How to Get Ninja Fit Like Bruce Lee

Did you know that you’re surrounded by ninjas? True story. What?! Never seen a ninja? That’s because they are NINJAS.

If you see a ninja, they have to turn in their black belt and pajamas and work in the CrossRope factory.

Which is probably why their jump ropes are so awesome!

The greatest ninja of all is Bruce Lee. Anyone who watched his fights in movies or in person was shocked by his speed, agility, and ripped abs.

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You can grab our favorite jump rope for 10% off with code “DOTHETHING”.

Ninja Body Breakdown

We chose to do a breakdown of Bruce Lee’s ninja physique because he is the epitome of the jump rope dude (or dudette body). He is lean, he’s powerful, and he’s got the mindset to match.

Bruce created his incredible physique using the power of his body and mind.

For this particular breakdown, we’re going to focus on how to create a lean body like Bruce Lee and get ninja fit.

6 pack abs
Chiseled chest
Rock solid arms

Our goal with this breakdown is to help you learn how to create a lean and chiseled physique without the bulkiness.

We’re not looking for a big, puffy body, but a lean, hard ninja physique.

The Bruce Lee Diet

First things first, you know we’re gonna talk about nutrition.

When it came to his diet, Bruce Lee was very Buddhist in his philosophy. He always talked about how you should consume the right amount of food for you.

Eat for your body.

Bruce Lee was a little vague on the specifics and said something like:

“Don’t eat too much. Don’t eat too little. Eat the right amount for your body.”

We take this simple yet powerful principle to the next level by providing you with a customizable nutrition calculator to determine your personal macronutrient intake.

This calculator takes you through a step-by-step process to determine exactly how much to eat.

All you have to do is enter a few details to get your numbers in seconds.

Age
Gender
Weight
Height
Activity Level
Fitness Goal

Once you get your macronutrient numbers (protein, carbs, fat), you’ll want an easy way to track them. We use and recommend MyFitnessPal and they don’t pay us in free Under Armour clothes for saying that. They’ve got a website and a free mobile app that make tracking macros and calories a no-brainer.

Tracking your macros helps you reach your fitness goals by making hitting your numbers into a game.

With the exception of our love of jumping rope, we try to avoid extremes because they only work for a short while.

We have a tendency to impulsively try fad diets or jump on the bandwagon of a guru nutrition philosophy, but keeping it simple makes it easy to sustain. And THAT is what gets results.

Consistently tracking your macros (and calories) will naturally cause you to make healthier food choices in general, which is much easier to maintain long-term.

You don’t have to eat the exact same diet as Bruce Lee, or always eat X foods and never eat Y foods.

Just eat the right amount for your body.

If you implement the results of the nutrition calculator and eat in a calorie deficit, you’ll begin developing the lean, ninja physique of Bruce Lee.

Because of your intentional consumption of food and the change in your mentality when it comes to eating, you’ll notice that it’s easier for you to get into a state of flow.

When you’re eating the right amount of food for your body, you just feel better.

Bruce Lee was a fan of protein shakes that were rich in micro and macronutrients, but he also ate 3-4 meals a day with deliberate portions of fats, carbs, and protein.

You don’t have to eat the same frequency as Bruce Lee. We emphasize that the frequency of what you eat is less important than the total volume of food you consume in a given day.

While we’re fans of moderation, even the ultimate ninja kept moderation in moderation and would occasionally splurge on McDonald’s.

Even Bruce Lee understood that a “perfect” diet wasn’t sustainable and that it was important to intentionally cheat and break his nutritional routine.

Give yourself the latitude to eat the foods you enjoy, but do it intentionally and get back on track the next day.

Diet Breakdown Recap

Eat the right amount of food (calories and macronutrients)
Remove dairy from 80% of your diet
Supplement your diet when necessary with nutrient dense whey protein shakes and blended vegetables and fruit
Eat enough meals to hit your calorie and macronutrient goals
Sustain your nutrition regiment by allowing yourself to cheat once in a while

The Bruce Lee Workout Program

This guy was moving constantly.

Obviously, Bruce Lee did his ninja training. But on top of that, he was lifting weights 2-3 times a week.

His core lifts included the foundational barbell movements:

Squats
Bench Press
Deadlift

Plus curls to pump up his arms.

Bruce was also a big proponent of HIIT (high-intensity interval training) 3-4x a week, similar to what we do here at Jump Rope Dudes.

His favored exercises were wind sprints and jump rope (WHAT?!?!).

Perhaps the biggest element of Bruce Lee’s fitness lifestyle was he moved constantly. He was always active and found a way to work out even if a gym wasn’t available.

Bruce Lee believed you should train how you fight: all-out effort like your life is on the line. We’re with the Dragon on this one.

When you’re doing HIIT routines or jumping rope, you should give it everything you have. Without intensity, you won’t get that lean, chiseled ninja look.

Bruce Lee was very adamant about training your cor
e and recommended focusing on it at least 3 times a week.

His ab routine included 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps each for the following:

Side Bends
Sit-ups
Leg Raises

Workout Program Recap

Lift weights 2-3 times a week
HIIT routine 3-4 times a week
Stay extremely active regardless of your circumstance
Exercise with all-out intensity
Train your core 3 times a week

Train Your Mind

“As you think, so you shall become.” —Bruce Lee

As much as he focused on mastering his body, Bruce Lee advocated training the mind.

He believed that the mind creates the body and would use visualization techniques to imagine his ideal body and performance.

Bruce Lee created his iconic physique by emphasizing consistency through his actions above all else.

He always got his workouts in and always practiced intentional nutrition. And maintained this consistency no matter where he was in the world.

HOMEWORK: Strike a ninja pose and tag us on Instagram!

#dothething