I'm Back!!!

Happy New Year everbody! 2013 is going to be a great one! I got a fortune cookie that said in 3 months from today (December 27, 2012), something really good will happen. And everybody knows that fortune cookies speak the truth!

Today was my first day back---back in the BZ (BurnZone...aka the workout studio), back with my Nicole, and back to the hardcore workouts! Nicole had me roll up to the TRX right away! I leaned my chair pretty far back, and reached up to grab the TRX handles. Nicole had me do a sit-up in order to reach the handles...worrking out before the workout begins...it's good to be back! Once I got the handles, I pulled myself up, raising my upper body (mostly) and hips (a lil) out of the wheelchair.

I then raised my feet up/did leg lifts while I was pulling up on the TRX.

Then, it was time to get some use out of the 4 lb weights. I grasped a weight in each hand, and brought my elbows out to the sides (keep in mind that I'm still tilted back in the wheelchair). With Nicole helping to kinda guide my arms, I pushed the weights up, then slowly bringing them back down to bent elbows. At one point, I think Nicole just got bored with the up and down motion, because she mixed it up a bit by having me one arm, then the other, 2 on the right arm, and 2 one the left.

Giving my arms a rest, Nicole went and stood by my feet. She wanted me to lift only the right leg, keeping the left leg in the bent/sitting position. It took a lot of concentration, but I was able to bring the right leg up without moving the left leg! It of course, took a few tries, my left leg would start to lift up, and drop back down once the right leg was going up. Yet, I was able to figure out a way to keep my left leg down and relaxed while the right leg did all the work!

I lifted and released the right leg only a number of times, then we practiced raising my knees. First I raised the left knee multiple time. Then the right knee. Then both knees simultaneously. Last but not least, I tried raising one knee after the other, like I was walking.This remains as a challenge for me, but it is obviously something i have been working on and need to continue to work on.

Next, it was sit-up time. I was relieved to hear Nicole's positive feedback because sit-ups are something I've been doing every night for a little ove a month and a half...(I think,,,). I started out with 25, and I worked my way up to 175 sit-ups per night. I secretly desire a 6-pack! ;)

Nicole made the sit-ups harder for me by having me raise up both legs and hold them up there while I sat-up, reaching for my toes. If this sounds hard, IT WAS! And Nicole randomly threw these in (5 at a time) the rest of the session.

Then, it was back to the arms with the 4 lb weights.With a weight in my right hand, Ibrought my straight arm out to the side (my wheelchair is still tilted back). And with Nicole helping to guide my arm, I brought the weight up above my chest with a straight arm. When I finished with the right arm, I switched the weight over to the left.

Lastly, I unreclined my w,chair and sat up straight. I grabbed ahold of the TRX above my head, and I pulled myself up to a stand. Nicole and I just wanted to see where I was at as far as my muscles go. Her and I are going to just work on muscle training this week, to get me back in the swing of things, then we'll do more standing next week...and standind workouts after that. Yeah, I said standing workouts! My Pops bought me this rock climbing harness and a couple of straps that can be hooked to the sides of the harness and to a beam in my garage...I know that I did a horrible job explaining that set-up! My Mom's going to call me up when she reads this..."That doesn't sound safe!" But anyhoo, that will be my exciting new way of getting the muscles in the back of my thighs a good workout!