Buddy Winheim doesn’t allow a day to pass without working out in the gym or riding a bike to stay in shape. He doesn’t allow the fact that he’s in a wheelchair to slow him down.

“I do two different types of activities,” Winheim said. “[I] bike and lift weights.”

He works on his upper body strength with Nautilus equipment at Iowa State’s Lied Recreation Center.

Wilheim, 24, is a senior in mechanical engineering from Fort Madison, and has been attending ISU for three years.

He is considered a cross trainer because he participates in more than one sport or activity.

Watching people lift weights in the gym can unnerve some who may want to join the activity. Sweat drips from every pore of the body, loud grunts come from tiny frames as well as large muscular ones. The tightening of neck muscles with each strain to complete the final exercise is witnessed by onlookers.

Conditioning the muscles and the body takes time. Winheim said, “The chair keeps you in shape if you’re active.”

Along with the everyday activity of propelling his chair forward, Winheim also bikes.

“I try to bike everyday, five days a week. At least 15 to 20 miles every other day,” he said. “The option of getting a bike just became available three years ago.”

Winheim said he is trying to take full advantage of the opportunity.

“I’ve ridden RAGBRAI,” he added.

Doing more than just one thing has kept him going, Winheim said. “I go to the gym to get a variety of exercises. You don’t get burned out and it makes you feel better about yourself.”

The intense heat hasn’t stopped him from staying in shape either. “I go to the gym in the mid-afternoon.”