My name is Jonathan, 35 years old, working out since November, just found a place I can weigh, I'm 200lbs. Goals are to lose weight and gain strength. I'm in a wheelchair due to spina bifida at the L3 and L4 level of my spine. Both legs are inoperative, I can't walk, and both hips are out of the socket. The only standing I can do, is to transfer from my wheelchair to another surface and back. So I concentrate my workout routine on my upper body which I have full control over. I try to limit my time on machines and focus on bodyweight and freeweight exercises.

In your opinion should you be doing biceps and triceps on the same day or should you break them up?

Also, I'm in the gym 7 days a week. I follow the "don't work the same muscle groups every day" advice, so I'll do abs and back one day, shoulders chest and arms the next day, and just alternate. Since I'm limited to working my upper body only, is this a good way to split everything up or should I be doing something different?

all freeweight and bodyweight exercises are 45 reps total: 18 reps at the lightest weight, 15 reps at the middle weight, and 12 reps at the heaviest weight.

abs and back day consist of: The seated row machine (I also try to duplicate the movement with free weights because I realize the machine does part of the work for you). 30 reps at 80 lbs, 15 reps at 110 lbs. The ab machine where you grab the bars next to you which keep your hands up by your head, sit up straight and crunch forward from the top, down: 30 reps at 110 lbs, 15 reps at 140 lbs and the Ab-X bodyweight machine. A modified version of a sit-up: lay on your back on a flat bench, stretch your arms out above your head, throw your arms forward, simultaneously lift your head and shoulders off the bench, your back will come all the way off the bench. I also do pushups and decline pushups on a couple of benches pushed next to each other. I also do kettlebell woodchoppers and a kettlebell exercise where I put a kettlebell on the floor next to me, bend as deeply to the side as I can, grab the kettlebell handle and pull it into my lap to work the side abs. The kettlebell weights are 10 lbs, 15 lbs, and 25 lbs.

Shoulders chest and arms day consists of: dumbbell overhead presses, dumbbell chest press, tricep skull crushers and the siingle dumbbell behind the head and press it to the sky version, bicep curls, and dumbbell flys. I also do lat pull ups where I come completely (feet leave the floor) out of my chair or off the flat bench for a couple of reps. The dumbbells are 10lbs, 15lbs, and 20lbs.

Everyday I do kettlebell deadlifts, where I put a kettlebell by each front caster on my chair, bend over until my shoulders touch my knees, grab the handles, and explode back upright.

Almost forgot, I have a magnetic resistance Upper Body Ergometer (hand bike) at home for cardio, do that for 30 minutes. Tonight's class reminded me, I do an hour class called GroupRide 3 days a week using a KrankCycle.

@KnoxWheels82 first off man, what you are doing is so awesome!! It can't be easy not having the use of your legs, I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like, but you are the definition of commitment. A lot of people would have that happen and call it quits and say they can't train at all or that it's not worth it, but the fact you are setting goals for yourself and making things happen is just amazing. Inspirational man.

For your split, I don't see a problem with what you're doing at all. I mean, you could go for something like a Chest/Back and Arms/Shoulders split, training abs on both days or just one of them. Or you could go for the typical Push/Pull split and train Chest/Shoulders/Triceps then Back/Biceps/Abs. Or you can keep doing what you're doing, whatever works best.

Sounds like you have a pretty good exercise selection as well. The one thing I might say is that if your goal is to gain strength, is it possible for you to lift a bit heavier and go for a lower rep range? Or even start doing fewer reps, but implement paused reps and a slower tempo so that you are still implementing progressive overload? If you can do that I think it would be a good move.

As for the weight loss goal, the cardio will be helping that and the workouts to an extent, but most of the will come down to your diet and @mealplan. You can use the calculator on the @mealplan page if you need to get some ideas for macros and calories daily, and if you already know what your macros and calories that you're getting at the moment are, you can post them here too and we'll give you some advice as to whether they need adjusting.

Hope that helps man, and keep up the great work!!

"...Sounds like you have a pretty good exercise selection as well. The one thing I might say is that if your goal is to gain strength, is it possible for you to lift a bit heavier and go for a lower rep range? Or even start doing fewer reps, but implement paused reps and a slower tempo so that you are still implementing progressive overload? If you can do that I think it would be a good move. ..." oh that sounds like a good idea. I'll incorporate that into it.

Awesome Jonathan! I think that will definitely help you move more towards those strength gains 💪