Exercise: Skater Jumps Variation: Skater Jumps & Hops Do: Take speed skater posture, low and bent at the waist. Jump wide and low. For the jump+hop variation, get as much air under your toes on the Hop as you can! Don’t: Pop up and over; transfer your weight to the back foot on each side of the jumps […]

Exercise: Skater Strides Do: Stay low throughout, keep head and chest lifted, use arms like a speed skater Don’t: bob up and down, or half-ass it and wind up looking like a tap dancer :)

Exercise: Frog Jumps Do: Jump for distance, not height, try to minimize the number of hops backward you need to get back to your starting point

Exercise: Agility Hops Variations: Front/back, Side-side with feet together; side-side one foot at a time Do: Wear shoes! Use something soft as an obstacle, e.g a rolled towel or t-shirt. Move feet quickly Easier: Go slow Harder: Move quickly! Extend your time   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Box Jumps (Standard, Squat Box Jump, and Seated Box Jump) Do: Land with feet completely on the box, and come to a full standing position, before stepping down. Explode up with the highest jump possible. Don’t: hit your knuckles on the box! Easier: use a 20″ or shorter box / step Harder: use a 24″ or higher box; […]

Exercise: Chair Step-Ups & Step-Up / Cross-Under Combos* Do: Drive through your heel, all the way up Don’t: Get only halfway up Easier: Standard step up Harder: Double-time, Up and Over variations *check out the Cross-Under squat video for more tutorial on the combo movement.

Exercise: Squats Variations: Squat Jumps, Squat Jump + Tuck Jump Do: Send hips back first, keep chest and head lifted. For jumping variations, do land with soft knees! Don’t: allow weight forward into your toes; look down Easier: If you can’t perform a squat on your own with good form, hold on to e.g. a door frame […]

Exercise: High Knees Do: Get your knees high! Don’t: look down, let your chest and shoulders sag Easier: fewer reps, go more slowly Harder: step quickly   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Plank Do: Keep hips in line with heels and the crown of your head, keep arms “pulled out” of their shoulder sockets Don’t: drop or raise hips, sink into your shoulders Easier: plank from the elbows on all fours Harder: from the wrists; raising one arm or one foot; raising one arm and foot […]

Exercise: Power Push-Ups Do: practice good plank and push-up form Don’t: allow your hips to rise or sag Easier: Do push-ups from your knees Harder: n/a   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: V-Sit Do: keep head and chest lifted, try to keep a flat low back Don’t: round your back Easier: support yourself with hands behind your knees Harder: longer balances   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Walking Push-up Do: Practice good push-up form Don’t: Allow hips to pike up or sag Easier: Do pushups from your knees; step hand and foot one at a time instead of simultaneously Harder: n/a   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Sumo Push-Ups Do: Take a wide stance with feet and hands; practice good push-up form Don’t: allow hips to sag or to rise up into a pike position Easier: do the push-ups from your knees Harder: n/a   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Planks with Single Knee Tucks on a Ball (HOB) Do: Try to keep as still as possible in your upper body and trunk Modification: do this from the ground, or with your elbows on the ball if you have wrist pain   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Seated Hip Tilts and Swivels Do: Go slowly, with control, using small movements Don’t: rush   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Cross-Under Swipes Do: Bend your supporting leg; keep a flexed foot with instep facing the sky on your follow-through; adjust your pressure, surface, and footwear to make the exercise doable but challenging Don’t: forget to “reach” with your active leg Easier: Hold the wall for stability Harder: No hands!

Exercise: Walkout Push-ups on a Ball Do: Maintain a plank position and neutral neck position; alternate which hand leads the march   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Planks with Single Knee Tucks on a Ball (HOB) Do: Try to keep as still as possible in your upper body and trunk Modification: do this from the ground, or with your elbows on the ball if you have wrist pain   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Lateral Roll on a Ball Variations: Iron Cross, Charlie’s Angels Do: Keep hips lifted Don’t: Easier: Iron cross variation Harder: Charlie’s Angels variation   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Plank – Elbows to Hands Do: Follow all the good form advice for a standard plank; remember to alternate which arm leads   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Cross-Under Swipes Do: Bend your supporting leg; keep a flexed foot with instep facing the sky on your follow-through; adjust your pressure, surface, and footwear to make the exercise doable but challenging Don’t: forget to “reach” with your active leg Easier: Hold the wall for stability Harder: No hands!

Exercise: Good Mornings Do: Keep head lifted, focus on sending hips backwards Don’t: Let your weight move forward into your toes Easier: n/a Harder: add weight   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

An overused IT band can get tight and angry for lots of skaters. Use this stretch to calm it down, but don’t forget to do your glute strengthening work to help the underlying cause! Exercise: TFL + IT Band + Hamstring Stretch Do: Work with a friend or use a strap or band; Play around and […]

Exercise: Lunge Stretch Do: Focus on tilting your pelvis under; keep your knees aligned with your ankles Don’t: let your front knee drive forward past your toes, or cave inward towards your centre line. Easier: Back knee resting on the floor. Back toes can be tucked under, or top of the foot resting on the ground Harder: Rise up to […]

Exercise: I, Y, & Tees Do: Engage your core and glutes throughout, keep the motions small Don’t: overdo the pulsing motion Easier: take rests Harder: add small hand weights   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Deadlift; Romanian Deadlift Do: Warm up with the bar only. Set up with weight in heels, bar touching shins, chest lifted, shoulders directly above the bar. Pull first, straighten knees second.  To lower, hinge at hips, then bend knees when bar is past them. Don’t: lean forward with weight over toes and shoulders forward of the bar; […]

Exercise: Bench Dips (aka Chair Dips) Do: Keep shoulders down, elbows pointed back Don’t: let your shoulders hunch towards your ears. Easier: Place feet closer to your bench Harder: Elevate feet See also: Triceps Push-Ups, Triceps Roll-outs Back to all How-To Videos, in alphabetical order…

Exercise: Plank – Elbows to Hands Do: Follow all the good form advice for a standard plank; remember to alternate which arm leads   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Chair Step-Ups & Step-Up / Cross-Under Combos* Do: Drive through your heel, all the way up Don’t: Get only halfway up Easier: Standard step up Harder: Double-time, Up and Over variations *check out the Cross-Under squat video for more tutorial on the combo movement.

Exercise: Weighted Long Jumps Do: Swing the weight out in front of you, imagine it dragging you forward. Take it slow as you get used to the feeling. Don’t: look for height, or swing the weight above shoulder height. Easier: eliminate the weight Harder: heavier weight, more reps. See also: Long Jump + Tuck Jump Back to all How-To […]

Exercise: Frog Jumps Do: Jump for distance, not height, try to minimize the number of hops backward you need to get back to your starting point

Exercise: Duck Walks Do: Take long, low strides Don’t: Pop up between steps Easier: Shorter sustained periods of walking Harder: Keep going! quack!