The TRX

From Michelle:

Tonight my abs are achey and my calves have a constant, subtle burn feeling. That just means one thing: I had a gooood work-out! Once again, Nicole put me through the ringer...but it was worth it!

 

We started with the usual arm warm-ups. They hurt like hell every time! Usually, Nicole does them with me so she's gotta feel the burn too, but today she bowed out and I had to move my arms in tiny circles all by my lonesome!

 

Nicole was pretty excited to have me get going on the newest toy in my work-out routine. The TRX. Sounds intense, huh!?! So the TRX is this contraption that hangs from the ceiling (it kind of looked like some sex-swing-thingy...can I say that?) and has two handles. Nicole had me line up my wheelchair underneath it and lean myself as far back as the chair would go. Then, with sturdy grips, my task was to pull my entire upper body up, out of the wheelchair. After a good amount of those, the "easy" version, Nicole raised my legs and had me simultaneously pushing my legs into her chest, and doing the "pull-ups." I was feeling my core muscles burning, my forearms aching, and my calves & thighs pushing through the pain!

 

Then we did exercises holding weights. The one that made me nervous and, at the same time, most satisfied with my ability  to pull it off, was the exercise that worked my lateral core muscles. I would lean all the way over to one side with the weight  in my grasp, then I would pull myself up and over to the other side. I really hope we continue to do this exercise because although I was able to do what Nicole asked of me, I would like to confidently do the exercise with strength!

 

My right wrist was being weak and flimsy with the weight in my hand, so Nicole had me do this exercise with my wrists where I simply flicked them back and forth for 2 mins. Surprisingly, my muscles right below my wrist, burned! Nicole wants me to do that exercise everyday at home...AYE-AYE CAP'N!

 

Then it was time for the REAL work-out to begin! ;) I wheeled my chair back to the TRX and leaned all the way back again. Nicole raised my legs up, and focusing all of my strength into my legs, I pushed my right leg, then my left, into Nicole's chest. She leaned, and pushed back against my feet while I tried sooo hard, trying to kick her back into the wall! At the end of all of the hard work, I laughed and told Nicole that it felt like I was giving birth...with Nicole yelling for me to "push harder!," and me gritting my teeth and bearing down with all my might! Nicole laughed and said she thought of that too. After that, we looked down at my hips to find that they were all askewed. So, I pulled myself up with the TRX handles, and Nicole shifted me around by my straight legs...it was pretty funny, if you saw it!

 

Lastly, I pulled the resistance band across my body...with a bent elbow...and the goal was to feel it in my lats. I was pooped at the end of our session.