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You've been pumping hard in the gym. You have THE body to show to others. Then suddenly, something happens that breaks your gym routine. Your boss sends you on an overseas assignment that lasts for 1 month. Or you find yourself inundated with new projects to the extent that you don't even time for meals, let alone a workout. Or you just broke up and with that single reason, your whole world seems to come crashing down.

Some hit rock bottom and never bounce back. But others do. It all depends on which club you prefer to associate yourself with.

Never mind where your current end point is, the important thing to remember is that you can start all over again. I'm sure all of us can relate to this. The only question is whether you are mentally strong enough to persevere.

Welcome to the cruel but all-too-realistic world of trying to stage a comeback. Like the pugilist who has hung up his sword or the footballer who thought his glory days are over, you too are now making your re-entry to the gym arena.

Thinking positively, this used to be your playground. You can still recall the various exercises and which muscle groups they work. You can remember hearing the sounds of the metal equipment. You can smell the adrenalin in the air.

Yes, welcome back! This is your comeback workout.

As the name suggests and allow me to repeat it again, this is a comeback workout. So it is important that you moderate your expectations. Perhaps you once were able to bench X pounds. But looking at the current state of reality, never attempt to bench the same weight again. If you do, you are only going to hurt yourself as your strength has depleted considerably due to inaction. Worse, your morale will really hit rock bottom and it will be extra hard to climb back up again should this happen. Instead, start off with a lighter weight that you are comfortable with. There is nothing to be ashamed of. I would recommend you go for 10 - 12 reps. Machine weights, light dumbbell/barbell weights or the resistance band would be a good starting point.

Secondly, do anticipate some soreness. This is to be expected as you probably have not hit the gym for some time because of your hectic travelling schedule, injury or laziness. You are not Superman. In fact, you should rejoice should you feel delayed muscle soreness syndrome kick in the next day or the next, next day. 

If I were to recommend a workout sequence, I would design one that would comprise exercises utilizing compound movements. An excellent example would be squats with overhead presses. Trust me, there's really no point solely targeting on a particular muscle group. You need to shock your entire system back into action before you start seeing results again. Drop me an email if you are in doubt.

Lastly, be patient with yourself. It will only be a matter of time before you reclaim your old form and move on forward from there. May the Force be with you :)

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I'm starting my gym workouts in the new year using a three set system. This refers to doing only three sets per exercise. Normally I would do four sets per exercise but have since decided to stick to three for the next few weeks. 

Is a three set gym workout programme better than its four set cousin? Well, the truth is that there is no one more superior gym workout programme. It all depends on what you are looking for. I advise doing four sets per exercise should you want a more intense workout as you really max out your strength after the fourth set. The workout is definitely more focused and rewarding.

On the other hand, try the three sets per exercise if you want to have the stamina to move quickly and cover more exercises. This is recommended for people who want variety in life instead of just sticking to a maximum of four or five exercises as per the four set gym workout. Embarking on a three set gym workout programme does not mean sacrificing the intensity. One can still attain the same hard pump after the third set. All things being equal, this translates into one feeling the delayed muscle soreness the next day too. 

Personally, I like changing my workout programmes every 5-6 weeks so as stimulate muscle growth. Muscles have memory and doing the same routine each time you are in the gym is not going to help them grow or become stronger. In fact, they may even stagnate because they are too used to the same non-stimulus. 

Varying your workouts constantly is the key to having fun while working out. When you enjoy your workouts, that's when you look forward eagerly to the next one...And one can only have fun when one learns to play with different training systems. Enjoy!

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Welcome to the New Year Countdown Gym Workout!

Of all the workouts lately, I think this must be the one I will remember for a long long time to come. Not just because of the name I coined, but more because of the excellent soreness I felt the very next day which lasted for 3 straight days!

Be warned...this workout is definitely not for the faint-hearted...My New Year Countdown Gym Workout comprised a pectoral and lats superset. In layman terms, they refer to the chest and the upper back. In all honesty, I've not done a chest and back superset for a long time. But I psyched myself up with the fact that it would be good to challenge myself once again. And besides, this superset routine really gives you that instant pump as opposed to a single muscle group workout.

This was what I did in 1 hr 10 minutes flat using a 3 set each routine. Still feeling energetic, I finished off the workout with dips and abs exercises.

1. Pull-Ups
2. Incline Chest Press Machine
3. Bench Press
4. Seated Row
5. Dumbbell Flyes
6. Lat Pulldown
7. Cable Crossovers
8. Rear Delt Flyes
9. Dips
10. Abs Crunches
11. Flippers (my own creation)

As I left the gym, I couldn't help but look forward to more of such superset workouts...Hmm...which one shall I do next?

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I decided to challenge myself today and do a different workout today. After all, variety is the spice of life, isn't it? Normally, I would just train one body part and max it out. But today, I decided to do a new gym workout which I term 'The Big Four'.

As the name suggests, 'The Big Four' workout refers to targeting the major muscle groups of the human body in one single hour.

This is what I did today. And trust me, even though I only did 4 sets of 15 reps for each of 'The Big Four', I was perspiring not unlike after my cardio run. Woohoo...try it!

My first exercise was the chin-up. There is no secret to doing a good standard chin-up. You basically get onto the chin-up bar and pull yourself up. But that's where the difference lies between doing it correctly and wrongly. I've seen many guys do chin-ups the wrong way. Yes, it's an IPPT staple item but still, you can get it wrong if you use the wrong muscles. The chin-up targets primarily the lats and to a lesser extent, the biceps as well.

Next up was the bench press. Often regarded as THE exercise to test a man's strength (if you gym often, you must have heard someone ask you this: "how heavy can you bench?"), the bench press is an excellent way to train your pectoral muscles, or more commonly known as the chest. And surprise, surprise, I could bench heavier without support today. 

Following the bench press, I proceeded to do my deadlifts. Deadlifts target multiple muscle groups and if you do them often enough, you will experience spikes in growth not seen otherwise. My lower back, hamstrings and glutes were the proud recipients after this exercise.

Rounding up, I faithfully did my squats. Squatting heavy and low, I worked my quads and glutes. Always relying on the mirror to check my posture, I have learnt to appreciate the beauty of squats and the benefits they bring to my body. 

After 'The Big Four', I was still feeling energetic. And that was when I found myself doing dips for my triceps. 

The finishing exercises for all my workouts remain the abs exercises. Combining various abs exercises, I did a total of 16 sets x 25 reps. Go figure what that number is...haha...mind boggling it seems but I know my abs will be super thankful come tomorrow!

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