Do you think Bruce Lee was on gear?

[Natureboy71]

Ok, it's a strange thought. He died in 73 so not as common but possible. I have never read anything saying he did, but knowing how crazy he was about training gotta wonder.

[Shol'va]

No way. he was just one bad mofo. I could only wish to have his drive, dedication, and focus. Like James Dean, he died way too young. I think it was a brain annuerism

[crazy_rocks]

i never even considered it. looking at those lats on a little asian guy hhhmm

[Natureboy71]

I wasn't thinking that is why he died. I also apoligize if this question/discussion has been put out 100 times. Just crossed my mind.

Here is an interesting article:

I am sick of threads about Bruce Lee and the elementary, uneducated debates on whether he used such drugs. So I am going to offer the only explanation to a debate that has no real answer, as it is impossible to ask him. Did Bruce Lee use steroids ? Probably.

Here is why: First off, I am both an experienced martial artist and experienced steroid user. So for all the people who just rant and throw useless information regarding subjects they have zero experience with, shut up and pay attention.

Given the time period, Bruce was most likely exposed to such compounds as testosterone , deca , dianabol and a number of diuretics. People think that injecting test will make you huge. Bullsh*t. If you don't eat an enormous amount of food you're not going to get much bigger at all. It's quite possible to attain a physique like his using testosterone and having an extremely strict diet, supplemented with diuretic pills. These pills, which were available then, take water out of your body and give you a more "ripped" appearance. And considering testosterone, deca, dbol , the most popular steroids of that time were not illegal, there is no reason why he wouldn't have at least tried some.

"oohh but he was so dedicated and blah blah he would never compromise his integrity asdf" Shut up. Because he was so dedicated is probably the primary reason why he would use such compounds, because elite athletes will try almost anything to get an edge.

He was in show business. Actors today use steroids. They use their body to make money. Yes there is some acting and entertainment qualities needed, but if they were ugly and out of shape they wouldn't be able to get certain roles. And lets face it: Actors do not have years to prepare physically for a role when they can achieve the same results in 4 months with some special help.

"Bruce was skinny, he did not have a physique similar to those with steroid use ." You don't get it. If his diet and cardio was as extreme as it is documented, 1: he probably needed testosterone to recover and train so often, 2: he wouldn't have had to worry about getting too bulky because of his calories. He could have shot test like mad and still stayed thin.

Bruce was cocky and arrogant. Anything that could have made him better than someone else would have been beneficial to him, ergo it would make logical sense to have at least tried steroids.

Dan Inosanto once said Bruce got up to about 160lbs, then lost the weight he had gained because he lost speed. I doubt it. I haven't lost any speed whatsoever and have put on more than 25lbs of pure muscle from steroids. He could have done a cycle and put on some muscle, then realizing how difficult it is to maintain that and keep up his martial training, he lost weight. Let me tell you, it would be extremely difficult to train in a martial art, especially as he did, while also having a heavy weight lifting routine. Your body would simply be too sore to keep up with that kind of routine. So, possibly he tried, because we all know he wanted to be bigger and was jealous of those with more muscular physiques, but found the rigors too demanding, as I have, as anyone would. Bodybuilding routines and extreme martial training do not mix well, which is why some of todays fighters have good physiques, but are hardly comparable to a bodybuilder. So it would make more sense to tone down his weight routine, lift lighter weights so he could recover faster and still be able to do the cardio and martial training he desired. Just a thought.

I am not saying he did or did not, as I can not know that answer. What I am saying is, rationally, it makes logical sense he would have at least tried some, and frankly seems quite naive to think otherwise.

Think what you want, but it's simple probability. The evidence to support rational and logical thought is overwhelming.

[DSM4Life]

Chuck Norris killed him

[Shol'va]

Bottom line is we will never really know. Is it possible you bet, but I guess I never associated Steroids with Bruce. This question has definitely opened my mind to the possibility.

[bodybuilder]

I never considered the idea of Bruice on steroids . Those lat are making me press the issue.

[Times Roman]

NO. I see no reason that suggests he was on aas

[dec11]

sure hes built like a twig ffs!! ripped to the bone, yes. steroids , no.

[Times Roman]

what did he way? maybe 120lbs dripping wet?

[Natureboy71]

True, but as the guy in the article says if he didn't eat tons of food he wouldn't get a "bodybuilder" look, just ripped. Just like Stallon in Rambo 3. Ripped to the bone and on lots of test and GH but not HUGE muscularily like a bodybuilder.

And we will probably never know. But interesting to think about back in 70-73.

[crazy_rocks]

"oohh but he was so dedicated and blah blah he would never compromise his integrity asdf" Shut up. Because he was so dedicated is probably the primary reason why he would use such compounds, because elite athletes will try almost anything to get an edge.[/I]

good point. not to mention there wasnt as much a negative stigma like there is now. if he did consider doing it he wouldnt have thought about them the way people do now that dont know anything about em.

[LatissimusaurousRex]

I find the idea of Bruce Lee on gear ridiculous.

[Far from massive]

This is taken from wikipedia and addresses his dedication to physical conditioning.


Physical fitness

Lee was renowned for his physical fitness and vigorous, dedicated fitness regimen to become as strong as he possibly could.

After his match with Wong Jack Man in 1965, Lee changed his approach toward martial arts training. Lee felt that many martial artists of his time did not spend enough time on physical conditioning. Lee included all elements of total fitness—muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility. He tried traditional bodybuilding techniques to build bulky muscles or mass. However, Lee was careful to admonish that mental and spiritual preparation was fundamental to the success of physical training in martial arts skills. In Tao of Jeet Kune Do, he wrote


Training is one of the most neglected phases of athletics. Too much time is given to the development of skill and too little to the development of the individual for participation. ... JKD, ultimately is not a matter of petty techniques but of highly developed spirituality and physique.[67]

The weight training program that Lee used during a stay in Hong Kong in 1965 placed heavy emphasis on his arms. At that time he could perform single bicep curls at a weight of 70 to 80 lb (about 32 to 36 kg) for three sets of eight repetitions, along with other forms of exercises, such as squats, push-ups, reverse curls, concentration curls, French presses, and both wrist curls and reverse wrist curls.[68] The repetitions he performed were 6 to 12 reps (at the time). While this method of training targeted his fast and slow twitch muscles, it later resulted in weight gain or muscle mass, placing Lee a little over 160 lb (about 72 kg). Lee was documented as having well over 2,500 books in his own personal library, and eventually concluded that "A stronger muscle, is a bigger muscle", a conclusion he later disputed.[69] Bruce forever experimented with his training routines to maximise his physical abilities, and push the human body to its limits. He employed many different routines and exercises including skipping rope, which served his training and bodybuilding purposes effectively.[70]

Lee believed that the abdominal muscles were one of the most important muscle groups for a martial artist, since virtually every movement requires some degree of abdominal work. Mito Uyehara recalled that "Bruce always felt that if your stomach was not developed, then you had no business doing any hard sparring". According to Linda Lee Cadwell, even when not training, Lee would frequently perform sit ups and other abdominal exercises in domestic living throughout the day, such as during watching TV. She said of Lee, "Bruce was a fanatic about ab training. He was always doing sit-ups, crunches, Roman chair movements, leg raises and V-ups".[71]

Lee trained from 7 am to 9 am, including stomach, flexibility, and running, and from 11 am to 12 pm he would weight train and cycle. A typical exercise for Lee would be to run a distance of two to six miles in 15 to 45 minutes, in which he would vary speed in 3–5 minute intervals. Lee would ride the equivalent of 10 miles (about 16 kilometres) in 45 minutes on a stationary bike.[72][73]

Lee would sometimes exercise with the jump rope and put in 800 jumps after cycling. Lee would also do exercises to toughen the skin on his fists, including thrusting his hands into buckets of harsh rocks and gravel. He would do over 500 repetitions of this on a given day.[74] An article of the S. China Post writes "When a doctor warned him not to inflict too much violence on his body, Bruce dismissed his words. 'the human brain can subjugate anything, even real pain' —Bruce Lee".[75]

Physical feats

Lee's phenomenal fitness meant he was capable of performing many exceptional physical feats.[76][77][78] The following list includes some of the physical feats of which, according to author John Little, Lee was capable:
Lee's striking speed from three feet with his hands down by his side reached five hundredths of a second.[79]
Lee could take in one arm a 75 lb barbell from a standing position with the barbell held flush against his chest and slowly stick his arms out locking them, holding the barbell there for several seconds.[80]
In a speed demonstration, Lee could snatch a dime off a person's open palm before they could close it, and leave a penny behind.[81]
Lee performed one-hand push-ups using only the thumb and index finger.[78][82]
Lee performed 50 reps of one-arm chin-ups.[83]
Lee could cause a 300-lb (136.08 kg) bag to fly towards and thump the ceiling with a sidekick.[78]

Also, according to the Intercepting Fist DVD, Lee would hold an elevated v-sit position for 30 minutes or longer.[77]

Nutrition

According to Linda Lee Cadwell, soon after he moved to the United States, Lee started to take nutrition seriously and developed an interest in health foods, high-protein drinks and vitamin and mineral supplements. He later concluded that in order to achieve a high-performance body, one could not fuel it with a diet of junk food, and with "the wrong fuel" one's body would perform sluggishly or sloppily.[84] Lee also avoided baked goods and refined flour, describing them as providing calories which did nothing for his body.[85]

Lee consumed green vegetables and fruit every day. He always preferred to eat Chinese or other Asian food because he loved the variety that it had. Some of Lee's favorite Chinese dishes were beef in oyster sauce, tofu and steak and liver.[86] He also became a heavy advocate of dietary supplements, including Vitamin C, Lecithin granules, bee pollen, Vitamin E, rose hips (liquid form), wheat germ oil, Acerola — C and B-Folia.[87]

Lee disliked dairy food although he knew that for building muscle he must add milk and consume eggs. As a result he only ate dairy as part of cereals and protein drinks, usually using powdered milk instead of fresh milk. Lee's diet included protein drinks; he always tried to consume one or two daily, but discontinued drinking them later on in his life. They typically included non-instant powdered milk which is reported to have a higher concentration of calcium than other forms of powdered milk, eggs, wheat germ, peanut butter, banana, brewers yeast for its B vitamins, and Inositol and Lecithin supplements.[88] Linda Lee recalls Bruce Lee's waist fluctuated between 26 and 28 inches (66 to 71 centimetres). "He also drank his own juice concoctions made from vegetables and fruits, apples, celery, carrots and so on, prepared in an electric blender", she said.[citation needed]

According to Lee, the size of portions and number of meals were just as important. He would usually consume four or five smaller meals a day rather than a couple of large meals, and would boost his metabolism by eating small healthy snacks such as fruits throughout the day.[88] Fruit and vegetables provided him with the richest source of carbohydrates; he was particularly keen on carrots which would make up one half of the contents of the drink, with the remaining being split between the other fruits and vegetables. The reason why Lee was so keen on juicing vegetables and fruits is that he believed it allowed the body to assimilate many nutrients more easily. The enzymes in the juiced vegetables acting as organic catalysts which increase the metabolism and absorption of nutrients. Given that most of these enzymes are destroyed when vegetables are cooked, Lee would try to consume them raw.[89]

Lee often drank a royal jelly and ginseng drink as they contain B-complex vitamins, including a high concentration of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), acetylcholine, hormones, and eighteen amino acids which allow for a quick energy boost.[89] In traditional Chinese medicine, ginseng is also said to improve circulation, increase blood supply, allow quicker recovery times after exhaustion and stimulating the body.[90] In addition, Lee regularly drank black tea, often with honey or with milk and sugar.[91]

[gbrice75]

no. I see no reason that suggests he was on aas

sure hes built like a twig ffs!! Ripped to the bone, yes. Steroids, no.

^ ^ this

[Public Enemy]

He was ripped and well defined. But he wasn't really AAS product.

I strongly doubt he ever took any roids. He just had genetics and he was really dedicated to getting the best out of himself.

[LatissimusaurousRex]

Just think about it Bruce Lee is the only guy that can trump Chuck Norris.

So Bruce Lee doesn't take steroids . Steroids take Bruce Lee.

[Panzerfaust]

I wouldn't be shocked if he did in someway. I could care less either way

[Bigd89]

Wouldn't suprise me if he did.

[Flagg]

Whether he was on gear or not is mute, even at that size, the guy was in far superior shape and physical fitness then about 90% of this forum.

[yannick35]

Natureboy71 that is one great article. Never tough of it that way, to be honest steroids in bodybuilding started to bloom around the sixites, first Mr O being back in 1965 i think. Makes total sense. Problem is that i used testosterone enhantate before and man did i eat a lot during that time. Testosterone just makes you eat eat eat and i got some of the craziest cravings on it.

[yannick35]

Liver and beef are prefect foods, along with eggs.

[Shol'va]

I don't know. Does he really look like a man on steroids ? If so then these pics don't show it. Totally athletic and muscular yes. eh who knows.