce Lee workout included the use of the | | | | * Lee's combat movements were at times too fast to |
| Tensolator to increase punching power, speed and | | | | be captured on film at 24fps, so many scenes were |
| muscle size. There are pictures of Bruce Lee, using it in | | | | shot in 32fps to put Lee in slow motion. Normally |
| place of dumbbells to increase the power and speed | | | | martial arts films are sped up. |
| of his 1 inch punch. | | | | * In a speed demonstration, Lee could snatch a dime |
| In the book, The Art of Expressing the Body by Bruce | | | | off a person's open palm before they could close it, |
| Lee and John Little, he spelled out his Tensolator | | | | and leave a penny behind. |
| training program. Even though the original Tensolator | | | | * Lee could perform push ups using only his thumbs |
| only allowed for 24 exercises for the entire body, it | | | | * Lee would hold an elevated v-sit position for 30 |
| was enough for Bruce Lee. | | | | minutes or longer. |
| Here is the Bruce Lee workout for the Tensolator | | | | * Lee could throw grains of rice up into the air and |
| according to Bruce Lee's notes: | | | | then catch them in mid-flight using chopsticks. |
| Chest- | | | | * Lee performed one-hand push-ups using only the |
| Chest Compression. | | | | thumb and index finger |
| Twisting. | | | | * Lee performed 50 reps of one-arm chin-ups. |
| Arms- | | | | * From a standing position, Lee could hold a 125 lb (57 |
| Bow and Arrow | | | | kg) barbell straight out. |
| Vertical Compression | | | | * Lee could break wooden boards 6 inches (15 cm) |
| Biceps -- Standing and Kneeling | | | | thick. |
| Forearm | | | | * Lee performed a side kick while training with James |
| Shoulders- | | | | Coburn and broke a 150-lb (68 kg) punching bag |
| Behind the Head Compression. | | | | * In a move that has been dubbed "Dragon Flag", Lee |
| Above the Head Compression | | | | could perform leg lifts with only his shoulder blades |
| Door Corner Press. | | | | resting on the edge of a bench and suspend his legs |
| Stomach- | | | | and torso perfectly horizontal midair. |
| Sitting Pulling Downward | | | | * Lee could thrust his fingers through unopened steel |
| Kneeling Compression. | | | | cans of Coca-Cola, at a time before cans were made |
| Oblique Compression | | | | of the softer aluminum metal. |
| Back- | | | | * Lee could use one finger to leave dramatic |
| Kneeling Pulling Downwards | | | | indentations on pine wood. |