Strength Training
by Peter Lawless
December 2001

The key areas of the body for the wheelchair athlete to strengthen are :

Area
Muscle Groups
Shoulders Deltoids
Upper Back

Trapezius
Rhomboid
Latissimus Dorsi
Teres Major
Teres Minor
Upper Back Chest Pectoralis Major
Pectoralis Minor
Abdominal Rectus Abdominus
Internal Obliques
External Obliques
Arm / Hand Biceps
Triceps
Brachialis
Forearm (extensors & flexors)

There are two basic "rules" when it comes to strength training for wheelchair athletes.
First remember that it is essential to make use of all available muscles therefore it is
important to train all of these muscles. Second it is critical to remember to balance
out the strength training. The very nature of pushing a wheelchair results in overtraining
of the chest muscles resulting in a hunching of the shoulders, heavy training for wheelchair
athletics accentuates this, therefore it is necessary to train the back and shoulder muscles.