Bruce Lee used isometrics in the latter half of the 1960s. Isometric exercise improves a person’s ability to maintain strength over a longer period of time and improves control and balance. Isometrics goes well with a strength training program to increase flexibility and muscle (Transparent Labs).
Isometrics involves putting as much pressure as possible on an immovable object. Lee would use a power rack with the bar locked into a specific position. All of Bruce Lee’s isometric exercises start 3 inches above starting position, 3 inches below finishing position, or at an intermediate position (Art, page 36).
Bruce Lee used a locked bar in a power rack to do Isometric exercise.
Eight Isometric Exercises
Bruce Lee did the following eight isometric exercises:
Press Lockout: lay on back as for bench press, bar at 3 inches below lockout position, push up on bar from 6 to 12 seconds
Press Start: lay on back as for bench press, bar at chin height, push up on bar from 6 to 12 seconds
Rise on Toes: stand in front of bar as for a squat, bar just above neck resting on shoulder, rise on toes and push bar from 6 to 12 seconds
Pull: stand in front of bar as for a standing row, bar at 6 or 7 inches below your waist, rise up on toes and pull on bar from 6 to 12 seconds
Parallel Squat: horizontally squat, bar at shoulder height while squatting, push up on bar from 6 to 12 seconds
Shoulder Shrug: stand in front of bar, bar at height of fully extended down, shrug up for 6 to 12 seconds
Dead Weight Lift: stand in front of bar, bar set two inches below knees, pull up for 6 to 12 seconds
Quarter Squat: stand in front of bar, bar set 4 inches below your head, push up for 6 to 12 seconds
Frog Kick: While this is not isometric, Bruce would finish his isometric workout with this. Stand in front of bar, bar set to highest position, hang by bar and pull up knees to chest for 10-20 reps (Art, page 37-38).
Isometrics without a Power Rack
You can do Isometric exercises even if you don’t have a power rack. Bruce Lee would stand on a block tied to a rope or chain. If you are handy you can make your own Isometric tool. The key is that the object should not move.
Isometrics without any Equipment
No equipment, no problem. You can still do isometric exercises without any equipment at all. These exercises involve holding your body in a set position for a period of time. These include:
1. Planks (front and side)
2. Pushups (holding a few inches above the ground)
3. Calf Raises (holding a raised position)
4. Wall Sit (holding your back against the wall)
5. Squats (holding a squat position) (Transparent Labs).
What do you think? Do you do isometric exercises or are you thinking of doing them?
This is for general informational purposes only. You should always consult a medical professional before engaging in any exercise program. Bruce Lee would have encouraged you to explore these training methods to see what works for you. Do not be afraid to modify this plan and adjust based on your own personal experience. “Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.” Bruce Lee
Resources:
The Art of Expressing the Human Body, John Little, Editor, Tuttle Publishing, 1998. Volume 4 of the Bruce Lee Library, commissioned by the Bruce Lee Estate. Includes workouts, circuit training, weight lifting, and stretching. Put together by John Little, Bruce Lee historian.
Build a homemade Isometric Tool
Transparentlabs.com, How to Use Isometrics at Home (Retrieved April 17).
AI Narration provided by elevenlabs.io.
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