The Comeback Workout

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 🙂