Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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How Did You Get into Weightlifting? (self.Blind)
submitted by synapse9762
Hi everyone,
I've been interested in strength training for a long time and have been using dumbells and a pullup bar at home to start with for the past 8 months. I'm finding that my progress is plateauing, hence I thought working out in a gym would be better due to access to a squat rack, barbells etc.
Does anyone here have experience with weightlifting or strength training in a gym? How did you get started and more importantly, do so safely?
I'm visually impaired myself and have some residual vision - enough to move around safely indoors and avoid tripping over things but not enough to visually check my own form or mirror what someone else is doing.
I think the main challenge would be getting around independently and finding out where everything is (e.g, various equipment, the locker you used etc) and learning the correct form for exercises.
I've been interested in strength training for a long time and have been using dumbells and a pullup bar at home to start with for the past 8 months. I'm finding that my progress is plateauing, hence I thought working out in a gym would be better due to access to a squat rack, barbells etc.
Does anyone here have experience with weightlifting or strength training in a gym? How did you get started and more importantly, do so safely?
I'm visually impaired myself and have some residual vision - enough to move around safely indoors and avoid tripping over things but not enough to visually check my own form or mirror what someone else is doing.
I think the main challenge would be getting around independently and finding out where everything is (e.g, various equipment, the locker you used etc) and learning the correct form for exercises.
Iamheno 3 points 1y ago
I’ve lifted off & on since high schoool. More seriously the last 5 years though. As my vision goes I’ve found my frustration at the gym is the same as when I was better sighted, other people not putting the weights away properly!
If you select a good gym, with decent trainers, you’ll have a better experience than say Planet Fitness. Get a trainer you trust, which means you’ll have to ask around, for the first month or so to give you form checks/coaching. Go slow in the gym and use your cane to avoid tripping/falling from stuff left on the floor.
IMO, weight lifting is overall one of the most accessible sports to people with BVI. The plates are already tactile marked with raised numbers, the bars tend to be uniform in weight (occasionally you’ll encounter specialty bars with different weights), good gyms/weight rooms tend to be well spaced for range of motion and movement so there’s plenty of room to navigate!
Just talking with my wife yesterday, and strength & conditioning may be my niche in the rehab community as a VRT as I’m pretty passionate about fitness.
If you select a good gym, with decent trainers, you’ll have a better experience than say Planet Fitness. Get a trainer you trust, which means you’ll have to ask around, for the first month or so to give you form checks/coaching. Go slow in the gym and use your cane to avoid tripping/falling from stuff left on the floor.
IMO, weight lifting is overall one of the most accessible sports to people with BVI. The plates are already tactile marked with raised numbers, the bars tend to be uniform in weight (occasionally you’ll encounter specialty bars with different weights), good gyms/weight rooms tend to be well spaced for range of motion and movement so there’s plenty of room to navigate!
Just talking with my wife yesterday, and strength & conditioning may be my niche in the rehab community as a VRT as I’m pretty passionate about fitness.
synapse9762 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Thanks. What does VRT stand for?
A trainer sounds like a good solution for getting started, with the eventual goal of being able to exercise independently, since it would be expensive to have a trainer all the time.
A trainer sounds like a good solution for getting started, with the eventual goal of being able to exercise independently, since it would be expensive to have a trainer all the time.
Iamheno 1 points 1y ago
Vision Rehabilitation Therapist, the person who teaches blind skills like cooking, cleaning, computer, etc. It’s our job to teach people with BVI the skills they need to stay safe in their home, workplace, and the places they may need to go for daily living acticities.
WorldlyLingonberry40 2 points 1y ago
Get a personal trainer, they can help you keep safe while exercising
vip-sizzles 2 points 1y ago
I started off in high school with a strength & conditioning class. I also took a similar class in college. Form wasn't that great when I first started but always improves the more you work on it. When I started weightlifting again, I spent the first 2 weeks mostly doing a walk-through using different machines to familiarize the layout. YouTube videos can help with form but sometimes tend to be too visual for my liking. You can also hire a personal trainer just to help you get started or ask other gym members.
[deleted] 1 points 1y ago
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