Bruce Lee Ab Workout for the Ultimate Six Pack

Bruce Lee ab workout routine

Can you get a SIX PACK like Bruce Lee?

Developing strong core muscles isn't easy. Agree?

How did then Bruce Lee, who weighed only 140 pounds, manage to develop exceptional 6 pack abs without using any equipment but his body weight?

Was it easy?

Certainly not, but it wasn't a rocket science either.

What if I told you that you can develop steel core muscle without dumbbells or weights as well? You can build abdominal muscles that look good, are strong and which will improve your posture and balance.

In this article I'll reveal the Bruce Lee's abs workout which he used to develop his core muscles. Give it a try and see if it works for you.

Bruce Lee's secret to rock solid abs

“My strength comes from the abdomen. It’s the center of gravity and the source of real power. – Bruce Lee”

One lesson we learned from Bruce Lee is that abs workout are crucial for health maintenance and physical conditioning.

In Kung Fu, the abdomen plays an important role in controlling your own body, the speed of the performed techniques and movement dynamics.

The abdomen muscles connect the upper body and the legs which make the communication between the both parts of the body harmonious and frictionless. Bruce Lee realized the importance of well-developed core muscles during his abs workout and its impact on his Kung Fu performance.

Bruce was obsessed with his abs.

He continuously tested different ab workouts to figure out which had the biggest impact on his well-being and physical performance. Slow and steady, Bruce filtered bad ab workouts from the good ones and focused his attention on a ab workouts that didn't require weights or additional equipment.

7 Abs workouts from the mighty Bruce Lee

1. Sit-ups Like Bruce Lee

This abs workout targets the rectus abdominis muscles, also known as the "six-pack" abs. Rectus abdominis begins at your pubic bone and stretches in a straight line upward to the ribs. Other supporting muscles are the obliques, iliopsoas, tensor fascia latae and rectus femoris which help at maintaining a correct form of your body during the workout.

The progression:

To perform sit-ups lie down on the floor face up, bend your knees, and keep your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head or cross them on your chest and move your shoulders up until the lower back are off the ground. Pull your torso up until it is at a 70-degree angle after what return to the initial position.

2. Hanging leg raises

When it comes to working on the lower part of the rectus abdominis muscle, then hanging leg raises comes to mind first.

Hanging leg raises target the abdomen muscles (rectus abdominis), especially the lower area of the muscles, the obliques, and hips (hip flexor).

The progression:

The execution of technique in itself is not difficult. However it requires a certain level of fitness level of the athlete.

To perform this exercise you need a pull-up bar.

Grab the pull-up bar firmly and just hang. The grip is straight. Keep the arms straight at shoulder width or a little wider. This is your initial position.

Then, extend your legs down so that your body extends in a straight line.

From this position raise your straight legs up until your toes touch the bar. Then, slowly move your feet to the initial position and repeat.

Important: Avoid swinging on the bar by contracting the muscles of the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks to control your body form.

3. Dragon flag

bruce lee dragon flag

Can you do a dragon flag like Bruce Lee?

Dragon flag is a great test to anyone who wants to improve his core muscles. The abdomen muscles need to provide maximum stabilization in the performance of this exercise. In fact, you also need to involve lower back muscles, buttocks and the rest of the body to stay in the right position.

The progression:

To perform the dragon flag workout lie down on the floor or on a bench where you can grasp a sturdy object behind your head for support. This will help to lift your legs up in a straight line stacking them vertically over your shoulders. From here slowly move your body down maintaining a straight line in the hips, legs, and lower back until your buttocks are a couple of inches from the bench.

As you reach the bottom, you can then reverse and move your legs back to the top.

Important: Aim to keep your body straight and avoid bending at the hips. Contract your core muscles to provide extreme stabilization.

Want to master this advanced abs workout? Here is a complete Dragon Flag progression tutorial.

4. The Twist (aka The Russian Twist)

When performed properly the twist ab workout strengthens the rectus abdominis, and the external and internal obliques, which are activated through torso rotation.

The Russian twist makes the waist narrow, and the line of sides clear and beautiful. This provides you with an elastic flat stomach and traced obliques.

The progression:

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Hold your hands together extended out from your shoulders. Bend your knees and lean back so that your upper body achieves a 45-degree angle and creates a "V" shape between your knees and torso.

Keep your torso straight at this angle throughout the exercise, as it will be tempting to hunch your shoulders forward. Hook your feet under a sturdy support such as a couch or a heavy weight to maintain your feet flat on the ground.

When you move the torso into a "V" position contract the abdomen muscles to tighten the body form. From here rotate your arms all the way to one side and then the same in other direction.

For a greater intensity of the workout keep the "V" position of the torso and raise your legs up off the ground and rotate the linked arms to the sides.

5. Frog kicks

Frog kicks targets the entire rectus abdominis muscle.

During the exercise, the body takes the form the Latin letter V while the supporting point are your buttocks. The advange of this exercise is that it allows you to maximize the tenssion in the abdominal muscles without overstressing the back muscles.

The progression:

Lie down on the floor or bench with your face up. Make sure that the lower back is flat on the floor. This is your initial position.

When you inhale simultaneously raise your shoulders and legs off the ground so that you sit on your buttocks. Contract the abdominal muscles and hips when you are in the V form.

Exhale and slowly return back into the initial position. Don’t put your arms and legs on the floor. Keep your back and abdominal muscles tight.

6. Back bend and abdominal stretching

Bruce knew that it's always important to include stretching as part of his fitness plan. Stretching after intensive abs workout helps to prevent muscle stiffness and soreness, increases flexibility and improves body circulation.

For example, backbends are stretching the hip flexors, abdominal muscles, the muscles of your chest and back and relieve the tension build up in these areas.

The progression:

The easiest way to do a backend is from the position lying on the floor face up.

Bend your knees, place your feet about 10 inches from your hips. The distance between the feet should equal to your shoulders width.

From here, bend your arms at the elbows, raise them up and place your hands flat on the floor. Push your hands and feet against the floor to raise the abdomen as high as you can. Your back should take the form of a curved arc. Ideally, legs and arms should be as straight as possible. Bend your arms at the elbows and legs at the knees to return to the initial position.

This is a classical backbend.

If the tension in your shoulders makes it difficult to create a curved on arc in your back try to do an easier version of backbend.

Lie down on the floor, place your hands along your body and bend your knees. Raise your hips off the floor so that your hips, stomach, and chest are aligned in one straight line. Then return your body to the initial position. Repeat again.

Strengthening your Core Muscles like Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee’s abs workout is not an easy routine. The exercises presented in this article are quite advanced and require a certain level of fitness preparation to perform them well.

However, consider the importance and the benefits of having a trained abdomen and don’t procrastinate much.

Bruce Lee was obsessed with his abs because he that his mastery in martial arts rely on his body fitness level, core muscles included.

For you, developed core muscles might mean better posture, improved self-confidence and well-being, and better control of your own body.

So, how do you feel about Bruce Lee’s abs workout? Do you think you could keep up with this routine? Have you tried any of these exercises? How was it?

Please share with us which of the above ab workouts are most challenging for you?

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