Push ups!

Today was one of those days where I woke up feeling as if I got up on the wrong side of the universe, the morning routine just was a full on blah, and not even the antics on the radio brought much enthusiasm.  Turning up to the gym I really hoped that this would change, considering my personal trainer had written up a pretty good workout programme to do throughout this week.  That and Ben, the gym instructor on duty, is a rock solid enthusiast where training hard is concerned.

Unfortunately, my enthusiasm just didn't want to assert itself. I put it down on the exercises that I started of with, Leg Extensions (where the strap is wrapped around my ankle and then attached to the cable machine, and I do a "kick" of sorts with the added resistance of a few weights, like 15kg).  The exercise is an old one, first thought up when I started going to the gym just over ten years ago, and admittedly not my favourite.  The fact that I did 40 reps with 15kg adding to the resistance factor.  Neither did the second exercise brought about any happy feelings, just outright indifference.

Then Ben suggested we have a bit of a play. By playing I mean experimenting with new ways I could train, and I opted to do push ups. Okay, I can see that you're wondering what the heck I mean by doing push ups, considering that it's a horizontal exercise and here I am sitting on a motorised wheelchair?  Well, there is a way.  Placing a knee high box in front of me, and moving the chair back roughly a half meter back and sitting forward.  This then follows with me leaning forward, and supporting myself with the front part of my hands (though I just read that it's your backhand while the palm is your front).  With myself in position, I mimicked the a prone position by raising and lowering the body using the arms. 

Got to love wikipedia for a quick reference to what is what, and where.  Where was this fine online creation when I was in high school?  But anyway, I degress.  I did three sets of eight reps, and in the process had even come off my chair and stood (and I wasn't even aware that I was doing it!).  The end result was that my indifferent meh was replaced with a feeling of accomplishment, as this was the first time I ever did proper push ups.  

Primary muscles used:

• Anterior and medial deltoids ("delts")
• Triceps
• Pectoralis major and pectoralis minor ("pecs")

Secondary muscles (synergists or stabilizers) used:

• Rhomboid major and rhomboid minor
• Erector spinae
• Rotator cuff
• Posterior deltoids ("delts")
• Serratus anterior
• Rectus abdominus ("abs")
• Transverse abdominus
• Gluteus maximus ("glutes")
• Quadriceps ("quads")