It’s a Hop in the Park, but it’s no walk in the park…

This gym-free interval workout means business. But when you can do it outside, or with your teammates, it takes the burn off, just a touch!  High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Workouts should be your go-to for improving at roller derby. When designed with roller derby in mind (like this one!), they’re a killer method of building full body strength, quickly improving cardio endurance, and creating that magic muscle endurance reserve that you sometimes need at the end of a bout!

Give the Hop in the Park workout a shot for an amazing agility, power, and endurance boost! Keep reading for the tips and tricks…

Workout Details and Tips:

This is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) so don’t forget to push yourself during the work intervals! Forty seconds of your best effort, followed by a twenty second rest.  That being said, if you need to, pause for 3 to 5 seconds during the intervals in order to keep going!

Do all the exercises in a row, then repeat the whole cycle for three rounds total. (Don’t do 3 sets of Skater Jumps, then 3 sets of Lunge Jumps, etc.) 

Take extra rest between rounds! I take a full two minutes or so to catch my breath and get ready for high-quality reps in my next round.

I like the Seconds Pro app to keep time! Not including warm up and cool down, the entire workout will take you about 22-24 minutes including rests.

** Always warm up before hand and cool down/stretch after!

** Be sure to watch the video to get a look at the optimal form for these exercises! If something seems beyond your ability level, just skip that exercise, or try a modification that will work for you.

Here are the exercises:

• Skater Jumps: Make like a speed skater. Get as deep a bend as possible in your landing leg. Spring over to the other side and land softly. Stay low across the ground.
• Lunge Jumps: Engage your core to keep your upper body vertical and still. Don’t use it to gain momentum (and maybe hurt your back). Knees over toes. Both knees bent to just under 90 degrees. Jump high!
• Burpees: Do a nice squat on both sides of the vertical jump. Get as much air as you can! Skip the push-up to make it easier, but if you do, jump back into a good plank without letting your butt sag or stick up in the air. 
• Long Jumps: Aim for full hip extension, as demonstrated in the video. But if you’ve never tried it before, start slow and build! Your legs are shock absorbers here – prepare them for a deep squat landing to slow your momentum.
• Sumo Squat Jumps: Weight in your heels, knees over outer toes (not caving inward over big toes). Use your glute muscles to rotate your legs outward from the hip! Did I mention weight in your heels?
• Mountain Climbers: Try to keep your hands directly below your shoulders, and avoid letting your butt rise up – think about being in a plank position, and getting your knee to chest with each step. I could have tucked my knees higher, now that I see myself on film!

Share this sucker with your teammates and challenge them to Hop in the Park with you!!

In the meantime, leave me a note in the comments below and let me know what you think of this workout.

Happy sweatin’

xo Booty Quake