Strength training in a wheelchair?

vonnywaft

Just looking for tips really if anyone knows anyone in a similar situation. i'm a double amputee and partially paralysed below the waist, but play wheelchair basketball and am fairly fit for my age. I was just discussing on another thread about painful muscles when I have a more intense game day than usual and was advised to try some weights. i know I can do this at my gym as they have some suitable weights machines, but what should I be aiming to do? are the resistance machines as good as the weight machines? Or should I use free weights? Can anyone suggest some exercises that might be beneficial for arm strength? Advice welcome, thanks.

Hotrodhoodlum

Resistance machines will work and free weights would be fine also . I would try and do a combination of both . See what you can do and go from there they both have benefits . Curls for Biceps free weights or machines Secondary exercises like back will work bias and some type of over head exercise and push down for triceps chest exercises will will triceps also . If there is any thing else you need just ask

Tommy

Taylerr88

look up nick scott. the guy is amazing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqxrjXcpFKA

i am sure he has amazing tips.

i think his website is http://www.nickfitness.com/


edit.. his youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/WheelChairBB#g/u

tmoyer1209

One of my friends does pull-ups. You might try doing dips also.

gemiwing

Just looking for tips really if anyone knows anyone in a similar situation. i'm a double amputee and partially paralysed below the waist, but play wheelchair basketball and am fairly fit for my age. I was just discussing on another thread about painful muscles when I have a more intense game day than usual and was advised to try some weights. i know I can do this at my gym as they have some suitable weights machines, but what should I be aiming to do? are the resistance machines as good as the weight machines? Or should I use free weights? Can anyone suggest some exercises that might be beneficial for arm strength? Advice welcome, thanks.

You've got some specific needs going on here- namely protecting your shoulders from further stress. I would recommend finding a PT to work with you personally. I know it's expensive but there are special things that have to be considered- you're already taxing your shoulders/wrists by pushing in your chair. Also a PT who deals with FT chair users would have equipment that could help you lift without adding extra weight to your chair- it would suck to break an axle or spoke because you went over the weight limit because of a weight you were lifting.

mermx

Personally, I think maybe a mixture of both resistance and free weights they both have a lot to offer.

I would think with your basketball your arm strength would be very strong so try to move both resistance and free weights up a notch... but depends if you are trying to bulk up or just relieve the stress between games?

Weight machines are also good...maybe there is a trainer at the gym that can give you some adivice???

Good luck x

SmartAlec03211988

One of my friends does pull-ups. You might try doing dips also.

^ Yep. I'm in a wheelchair and do pull-ups and tricep dips.

vonnywaft

Wow! Thanks. Lots of good advice. I don't think i'll be lifting anything heavy enough to break my chair anytime soon, but I'll keep it in mind. I think it'll be after the Easter holidays before I can get to the gym to try any of this out as we're going to be away for some of the holiday and I have to work some of it too. i'm hoping doing some weights will help with my weight too, I've been hovering around the same weight since October and i know I've been a stone lighter than this before. Unfortunately it's the bits where I have no muscle to tone that are refusing to slim down, so my top half is really toned and then there's just a lot of flab below the waist, in the past I've been able to lose it but this time it just isn't shifting. Hopefully the addition of weights to my routine might just shock my body into using all its reserves!

blazergrad

I'm a paraplegic and I've been working out at home now using a bench and free weights for 9 months. I used to work out some on and off in the past, but I was never consistent and never stuck with it. This time, I've been extremely consistent and actually find myself to the point of where I thoroughly enjoy my sessions and look forward to them!

Obviously, I only focus on upper body exercises. Mainly, I do barbell bench presses (flat & inclined), dumbbell presses and dumbbell flys (again, flat & incline), tricep extensions, bicep curls, hammer curls, dumbbell rows (supporting my upper body on the inclined bench) and dumbbell pullovers. I also do pull-ups and pushups and I'm generally always trying to find new exercises that I can incorporate.

As someone else mentioned, one of the main things to be careful of is the shoulders ... no one wants a shoulder injury, but being in a chair, it's a serious double-whammy!

Someone in the thread mentioned Nick Scott ... he does have a lot of good information on his site. He appears to have a bit better mobility and balance than I do, though, so I can't quite do all that he does, but nevertheless his tips on form are very helpful!

I have the same issue you do with the lack of tone below the waist ... depending on the level of injury, it's really tough to get rid of all of that and tighten/tone up the midsection, but I'm not giving up on it yet!! I do know that I'm now able to get into some of my pants that were too tight last year, so something must be getting smaller!!

Best of luck to you!!!

vonnywaft

Thanks Blazergrad, that's really helpful. i've just realised I have a couple of hours spare later this afternoon, so I think i'll venture to the gym and visit parts i don't usually go into! Wish me luck!

cathrynbauer

I know that Richard Simmons has an exercise video for people in wheelchairs.

vonnywaft

Thanks I'll Google it.

vonnywaft

done a bit on the resistance machines last night and realised i'm not as strong as I assumed! or rather I am very strong in certain directions and completely lacking strength in others. the pec/deltoid one nearly killed me on the lowest setting! It definitely feels like something I need to build on and may help with the weight loss and endurance issues I've been having so here goes, I can fit this in at least once a week on top of my other stuff!

Azdak

Some of the multiuse cable functional trainers -- the Life Fitness Dual Adjustable Pulley, for example -- are specifically designed to be used by people in wheelchairs. They are designed so that you can do multiple exercises.