Nick Scott shares his personal experience on the logistics of training for a bodybuilding show in a wheelchair.
Nick Scott has been a pioneer of the Pro Wheelchair Bodybuilding division in the IFBB and has helped bring it to the main stage of the Arnold Classic and also into the Olympia weekend. To say he has vast knowledge about the division and how it works is an understatement. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Nick Scott breaks down how a wheelchair bodybuilder trains, diets, and prepares for a competition.
In nearly every sport and every endeavor, humanity has shown time and time again that there is no bridge that we cannot cross and no mountain we cannot climb. This holds especially true for people with disabilities. With a mixture of adaptation, improved technology, and pure will – people with disabilities have shown they can do anything that may have once seemed impossible in past eras.
That’s why during our conversation with Nick Scott, we wanted to dive deep into the specifics of preparation for the Pro Wheelchair Bodybuilding division. What modifications do competitors need to take during weightlifting, cardio, and diet to best perform on the bodybuilding stage?
While Nick Scott cannot speak for everyone, he can pull from his personal experience on how he modified his lifestyle to best build a bodybuilding physique while in a wheelchair. Not only is it a fascinating look into the Pro Wheelchair Bodybuilding lifestyle as a whole – but also a new way at looking at fitness altogether.
For example, Nick Scott details how he was able to bring cardio into his routine in order to begin cutting for contest prep. The key to any cardio is to get your heart rate up. While many people in fitness know this – we often associate this to running, walking, biking, or some other full body activity.
Nick Scott attempted high intensity rolling in his wheelchair using his arms but he hated it. He then tried swimming but he hated it. Ultimately, he settled on using an incumbent bike but with his body positioned so he could use his hands to pedal. He would then use a heart rate monitor to ensure it was brought to the levels needed to cut weight.
This is just one example of looking at fitness and bodybuilding from a new angle to best achieve goals when facing a hurdle. As we can all see from the Pro Wheelchair Bodybuilding competitions in the IFBB – extreme muscle and conditioning comparable to the Men’s Open, Classic Physique, or Men’s 212 is certainly present.
So long as there is a will, there is a way. And bodybuilding as a whole has always been about achieving goals first and foremost. It’s what makes professional bodybuilding so great and why it continues to grow to this day.
You can watch Nick Scott go into detail about how a wheelchair bodybuilder trains and prepares for a competition in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
