The Disability Bodybuilding Show: Recent Episodes
Matt Elson
Promoting the Global Development of Disability Bodybuilding - Celebrating Habits, Success & Sources of Inspiration from the UK & around the globe!
I went to the Naidex conference this past month, designed around accessibility, disability & inclusion, meeting so many people in the process, doing amazing work.I tried new adaptions via the exhibitor space that have could have potential enhance elements of my gym training. It was so good to see a variety of adaptive pieces of equipment for different environments – in the home, gym and other places.More recently, it got me thinking further about adaptions when training. I’ve often found I’ve had to be very creative and make things work around my programme as opposed to having anything tailored toward challenges with dexterity. Does anyone have any other experiences with trailered adaptive technology at the gym?I certainly do think there is more research going into this in recently. I don’t know the right answer for every adaption by all means, that being said, but it’s certainly looking likely there’s more items becoming available in the sector as an increasing number of people enjoy training and more products bring more inclusion and accessibility!It has taken me a while over the years to test and tweak a number of wrist straps and attachments to make my programme fit into my disability and I’m determined to help further – by at least signposting these.I’ve found a couple of products that work well for my own dexterity with cerebral palsy – my latest was a smaller but stronger stitched strap from 1MR. One piece I also sampled at Naidex was from Adaptive Hands with taping over the hand that secures a dumbbell in place – which I think would work very well for many.I learnt so much, felt very connected with a community working hard to make change, provide a voice and to create a spark that help provide ideas and importantly actions to take on this path.
Growing up I felt like I ‘should’ have been able to fit into a mould, Which through my cerebral palsy, I feel like I wasn’t able to, in many parts and I was left feeling quite isolated in many ways.It wasn’t until years later that I realised that I am not made to fit into a pre-determined box.You can create that mould as much as anyone else! I have the creativity and ability to carve what I would like and how I can serve and help others too!Among many things I learned with CP, is that the way forward can take many shapes with twists and turns, but it is your own path. That path can be filled with success, love and happiness. I’m gutted in a sense it took my a while to figure this all out, and yet I’m still on a journey. But I am certainly at peace with where I am at, and that there is still some moulding to do on my path, at my pace!
For a number of years growing up, lots of reactions to my disability painfully made me feel weak. Not through my own doing, which looking back, actually brought sadness. But what I didn’t realise at the time, those emotions would be later channelled into a positive….
A positive emotion because from the obstacles presented, the comments directed at the difference in my left sided cerebral palsy – highlighted the individual paths I found to make things happen along the way. Yes the ability to grow muscle fibres is very different from left to right but…
Resilience built from a determination in not being excluded from activities by finding a way forward…that has lasted a lifetime in many pursuits!
It’s ended up turning that into a positive effect as I’m sure it’s had an influence on the joy I find in training – I feel like I’m trying to solve a slightly different puzzle with a disability but I’m grateful to able to try and give it a go! 💚
There are challenges every day.
A new one to start, to continue or finish, but there is always an opportunity at a fresh platform upon waking.
I’ve had a number of hurdles as everyone does, I’m still trying to figure things out into my 30’s but I love the feeling of a new page to wake to.
This past week had required a slow down in pace due to some joint pain but still maintaining the thinking of a new day seems to always bring that spark about what can be done (if it has to be adapted) to make the morning ignite 🎉
Keep going my friends…
I couldn’t control the restrictive movement, but although I was far removed from this for years, I control how I feel about my movement in my cerebral palsy on my left side.
It’s too strong to say I hated my disability, but just saying that I had one was challenging for a long time. I didn’t want to stick out, have to answer questions with every new discussion – I didn’t want it to be a topic.
That’s changed over years – a transition that felt differently internally about I viewed myself and the structure that has grown with me. From annoyance at what I couldn’t do to accepting that help that could just make things easier, or at the very least, provide more options for me.
My new thinking of controlling how I feel from a negative to positive of what IS possible – with help along the way being part of that – brings empowerment. A sense that I can succeed, with how I can contribute with my body (not despite it).
I’m thankful to be able to control getting up, deciding how and when to train – and now have a platform of equipment to choose how to shape my body & the fact I can mould elements of this through bodybuilding is possibly one of the most powerful.
Having the power to create a structure for the stage is so empowering – that’s why I try to bring my energy to the stage if you’ve ever seen my routines – high energy music, a big smile and getting some reaction from the audience – because, well, we can!
It’s a joy and I’m grateful.
I wouldn’t have had the experiences I’ve had without people sharing their stories of their own journeys of opening doors & breaking down barriers.
It’s in part why I do this here. That I owe it to those who helped me build that confidence to pay things forward and shine a light either on my own past experiences or share someone else’s current story to shout loudly what they’ve done (if they would like to) to show what access there is & also what further access which should be there also.
I’ve made some wonderful friends through listening to their stories – some in a common direction toward a goal but each one different. In the disability community I’ve found a way to express my feelings like never before. I didn’t have the confidence 15 years or so ago to do that – I didn’t feel I had access to a community to share the challenges, the hurdles but also the ways forward and the help and sharing the successes too.
When I look back on the these past few years, they really have provided me with wonderful opportunities to meet new friends, go for competitions and take on challenges with bodybuilding I wouldn’t thought possible a little over a decade previously.
I’m very grateful.💚
There was a regular exercise I was given in my younger days during physiotherapy that was all about balance. How long could I stand unaided on my left side (compared to my right) the muscle tone has always been lower in my left and with other factors it remains a tricky discipline to carry out.
That being said I enjoyed (around the frustrations) the challenge – could I find a technique to help – could I use a distraction to move my thoughts away from movement issues and focus away enough to beat my previous time.
Now this was one of many a task to aid my overall left side function, one that isn’t lost on me to this day. There are still moments of frustration around my left sided alternative paths that do pop on occasions – but I quickly have to remember the practice!
The recent moment in question was earlier this week when attempting legs splits off a bench in my gym. I just couldn’t push my weight off on my left side which equated to me dangling for some time.
However, unlike what would be seen as so awkward and embarrassing say, 15 years ago, I recalled I’m in my gym to practice not to just add the weights, everyone who there is trying something new, something they maybe haven’t done before and it’s the practice and the persistence & support that aids this – I want to keep trying the balance and practice to take the smaller steps to something bigger down the line and I’m just the same as the young lad in the hospital physiotherapy room all those years ago
I’ve tried to keep things simple this week – a lot of recent trials with attachments and new exercises have had relative successes – however it’s not lost on me to keep things simple with my workouts, keeping in what works well for me and whilst taking in new ideas, keeping a solid base to work and improve on.
The FitXpo was something that had been on my calendar for months and there was much anticipation for a number of reasons.
Right up the top was to the chance to reconnect with friends and learn from industry experts but to also once again witness and support the opportunity for a mixed disability class to take to the stage in the Strom Classic during the weekend.
The event had everything – lots of opportunities to learn, with excellent talks throughout – meet great brands (with samples aplenty!) – There was that buzz – from competition, to reuniting with friends and personally exploring a new City in Liverpool…
This podcast, the blog & content has documented my thoughts, findings, challenges & positive angles when training & beyond.
What I’ve found really powerful is to take the time to schedule writing and transforming those into pods to try and make them as accessible as I can. This has helped me delve into areas that I’ve previously found challenging to express feelings around when going back over some hurdles growing up with CP. That being said it’s allowed me to make more sense of exercises done to help my growth and reasons behind it.
So, I’m asking this week – what do you want to hear / read more of? The weekly challenges with training (positive & difficulties) / prep stories / more of how it’s helped me outside of the gym??
I’d be interested to read / hear some thoughts to help more as we go along this journey in life.
I’m always on the lookout for something new or a tweak / improvement to make in many areas of my life and that starts with the springboard to my day that is the gym.
At first, the new adventure had lots of new ground to explore. Many weeks and months were spent going through many pieces of equipment - some were used as they were presented when I got there, others had to be figured out as time went by.
As the years passed I learned to approach every day as a learning curve. Even down to smaller details and also learning to…slow down. Certain things are better at a slower pace and in doing so knowing when to dial it down. This is how I’ve continued a path of development which helps build a longer term plan which breaks new ground further in the future - I continue to learn new things about my body and how my CP reacts to such exercises - but I want to enjoy that in the long term too and slowing things down allows me to appreciate that even more when looking at the bigger picture.
I remain incredibly grateful for the movement have in this life, no matter any frustrations this come along the path that at first glance may seem restrictive, but I’m often reminding myself that while I do have muscle limitation in structure, it could have been even more challenging had things not been as quick when I was born.
That drives the journey in many areas in my life and I’m faced with choices on the a daily basis between frustration and upset and finding the adaptions and the way forward.
I first entered a gym full of thoughts of the limitations, of what I couldn’t do. I would go around and take machines & even whole areas off my list of things, never thinking I would be able to use them. It was a long page! free weights, Barbell Cable cross with both handles. You name it, it was a long list But I could do a few things and even if I could work my right side for some of it I’d give it a try.
Something gradually changed. I think there was fear of judgement that I couldn’t achieve things, but in my experience gyms are very welcoming and I’ve been fortunate to have great support too…
Something I realised of late is how extra careful I need to be with the extent of the volume of my sets involving pressing a bar that includes my left hand within the lift.
I’ve long advocated the joy in finding different ways to adapt and seeing attachments around the gym to compliment my workouts have evolved into more of a need.
I’m experiencing more challenges with press exercises through my dexterity, which, does cause some frustration thinking of what I could do without that change – but it’s what I’ve got to work with – the key I’ve found is to gain further knowledge of the sets I can do and mix that volume up. A good example here was my continued frustration at not being able to execute a dumbbell shoulder press with my left side. I found I can’t safely lift it freely – but here’s the thing – my mission in there isn’t to use the shoulder press, but rather to work my delts….The mission was more to do with what can I use to work that muscle group? Answer…(after lots of trial and error) to use ankle straps attached to my arms to lift in front of me, taking any wrist movement out but still targeting my delts.
“What’s wrong with your hand?” Why do you have a limp?”
Yes, all questions posed to me when I was younger with CP. when I came into this world I didn’t know I had a disability, it was through those conversations I was told there was big differences. Differences that brought questions, some just purely out of curiosity, some of not so nice nature.
I found I had to unlearn that I wasn’t “broken”, it was just my make up, my structure. Finding the words to describe it to myself was hard enough, having to translate that to other people in my youth without going into mass detail but letting them know “I’m good, it’s a just different structure” takes time and energy.
Everything seem to go a million miles more faster at that age.
Where I’m at now, I’ve had 37 years to find my understanding of what cerebral palsy means to me. I have an open nature to questions, I love conversations about adaption and inclusion should people want to have a discussion and share experiences. I love the building community on social, thank you sharing your time with me.
And I’m not broken, it’s my unique structure!💚
A stunning event at the PCA Universe this past weekend featured top class athletes from across the globe competing in many categories.
The one closet to my heart that continues to grow and showcase top level competition kicked off the day as members of Team GB & Team Finland Mixed Disability class proved once again the incredibly high standard in our category!
Well into my 30’s now, recovery times are even more crucial with my training, HOWEVER! I still feel we’re only just getting started.
I’ve been training consistently for around 8 years, but I’m still learning every day, I think that’s why I still love it. Training and bodybuilding is a world of discovery. As is my own disability, I’ve asked questions of it my whole life. I understood I have cerebral palsy, but I’m forever asking what does it mean to me.
I loved getting to Exeter this past weekend to take in my first bodybuilding show of 2022!
Although I’m not competing this year, there is so much to learn during these times and a feeling of just enjoying the sport plays a huge part in travelling to support the competitors hard work throughout the season.
It took me back to when I first started bodybuilding – one of the best pieces of advice I received when I expressed an an interest in competing was to go to shows, learn, watch, ask questions and get a sense of what the day entails for those in the sport.
The last two weeks in the gym have been ones of recovery and discovery. It was certainly time to reset some things, freshen up the routine and to almost reconnect with my set up.
Its always important to keep things moving but to also try and keep some consistency. That being said, I have to make time to discover more about my body and its adaptability to my surroundings. I developed a good habit of trying to figure what works for me around my CP, but try to remind myself to stay inquisitive as to potential new exercises.
It’s comforting for me to finally piece things together to make an item of equipment work and incorporate that. There is also something to be said about taking some time to renew what can be done – with a new stance, attachment or angle that can bring a new perspective on my exercise….
Following on from the news earlier this year that 2022 was set to witness the largest number of opportunities within the disability category through the PCA & FITX, it was announced that the GPO UK federation are introducing two disability categories for their shows this year…
I’m still not comfortable in describing my left side as the ‘weaker’ of the two. Yes my right is the dominant area muscle wise but this is mostly down to working with a different structure.
Something that has played into my development with training is the question of symmetry. How do I train two separate sides of my body? Not wanting to risk injury to my left (CP side) but wanting to push higher with my right? It’s always proved to be a bit of a conundrum.
Here’s some of my thoughts. There has been a question of do I desire to try and achieve symmetry in my look? not only for presentation at shows but there is also a question of would it prevent injury when I’m older?
My take is that my right side has always been larger, and when any weight is on a bar my right tends to take the weight I feel but is greatly supported by my left – could I go heavier had I not HAD CP? most possibly, but then this is my structure and there’s been a desire to a) be sensible and prevent injury b) safely explore the boundaries of what I think I can achieve.
So I try to develop both sides and naturally try to build both and allow them to create the muscle at the rate it will develop.
One thing I can always ultimately control is the consistency I can bring within training.
If I can develop enough patience to explore, to test and try, it will give me enough hours to discover the tools I can use around the gym to work on specific muscle areas, left and right. This year is as much about allowing that time to have that discovery period to thinking of new ways to train and to share that journey too.
This goes for my left side with adaptions and also single side work on my right also.
The reality is, I’m getting older! There’s an acknowledgement on my part that my muscles on both sides will need more attention, but in different ways for different outcomes.
I’ve become aware of greater emphasis on looking after my joints throughout my life but to also continue to protect my muscle development too.
Throughout my childhood, a huge focus was given to stretching my muscle reach and provide the greatest chance of a deeper flexibility as I grew.
Nowadays, I’m more aware of the fatigue that is induced from day to day life and the impact the gym has on that too.
Thinking of this, it’s actually the source of my preference to train early in the morning.
I’ve attempted numerous sessions at either end of the day and given the choice, the mornings have won time and time again.
Daily stretching was a mammoth chore in my youth, I just wanted to play, it hurt like hell but I understood it’s need even though it’s harder at a young age to see the bigger picture.
I’m thankful for the persistence of many around me to encourage that stretching, as with age, particularly in my 20’s where I perhaps slacked a little with the practice, I knew in later days I needed to put more time to it to aid my fatiguing muscle.
Now I my 30’s I feel the requirement to start my day with a stretch. It’s deeply connected with my CP, but as a daily practice I feel it’s a good way to start my day, in light of my training schedule too.
It helps with my disability, but also as a discipline, something that I can use as a springboard to launch my day from, no matter the level of activity. It becomes a form of mediation almost, assisting mentally too, as I try to clear my mind as much as possible. It’s not perfect, but I certainly know when I haven’t done it which makes this even more pressing the following day.
I think as I grown, I’ve tried as best I can to make my CP my own path rather than see it as an immovable obstacle. It’s tough to move but we try! Times were bloody tough growing up, it’s the challenge of not understanding where this is suppose to fit when you have to remould areas of your life and carve out something. ultimately, I’ve found out years later, everyone is trying their best to create their own design and start from their own different platforms.
Into adulthood, I have developed a long term acceptance of the certain barriers I have to face day in day out. To the extent of having long term planning in place to ensure I’m aware of as many circumstances I may face down the line that I may need either help or assistance with.
Now, this isn’t to say that I’ve given up totally or I haven’t become frustrated that I can’t do something, but it’s taken decades to try and have mindset of looking more widely at adaptions and what is currently available. Questioning what is out there and how I can help, along with others to make that potential change happen. That’s a good investment of my time.
That said, I know from experience, it can be exhausting becoming frustrated by something longer term – but that’s not about me giving up, it’s learning to pivot to try and make something work for the circumstance I’m in…
A classic example of this was driving. Until I researched it, I didn’t quite know just how incredible it was that so much of one car can be adapted, in so many ways, for so many people. I want to thank those that fought for this or campaigned for changes, as I was left tired at the difficulties I faced with a manual car in my late teens.
Fast forward a decade, a conversation with an amazingly skilled, patient and connected driving instructor, I had a window on the possibilities of car adaptions. After a year of lessons, a connectable hand brake lever, a steering ball, I proudly drive an automatic.
This was long after thinking driving was out of reach. It has subsequently given me freedoms that I couldn’t imagine 15 years ago. Painfully, looking back it had been out there already, but I had taken years to turn my mindset and frustration because of the challenges of a manual car.
That’s why social media is so good at connection. It can be incredible at idea sharing, connecting and making things more accessible than ever before. I’ve learnt so much about others experiences and journey, more about my own condition and giving me more hope of change, acceptance and inclusion in the years to come.
Long may that continue!!
It’s challenging enough to subconsciously work through things differently with CP, add in the numerous observations at school that confirmed the obvious that yes it’s different, no I can’t do it the ‘conventional way’, but eventually I have been able to see the positive elements that have been created that through living with cerebral palsy, which goes far beyond the barriers….
It’s shaped my whole being. It’s helped in particularly ways that, growing up, I didn’t comprehend at the time. You see, having to seek the pathway to find an alternative, to look at things differently, to perhaps ask a different question because of cerebral palsy, shaped my attitude and decision making far more differently from a path I would have taken without it.
Now in a place in my life where I’ve had experiences like driving, working out, (even how to deal with nappies with cerebral palsy now I’m dad!) all have happened because the roads I’ve travelled to down the years. If it weren’t for cerebral palsy, I would not have my current skillset.
This is why now, it goes beyond a positive attitude too – it’s shaped my creativity, given me a set of tools to work from and I’ve tried to use those as best I can to create the life I have and help others too through understanding.
I’ve learnt and grown to not feel bitter about what I’ve missed out on, but thankful for the opportunities that have been on the path I’m on now. The attitude, the fight and grit CP has given me, I now see, outweigh my physical hurdles.
I didn’t know it at first, but I’ve actually been in strength training my whole life!
As you will know by now, I’m a keen fitness enthusiast, with one my primary aims is being to create an environment to strengthen my muscle development to help support my Cerebral Palsy.
I’ve trained consistently in a gym for nearly a decade now but I can actually trace my starting point 30 years ago in a physio room of a general hospital here in the UK.
Then, like now, there was much to learn about flexibility and movement. Whilst the greater emphasis in my younger days was to ensure the right support was there as my body grew throughout my youth, there was much focus on stretching, exercise, balance, strength building and finding ways to adapt.
I remember the long journey, often very early mornings, having exercises to practice and made aware of the importance of daily work to help shape my progress and how much it would benefit me in later life. Something that was extremely challenging to maintain and comprehend at the time but I think I understood it growing up.
As I reflect on those days, during cerebral palsy awareness month, I can only look back with a gratitude to those that helped at that hospital, a team there to slowly guide a practice in me that made me understand that although limitations were thrown at me early on (and remain), giving me options and something to work on certainly provided me with a platform to try and adapt, through working on flexibility, exercises and trying different tools to support daily life…it’s a search and practice I still continue to this day.
Social media is playing a huge part in delivering accessible information regarding training . Both in terms of how things can be done and achieved and celebrating and sharing ideas.
I’ve tried to be like a sponge with information – particularly with training practice and theory. This goes for nutrition and with trial and error with equipment use.
One of the major breakthroughs & successes I’ve had has been to watch, listen and learn from others, not only before I started training but to continue this as well.
The importance of representation of disabled influencers has been so key to my training. From confidence and the belief I too could give it a go, to the nuanced elements of the lifting movements with cerebral palsy. Some of the reflexes are not so easily attained and finding what’s right for you is key in this area.
That being said there are many movements that I now use in the gym that can be only attributed to many others who I’ve watched over the years and adapted it to their own unique style and given me the chance to learn & tweak it to my own style.
I almost feel I sense of responsibility that I owe to those who showed me to share it and pass on what I find works in the gym.
I’m always excited to find something new to try especially when there is an apparent (particularly on my part) requirement to have to adapt to make it work.
This is a fresh post as I got the chance to try some “battle ropes” for the first time at my gym this week.
I’ve decided to document this straight away as I want to use it as a marker and challenge to go through each stage of the adaptive process. You see, I wanted to give it a go but instantly knew I would have to work at this to make it better. See the video on this in my feed but I will need to experiment to make this exercise work.
Whether I liked or not I stood out. The biggest sign of my cerebral palsy was most obvious in my hand and that initiated often unwanted conversations about it growing up & at school.
Being asked questions about its origin, its look, its feel – were hard to process – I didn’t know how different it felt, I didn’t (and still don’t!) have a comparison…
It produced a yearning to just fit in, hide it, not wanting it to be part or the start of the conversation. To the point it almost became toxic, I didn’t want to be disabled, I didn’t want to identify as that.
In time, and this took years and years, the acceptance and furthermore, embracement of my disability as very much part of me, grew internally. How do I create, adapt, succeed, fail and grow?
This mindset shift was very gradual, but then a realisation…how can it not be part of me? Why shouldn’t it be part of me?
In time, reflecting back to those asking the questions to me, was it actually just as natural to ask about my difference? The difficulty I had was that these reflective questions were clouded by the bullying I suffered alongside those of genuine curiosity about my condition that I just couldn’t process early on.
It’s through all of that that I’m delighted that difference is celebrated now.
Beyond what I’ve had / still got in the eyes of society, I enter the gym with a similar purpose to huge number of people in many respects. That is to make a positive change, day by day.
We all train differently, we have different goals & different schedules. We adapt differently and find our own unique ways to get there on this journey….and that my friends is worth celebrating!
Evolving Accessible Fitness... The conversation continues!
There are many factors that ignite the fire within me to keep the conservation going with accessibility and fitness.
I think with each event, location, gym, workout, equipment, set & even rep I’m often thinking about how things can be adapted and changed. The more that is shared, the more we can learn from each other. That’s how we lift each other up on our journey.
I love speaking with fellow competitors and gym goers in the disability community, how we can come together to support each other’s adaptive techniques, ways to change to the game and to rise issues and concerns.
It’s something that has certainly helped since I entered a gym, seeing more people in the disability community sharing tips & experiences online gave me confidence to not try out things but to speak up, to challenge and how I could do things differently.
It’s provided me with...
Energy
Confidence
Strength – both physically & mentally
Belief
A passion
Knowledge
And a position to question – are we doing enough, what more can be done & how can I be better than yesterday?
And also…To not be afraid to fail
I want to just say thank you and a promise to not only be forever grateful for all of this but to give back. To help more people on this journey – through talking about it, sharing it, learning more from the journey and help build an even bigger community!
There has been an acceptance from myself that have to do things differently from many people. It’s a mental attitude picked up from an early age that I had to find alternative routes with things, so doing that in the gym wasn’t alien to me.
That being said, it was notion having to find my own way from the very start.
I didn’t know in my early years that what I was doing was far from “the norm” – it’s the environment we end up in and being told that “you’re different” that triggers this separation, but I didn’t understand until much later.
Here’s an interesting discovery I made...
There have been many reasons why I wanted to get into fitness over the years.
I remember my own journey starting just after Christmas 2013, so rather than scoff at “New Year” posts, I love seeing and engaging with the positivity from the drive that people have. I believe it’s takes courage to not only want to improve something, but to actually publicly state it, goes a long way to finding a way for it to stick.
The resilience I finally found in 2013 was through breaking things down at a slower pace when those opening weeks of excitement steadied. The realisation that my journey was going to be longer one to make the smaller changes noticeable over time took some getting used to.
The battle remains today even 8 years in, reminding myself that the challenging days will be there and to learn something each day that will help later & to experiment, test and be patient.
There are so many objectives ahead in 2022, more family activities, plans to get bigger physically, career development, sharing more stories, get more sleep, it could be literally endless. The issue I’ve realised at the turn of the year reflections is that I can’t cram it into 31 days.
My favourite go-to training programme for some time has been the variety offered from Fortitude Training by Dr Scott Stevenson.
As we enter the winter of 2021, I finished the first phase of a progressive blast lasting six weeks culminating in my current 14 day “intensive cruise”. Where the time is spent on a deload allowing my body to recover from the previous six week phase.
There have been various ways to construct an intensive cruise and I found it incredibly beneficial to allow my body time (particularly with cerebral palsy) to rebuild its energy stores.
3-5x more energy required for people with cerebral palsy.
That’s an astonishing piece information I received a few years ago, only pointed out to me from someone who had the same muscle structure as me.
No wonder I felt tired!
It was often lost on me that the tiredness I felt, the guilt, the annoyance, the frustration, All emotions playing out surrounding general performance, particularly with sport was answerable because of CP.
My mind wants to go!
It’s a very infuriating element sometimes. That being said, it doesn’t prevent me from researching my own body and managing the energy....with some caffeine to help along the way as I made me way into my 30’s!
The energy equation has had me realising that I HAVE to manage my performance, at the gym, work and in other environments in such a way that brings my best with my disability. Much of this also accounts for how other challenges are tackled too...lots and lots of pre-planning...
To have a chance to improve To move To ponder To experiment To change To be free To build strength To challenge myself To be ok not to ok sometimes To have space To be still To create To explore To question To build To thrive I’m grateful...
I like the term “improvements season” – the transition from a pre-contest to post (physical) fitness contest or ‘off season’ is not always as straight forward as I think it will be sometimes…
To elaborate, so much time and energy around the gym is allotted to the season ending finale with often a single focus on that last bodybuilding show, whilst perhaps being beneficial for that event, it brings with it an almost inevitable void thereafter which is not always easy to replace.
Having finished 3rd in my disability category at the PCA British Finals in October, I’ve settled on an improvement year in 2022, before stepping back onto the competition stage in 2023. That being said, whilst initially stating that the focus on a physical level is to improve strength in the gym, it’s good to also turn attention to my mental fitness too.
A start of a different set of occasional podcasts covering life as a “Daddy with a Disability!”
It’s wonderful but there were some questions as I prepared for Fatherhood around my #cerebralpalsy. Tackling potential challenges with being a Daddy with a Disability much like other hurdles in life!
Discussion One: How will I hold them?
Starting a family was something I had looked forward to for a significant time & finding out I was going to be a parent was a wonderful moment but looking back there were also some previous long held worries about adapting to life as a Father with a disability (cerebral palsy in my case).
With babies, my perception was that the looking after of one came with lots of multi-tasking, involving hands and that brought concerns with how I would cope, potentially on my own times - with feeding, nappies, seat belts, clips or harnesses. In addition to help they would need growing up with hair, clothing, climbing and fixing things.
Saying that, above all else I wanted to be a Dad, to grow a family and to bring along all that experience growing up, together with my amazing wife’s help, we have adapted around my disability with everything else in our lives.
The crucial thing I learnt in the early days is to remain calm and adapt to each situation as you would in any other challenge in your life around you. Each challenge my disability has presented me is an opportunity to fashion a unique solution in life.
We have big goals and dreams. Some will be in touching distance, others maybe so far away that they barely seem reachable....for now. I try to work and improve on my thinking a little more every year when attempting new goals - from my gym work, my career and wider changes. It’s always a learning process.
Disability #bodybuilding: Growing Opportunities in 2022”
From Exeter to Motherwell, Birmingham in the UK to Florida in the USA!
Reviewing the huge number of events with a mixed disability category coming up in 2022... Also on disabilitybodybuilding.com
My two little girls have, at various times asked me in that direct, curious way they would with anything that fascinates them “Daddy, what’s it like having one smaller hand?”....
There a number of factors that often make up our “why”
Why do I want to do bodybuilding?
To prove something to myself?
For Current me?
For Past me?
Or Future me?
I’ve often referred to contest prep as stretching an elastic band, experimenting how far it can be pulled without snapping. Extending it a little, holding it steady, maybe relaxing the tension now and again - but always being in control of energy around it.
It’s been a good way to explain how I feel during a prep season!
It was the very end of the World Chanpionships in 2018 and the emotion came at me like a wave, I wasn’t expecting to be sat in the foyer in the Birmingham Repertory Theatre that day tearful. Tearful because the journey was over. I’d done a number of bodybuilding shows that year, to prove to myself I could get better, to help the exposure of the disability class and learn much from the events themselves, but then it was over, now what?
It can get better I know, there so much growth in this space to push and achieve, It’s been too long to turn many issues around on numerous occasions...
HOWEVER!
There is a movement, a number of people and organisations that are spearheading some fantastic opportunities for the disabled community and/or continue to break barriers on a wider scale which reach society further and provide support to bridge gaps.
Yes, there are many gaps, but it is getting better. I say this as I build a social media feed full of positive aspect around people with a disability and the changes that are being made - brilliant organisations and individuals driving things forward. So while Yes, there are difficult discussions and challenges to have today and ahead, there is also so much good being done, action being taken, It’s important to survey the great work driving change right now.
Thank you to everyone making a difference, it means so much!
I’ve been privileged to do a number of shows over the last few years and each present it’s own challenges. I want to try new exercises often, with that brings some barriers to navigate to make them effective and the need to study my approach to some pieces of equipment.
There is a balance I feel between being in a place where everyone has the same availability of equipment in the gym but also having to look at the ways I have to adapt to each piece. It’s quite the conundrum at times but, in quirky way, I love it. It challenges me mentally as well as physically, starting an initial thought process of ‘how the hell can I use this’ to identifying the best use for the targeted muscle area.
I absolutely love bodybuilding shows. I love my time on stage, however I also try to totally immerse myself in the whole experience throughout a weekend.
If I’m competing (like I did this past weekend in Birmingham) I find myself preparing hour by hour from about 2 days out to the time our category is called up.
After which is also a great time to stay around to learn from others. Generally speaking the disability class tends to be toward the start of day so there’s a lot to think about in the evening before / morning of. I thrive best when I prepare so knowing where I’m at is key.
Having been in the sport for 5/6 years now I’ve developed some great relationships around the shows and what is lovely is that there’s always opportunities to meet new people too and develop some great friendships year after year - it’s such a vibrant experience so it’s always worth soaking up this atmosphere.
The PCA Midlands was another great event. Back in Birmingham for they first time since before the pandemic, experiencing the familiar surroundings and catching up with friends just added to the occasion. The show itself was superb, full of encouragement, positivity and energy and as always an opportunity to learn and develop.
Grateful as ever for the opportunity to compete with federations offering a disability class - it provides great accessibility and diversity in the sport we love.
Securing a 1st place and an invite to the British Finals served up the icing on the cake but the memories will also be one of a celebration of many friends who either competed, met back up again and rejoiced that bodybuilding is back again this year and it’s better than ever!
It’s a special episode this week as I take you through some highlights from this weekends bodybuilding show!
First up, it’s the FIT X Federation South Coast in Bournemouth - really thankful for an opportunity to compete and not too far to go and it proved be a fabulous weekend. Meeting up with friends, making new ones and even dinner with my Brother whom I hadn’t seen in 2 years!
More to come this week as I head to Birmingham for the PCA, again I can’t wait to see some old friends and get my trunks on again to promote disability bodybuilding.
Thanks as ever for listening hope you enjoy and we’ll see you next week!
With the Bodybuilding season in full swing, I’ve found a list I made a couple of years ago which helped so much for future shows that took in all the info from my previous first few events in the days leading into & during the shows that saved a lot of time! Here are some lessons from those first few comps...
As much as it’s difficult to admit on occasions, fatigue does creep up on me, it’s par for the course with cerebral palsy, though I only really discovered the reasons why much later in my 20’s.
Sometimes struggling through gym sessions or longer days, I do tend notice it towards the end of the day, be that through bigger limps or general fatigue. It was only recently I discovered it was in part due to the condition of having to expend more energy because of this. That being said, much like a large proportion of my life, it was a case of doing a bit more to bring myself up to a certain level without knowing it.
Each putting their sport on the map...Again!
After the success of the Olympics, our summer of sport continues with the Paralympics launching in Tokyo this week.
I love the competition, the stories and team coming together throughout these weeks we are witnessing. I was massively inspired in 2012 & 2016 after these events, to try new things, to have a go and see how far I could push my body, to figure how to adapt to different sports and I credit a large amount of that to our athletes from both games for giving me that push...
I’ve documented my journey in bodybuilding but I’ve also taken on the Newport Velodrome where our athletes had been training before Rio.
An interview with Josh discussing all things disability sport. He broke barriers & he created his own path with great success! From athletics to bodybuilding - the achievements, the challenges and the future of the sport - we covered so many areas in this exciting episode of The Disability Bodybuilding Show!
Enjoy!
It’s a phrase I’ve seen a lot of recently in the years I’ve been competing, one which holds much meaning.
To me, it signifies a point where the results of your work are starting to pay off, it’s a marathon not a sprint and putting the structure in place to see you through to your target.
It’s delightful to come across so much opportunity for disability athletes across so many sports - can there be more? Of course, but there is SO much to celebrate, enjoy and challenge for this year and it gets better and better!
More than half way through 2021 would you believe?!
I keep tabs on things on a weekly basis, for two major reasons, to look forward and plot the days ahead & to review time that has passed to reflect & to see how far things have come.
This also helps me tweak things a little without wild drastic changes day to day in any discipline be that workout set ups or nutrition.
The last 18 months has created a huge amount of unexpected change, for everyone. It’s been disorientating for many and without realising too much at the time it affected me greatly, but through breaking down elements, change was slowly processed and provided a blueprint for a very recent change in circumstance which I’d love to share with you now...
As my training has developed over the years, the major hurdles that I’ve needed to change from a physical perspective has not only been working around “standard” equipment and being patient with learning what fits but to understand my body to greater degree as it gets older.
Throughout life, you will face obstacles - either physical barriers or stumbling blocks from some who say you can’t achieve something because of a hurdle.
I tried to change that mindset into what CAN be done, ask what is possible and trying to let the creativity flow.
You Can!
We Can!
Every Day!
Awareness Accessibility Assistance
Can we do more? What can be done? I’m opening up a broader discussion to see how improvements can be made, to make things more accessible in the future. How can we access more individual tailored plans that can help everyone’s unique path in fitness and invite contributions into how this can be achieved.
Delving into the challenges of muscle building and development presented from dexterity issues.
From battling fears to finding solutions with attachments and lessons learnt!
Continuing with a look back at some lessons learnt from growing up with cerebral palsy, a huge part was adapting to life with splints.
In all weathers day and night, these were created to bring stability to my growth but I can now understand their importance, what it means in my life now and how grateful I am for people around me who supported me to make me realise how much they would help...
A podcast that helped me begin to unpick some lessons I’ve gained from revisiting the often challenging place of thinking about my regular physio appointments in my younger days & learning to grow, live & thrive with and around cerebral palsy.
Though these appointments were seemingly obstructive at the time, the daily practice of the exercises I was given helped develop some key lessons to take with me and use into adulthood - from learning to use things at home, work & within the gym & fitness.
On the podcast today...
Day One. For a fresh start, a renewal, a new springboard - today I start to unpick how to keep that drive of the first day going - on & on.
Discussing the moments I fell back and how I continued to tweak things to keep my routines fresh.
Discussing learning to understand that my way was a different path, quite different from expectations.
As I grew, I found it a great challenge to explain my ‘difference’. Cerebral Palsy is difficult to hide even if you want to, and pull attention away from it.
Doing things differently, I’ve found, fascinates.
That I’ve asked myself regarding my disability, that I’ve asked regarding the situations I’ve been faced with, but also moving forward with an amazing group of people in the disabled bodybuilding category & the fitness community as a whole. To challenge, to change and to help drive inclusion at all levels!
Enjoy!
The roar of support. Coming together to cheer everyone on & binding all the collective efforts, can work wonders.
In this mental health awareness week, I reflect on different communities I have loved being a part of. Communities that help each other, build each other up.
Full of love, respect and support.
I thank them for that.
I’ve spent a great amount of time trialling and incorporating the different attachments available at the gym to help with training with a disability. Today I’ll share those discoveries and how that has impacted my programme & approach to my workouts with cerebral palsy.
From rejecting help to embracing the unique path.
Today, I start to unpick how I began to accept and celebrate my disability and gratefully turn challenges into opportunities to find creativity...from driving to fitness!
Reflections on the transition back to the gym, what it means for accessibility in terms of equipment and building a platform to enter my next disability bodybuilding competition later in the year!
Unpicking the mental, physical & emotional lifts that a return to the gym has provided. The platform, the early morning springboard and the gratitude from being able to reconnect with staff, friends and multiple benefits from a renewed routine...
Physically, I have some different hurdles when bringing various sets into play in my gym, at home or just picking up a weight, but I know, the mindset and approach I can take to it is mine alone.
In this episode...
A short journey discussing the joys of trying something new, to keep evolving and bring your unique approach to training - your discovery, your style, your way!
Hit Subscribe and head over to disabilitybodybuilding.com for more!!
On this episode, as we start to view the end of the tunnel from this pandemic, I explore the changes that have been made, the challenges in adapting not just with training, but life in general with a disability.
What changes could be made after lockdown, what we revert back to from previous routines and what can we take forward - and how can we make things better?
Free feel to reach out if there are any particular topics you’d like covered in the future
I wanted to share those moments that really helped me challenge fear with my disability - Be that in the gym or entering a competition.
Those fears were always there and still have an impact, however the experiences of getting through them and creating those unique paths to achieve the goals in the past are helping shape future ambitions and targets!
Looking at how I try to navigate through new temporary routines when previous long-term ones have been set for months and years. Do you tweak it? Reset it? I’ve tried looking a little further at building momentum whatever stage we are at...
Recorded in early January, prior to the current lockdown. Discussing various habits & routines that have helped in many ways through the years and particularly during the last few months...
A few weeks since the gyms reopened, I start to explore the full re-engagement process of my favourite training programme. Coupled with the start of the review of new habits and strategies of goal setting during 2020.
Discussing trying to process our new environment & the reengagement of routines and creating an adapted structure that has helped through these challenging times - physically, mentally & emotionally.
How do you process something that’s so personal to everyone in different situations and also unprecedented? There is no manual and everyone is approaching and dealing with this in their own way.
Despite entering the gym to improve my fitness 6 years ago, I questioned myself as I scanned the room...how on earth do you / can you do this?
What if I drop something, what if I get trapped in that press, what if I look stupid, what if they think I shouldn’t be here. I’m not sure how removed from other people’s experiences that thought process was but I vividly remember those moments from my first visit.
I’m not sure exactly when, but suddenly, the penny dropped...EVERYBODY is in here to improve...The gym is a place of encouragement, an appreciation that if you see a beginner, people acknowledge & celebrate a start of a journey and that was the start of adapting through my fear...
Taking a slightly different look at the 10 year transformation as I reflect back on my mindset with my disability into the new decade, the connections that have helped my confidence & what I want to give back.
I look back at the challenges my parents faced as I grew up with a disability and their determination for me to have as many opportunities as possible in life & how that has helped shape my mindset with training & competing
A warm welcome & introduction to the show. Detailing the “Why” behind it, the links to disabilitybodybuilding.com and how I want to help people, showcase our amazing growing disability category - in the UK & across the globe!!