Gaining Strength

To get in excellent shape, Lee felt you needed strength, Wong notes. "He considered strength training very important," Wong says. "He was constantly looking for ways to improve, including weight training and isometrics." Although Lee felt strength was important, he did not believe bodybuilding was the answer, Wong says. "He felt it was important to have definition, but he did not feel you had to overboard," Wong says. "He did not feel it was necessary to develop large muscles. On the other hand, strength and definition enhanced certain functions, such as kicking and punching."

And Lee’s conditioning entailed more than hand grips, sit-ups, weights, running and conditioning drills. "A lot of the time he read books and analyzed different arts," Wong says. "He had a keen eye and an analytical mind. He did a lot of researching." While you may never develop Lee’s skills, you can certainly train the way the "Little Dragon" did.