The last two days I’ve listened to my Elvis 2^nd to None CD while doing cardio on my spin bike. I made 10 and a little over miles in 90 minutes, I don’t sing, once in a while I do, but I lip-sync. I’ve been impersonating Elvis before I seen Andy Koufman  on t.v. he mixes young Elvis with older Elvis and he wore a wig, but at the time it was cool and I still watch him on youtube, Jim Cary did a bad job on that man on the moon.

            So, when I do a Elvis concert, my cardio picks up and I do better. I’m a Elvis nut, been to Graceland twice, seen the real Elvis, so he’s under ground, so what? Been in his mom’s room/ a foot, seen her bathroom, went in his kitchen, bus, plane… Oh yea, Cardio, I do better with Elvis.   

This is like my bio, with more.

I grew up with 80’s movies, ROCKY, RAMBO, Arnold movies ect. And every time I’d watch one I’d think to myself “that’s so cool, I want to look like that.” Then I would go hit the weights. Also, in the 80’s there were shows about the future, like “in 1988 world war III will begin and people will start eating each other.” RED DAWN and Road Warrior. I had the thought that I didn’t want to be left behind, so I worked out, give me a brake, I was 13.

    My junior high had a weight room and there I did leg presses and curls. I also bought muscle magazines and took weight gainers, I know the weight gainers was a mistake and I wish I hadn’t, because they gave me fat cells, I quit taking them in 1989, but for the first year after my hip surgery they worked fine, remember those Joe Weider tablets? 

   My brothers owned Tak-won-do studios and every time they closed one I’d get the weights, rusty Weider plates, ankle weights and dumb bells. Not until 1984 did I really start wanting to get big. I had a huge set back with my hip surgery in 1986, the doctor’s wanted pay back, so they told me nothing was wrong, until I found a doctor who didn’t know me, he took one look at me and said “my God, his hip’s out of joint!” so, I had to start over, as soon as I was out of the cast, my cousins and I went to K-Mart, I bought more ankle weights and wore them on my wrist the summer of ‘86.

In high school, working out made me feel better all over. The high school had a weight room and my uncle owned a gym, so I worked out in both places though out the rest of the 80’s. My teachers and physical therapists had a conference at the end of my 9^th grade, what for? I have no idea. Anyway, my old therapists said it was a bad idea for me to work out, that it would do something to my Cerebral Palsy, she had no idea, she was just pulling it out of her ass. They said, they knew this guy with C.P. and I should see him and …..show me new ways to jack off? I don’t know? So, I get there and this guy looks like he just came out of the movie “Babarala  or Logan’s run” he’s has dirty hair with beard, turtle neck shirt and a hippie medallion from 1970, big belly too. He starts talking about his old girl friend and I’m just sitting there until it dawns on me “he’s ****ing talking about grade school!” I asked him if he was a virgin, he said yes, my head started spinning. That hit me hard and pissed me off . I’m not saying this guy was bad, he could change his life for the better, but didn’t. And he motivated me in a positve direction.     I had a NPC Magazine, the one with Carlos on the cover; I showed it to my brother and said I wanted to do wheelchair bodybuilding. He said “Cha, no way, Pat, you can’t because you have to think, your handicap isn’t like theirs! No way, don’t even think about it.” So, I did it any way. All these things are in the back of my mind in a big ball, but really I just like bodybuilding, I like driving the weights and helping myself in the bathroom and driving a car. I just like it and with out bodybuilding I could do half or less what I do now.And the nice lady on here, who’s nursing home forgot her medication and she thinks I want to date her,  listen, I just like jokes, I’m not hitting on no body here, I always tell Andy Haman jokes, do you think I want to date him? he is a nice guy. 

This blog is for people with sever Cerebral Palsy. 

After my hip surgery I had to start from nothing, I’m guessing my body weight was around 80 pounds and the spasms in my legs were so bad that I jerked my knee cap lose when I came out of the cast. My right hand could hardly grip anything, if you want to; you can make a differents in the quality of you life. It takes years and the first year you will see real gains. The key is to never quit! “ THE MORE YOU DO WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, THE MORE GOD WILL GIVE YOU TO DO WITH.”

             BOTOX- Isn’t that what kills cattle? They say the affects are temporary? Did you see the couple in Florida who took it for cosmetic reasons and now they can’t move their face? Now, kids with C.P. are dying form their injections! Why would you paralyze your self more then you are?

            Understanding that there are many different degrees of C.P., I will tell you what I did and you can take it and apply it to where you are physically.

            Your grip-  In most vitamin stores at the mall or exercise equipment shops and here at Bodybuilding.com,  you can find Stress balls or a racket ball, squeeze the ball as many times as you can, even if only 4 times, do sets of 3 to 4 once or twice a week. While doing that get a “home gym” this is a rubber cord with handles, they come in many different resistants, find the one that suits your needs.  Also, there are wrist straps, found at the exercise shop or Bodybuilding.com; the dumb person working behind the counter there should help you find them.  Combine the straps with the cords. A work out partner or trainer is needed.

At Wal-mart you can find a Nolan Ryan fore arm/ wrist machine, work on how many repetitions you can get- 1 set.  It will take time and a lot of weeks to years, but in time you will improve.

Ankle weights can be strapped to your wrist. In some exercises no motion is needed, just hold the weight out for 30 sec. at a time to your side, point thumbs down to work delts-3 sets.    

Legs- just do what you can, really push your self, because legs help with abs and really everything else, at the same time remember everyone your not alone and it takes time.

Make sure all joints are in place, Check with your physician, Remember this blog is for people with sever Cerebral Palsy, not S.I.    

Supplements- all I will tell you is to research everything very carefully, Protein is the main one.

Your health is very important, as far as I can see and in my personal opinion the Flu, colds ect. is the leading cause of death in persons with sever C.P. So, I will recommend a multi vitamin and ZMA.  This web site has info on supplements for joints to antioxidants.

With in time you be feeling better mentally and physically and if Danny Burke can do it, you can too!     P.s. Danny is very ripped in person.

Consult a trainer and doctor before starting any exercise program. ENTER AT OWN RISK.

This blog is for people with sever Cerebral Palsy. 

The reason I’m not talking about every exercise is because I’m only focusing on areas

that a person with sever C.P. might need help on. These exercises are not in any order or what day they should be done on or weight- sets- reps. Just advice on helping a person with sever C.P. work out. And hitting the muscles being exercised.

After you built up your strength from the first C.P. blog or you’re ready for the gym now, this is the next step.

Find the best trainer you can, call the NPC, ask everyone, don’t just go with some kid working at 24hr. fitness. Make sure they pay attention to you at all times, not looking around day dreaming while they’re suppose to be training you.  They have to be willing to work with you.

Go to a store that sells exercise goods, for this one it can be TARGET or WAL-MART. Find a weight lifting belt large enough to go around you and any machine you will be

Using in all workouts. Strap yourself into every bench or machine you use.

Basically your work outs will be the same as able bodied people, only with the use of weight machines.

Chest work out- chest presses are best in a seated –chest press machine- most people with C.P. have to have someone hold their elbows up so that the forearms are parallel

with the floor, throughout each repetition. To see watch another person do it and you can see that the elbows are up. As for weight and reps ask your trainer.

Incline press- I use a Smith machine- a 45 pound Olympic bar on glides, find a new model with counter weight. Have your trainer hold your elbows back so forearms are perpendicular to the floor and upper arms are parallel. Then fallow through the reps.

Flies- use a seated butterfly machine; push with elbows to squeeze chest muscles in each rep. hands should just rest on handles.

Shoulder presses- again use the Smith machine, this time sitting 90 degrees, strait, position the bench so the bar comes behind your head, have your trainer hold your elbows. Same as incline.

Bicep curls- any plate loaded or stack machine will do, chances are once you get seated/ strapped in and have a hold of the handles, and you’ll be ready to go. Sets, reps, negatives, ask your trainer.

Triceps- use a bench under a cable pull, face away form the machine, and have the preferred attachment handed to you with the correct weight. Keep elbows to your side during exercise throughout reps.

Back exercises- just remember to keep your chest up- these are self explanatory when it’s time, your trainer should guide you through BACK DAY.

Abs- find a machine that bends in your mid section not your hips, belt goes across lap, hook feet under foot pads. Then crunch.