Three hardcore regimens for fitness buffs

This heart-pumping drill features high-intensity exercises designed to work out the entire body rather than isolated muscle groups. Sportspeople – or wannabe athletes – can use this as a fitness springboard to better their performance.

How to get started The recently opened CrossFit Bukit Timah offers one-hour trial classes to acquaint you with CrossFit’s objectives of powering up muscles and improving stamina. The taster workout is tailored to your fitness level, and if you find that CrossFit is your jam, attend the three hour-long fundamental sessions ($100) before signing up for your monthly membership ($300/unlimited sessions). The intro classes are necessary to prevent you from injuring yourself on the equipment.

What you’ll need All the rough-and-tumble equipment you’ll need is provided for at CrossFit Bukit Timah. Just come ready to sweat, with a towel and bottle of water.

Your goal Dan Carter, senior instructor at CrossFit Bukit Timah, emphasises consistency and recommends that beginners commit to low-intensity trainings at least twice or thrice a week. During this time, CrossFit will work with individual participants in group settings to customise programmes that help them achieve specific goals, such as improving running times or increasing bench press weights.

This martial arts discipline uses the hands, forearms, elbows, knees and shins as weapons and shields against an opponent. 

How to get started Attend an introductory class that lays the groundwork for the technique behind all that punching and kicking. Equilibrium MMA conducts Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai classes for everyone, whether you’re a novice or semi-pro fighter. 

What you’ll need Gloves and hand wraps are provided at a few gyms, but you should get your own. Gene Ho, manager of Equilibrium, recommends the brands Top King, Yokkao and Twins. Lighter gloves Fitness level up are for fighting, while heavier mitts are for training. As a guide, an average Singaporean male goes for a ten- to 12-ounce pair and an average Singaporean female will find an eight- to ten-ounce set just right. 

Your goal If you train two to three times a week, you should be ready for light sparring within six months and full contact sparring within nine. And in a year or two, you’re ready to fight someone on the same level – and win.

This sport requires participants to be adept in swimming, biking and running. Competition distances range from the Sprint category (a 400- to 800-metre swim, 20-kilometre cycle and fivekilometre run) to the Olympic (1.5-kilometre swim, 40-kilometre cycle and ten-kilometre run) to the Ironman (you don’t want to know). 

How to get started MetaSport, the organiser of the MetaSprint series of races in Singapore, engages experienced triathletes to conduct group and individual coaching. MetaSport recommends you individually train for all three disciplines – this adds variety to your workouts while reducing the likelihood of injury – for four hours a week over three months before a race. 

What you’ll need Bring a helmet and bicycle, and gear up comfortably for the swim and run. If you don’t own a two-wheeler, an alternative is to rent one. 

Your goal Aim to finish your first Sprint – and don’t fret about your timing. After that, strive to break your personal record, says Rosie Clarke, triathlete coach from MetaSport. A beginner of moderate fitness should be able to complete a Sprint in one and a half hours. For first-timers in the Olympic category, two hours and 45 minutes is a decent time.