in a wheelchair, need upper body resistance band workouts....details inside.

[bdburnside]

hey, im new to the site and i have a few questions if you can help. im in a wheelchair but i workout daily (5 days a week, weekends to rest) i know its good to rest in between but im an all or nothing kind of guy. all i can do is upper body and the only equipment i own is resistance bands. (the heaviest is 50 lbs but you can combine them for greater resistance) im currently using the 2 weakest bands together to get more resistance, should i stick to heavy weight low reps or should i do lighter resistance and more reps? also, the only workouts i can think to do right now are bicep curls, band bench press, and rows....any other ideas? thanks!!!

[jonstosik]

You could use the band in a similar way to bench press in order to do a seated shoulder press.
Lateral raises could be another alternative for shoulder exercises.

If possible you could do chin ups/ pull ups without any equipment, just find a bar/ door frame to use.
You could do an exercise similar to reverse cable flyes using the bands as well.

Other people might have more useful suggestions.

General rule in terms of reps -

Heavy weight low reps for strength (1-5 reps), lighter weight higher reps for hypertrophy (8-12 reps)

[bdburnside]

was this a reply to my post? it never notified me.

[davisj3537]

was this a reply to my post? it never notified me.

It never does unless you subscribe to the thread I believe.

In general if you want size then stay in the 8-12 rep range. If you want to be stronger then go 5 or below.

[bdburnside]

id like to be both, lean but strong as well

[KarD786]

You can also get in some shrugs with your resistance bands. You can also do some tricep extensions. I would stick with a rep range of 6-10. But diet is what is most important. What does your diet look like?

By the way i know you said you're an all or nothing guy but sometimes by not resting you're doing yourself more harm. Not saying that's the case with you cas 5 days on 2 days off isn't too extreme. Listen to your body, after a while you'll KNOW times when you need a break

[davisj3537]

id like to be both, lean but strong as well

You'll get the best of both worlds if you switch every week from 3x12 to 5x5. I did it for quite awhile and loved the results till I got into powerlifting. All strength these days.

[bdburnside]

my diet is basically what i can afford. i buy lots of chicken,raw spinach, and oatmeal. basically anything thats good for me that i can afford.

[davisj3537]

my diet is basically what i can afford. i buy lots of chicken,raw spinach, and oatmeal. basically anything thats good for me that i can afford.

This is basically what I do as well. I'll never be a pro body builder and the main reason is dieting. It is important but you don't have to be hardcore about it. You know what is bad for you and what is good. Stick more on the good side and you should see good results.

[Nosepull]

you gotta track and reduce calories if you want to get lean, that has nothing to do with weights.

another good band exercise is pull-aparts, which is exactly what it sounds like.

[bdburnside]

you gotta track and reduce calories if you want to get lean, that has nothing to do with weights.

another good band exercise is pull-aparts, which is exactly what it sounds like.

what should my daily calorie number be? right now im at about 16-1800, i was at 12-1500 before but i was told if im going to work out i need to eat more. is that true? also, any thoughts on taking whey protein

[bdburnside]

This is basically what I do as well. I'll never be a pro body builder and the main reason is dieting. It is important but you don't have to be hardcore about it. You know what is bad for you and what is good. Stick more on the good side and you should see good results.

thanks for the advice bro. i appreciate all the help i can get.

[davisj3537]

what should my daily calorie number be? right now im at about 16-1800, i was at 12-1500 before but i was told if im going to work out i need to eat more. is that true? also, any thoughts on taking whey protein

That sounds about right to me. You can look up your calorie maintenance number and then subtract roughly 500. I'm not sure how sedentary a life you might live in a wheelchair and how that can affect your calorie maintenance number. Your body will tell you what works and what doesn't. If you want to lose weight and eating 1600-1800 isn't doing it after several weeks then bump it down a bit.

As for protein you should be getting plenty. At least 150 grams a day for your size. If you can get it all through your diet then great, but if not then adding in some whey is good. Casein before bed is fantastic since it absorbs slowly.

[bdburnside]

That sounds about right to me. You can look up your calorie maintenance number and then subtract roughly 500. I'm not sure how sedentary a life you might live in a wheelchair and how that can affect your calorie maintenance number. Your body will tell you what works and what doesn't. If you want to lose weight and eating 1600-1800 isn't doing it then after several weeks then bump it down a bit.

As for protein you should be getting plenty. At least 150 grams a day for your size. If you can get it all through your diet then great, but if not then adding in some whey is good. Casein before bed is fantastic since it absorbs slowly.

i stay as active as i possibly can. taking out trash, cleaning up around the house etc. how soon should i expect results if im dieting/working out properly? (so i know if i need to adjust my caloric intake)

[davisj3537]

i stay as active as i possibly can. taking out trash, cleaning up around the house etc. how soon should i expect results if im dieting/working out properly? (so i know if i need to adjust my caloric intake)

Optimally if you are cutting by 500 a day (fairly standard) then you'll lose 1lb a week. Your body fluctuates a few lbs daily so after a few weeks if you haven't seen results then modify it accordingly.

[bdburnside]

any opinions on shadow boxing with 5lb weights? good or bad workout?

[leelameema]

Walmart has the Tubes (like bands) with handles on the ends. If you can get someone to put a hook up high like the top frame of a door way inside part of frame . You hook the Tube over it you could do pull down work facing the door frame then you could face away from door and do pushing down work. Yes shadow boxing is great but better yet get yourself a speed bag I am addicted to hitting a speed bag. I got mine at Tiltleboxing.com Speed bag work is a great cardio and gives you a nice upper body.

[bdburnside]

Walmart has the Tubes (like bands) with handles on the ends. If you can get someone to put a hook up high like the top frame of a door way inside part of frame . You hook the Tube over it you could do pull down work facing the door frame then you could face away from door and do pushing down work. Yes shadow boxing is great but better yet get yourself a speed bag I am addicted to hitting a speed bag. I got mine at Tiltleboxing.com Speed bag work is a great cardio and gives you a nice upper body.

i have bands like that, that i use now. thanks though. also id get a speedbag if i could but i live in an apartment and i cant attach it to anything on the wall or ceiling. maybe they have some with a stand.

[leelameema]

They do come with a stand that holds a heavy bag on one side but i don't think its adjustable I believe its standing height. Maybe you can get a friend or family member to custom make you one . It would be cool if it was attached to a flat piece of plywood that you can roll onto that way your body weight holds it steady .

[bdburnside]

They do come with a stand that holds a heavy bag on one side but i don't think its adjustable I believe its standing height. Maybe you can get a friend or family member to custom make you one . It would be cool if it was attached to a flat piece of plywood that you can roll onto that way your body weight holds it steady .

i found a speedbag that you can stick to a desk or table, might get that. pretty good price too. but yea that would be a cool idea too lol

[leelameema]

I just googled tabe top speed bag please don't waste money on that it's really just a toy . Save your money . Let me do some research for you . I"ll be back In my Arnold voice .
Meanwhile check out " speed bag exercise" on YouTube . Look for this dude called
" Speed bag Scissor hands " omg he is crazy good.

[bdburnside]

I just googled tabe top speed bag please don't waste money on that it's really just a toy . Save your money . Let me do some research for you . I" ll be back I my Arnold voice .
Meanwhile check out " speed bag exercise" on YouTube . Look for this dude called
" Speed bag Scissor hands " omg he is crazy good.

appreciate that. will do.

[leelameema]

Hey check your private messages I sent you some info

leelameema