Adaptive training plans

You say Robin, you say pushing boundaries. This go-getter lost his leg at the age of 16, after which he had to learn to walk again with a prosthesis. And that didn't just stop at walking! He pushed boundaries, went to extremes and and now he is training at a professional level for the Paralympic Games.

Progress
Complete focus on his health, pushing boundaries and not thinking about anything else; that's what fitness is for Robin. But he also loves seeing what progress he has made after a gym session

Robin is not someone who goes to the gym to look better and gain more followers on Instagram. It actually helps him to build up fitness for his passion. This once involved javelin throwing and sprinting, but now he plays sitting volleyball at a professional level. He really needs that perfect overall fitness to be able to perform at a high level.

From prosthesis to pleasure
At the age of 16, Robin suffered a huge setback: bone cancer was discovered in his left lower leg. Despite the dire prospects (including a 50% chance of survival, risk of infertility and hair loss), he was determined to overcome it all. His time had not yet come!

After six rounds of chemotherapy, the tumor had shrunk. Unfortunately, his lower leg had to be amputated and he received a prosthetic leg.

All Robin wanted? Learn how to walk again. This was achieved through an incredible amount of practice and hard perseverance. But he wanted more. He wanted to learn to walk PERFECTLY. No sooner said than done. After that he wanted to know if he could still play football and tennis. And yep, he just did it!

Robin has now achieved more goals. He competed in javelin throwing and sprinting at a high level, and he is currently on the Dutch Paralympic Sitting Volleyball Team. He has fully regained his enjoyment of sports, can do most training sessions without a prosthesis and has already played in European and World Championships. And last but not least: he now dreams of the Paralympic Games. The ultimate goal!

Ask for help
Robin keeps repeating: if you struggle with something in the gym, don't know how something works or have difficulty achieving your goals, ask for help. This can be help from your gym buddy or, for example, from a personal trainer. Proffessional help is important, especially if you want to prevent injuries.

Every body is different
And then something else. Robin emphasizes how important it is to accept that every body is different. Not everyone can achieve the same goals, and they don't have to. Try different things, from strength training to cardio. Find out what works for you and what you enjoy.

Ricardo (30) is a Paralympic athlete (skiing) and works in marketing and sales. He participates in sports regularly and at a high level. In his spare time he supports amputee football.

Fitness
Fitness is Ricardo's outlet. During training he challenges his body physically, makes it stronger and (almost) always leaves the gym feeling satisfied. He loves seeing how his body changes and becomes fitter. This helps him a lot in his daily life, especially because he walks on crutches every day. Everything comes down to his arms and that one leg, so it's very important to keep this and all the muscles around it strong. But being fit is also essential for his top sports career. This way he can tackle the track at full speed and absorb any crashes well. Not that he always has the energy or desire to go to the gym. His solution? Just go. Because training always gives you a good feeling. Always!

Bone tumor
At the age of 14, his leg suddenly collapsed while playing football. It took three months for the doctors to find the reason. Ricardo turned out to have a bone tumor in his leg, which could cause him to break. A difficult period followed, full of hospital admissions, tense moments and ultimately an amputation of his left leg. After 19 rounds of chemotherapy, the time had come for Ricardo to focus on his rehabilitation and recovery.

Learn to walk yourself
Ricardo has never seen the inside of a rehabilitation center. He chose to teach himself how to walk again. He was young and had the right mindset for it and it worked. “The body and mind are capable of more than we think,” says Ricardo.

Barriers
Ricaodo's fitness journey hasn't always been rosy. After his rehabilitation, it was a real challenge: how could he do all the exercises in the gym, with one leg and on crutches? He was able to modify some exercises and skipped others because he needed help with them. He found asking for help difficult: he preferred not to be dependent on others.

Staff
Ricardo wanted to get better so he had to get over his discomfort. In the gym he saw that even the strongest people used spotters to help them with their exercises. Why wouldn't he take advantage of that? This is how he discovered that people thought it was really cool that he was in the gym. And he noticed that help was always offered, even without him having to ask for it.

Ricardo's tips
Do you find it scary or difficult to take the first step in a gym? then Ricardo has some tips for you:
- Ask a friend along. Then you can help each other out and who knows, you might have a sports buddy for life! Or you'll meet one at the gym.
- The Basic-fit app contains ready-made workouts to perform in the gym. Also for athletes in a wheelchair, with an arm or a leg (under Adaptive Training Plan). This way you don't have to think of it all yourself.
- Make sure you have a plan/idea in advance of what you want to do in the gym, so you don't have to search so much later.
- Go for small, realistic goals. Have you achieved the goal? Then you focus on the next goal. This keeps your workout challenging and prevents disappointment.
- Remember that you go to the gym to work on your own physical and mental health. You'll feel fantastic afterwards!