Wheelchair Users Can Be Top-Class Bodybuilders

When Dan Smith was offered a guest spot at the recent Portsmouth UKBFF (United Kingdom Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation) Show he really felt all his training was coming together. His performance was such a success that he has been invited to another guest posing spot at the British finals on October 17th 2009, in Nottingham.

“This is such an honour,” says Dan. “It brings my goal of being a professional bodybuilder that bit nearer.”

Being a professional bodybuilder is a difficult enough goal for anyone to set their sights on but for wheelchair-user Dan it is an even tougher path. He made his bodybuilding debut in 2004. Tragically, a couple of years later he fell 20ft from a roof at work and shattered his T12 vertebrae, resulting in paralysis from the chest down.

“After the accident I spent about six months at National Spinal Injuries Centre in Stoke Mandeville. At first I lost a lot of weight. I wasn’t eating well and was suffering from muscle wastage. But once I was able to get to the gym I started to pick up,” he explains. “I’d always been active and found the specialised physio literally life-saving.”

Once home Dan kitted out his house with exercise equipment but realised that he could quickly become housebound that way. So he chatted to Paul Smith of Fitness Development who suggested starting back on CNP Professional supplements and getting into a regular exercise regime at a local gym again.

“I haven’t looked back since then,” says Dan. “Interestingly enough my upper-body muscle shape soon came back. Once you start exercising, a sort of muscle memory takes over and the definition and bulk quickly returns.

“My routine now is to train in the gym four days per week and do an intensive one and a half hours exercise concentrating on a different muscles each time, for example chest one day, arms another and so on.

“The CNP supplements have become an essential part of my training. They are brilliant. Being in a wheelchair I have to be careful with my fluid intake and don’t want to get any stomach problems. I am really confident using CNP’s products. They are easy to digest and don’t cause bloating. What’s more, they taste nice, and are easy to swallow. In the past I’ve tried others but they’re just not as pleasant.”
Recently Dan approached CNP for sponsorship since he was so impressed with the quality of their supplements and was regularly using Pro Peptide, Pro Recover, Pro Slam, Pro Vital and Whey Protein.

“When Dan came to us we were happy to offer him sponsorship in the form of supplements,” says Kerry Kayes, former champion bodybuilder and founder of CNP. “I was really impressed with the progress he had made getting back into shape and wanted to encourage him as much as possible. I was also able to offer him advice and suggest he start using Pro Creatine regularly for maximum muscle definition.”

After using Pro Creatine E2 ethyl ester for only a month Dan has already noticed the shape and quality of his muscles changing for the better. Pro Creatine E2 is supplied in tablet form, and is used by those wanting to increase muscle size, strength and power.

During training Dan uses his sticks quite a bit. He can now walk about 1/4 mile on level ground with them and is building on this distance all the time. “My muscles can feel tired after training but Pro Recover is especially formulated to help them recover without causing any damage.”

And on those days where the thought of training seems a bit much, Dan finds that Pro Slam gives him the boost that’s needed to put him back on the right track. With zero fat and zero carbohydrate, Pro Slam is primarily designed as a pre-training booster drink.

Dan is a very positive and highly motivated person. Alongside his professional bodybuilding goal and fund-raising activities, he would also like to own his own gym and raise the profile of wheelchair bodybuilders in the UK.

“With this sponsorship from CNP I can keep my body in tip top shape,” says Dan. “I can look forward to more guest appearances and hopefully competing in competitions one day.”

CNP Professional is one of the UK’s leading sports nutrition specialist companies. For more information visit www.cnpprofessional.co.uk, or call +44 (0) 161 320 1212 for sports nutrition advice and +44 (0) 161 320 8145 for sales.