I started strength training at the start of the pandemic after years of letting a misguided commitment to running shake my knees. I’ve long known the value of strength training using compound lifts (exercises that use multiple joints and muscle groups simultaneously, like a bench press or squat). But I didn’t realize what I could accomplish on my own until a virtual trainer introduced me to adaptive fitness, which uses adaptive equipment to prioritize the functional fitness needs of disabled and injured athletes. With this approach, I can finally exercise my remaining left arm, which ends just past my elbow, and gain muscle mass and achieve functional daily strength that I previously didn’t think possible.
Let’s make one thing clear: I’m not an inspiration to exercise with one hand. Most disabled athletes (myself included) are simply doing what they can to stay fit. However, we do face some unique challenges when it comes to exercise, and sometimes we use slightly different tools.
“Coaches don’t need to buy expensive equipment to properly serve adaptive athletes,” said Alec Zirkenbach, executive director of the Adaptive Training Academy, which educates personal trainers on adaptive fitness. The same applies to you. These are some of my favorite pieces of adaptive exercise equipment.
For Versatile Strength Training: Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are often recommended to people looking for a simple, graded strength training system that can be easily used at home. the five piece Bodylastics Stackable Tube Resistance Bands establish (our choice for four years) includes a wide selection of resistance grades and positioning options to help transform an entryway into an exercise station. These bands (combining for a claimed weight of 96 pounds) come with two handles and a pair of padded ankle straps, which are adaptable: they can be attached to stumps or hands that standard handles can’t; I have done this with my left arm to perform rows and flies.
For grip assistance: weightlifting hooks
Weightlifting hooks are a specialty item for experienced lifters, but they’re also great assistive devices for athletes of all skill and experience levels. Designed to ease the burden on your hands and wrists, they allow you to exercise beyond limiting factors such as grip fatigue or slipping. (I discovered them through an Instagram friend, who wraps a hook around his stump, and had to try them out myself.) DMoose lifting hooks They are made of non-slip coated steel hooks and nylon velcro straps, which keep the weight stable in front and distributed along the limb. This reduces the stress required on the hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow to grip a bar. Because of the length of my residual limb, I actually found these hooks to be more helpful for my right hand when doing one-handed exercises like one-handed kettlebell swings. For other tools that help with grip, Emily Kramer Throckmorton, executive director of Kaizen Athletics, recommends active hands.
For a comfortable and loaded hold: medicine balls
You might be surprised to learn that those menacing-looking medicine balls in the gym are actually great adaptive fitness tools. Depending on an athlete’s gripping ability, it can be challenging to hold dumbbells or kettlebells. But a medicine ball can easily be held between the arms (for squats or overhead presses) or between the legs (for basic exercises like leg raises or Russian twists). Despite being roughly the same size, Rebel Medicine Balls They range in weight from 4 to 30 pounds. Their flexible, vinyl-coated shells can be securely squeezed and comfortably supported, unlike dumbbells or kettlebells. Medicine balls can also provide balance and support for athletes with limb differences during exercises like rock climbers and push-ups, like Para swimmer Jessica Smith. demonstrated on Instagram. like medicine balls, sandbags it can provide resistance if you can’t grip traditional dumbbells, Zirkenbach said. “They’re great multi-tools, like a Swiss army knife in the gym,” she added, noting that they can even be used to hold a wheelchair in place for seated athletes.
For help with two-handed lifts: Equip Products Aldridge Arm Harness & Strap
equip products stands out as one of the few manufacturers of truly adaptable fitness equipment, offering a variety of items specifically for seated and low vision athletes (including cardio, fitness ropes for seated athletes) and those with upper body disabilities. For strength training, people with upper body injuries or disabilities may find the Equip Products Aldridge Leash and Arm Harness to be a game changer. The crossover nylon harness is two inches thick and padded with neoprene to distribute weight across an athlete’s torso, allowing them to perform balanced deadlifts, farmer’s carries, and other traditionally two-handed lifts. (This video shows it in action.) The harness’s D-ring (rated for 10,000 pounds) is attached to a polyester strap, which wraps around the weight to be lifted. I am able to perform single handed barbell balanced deadlifts thanks to the Aldridge Arm. However, the strap can be uncomfortable for breast lifters and I am still trying to adjust the fit. In the meantime, I’ve joined an online community of weightlifters (thanks to the beasts) and have defended the most important exercise rule: coherence.
This article was edited by Ingrid Skjong and Tracy Vence.
Sources
1. Emily Kramer Throckmorton, CEO and founder of Kaizen Athleticsemail interview, July 8, 2022
2. Alec Zirkenbach, CEO of adaptive training academytelephone interview, June 23, 2022
