A Lesson From Bruce Lee: Simplicity Is The Key To Brilliance

Bruce Lee abs training

Merely staring at a picture of Bruce Lee and I feel myself utterly inspired. There are few people in this world who have conquered life with the sheer determination and tenacity as Lee. There is so much to learn from the way this man lived his life that I wouldn’t even know where to begin.

In this article I wish to capture just one of his many profound lessons and that is his brilliant stance on simplicity.

The Art of Simplicity

Simplicity is the key to brilliance.

Bruce Lee’s foundation in life and workout training routine was his martial arts training. The martial arts was his passion, his obsession and his life’s work. It was in his martial art journey that he learned through sparring and fighting that it is better to master a few moves than to know a thousand.

This is highly evident for those who watch Mixed Martial Arts. There are thousands upon thousands of strikes, kicks, take downs, throws, holds, submissions……… but only a small fraction of these are commonly seen inside the Octagon. Some moves look good in training but lack the simplicity to be used in full out combat against an aggressive opponent.

How Does This Relate to Fitness and Muscle Building 

It is through my seven year training journey that I have came to precisely the same conclusion. It is more effective to master a few movements than to flirt around with 50+ exercises.

It is through the past two years of my training that I have been actively hacking away at the unessential. Taking that which works and discarding the rest. Only after I removed the unnecessary did my progress really seem to take off.

When you focus your efforts on a few key movements progress really picks up. Each week you’re adding weight to the bar and your strength is going up. You can bet your ass that this continual strength progress is leading to solid muscle growth.

Conversely, if you spread yourself thin with too many exercises then your body never really improves. Imagine trying to perfect ten different takedowns in a few weeks. You would most definitely end up sucking on all of them. The human body is amazing at learning one thing at a time. Throw multiple tasks at the human body and stagnation is inevitable.

Revamping Your Training

Pick four exercises that will be your indicator exercises. These should work your whole body pretty well and your goal should be to get continually stronger on these movements overtime.

The progress on these exercises should guarantee a leaner, stronger, more muscular body. The effectiveness of your training is directly related to the progress on these four exercises.

By accepting this, your training program will become 10x more effective. You will direct your efforts on that which will make you stronger and more muscular and divert your attention away from everything that is a distraction. Every exercise, every set and every rep has a purpose.

My Four Indicator Exercises

I will now share with you my four indicator exercises. I have chosen these movements because I feel they enhance my physique in the best way possible.

1.) Standing Barbell Shoulder Press

My go to exercise for shoulder development and true strength. This exercise also seems to contribute to the ‘square chest look’ by filling in the top area of the chest just under the collar bone. In addition, standing presses will work the triceps very hard.

2.) Incline Barbell Bench Press

There is nothing wrong with the regular barbell bench press. It is a terrific exercise at building the whole pectoral region if done properly. With that said, I feel that most people would benefit more from the incline version which develops the upper pecs better. As well, in most athletic pressing movements the arms push forward at a slightly upward angle as opposed to directly straight out. An example of this would be pushing a car or throwing a punch. For this reason the incline press may be more relevant from a functional standpoint.

3.) Weighted Chin ups 

Chin ups have developed my back so well that I’ve actually avoided doing any additional work for my back. What’s more, chin ups hit the biceps very hard. Lat pull downs and rows don’t even come close to the effectiveness of weighted chin ups.

Chin ups I feel are a superior exercise to pull ups. Both movements hit the lats very hard (what you thought turning your wrist completely changed the primary mover?) but chin ups bring in more biceps action and are usually performed with better technique and a fuller range of motion. Thus making them the exercise of choice.

Once you can do 8 reps with your bodyweight, start adding weight by using a high-quality weight belt that won’t distract you from your training or cause discomfort.

4.) Power Cleans from Hang 

This is a very athletic movement that builds great power through the legs, hips, back and traps. I have found that hang cleans bring about explosive power but without the excessive leg mass that squats build overtime.

I have also found hang cleans to be the most effective exercise at developing my trap muscles. Shrugs don’t do anything for my traps but hang cleans get them every time. Lastly since dedicating my time to hang cleans I have noticed a big increase in my jumping abilities. Check out my 48″ box jump video 

Power cleans are a very technical exercise and it’s important that you get your technique down. If you don’t like this exercise, you can use a sumo deadlift or single leg squat movement (pistols, reverse lunges, bulgarian split squats) as your indicator exercise.

Important Note

These four exercises are not the only movements in my routine. I include a few more assistance exercises that help add more volume and fill in the gaps. These include weighted dips, barbell curls, lateral raises, rear delt raises and rope extensions. I just make sure to prioritize my training around my four main movements.

My Training Routine

I train 3x per week on non consecutive days alternating between Workout A and Workout B. There are many benefits to training with this frequency.

I’ll perform 2-3 work sets per exercise. I rest 3 minutes between sets.

My first set is my heaviest and I’ll use a weight that I can get between 2-5 reps with. I’ll reduce the weight by 10% for my second set and I’ll aim to get 1 to 2 more reps.

If I perform a third set I’ll reduce the weight by 10% again and go for 1 or 2 more reps than my second set.

For the accessory exercises (optional exercises) I will perform 3 sets of 6-10 reps with 90 seconds between sets. These isolation movements respond better with higher reps and shorter rest periods.

Workout A:

  • Incline Bench Press
  • Weighted Dips
  • Skull Crushers
  • Optional: Rope extensions and Rear Delts

Workout B:

  • Weighted Chin ups
  • Standing Presses
  • Hang Cleans
  • Optional: Lateral Raises and Biceps Curls

Here is an example of how I train:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gaP66PMkH4

 

146 Comments

  1. Hi Greg on September 24, 2015 at 10:36 pm

    Hi Greg,

    Have you seen Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story? The main actor, Jason Scott Lee, was totally ripped to shreds in that movie. What routine would you suggest to acquire such a physique? His muscles look too “pumped” to be acquired solely from heavy weight, low-rep training. What do you think?

    If you could suggest a routine to get that type of body, I would appreciate it.

  2. crev on November 21, 2014 at 2:29 pm

    Greg

    what kind of leg training do you do?
    I tend to over respond too when i use more volume on legs, im only doing heavy squats in the 2-5 range and not more than 5 sets per week. I also need to be strong and explosive for my sport but i don’t want to overdevelop my legs for keeping aesthetics, how would you balance those

    thanks

  3. Dave on October 3, 2014 at 11:04 pm

    Is there such a thing as too LOW volume?

    I am doing the following…

    Wednesdays
    Overhead press
    Weighted chins

    Saturdays
    Weighted chins
    Pendlay rows (5×5)

    Sundays
    Flat bench

    Should I add some more exercises? Or is this enough to build strength?

    • Greg on October 8, 2014 at 2:06 am

      I would say that’s too low in volume, you’re not training your entire body. I would do incline press and flat bench on sunday. And some single leg squats or deadlifts somewhere. Incorporate some direct shoulder or arm work.

      • Dave on February 9, 2015 at 11:13 am

        How about this instead…

        Sundays

        chest/back (workout a)

        Tuesdays

        legs (workout b)

        Thursdays

        Chest/back (workout a)

        This would allow me to hit my upperbody (chest and back) 2 times a week while keeping volume fairly low for the 2 times I do work them out. 2 heavy sets (4-6 reps and 6-8 reps) for bench press, weighted dips, weighted chinups and horizontal pull ups. Would this be ok?

        I feel like I am stalling on my lifts and my volume isn’t enough.

        • Greg on February 9, 2015 at 12:51 pm

          Yeah you can go for it! Your shoulders aren’t getting any direct work so I wouldn’t suggest staying there longterm.

  4. Alex on August 26, 2014 at 2:12 am

    Greg, what is second best excersize for building size and strenght on shoulders after standing press. I find it difficult for me. Does the incline bensh press works my shoulders enough?

    • Greg on August 28, 2014 at 12:10 pm

      Seated dumbbell shoulder presses are also very good. Incline won’t build great shoulders like overhead pressing does.

  5. Sander on June 21, 2014 at 3:31 pm

    Hey

    Two questions: About training arms. I see lot of biceps and triceps are being trained, but what about forearms. Do you think training the forearms and the wrist area is important for having good looking arms?
    Second question: I find some leg trainings to be really hard and clumsy for me, mainly the Dumbbell Lunges and bulgarian split squats. Do you know is there any alternative ways to do these trainings or machines to use so I can get better at them?

    Thanks.

    • Greg on July 1, 2014 at 4:32 pm

      You’ll train your forearms from back and biceps. I don’t do anything specific for them. I’d suggest building your balance, sounds like you need it.

  6. Giorgos on April 4, 2014 at 3:08 pm

    Hey Greg,

    I’m currently on the Gree God program and I was wondering, what are your thoughts on deloading/taking time off?

    • Greg on April 5, 2014 at 1:12 pm

      I don’t see any sense in deloading to be honest. If you need more rest then take 3-5 consecutive rest days before returning to the program. If you’re getting burnt out quickly that rotate the exercises to similar movements. Different chin up variations, barbells to dumbbells…

  7. maximum on December 28, 2013 at 10:37 am

    What exercise could i substitute Hang Cleans with?

    • Greg on December 28, 2013 at 5:17 pm

      Sumo deadlifts

      • maximum on December 29, 2013 at 6:34 am

        I dont like deadlifting :P any other sugestions on exercies?

        • Greg on December 30, 2013 at 2:18 pm

          Skip them if you must

  8. Jansson on December 20, 2013 at 5:05 am

    Could i add in a day 3 leg workout? i would like to build my legs up, what exercise would you recommend in that workout?

    • Greg on December 20, 2013 at 3:21 pm

      Yes you can. Depends, if you need to add overall mass then squats, deadlifts and calf raises. If you want to refine your legs and work on proportion then I’d suggest bulgarian split squats, toes pointed out leg extensions and calf raises.

      • Jansson on January 8, 2014 at 4:52 am

        Calf raises with weight or just body weight? and what kind of sets and reps would you recommend on calfs?

        • Greg on January 9, 2014 at 10:55 pm

          Definitely do them weighted if possible. I’d do 3 sets in the 8-15 rep range with about 2 minutes rest between sets.

  9. Andreas on December 19, 2013 at 12:42 pm

    Would kind of style of the dips would you recommend with this routine? Upright to hit the triceps or lean forward to hit the chest.

    • Greg on December 19, 2013 at 2:31 pm

      Go with the strongest position. Usually somewhere in the middle, this will build the muscle muscle and work both your chest and triceps hard.

  10. Andreas on November 28, 2013 at 6:02 am

    Would you recommend this routine on a bulk?

    • Greg on November 30, 2013 at 2:45 am

      Better for cutting or maintenance.

  11. jansson_1987 on November 2, 2013 at 7:27 pm

    Hey greg

    What do you think about this meal plan for a lean bulk with this program? would you recommend i add something or delete somehing?

    Training days

    Meal 1 Lean meat, comlex carbs and fruit

    Meal 2 Lean meat, complex carbs

    Meal 3 Cottage cheese and berries

    Rest days

    Meal 1 Fattier meat and veggies

    Meal 2 Fattier meat and veggies

    Meal 3 Cottage cheese and berries

    • Greg on November 3, 2013 at 12:22 pm

      I don’t think you’ll get enough calories and carbs in. I would still have carbs on rest days. There’s no need to go really low in carbs, especially when you’re lean bulking. As well, you don’t have to go very low in fat on training days. Just hit your calories and protein (1g per pound) and get a balance of fats and carbs.

  12. Andreas on October 31, 2013 at 4:09 pm

    what exercise could i substitute the dips with?

    • Greg on November 2, 2013 at 11:53 am

      Close grip bench press

  13. […]  A Lesson From Bruce Lee – Simplicity is the Key to Brilliance.  Kinobody.com.  August 16, […]

  14. Paul on September 8, 2013 at 10:39 pm

    Cool! Thanks a lot!

  15. Paul on September 8, 2013 at 2:08 pm

    Hi Greg!

    Would you say this is a superior way to train than Rusty Moore’s “cumulative fatigue” technique displayed in VI Muscle Building? They seem to be completely different and since you’ve tried them both, which one would you say is more efficient for muscle growth?

    • Greg on September 8, 2013 at 9:44 pm

      Well the cumulative fatigue technique works pretty well at adding size quickly. But there’s only so much muscle you can gain training this way before you must get stronger. So for long term overall muscle growth the key remains, you must lift heavier weights overtime. In fact, strength is a key determinant for muscle size. So if you’re getting stronger in the 5-12 rep range and eating properly, you will be building muscle.

  16. Rajiv Rai on August 24, 2013 at 9:02 am

    Hey Greg…currently i m doing Henry Cavill workout…with Dual pyramid training…in my workout of Dual Pyramid training..i am going with Chest and triceps on Monday
    Back and Biceps on Wednesday and Shoulders and traps on Friday(no legs because from stronglift 5×5 i have
    got huge butt and legs and gotta get some upper body growth to balance it out..)

    should i make this 3 day split with a 2day split..where i combine all pushing excercises 1 day and pulling excercises other day

    i mean no third day excercise.. going through 3 day gym with these alternate workouts.

    please answer…sir i am bit confused

    • Greg on August 24, 2013 at 11:34 am

      Three day split should work very well.

  17. Rajiv Rai on August 22, 2013 at 11:03 am

    ..Hey Greg…i was going through your video for-How to Build shoulders for Superman body…

    in that video u said about 1 activation set of 10-15 reps and next 4-5sets with rest pause trainimg style..

    i am confused a little and have two questions-
    1-what are the weights to use for the activation set and rest pause training sets?

    2-what is the progression scheme in each workout to use?

    3-how much rest between the subsequent 4 sets?

    4-can u share a link where i get more depth look about rest pause training?

    5-i am currently following ur Henry Cavill workout-Dual pyramid training
    and at the end of Seated dumbell Press and standing Overheadd press RPT style both..
    i do lateral raises in SPT style just pick up 15lbsdumbells and go-12,10,8,6,6
    with 30 second rest between sets..
    should i continue doing this or should i shift to 1 activation set and 4 subsequent rest pause sets

    6-currently in my workout of Dual Pyramid training..i am going with Chest and triceps on Monday
    Back and Biceps on Wednesday and Shoulders and traps on Friday(no legs because from stronglift 5×5 i have
    got huge butt and legs and gotta get some upper body growth to balance it out..)

    should i make this 3 day split with a 2day split..where i combine all pushing excercises 1 day and pulling excercises other day

    i mean no third day excercise.. going through 3 day gym with these alternate workouts.

    please answer…sir i am bit confused

    • Greg on August 23, 2013 at 5:37 pm

      1 – It’s the same weight for all sets! Because you’re only resting 10-15 seconds you won’t fully recover.

      2 – When you can do 15 reps on your activation set and 5 reps on your rest pause sets then increase the weight.

      3 – 10-20 seconds

      4 – google search

      5 – That will work very well. If you want to mix it up then do rest pause.

  18. Vincent Busuttil on August 1, 2013 at 10:42 pm

    yes I agee to Bruce Lee, my idol, he is the reason why I join mixed martial arts because martial arts its not violent but its an art of fighting or to defend yourself in danger, this is such a nice post you have my friend, keep posting.

  19. Rajiv on July 18, 2013 at 5:45 pm

    Hey Greg…
    finally i am starting ur training routine to build a superhero physique
    i had the following questions
    1-in ur article of ( the 4 best excercises for muscle u have displayed the workout A And workout B
    but in ur youtube videos there is also a workout C and in that u tell to workout 6 days a week with sunday rest..but in this article u say to workout 3 times a week with workout a and b…which are very different from ur Youtube video excercise a,b and c?

    2-should i only do the ‘ superhero physique’ excercises of ur article and how often i should do them …3times a week or less??

    i have done stronglifts 5×5 for a year…which has resulted in that my lower body including glutes and quads have become huge but my upper body is lagging a lot…
    please tell me a way so that i can master the superhero physique and get a flawless body like You…
    i have 16% body fat,height-6ft,waist 33.5inch,weight -83.5kg…

    • Greg on July 20, 2013 at 7:34 pm

      1 – You’ll get better results strength training 3x per week than 4-6. I shifted my views in regards to workout frequency about 2 years ago. Since training 3x per week I’ve gotten the best results, same with my clients. Do 3 sessions!

      Check out the kinobody muscle building course if you’re looking for an indepth program

  20. Jay on March 22, 2013 at 12:54 pm

    Greg, what day you work delts? Do you pair it with your chest day or make a seperate day for it and combine it with something else like you have posted here?

    I recently dropped Military presses to focus on my chest since its a major weak spot. Im doing flat and incline on different days.I figure I’m getting front delt action from inclines, I can just add in some lateral raises on both chest days. I do back and legs on another day.

    • Greg on March 25, 2013 at 9:49 am

      Rear delts you can put in anywhere. It’s not going to compromise any of your lifts so there’s no need to over think this. Sometimes I’ll put it on the day I do my chest. Hitting rear delts with chest helps keep the healthy. Other times I’ll keep rear delts with my back workout.

  21. Oliver on February 19, 2013 at 1:31 pm

    Between this and the greek god workout which one do you recommend for a person who trains 2 times a week and has a main focus on strength (with some volume) ?

    Great material by the way.

    Thanks !

    • Greg on February 19, 2013 at 7:53 pm

      This one! Way better for strength.

  22. Nik on January 9, 2013 at 2:16 am

    Hey Greg, can you give me some good exercises on how to build great obliques like yours without making them too thick and bulky? Thanks

    • Greg on January 9, 2013 at 1:34 pm

      Side planks and renegade rows work well.

  23. David on December 13, 2012 at 11:51 pm

    Hi Greg am Dave from Kenya,Africa. I’ve just come across your site and must say you’ve got very informative articles.Hey, just wanted to know what’s the best natural alternative food source than whey protein? Please advise

    • Greg on December 14, 2012 at 10:22 am

      Well there is no need for whey protein. If you’re getting in plenty of natural protein from your diet then whey protein isn’t needed. That said, quick and convenient sources of protein are plain greek yogurt and cottage cheese.

  24. […] When you focus your efforts on a few movements progress really picks up. Each week you’re adding weight to the bar and your strength is going up. You can bet your ass that this continual strength progress is leading to solid muscle growth. Conversely if you spread yourself thin with too many exercises then your body never really improves. Imagine trying to perfect ten different takedowns in a few weeks. You would most definitely end up sucking on all of them. The human body is amazing at learning one thing at a time. Throw multiple tasks at the human body and stagnation is inevitable.” [Read more…] […]

  25. Cody on October 21, 2012 at 7:58 am

    Hey Greg,
    Would this workout work with Rusty’s Visual Impact Cardio? I was thinking about trying this type of workout with some RPT style. Thanks

    • Greg on October 22, 2012 at 7:28 pm

      Yes it would for sure! I actually do most of these exercises RPT style.

  26. Anthony D. on October 14, 2012 at 4:27 pm

    Hi Greg, my doubt is if I need to put mass on legs, what exercises should add and in which training day?

    Thanks! Your website is getting better everyday!

    • Greg on October 15, 2012 at 10:43 am

      You can substitute hang cleans on workout B for squats and leg curls or dead lifts and Bulgarian split squats.

      • Anthony D. on October 15, 2012 at 1:55 pm

        Is it too much if I add those and maintain the hang cleans? If I’m working out for muscle size, is it a good idea to do this workout 4 times a week or only 3 times is okay? Thank you!

        • Greg on October 15, 2012 at 4:55 pm

          3x per week! Yes hang cleans would be overkill. If you want to do hang cleans then do hang cleans and bulgarian split squats.

          • Anthony D. on October 15, 2012 at 8:11 pm

            Nice! I thought that workin out for strenght would not increase much muscle size, but this is a good notice! So I will add the bulgarian squat on workout B and I’m wondering in adding calf raises on workout A because i have very skinny legs, is that too much? And could you explain (or show video/pictures) of how to do Rear Delts?

            You’re a great motivation, you’ve changed my life a lot!
            Thank you!



          • Greg on October 16, 2012 at 11:14 am

            Yes you can add calf raises. That’s a good call.

            Search bent over flyes or face pulls.



      • Andreas on November 1, 2013 at 9:21 am

        Both squats and leg curl in the same workout? instead of hang cleans.

        • Greg on November 2, 2013 at 11:56 am

          Yah that can work.

          • Andreas on November 13, 2013 at 5:14 am

            2-5 (Reverse pyramid) reps on squats and leg curls? or 6-10? straight reps?



          • Greg on November 13, 2013 at 1:03 pm

            I’d do RPT. Ex: 4-6, 6-8, 8-10



  27. Cliff on September 11, 2012 at 8:52 pm

    Thanks Greg. You make it all come together man. I love your simplistic style.

  28. cliff on September 10, 2012 at 9:07 pm

    dude, this site rocks man. one more quick question and i promise i’ll stop ( i think:). how many above maintenance calories do you suggest when looking to add mass?

    • Greg on September 11, 2012 at 4:11 pm

      Depends. For beginners and intermediate’s average daily calorie surplus of 200-400 calories works well. You can do a 600 calorie surplus on lifting days and maintenance calories on rest days if you’d prefer. For advanced lifters muscle gain is extremely slow. 6 lbs of lean mass per year is a good rate for advanced lifters. For this rate of muscle gain calories should pretty much stay around maintenance. Maybe a weekly surplus of of 500 calories (notice how I said weekly and not daily).

  29. John on September 10, 2012 at 9:37 am

    Hi Greg,

    Big fan of your site and ideas. Just one quick question on the routine. Most routines I have seen typically split the exercise days into chest/triceps and back/biceps. Hence, I would expect you to group bench with press, and chip-ups with cleans.

    Any reason you’re grouping it differently? I’m sure you have a reason for this, just curious.

    • Greg on September 10, 2012 at 2:56 pm

      The chin ups are with cleans – what are you talking about?

      I prefer to separate shoulder press from bench press. After bench press you will be in a fatigued state to perform the shoulder press. However after chin ups your pushing muscles will be fresh. This way you can lift heavier and get a better growth stimulus by doing shoulder press after chin ups.

  30. Wahib Farooqui on September 9, 2012 at 7:45 pm

    Hey Greg, quick question
    I workout M,T,W,F,S, Thursday and Sunday are rest days. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays I also have soccer practice. I’ve been trying to figure out how many calories to eat on my rest days, workout days, and both workout and soccer days. My main goal is to lose fat while gaining muscle so I can amp up my game and look good.

    I occasionally do some walking on the treadmill for 20 min on rest days to burn some more fat.
    Love the website thanks!!

    • Greg on September 10, 2012 at 2:50 pm

      Why are you working out so much? You play soccer three times per week so that’s your cardio. Only do 3 lifting sessions – ex: mon, wed, fri. Eat at a deficit – 10-12 calories per pound of bodyweight. Don’t worry too much about bumping up the calorie intake on lifting days. It’s not that necessary. Focus on muscle gain once your lean.

      • Wahib Farooqui on September 19, 2012 at 3:17 pm

        Thanks man helped alot!

        And one more quick question. Here is what my workout looks like: Since i’ve been getting 3 days a week to lift, my brother made me a full body work out (excluding legs) to do the 3 times a week:

        Incline Dumbell Bench: 3 x 10 reps (60 sec rest)
        Pull-Ups: As many as you can do, then Cable Rows for 12 reps, and I do 2 more times for 3 circuits.
        Lateral Raises: 3 x 12 reps (60 sec rest)
        3 Supersest of dips and bicep curls. (10 reps for dips and 10 reps for curls 90 sec in between sets)

        Sorry i’m loading you with stuff here but i’m really lost.
        Basically is this a good workout for me to keep on the muscle I have and build strength?
        THANK YOU.

        • Greg on September 20, 2012 at 10:40 am

          Yes that should workout for quite a while! Eventually you will need to split your whole upper body into two sessions.

  31. Cliff on September 9, 2012 at 8:43 am

    Hey greg thanks for the reply. I’ve been reading through your site here which is awesome btw, and wanted to clarify a few things. So u feel that to add a few extra pounds of mass one would be better served to do each body part twice a week using a mixture of heavy weight lower reps (4-6) and some lighter weight higher reps (8-10). Again twice a week instead of once. Then once you reach desired size drop it back to one time a week per body part with the same mixture of heavy and light. Am I getting that right? I’d actually like to add about ten more pounds of muscle and lose about 10-15 pounds of fat. Thanks for this site. Best I’ve seen yet! Thanks bro.

    • Greg on September 9, 2012 at 11:05 am

      Hey Cliff!

      A lot of people can grow with 1x per week frequency assuming they are making increases in the resistance. For stubborn muscle groups it is optimal to work it 2x per week (once light with high volume and once heavy with lower volume). So my preferred method would be to work each muscle group once per week heavy in the 4-8 rep range. Then select 1-2 muscle groups you really want to bring up. You would add a fourth workout session where you would just work these 1-2 muscle groups. After 4-8 weeks you can go back to 3x per week or you can focus on 1-2 different muscle groups.

      Ex:

      Mon – Chest, Triceps
      Wed – Back, Biceps, Abs
      Fri – Shoulders, Legs
      Sat – Back, Biceps, Abs (8-12 reps per set, 60-90 seconds rest)

      • Cliff on September 9, 2012 at 4:14 pm

        Thanks for the reply Greg. So as far as calories go, it’s maintenance calories ( lean body mass x 15) plus 20% on workout days and minus 20% on rest days right? And any simple way to figure lbm? Thanks man. I’m learning a ton from you!

        • Greg on September 10, 2012 at 2:39 pm

          Yes, you have the idea. You don’t need to to +/- 20% on training/rest days. You’re looking at huge calorie fluctuations. You may prefer to use only a 5-10% surplus/deficit. This is my preferred route because I would rather not have to deal with low calories during maintenance 3-4 days per week.

          For LBM you need to know your body fat %. Once you know your body fat % then multiply your bodyweight by that percent (10% = 0.1) and subtract that number from your bodyweight. Thats your lean body mass.

  32. Cliff on September 7, 2012 at 10:01 pm

    Hey Greg, looks like your acquainted with Martin merchant and lean gains. Martin recommends 3x per week training with the split training using the basic compound exercises. Do you feel that adding more training frequency/ volume is optimal for quicker mass gains? Thanks.

    • Cliff on September 7, 2012 at 10:02 pm

      That was supposed to say Martin berkhan.lol.

    • Greg on September 8, 2012 at 11:15 am

      I feel that 80% of your muscle gains are going to come from this style of training. The other 20% of muscle gains require more volume with short rest periods to stimulate growth. If you’re in a muscle gaining phase it’s probably ideal to add in another lift day to focus on 1-2 muscle groups you want to really bring up. You would use a bodybuilding approach of higher reps, several sets and short rest periods. If you are maintaining or cutting then don’t worry about extra volume. You won’t be growing anyways.

  33. Mark on September 4, 2012 at 9:03 am

    Hey Greg

    Iv decided to try a high volume workout for 4 weeks, to mix things up. Im doing German volume training. Iv read a lot into it, and from what is said by those who have used this type of workout, is that its really intense.
    when doing a high volume program like this, do you think that that using the 14x bw for off days and 18x bw on training days is a good number of calories to shoot for?
    or because its so taxing should i eat higher calories on all days, or alternatively eat more than x18 on training days?

    Thanks Greg, appreciate your help

    • Greg on September 4, 2012 at 6:14 pm

      I wouldn’t eat more than 18x calories in bodyweight. That is a great way to gain fat. 18 on training days and 14 on rest days is as high as I would ever go even with high volume routines.

      • Mark on September 8, 2012 at 7:02 am

        Thanks for the reply man.

        another quick question, do you think that if your goal was to increase your weight from say 165 to 175 that itd be worth using the recomp figures of 16x training days and 12x off days with 175 as the body weight figure.

        ex. 2800 training days and 2100 off days

        in order to get up to 175 without any fat gain, would this method work?

        • Greg on September 8, 2012 at 11:20 am

          The difference between maintenance at 165 lbs and 175 lbs is around 150 calories. This is a very small surplus so weight gain would be very slow (1 lbs every 20 days). As you gain weight though and get closer to 175 lbs then your maintenance will increase and the surplus will shrink. So at 170 lbs it will take you 40 days to go up 1 lbs. As you can see if you try to bulk up by eating at maintenance of your goal weight it will take you light years to actually get there. The last couple of pounds will probably never come unless you increase your calories.

  34. Daz on August 31, 2012 at 7:52 am

    What kind of routine would you suggest to build a physique like Bruce?

    I’ve been told to just stick with a 5×5 routine but having a quick look at guys who use those types of workouts they seem to ruin the symmetry that Bruce had (v-taper/huge lats/broad shoulders etc). Most of these 5×5 guys have a very blocky look with very thick abs/core but no other muscle group particularly well developed.

    I don’t want a pure bodybuilding program or pure powerlifting/strength program. I’m thinking something like your Hollywood workout but dropping the arm work and just concentrating on back/chest/shoulders/abs and doing full body or alternating push/pull 3 x week. Once I get to the size I want then doing something like the above routine minus the arm work. Does that sound like a good plan or do you have some better advice?

    • Greg on August 31, 2012 at 12:09 pm

      Most of the physical changes are a result of the diet and not training. If you keep calories low and maintain a low body fat and weight then you will have the desired look. A low volume lifting program with heavy weight and low reps is your best bet. You probably don’t need to gain any muscle to have the bruce lee look. It’s more a matter of getting as lean as freaking possible.

  35. valdir on August 29, 2012 at 6:54 pm

    when you doing the high carb day, what type of carbs are the best in you’re opinion? also is it best to eat those carbs b4 or after the work out.

    • Greg on August 31, 2012 at 12:06 pm

      Get most of your carbs following the workout. I prefer to eat most of my days worth of carbs in my final meal regardless if I workout in the morning or afternoon. I just find this to be the most effective for overall dietary enjoyment. For carb sources go with rice, potatoes or yams. Some low fat carb junk is fine too (ice cream, cereal).

  36. Alex on August 27, 2012 at 8:50 am

    Hi Greg,
    thank you for the awesome post! One question – how much rest is needed between warm up sets? I usually keep it pretty short, about a minute or so, or whenever i feel good to start the work set. Thanks

    • Greg on August 27, 2012 at 1:20 pm

      I take 1-2 minutes between warm up sets. Sometimes 2-3 minutes as I get closer to my work set. I will take a full 3 minutes before doing my first work set.

  37. Trent on August 25, 2012 at 1:53 pm

    Hey Greg!
    Would fasting once a week be enough to get rid of acne? (providing you eat well of course!)

    • Greg on August 27, 2012 at 1:11 pm

      It will help but won’t be enough. To get rid of acne I recommend a 4-6 hour eating window in the evening. Example 4pm to 8-10pm. At no other time are any calories to be consumed. Only water, black coffee or tea.

      • Trent on August 29, 2012 at 5:00 pm

        Hey! Thanks! I also have a question after rereading your article “Eat Like a Model.” Would Convict Conditioning (full body workouts) 2-3x a week be enough to keep strength and mass while dieting on a calorie deficit?

        • Greg on August 31, 2012 at 12:05 pm

          Yes! That would work.

  38. Mark on August 23, 2012 at 7:44 am

    Hey Greg

    I need to build up a bit of size in my lower abs in order to get them to pop, can you build ab size without a calorie surplus or does it need a surplus like every other muscle? thanks man

    • Greg on August 23, 2012 at 2:58 pm

      Your abs and muscles will grow as long as you train them consistently. I think calorie surplus’s are overrated for building muscle. Train your abs with hanging leg raises variations 2-3x per week and after 3 months your lower abs will be more prominent.

  39. Ivan on August 22, 2012 at 8:25 pm

    Cool man, I appreciate it. Whenever you get a chance. I’m looking forward to giving it my all to this. And I agree with Belal, you inspire a lot of people bro. I never thought that stumbling into your blog would pump me up so much. Thanks man, keep up the good work.

  40. Belal on August 22, 2012 at 2:08 am

    Greg, you inspire me!!

    • Greg on August 22, 2012 at 3:53 pm

      Thank you Belal! I consider that to be a big complement because being inspired is one of the best feelings in this world. Now take that inspiration and use it to conquer your goals and create the life you want.

  41. Ivan on August 21, 2012 at 11:01 pm

    Hey Greg, I sent you an email. I know you’re probably busy, but can you let me know if you received it? Thanks man. Your blog is great man.

    • Greg on August 22, 2012 at 3:54 pm

      Hey Ivan,

      I’m on vacation for the week. I will get to all consultation requests on Monday.

  42. Thomas on August 21, 2012 at 6:35 pm

    Hey Greg,
    I was wondering if there are any good exercises that you can do with only 40 pounds, I am only 14 the only workout equipment I have access to is 40 pounds of plates, two barbells to put the plates on and a bench capable of going up like a chair, at an incline, completely flat, and pointed down. If it helps I can do handstand pushups.
    Thanks,
    Thomas

    • Greg on August 22, 2012 at 3:51 pm

      For chest, back and shoulders stick to one arm push ups (assisted), hand stand push ups and chin ups/pull ups. Use the dumbbells for lateral raises, rear delt flyes and bicep curls.

      • Thomas on August 22, 2012 at 8:11 pm

        Thanks, I would be amazed if I ever am in half as good shape as you!

  43. Darryl on August 21, 2012 at 2:11 pm

    Hey greg, when doing Incline bench press, at what angle do you set the bench?

    Also, do you have any tips for getting past Military press sticking points? I seem to be stuck at 115/ 120 , and I’ve been going 3 x 3

    • Greg on August 21, 2012 at 2:22 pm

      I use a 45 degree angle and absolutely destroy my chest. For some people if they go over 30 degrees they feel their shoulders more than their chest. This could be partly due to poor technique and partly due to genetic differences (limb length). Make sure to keep your shoulders down and back, chest up then you should be able to hit your chest very well with a 30-45 degree incline. I arch my back pretty high so 45 degrees doesn’t really feel that steep. As a result all of my incline work is done with a 45 degree angle.

      Do the military press as the first part of your workout. This is a great way to maximize improvement. Also try working with a different rep range like the 5 rep range. Make very small increases in weight. Ideally 1.25 lbs per side. If you can find these small plates it will make for very stead improvement.

  44. Michael on August 21, 2012 at 6:04 am

    Why not just doing the four exercises on each workout day without any assistance exercises? That would be even simpler.

    • Greg on August 21, 2012 at 1:29 pm

      That can work for pure beginners. However as you gain strength and become an intermediate-advacned trainee doing all 4 movements in one session would be way too taxing. You need to be fresh to hit these moves with maximum effort and to bring about continuous improvement. Assistance lifts are much less demanding on the CNS and therefore are useful for adding in extra work to the muscles without draining energy.

      • Michael on August 23, 2012 at 1:04 pm

        Thanks for answering. One more question: Why one indicator exercise on workout day A and three on workout day B? Wouldn’t an equal allocation be better?

        • Greg on August 23, 2012 at 2:59 pm

          Good question Michael. I have found this set up works the best. Chin ups and shoulder press go very well together. Doing shoulder press after incline you won’t be able to go nearly as heavy. I also like doing hang cleans with shoulders/back. You can experiment with adding hang cleans on Workout A.

  45. Alykhan - Fitness Breakout on August 20, 2012 at 7:38 pm

    Greg,

    I really like the concept of focusing on a few effective exercises as indicators. You can always switch up your routine, but if you have a constant that’s always there, you’re able to see measurable gains. I like the exercises you picked. Lately, I’ve also thrown out exercises that I don’t find as useful.

    Alykhan

  46. Scott on August 20, 2012 at 1:16 am

    Hey Greg, I’m stuck between a cut or a slow bulk. I’m 6 feet and 150 pounds with around 12.5% body fat. People have told me if I did a cut, I would be around 143 pounds with 8% and it wouldn’t look good and that you need a good amount of muscle mass in order to get visible abs. So in your opinion, what do you think I should do? Thanks!

    • Scott on August 20, 2012 at 1:35 am

      Also is it alright if I incorporate 2 interval training after this workout and during rest days, do some steady state cardio?

      • Greg on August 20, 2012 at 5:17 pm

        You can. Try switching machines every workout for intervals to keep your body from burning out.

    • Greg on August 20, 2012 at 5:16 pm

      I’d cut down to around 10% body fat (146 lbs). From there you can focus on building muscle and strength.

  47. zech on August 18, 2012 at 3:25 pm

    thanks for the quick reply. i had a hunch that the amount of calories would effect your recovery ability. stay awesome!

  48. zech on August 18, 2012 at 11:16 am

    given the choice would working out slightly more frequently (4x week) elicit more muscle growth/strength than 3x week,or is that being nitpicky?

    • Greg on August 18, 2012 at 2:38 pm

      When dieting your best bet is to do 3 sessions per week. If your on a calorie maintenance then three or four sessions is ideal. If you’re lean gaining then four or five sessions is the upper limit. I prefer three sessions per week because I’ve had the best strength gains doing so. If I’m looking to put on more size then I may switch to four sessions per week to get more volume in.

  49. mike @ exercise equipment fanatic on August 17, 2012 at 11:35 pm

    there is a famous quote from bruce lee about mastering. he said ‘I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times’

    pretty neat.

    question though, what exactly is power clean from hang?

    i also like standing dumbbell presses (in addition to the barbell), the independent movement of the arms adds a balancing and stabilizing dimension

    • Greg on August 18, 2012 at 10:31 am

      Yah that’s an awesome quote!

      Here is a video demonstration of the hang clean -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzQJB9XHd5c

      You can substitute standing dumbbell presses for barbell. Barbell is always easier to progress on because you can go up by 5 lbs increments (2.5 lbs per arm) whereas dumbbells you usually have to jump up 5 lbs on each dumbbell.

  50. Betty Rocker on August 17, 2012 at 11:29 pm

    This is also one of my favorite articles you have posted. I have a giant Bruce Lee cardboard cutout from Enter the Dragon in my living room reminding me every day that life is short, we need to make the most of it and that there are no excuses on the path to things that truly matter.
    I really love how you share so much great information in all of your posts. I have sent a lot of people here as a reference. Keep up the awesomeness!

  51. James on August 17, 2012 at 2:11 pm

    Fantastic article! I’ve been reading your work for a while and this is one of the best pieces yet. Even those who aren’t interested in fitness could learn a lot from Bruce Lee’s philosophy.

    I started working on muscle ups recently. I can do chins and dips with weight for reps but I’m struggling with the muscle up transition. Any tips or progressions you used?

    Keep up the great work!

    • Greg on August 17, 2012 at 4:08 pm

      Thanks James! Appreciate it. I think everything really came together for this article. Talking about Bruce Lee got me really motivated and everything else just flowed like water ;)

      Being able to bang out 3 reps of pull ups with 50% of your bodyweight attached is a tremendous base strength to work off of for the muscle up. So I would say try and reach this level of strength first. After that doing bodyweight pull ups 4 sets of 3 reps trying to get as high up as possible (get the bar under your nipples) is a good way to build explosive power for the muscle up. You may need to start by flipping one elbow up over the bar at a time. As you get the feel for it you will be able to flip both elbows up together.

  52. Paul on August 17, 2012 at 7:39 am

    Great post and the less is more approach is something that people should use for all the various aspects of their lives. It amazes me how many years after his death Bruce Lee is still inspiring people to this day! Also to one of the previous guys asking about how to work up to pull ups a lot of gyms have pull up assist machines. Also when I first started doing them at home I would just put one of my feet on a chair to make them easier until I had the strength to do them on my own.

  53. Derek on August 16, 2012 at 8:04 pm

    What are Hang Cleans, I’ve been looking for a good new trap exercise because I need so much weight now to do shrugs that I can’t hold the weights–my hands aren’t strong enough. And also, what are Muscle Ups?

    P.S. are there any ways to train to build up to do Flags? Because that looked awesome!

  • Anthony on August 16, 2012 at 7:30 pm

    I don’t have the strength to perform muscle ups (yet), what do you recommend as an alternative?

    • Greg on August 17, 2012 at 8:25 am

      I just threw muscle ups in for fun. Prior to that I was doing rope extensions instead and finishing off with rear delta. So it was Incline Press, Dips, Rope Extensions, Rear Delts.

      • Anthony on September 10, 2012 at 10:46 pm

        The last couple weeks I’ve done this routine I’ve taken a few liberties replacing muscle ups with squats and hang cleans with deadlifts. I’m not too concerned with adding too much mass to my lower body, the more the better. I changed the split to every other day and increased my calorie intake on workout days. It’s not quite the routine you laid out here but with it I’ve seen each one of my lifts go up. I’m hoping I can continue to progress week to week and hopefully get my size and strength to respectable numbers.
        It kinda sucks having a small frame, 5’3″ 108lbs, but I’m hoping to go up to 130lbs in the next 4 years. The info on this site definitely helps though.

  • MatthiasSto on August 16, 2012 at 7:17 pm

    It would be great if you could upload a video tutorial with all the excercises you talked about in this article. Great article btw. Bruce Lee is a hero!

    • Greg on August 17, 2012 at 8:24 am

      Thanks! That would be a terrific video. I’ll look into getting that down.

  • Anthony D. on August 16, 2012 at 7:07 pm

    Hi Greg, Bruce Lee is a really inspirational man and his way to live the life is beautiful. Your workout looks great, but would you recommend this or the hollywood workout for bulking up?

    Thank you!

    • Greg on August 17, 2012 at 8:23 am

      Both are solid routines! This workout is better for building strength with some muscle growth. The hollywood workout is higher volume so you will gain muscle at a faster rate. If you are dieting then I would recommend going with this routine as nothing good can come from training high volume when dieting.

  • Damon on August 16, 2012 at 6:52 pm

    Nice article. I have a very similar outlook on exercise, with the only difference being that I choose incline dumbbell press rather than barbell, as I feel that it works the stabilizer muscles much more and allows for equal strength gains in both sides of the body. Anyways, I was wondering how many strict dead hang pullups you can do, and if you could post a video? I know that there is a video of you doing 20, but i feel like you are capable of much more by now and am curious! Also, I was wondering how much you strict overhead press. You have impressive bench press numbers for your size, so I was wondering if there is significant carryover. It is clear that you have learned from reading and personal experience and it is great that you are seeing exponential progress. I wish you the best in the future! Keep it up, you are an inspiration to many aspiring individuals looking to get lean, muscular, and strong!

    Peace
    Damon

    • Greg on August 16, 2012 at 11:49 pm

      I have no idea how many pull ups I can do! I never go for maximum reps bodyweight. I guess it would be somewhere between 20 and 25. I can strict overhead press 170 lbs for 5 reps. I just started doing this movement and I would like to get up to 185 lbs for 5.

  • Tim on August 16, 2012 at 5:41 pm

    u reccomend this program for skinny newbs at weight training?

    • Greg on August 16, 2012 at 6:02 pm

      Yes. This is a great foundation. Higher volume work will be useful at adding muscle at a faster rate. Visual Impact Muscle Building is a great program that includes this type of training and the lower volume strength training.

      • Tim on August 16, 2012 at 9:11 pm

        Thnx Greg,
        Just a few q’s on the routine. First, I can’t do a muscleup
        or dip yet, so wat are good substitute exercises? Second,
        what’s the progression scheme. Add 5 pounds when you hit
        required reps? Next, I want to increase vertical for pickup
        basketball games, so is adding a squat somewhere beneficial
        or is just doing hang cleans gonna cut it. Finally, should beginners use the reverse pyramid scheme. Sorry for all the q’s, but I am new to this. Thnx dude

        • Tim on August 16, 2012 at 10:03 pm

          Also, is lifting in such a low rep range safe on the joints and tendons for teens like me?(Im 15 now)

          • Greg on August 17, 2012 at 8:33 am

            If you’re new to lifting then I would recommend staying in the 6-12 rep range. After a few months of solid lifting you should be ready to go a little heavier.



        • Greg on August 17, 2012 at 8:32 am

          Great questions Tim.

          Do bench press or close grip bench press instead of dips. No need to replace the muscle up just do the rope extensions and rear delt flye. I just throw the muscle ups in for fun. On the main movements I will add 2.5 lbs to the bar or dipping belt and keep the reps the same. For this to be done you will need 1.25 lbs plates which can be tricky to find. The other option is to work within a rep range (4-6) and stick with a given weight until you can perform 6 reps.

          I would stick with the same weight throughout all sets if you are a beginner. Reverse pyramid training is useful when you or more advanced and/or during dieting when recovery is reduced.

          • Tim on August 17, 2012 at 4:45 pm

            so since im a beginner can i do this workout with all exercises in 6-12 reps and add squats into workout A since I want to increase vertical and my legs are a little smaller than I would like?



          • Greg on August 17, 2012 at 6:08 pm

            Yes! That would be a solid routine



        • Greg on August 17, 2012 at 8:34 am

          Adding squats to your training would probably be beneficial to your vertical jump. As well it’s important to practice jumping up to the rim to really hone your abilities.

  • David on August 16, 2012 at 5:35 pm

    Chin ups are almost impossible for anyone unless someone has been working out for a longer period. Any effective exercise you would recommend to replace the chin ups?

    • Greg on August 16, 2012 at 5:58 pm

      Start with Lat Pull Down with a chin up grip (hands facing you). Start to diet and lose any excess body fat. As soon as you can bang out 2-3 reps of chin ups then I would make that your first set and follow that up with 2 additional sets of Lat Pull Down for 5-8 reps. When you can do 5-8 chin ups then do your first 2 sets as chin ups and last set as lat pull down. When you can do more than 8 chin ups then start adding weight and finishing off your last set or two with just your bodyweight.

      • David on August 17, 2012 at 4:19 pm

        Many thanks Greg, I will help you as much I can which is liking and sharing your videos and site. If there is anything I can help you with then don’t doubt to ask.

  • Michael McIntyre - somebodylied.com on August 16, 2012 at 1:25 pm

    Good article.

    I personally like working the big compounds in the 4-6 rep range. This allows you to lift heavy while also to grow muscle.

    I have moved over to a more split routine now as I out grew full body weight training, and have noticed almost instantly since introducing incline presses, my chest is looking a lot better.

    I still favour the bench though, as I just love lifting heavy, and I love competing against myself in the big compound movements.

    On the accessory movements, I prefer doing higher reps to get some sarcoplasmic growth. Working both sides of the muscle building spectrum can give you a great physique.

  • Leave a Comment

    You must be logged in to post a comment.