Strong AND Slim

[Corvo]

As a young boy who grew up watching Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan films, I was always very impressed by the fact that they (Lee, Chan, etc.) were obviously very strong but still had slim bodies, rather than being really muscly. Now that I'm finally taking the first steps to becoming a martial artist myself, I would like to know how they did it. How do you increase strength and muscle definition without getting big muscles that might sacrifice speed or flexibility?

 

Oh, in case it's relevant, or just in case you're interested, I'm 19 years old and am studying kung fu and capoeira.

[Radok]

Do really low reps, like weight you can only lift 3-4 times. This takes you to neurological failure without the sarcoplasmic hypertrophy that adds bulk and slows you down. Also, do body weight exercises such as pull ups, squats without added weight, pushups, situp, ect. These exercises will increase your strength slightly, your endurance alot, and your bulk none. They can give you the ability to move your body around more quickly, especially if you do them as plyometrics.

[Little Dragon]

just remember...bigger you lift,bigger you get.So dun lift to your limits...unless you wanna look like Bolo Yeung(return of the dragon,double impact,blood sport,etc.)

[Corvo]

Do really low reps, like weight you can only lift 3-4 times. This takes you to neurological failure without the sarcoplasmic hypertrophy that adds bulk and slows you down.

 

I thought the rule was bigger weights=bigger muscles. Is that just a myth? Should I lift heavy weights if I want strength without bulk?

[Rich67]

Keep in mind also that those guys dido a lot of cardio. Cardio also helps keep you lean so you don't bulk up as much. I agree with what Radok says to a point (SARCO WHAT???! ) but I don't think you should strictly lift heavy weight at low reps from training cycle to training cycle. This kind of work will still add some bulk once you develop a resistance to the weight you are lifting. Mix it up with higher rep/ lower weight work as well. But keep in mind- bulk is all a matter of genetics. If you are a naturally lean person, chances are you won't put too much weight on your frame to interfere with other activities. I am 5'11" and 190#'s. I am not built for bulk, and no matter how heavy I go, I won't get so big I will look like those guys on Muscle and Fitness or Ironman magazine. Unless I do roids. And even still, look at guys like Ken Shamrock, Frank Mir, etc. Those guys are still pretty big, but I don't think anyone considers them inflexible or "musclebound". That's because they mix in lots of stretching, training, cardio and lifting in equal parts- not to mention MAYBE some chemical enhancement- though I am not accusing them of that.

[GhostlySykanRyu]

Bruce Lee had a really well rounded workout, the weight training regiment wasn't perfect, but it was way ahead of it's time. Both him and Chan are/were big fans of cardio.

 

High weight and low reps will have the tendency to bulk you up more. It's not a bad thing IMO, unless you go to extremes more mass won't really slow you.

 

Mid weight and mid reps will get you a well rounded workout, obviously. You can gain mass and endurance this way.

 

High reps and low weight will get you more muscular endurance and stamina.

 

Personally I implement all of the above.

[WhiteBelt]

Bolo was a bodybuilder. He wouldn't lift heavy.

 

Radok is correct here. Lift anywhere from 1-5RM explosively in 5-12 sets and you're going to be training your limit strength. This is very different than training for hypertrophy (muscle size), which is a 6-20RM in 3-6 sets.

 

In brief, high weight (85-100%) = limit strength, mid weight (60-80%) = bulk, low weight (40-55%) explosively = strength speed.

[Vito]

as strong as bruce lee was- bigger guys with bigger muscles are stronger. thats just how it works. his technique was stronger though, and he was incredibly fast.

[GhostlySykanRyu]

Not in all cases, with all people. Larger muscles are not necessarily stronger, and bigger people are well just...bigger. You must take into account how the muscle was built, and what it's made up of. Different people have different densities of muscle, and that effects how it acts. Muscles also have memory cells...a large muscle with few memory cells will not be as effective in combat as a smaller muscle with more well used memory cells.

 

I've overpowered people with much larger muscles than myself, and not with technique either (though that is always more fun).

[WhiteBelt]

Memory what..?

 

I think you're trying to explain intramuscular coordination, and the recruiting of muscle fibers. Your body has to learn how to work together and how to recruit the optimal number of muscle fibers in any given movement.

 

However, larger muscles are still stronger than smaller muscles.