DisabilityBodybuilding.com

It’s about time I posted an update, it’s been a few weeks!

Training has stepped up a level. I feel I’ve had the knowledge set by set and my macros were good, however, I wanted to see if I could focus on increasing my weight and muscle mass.

I’m at the stage where I can experiment a little, both in terms of exercises and food intake. So I created a personal 12 week programme which has targeted specific areas. The advantage of this process is that I’ve made more of an effort to record my activity & PB’s week by week, setting benchmarks and in essence competing against myself, pushing harder and testing out new techniques.

For example, I’m using kettle bells for ‘farmers walks’ (love the expression) in addition to my hard style swings, Deadlifts and a variation of weighted shoulder shrugs to help my left side balance and keep up with right.

I’m conscious that it’s likely my right side will build muscle quicker that my left so I try and compensate and occasionally isolate the left muscles.

I used one week to drop down a set of weights to get the correct form, which worked wonders. It’s been so uplifting to see small improvements over the 12 weeks and I feel stronger for it.

The other recent test was to shake up the food intake up to 3,500 calories, with the exception of the occasional treat meal, it’s actually a challenge to remain at that level! It’s scary to recall what an effort it was to initially consume that much, making me question have I eaten enough this year? 😱

With a switch to a mass gain protein shake programme aiding the process, it’s a good start to the plan, with a shred due soon with additional HIIT cardio, it shall be an interesting period in the run up to the festive season!

I’ll keep ya posted…

All the best

Matt

For @Hemihelp’s Hemiplegia Awareness Week, here is my Acrostic piece…

Hemiplegia…

Has been a challenge, but we all have different challenges in life, my hemiplegia is just one to meet, others have bigger obstacles

Even though it was tough growing up with a “different looking hand” I realised by adulthood that your personality defines you, not just your disability

My parents really helped and encouraged me to defy the doctors who said I wouldn’t play sports

I have lots of people to thank along the way for their time, love & support

Positive thinking always helps!

Left handed hemiplegia is something I now cherish, not regret having

Electric tin openers and automatic cars are fantastic for folks with hemi (why would you use a manual one given the choice?! LOL)

Gym work has enabled me to push the boundaries of what I thought my hemi side could do

I’m always open to people asking ‘what happened to your hand?’

And finally, my left hand is not ‘weaker’, it just has a different structure!

I took the plunge a month ago, or rather the grip, on the bar in the smith machine and started something I had mentally always placed a barrier onto. Lifting.

At the start of this life changing journey, other than the willingness to get my ass down the gym consistently and eat right – I believed that the vast majority of the strength I needed was physical.

There are now at least 5 pieces of equipment or manoeuvres I now have as part of a routine that at the start of December last year I had already discounted.

It’s the f#@k it, I can do that, attitude that I was lacking. Confidence is wonderful in hindsight I know, but harnessing the right mindset is just as vital as the lifting power (small steps, but we’re on the ladder!). It’s a series of building blocks that are needed, not looking up at the huge wall in the distance.

I’m still learning all the time, taking in new techniques, not being afraid to ask for help nor worry about how my left hand looks during chest pulls which was another barrier to get past in my head.

I promised to push my right and my left side to its limits to understand my balance. I’m happy that I keep discovering the real power I have in my left and adapting when I have challenges.

Il keep you posted on the progress!

When I started this fitness journey, there were many objectives to achieve that I’ve documented before and at nearly 7 months in, I’m firmly on my way.

I knew this path wouldn’t come without its challenges. Given the previous fitness lapses during my early 20’s and being a skinny guy with left sided hemiplegia, but hey, as my good wife says ‘nobody promised it would be easy, they just said it would be worth it’ and that message stays with me at the 5am get ups during the week, before that last rep and when I’m faced with resisting a cheesecake having already had a cheat meal! (update – I’ve since been given a protein cheesecake recipe from @protein_chef on Twitter 🙂 )

I’ve come to view my fitness strategy in general as a series of ingredients, getting the right blend and making it all click. The right programme, the right diet and right support network will see a huge difference week to week, making small steps towards your goal.

I’ve declared recently that the very last ingredient, the finishing touches that I lost a decade ago is summed up in one word: Persistence.

The programme, diet and maybe even your support network will evolve as time evolves and challenges are accomplished – however – if you plug away believing that you will get there, there is no reason that will stop.

It’s bloody hard work, but it’s worth it.

There have been a few challenges along the way – the right plan, the right diet, the body fat percentage that one last rep & beating your PB at different weights.

The one barrier that had always frustrated me, no matter how positive my outlook was the ‘limitation’ of grip on my left hand, which is caused by hemiplegia, a decreased number of muscles which limit the movement and flexibility.

I’ve worked around it, placed it on cables safely and used my arm strength but it has held me back a little on chest strengthening – until now….

A few weeks back, a friend suggested I tried out a wrist strap, which may help in my workout sets, £12.50 later through amazon comes the simple piece of material which has changed everything! I have the ability to gain muscle on my left side!

I did it…

I completed the Bristol 10k. I was ecstatic to finish the race, having trained well and hoping to see a time in the sub 60 area, I was hopping when I found out I finished in 55 mins 42 secs. Not bad when reminded by my Dad that Doctors told my parents when I was months old that I’d walk with a limp (ok I do when I’m tired) but I’d have huge difficulty running and NEVER play sports due to a muscle ‘problem’.

Anyway – The time created a problem, I was so so pleased to commit to something like this last year, yet my drive and my hunger now sees that time and think maybe, just maybe next year, after a year and half of consistent exercise, I could go quicker,who knows eh?! I’ll review my goals later this year.

My fitness programme continues to evolve. I read and see things everyday that I think I could incorporate into a workout, food plan or goal.

That is what I love about smashing a goal, very little time is spent in self congratulation, you find this thirst to go one better.

I hit the gym the day after the race this week in the mind set that my legs would be ruined but my upper body would fine, no worries. What actually happened was a picture of me struggling through a workout, more than likely physically exhausted and needing just a days rest. Lesson taken there, (thanks for the reminder Paula!)

My diet has been great and on track so I’m on course for 10-12 body fat percentage by my 30th next year – just got to keep plugging away!

So, what goals have you smashed this year & what else are you planning?

I’ve seen many a list refer to the positives of working out, getting fitter and providing yourself with a healthier lifestyle.

While you have to bring your own reasons to the table as to why you are training or want to train – I enjoy hearing about the benefits of people’s successes.

Within 5 months of training I’ve seen / felt the following: –

• Confidence

So much is placed on creating a body that will give you more self belief.

And Yes, that is true – I feel more confident about my body, be it my shape or making my left side stronger. In addition, the self belief it can provides goes beyond the prospect of a ripped torso – the evidence of getting stronger can do wonders for your self-esteem and sense of achievement.

You feel great, I get a spring in my step as soon as I get out of the gym in the mornings and sets me right up for the day

• Energy

The surge in my energy levels has been very noticeable, pretty much since week two. The diet had changed and tweaked, it’s very disciplined with the right foods for my increased need for more energy. It also amazes that you can work out hard for an hour and have this natural buzz as you walk away ready to tackle anything! – which leads nicely onto…

• Productivity

I strongly believe it’s increased my productivity both at work and at home. I’m more alert which bodes for creativity.

A strong mind and body has worked wonders in every aspect of my life over the last 5 months. The question I keep asking myself is this – if I feel this good now – what’s it going to be like in a year?

No matter how big the steps that you take, moving in the right direction in tune to match your goals will leave you feeling so enriched and provide you with such a positive framework, you’ll never want to quit.

Go and achieve that goal!

What benefits have you felt?

I love my food. The variety that can be produced even from a few simple basics can feel really creative and I can really understand how chefs become passionate over such things.

Equally so athletes gain a huge amount of respect from myself as calculations have to be considered in order to engineer maximum performance. I’m a way off an ‘athletic’ stage physically as yet, although I’m significantly fitter than I was last summer.

That said, I’m proud of how I’ve changed and continuously tweaked my diet for fitness and health reasons. Educating myself on the best foods for lean muscle growth has become a key driver in a huge amount of my meals over the last few months.

I’ve found that a structure and discipline are vital to success in this area. I find it easy to pass on vast offers of cake, crisps and chocolate. The purpose of my journey becomes a blocker to any thoughts of over indulging (I will still treat myself a couple of times a month, deliberately, but not on impulse)

The slight difficulty in arrives at the weekend, not with the actually food I eat, but the timetable of when to fuel up. I find fuelling up week days surprisingly easier as there is structure to my meal times – an often open plan to Saturday & Sunday mornings the weekends means less structure, but you know what? I’m fine with that. I still avoid crap, it’s just my meal times are different.

A myth that frustrates me is the ‘high cost of healthy eating’, I have concluded that eating healthily doesn’t cost any extra, in my opinion. Neither does it take any longer to cook. One of my favourites at the moment is beef stir fry, minutes to prepare, good balance of protein and veg and keep me full!

My food budget hasn’t got any larger, it’s just about eating the right things to fit into a busy life and buy food to enjoy.

What’s your favourite healthy food / snack?

Another new test this week – I failed too…or did I?

I tried something that I’ve always wanted to do, the old pull up on a high platform structure.

I’d done well to this point at ab and core strengthening. I’ve been doing some additional reading up on ab workouts recently and decided to give the bar a go as it would increase the stability and muscle in my midriff and surrounding areas even further.

Having got over the emotive ‘I don’t want to make myself look like a tit failing at the gym’ attitude a while back, I adapted my hand grip and lifted myself up and beyond once – not bad – but then proceeded to struggle. I hated that, but then, if I had tested some of the weights I use now 4 months ago I would have struggled and failed, this test was my first attempt. If it was easy it wouldn’t be such a challenge.

It’s something that’s now on my goal list, the technique is fine, it’s building the strength. I walked off thinking that I hadn’t done what I set out to do, but in one way I had – at least I got up there. I don’t worry about failure in the gym – we’ve all been there and it tests our attitude, right?

Plus, I’ve got another objective on my hands here – that bar will be conquered, I tell you that. It won’t happen overnight, but neither will a 6 pack, why did I think I’d go straight into a set of 5 or 10 from the off?!

I will blog about it again once I’ve built that muscle up, it will happen – day by day, week by week. *Cue Rocky Music*

What was your last ‘fitness failure’ and how did you conquer it?

There are many motivators that grace our week. Be it the PT giving you knowledge and strength or supportive family and friends, there are a large number of people willing you on to succeed and push you.

There is a lot of noise when it comes to fitness advice when you’re first starting out and having found one my main problems to be undefined goals in the past, you find yourselves naturally drawn to positive insight to not only smash your own target but to help encourage others on their journey too.

I have some fantastic friends on Twitter, willing me on, full of advice and support, you know who you are…and also through a series of books, Twitter searches and observations, I’ve found that there is an army of people out there willing you to push you towards your goals, help you through the successes and also with the bumps in the road. The #Fitfam….and I thank you guys!

I must admit I don’t how it started, but through a simple hashtag, there is a world of positivity, scorn on the negatives and whole lot of inspiration and thats my type of forum…

So thank you #fitfam for being my online personal trainer, I’ll help where I can, share my thoughts, successes and the challenges as we all push towards our goals throughout the year together.