core Archives |

Build Your Foundation with These Core Workouts

Core work is essential for everyone across the board, as a strong core is the foundation of a resilient kinetic chain. Walking, picking things up, and many other movements would be impossible without it. Sometimes, it can be a struggle to strengthen the …

Move THIS: Prisoner Getups

The prisoner getup move features in quite a few Roller Derby Athletics training programs, but I wanted to share it with the wide world of roller derby because it's just such a good one! Exercise: Prisoner Getups Variation: Turkish Getups (more chall…

Move THIS: Monster Walks

This move comes straight out of my physio work that I'm doing to rehab my knee after ACL repair surgery! But that doesn't mean it ain't good enough for YOU to try, for some good pre-hab work! Exercise: Monster Walks What it works: Gluteus Medius (aka y…

Maintenance Monday: A Way-Better Hamstring Stretch

On #maintenancemonday, I try to help you give your bod a little extra TLC. This week, I show you a way (WAY) more effective hamstring stretch! As usual, frequently when I use the word 'stretch' I really mean a mobilisation, or a dynamic stretch (not …

Maintenance Monday: Superhero Stretch

On #maintenancemonday, I try to give you a little something wonderful to do for your body! We spend enough time bashing ourselves (and others) around, that it's important to remember to take a little time for maintenance. I've been using this move to w…

Maintenance Monday: Thoracic Rotation

Welcome to Maintance Monday, a little segment where we give our bodies some love, and do something nice for them. Like this little thoracic rotation mobilisation I've got for episode one! I'm always trawling around for new things to try, and this move is…

The Conquer Anything HIIT Workout

Sometimes you want to be invincible. Sometimes you need to feel like you can conquer anything! That's where high intensity interval training (HIIT) comes in. It's damn hard work, but in the end, you're ready to take on the world (and that scary blocke…

Make Push-Ups Easier | Roller Derby Athletics

Four Hacks to Make Push-Ups Easier

Push-Ups. Love them or hate them, they’re here to stay. They are an excellent, equipment free way to train multiple muscle groups simultaneously, which is why trainers like me like them so much! Plus, with all the bracing going on in roller derby today,…

Better Burpees, Eight Ways

Good news! Burpees are for winners! Bad news! You might not be doing them very well... Burpees can be a wonderful exercise, building strength, power, and endurance all in one delicious, muscle-burning move. But there are some mistakes to watch out fo…

Pre-Hab: How to Build A Derby Booty

It’s time for a frank discussion about your butt. It’s lovely – really it is! But it’s been slacking on the job lately, and that’s not doing you any favours for your game. Today I’m going to show you how to first awaken and recruit, then stre…

Pre-Hab: Build an All-Star Derby Booty

Hello All-Star! Some of this post is identical to the free, public post - but there are added goodies in here, and an extended video, so be sure to read through all the way!It’s time for a frank discussion about your butt.It’s lovely – really it i…

All-Star Extra: Engage Your Core

Hey there, All-Stars! :) Click here to go back to the main post with full explanation.[rda_video video_url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aqN1PlOt-Vc"]Print and take this with you: Pre-hab CORE PrintableHere’s the drill. This entire sequence will…

How to Engage Your Core - Roller Derby Athletics

Pre-Hab: How to Engage Your Core

If you’ve ever been coached or taken a fitness class of any kind, you’ve almost certainly heard the phrase, “engage your core.” But unless you’ve got a strong fitness, yoga, or dance background, that instruction might be really difficult to fol…

Roller Derby Athletics Bounce With Me HIIT Workout

All-Star Bounce With Me Workout

Hello, All-Star!Is it time for a punch in the fitness? Does your regular gym routine need to drink an espresso and get a job? Can I get a What? What?Today's Bounce With Me workout will be short, sweet, and sweaty. It will pop, lock and roll, and defi…

Bounce With Me HIIT Workout

Is it time for a punch in the fitness? Does your regular gym routine need to drink an espresso and get a job? Can I get a What? What? Today's Bounce With Me workout will be short, sweet, and sweaty. It will pop, lock and roll, and definitely g…

The Gun Show Workout

Like taxes and rain on your holidays, lower body injuries are both incredibly irritating, and almost inevitable. After eight years of roller derby, I recently found myself rocking a set of crutches for the first time ever, and searching for some ways that…

The Gun Show – All-Star extras

Hi All-Stars!Your printable handout is here! [rda_video video_url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bVv_9UpwTgc"] …

The 25,000 Fan Pyramid Workout

What's got 25,000 thumbs and loves burpees?? Roller Derby Athletics' fans, that's what! That's right - this week I'm celebrating a milestone - 25,000 of you derby peeps have given the ol' thumbs up to the Roller Derby Athletics page on Facebook. That…

Jump Jive ‘n’ Roll Derby Workout

There was so much twisting, jumping, and rolling around in this workout, I couldn't resist completely punning up some classic swing music for you! So get your victory rolls set and your saddle shoes tied up tight. This workout is going to have you ju…

Killer Core 251 All-Star Extras

Hi All-Star! Here’s your bonus material for the Killer Core 251 workout! Check out the printable PDF for modifications and suggestions. Here’s the full-length workout that you can follow along with! [rda_video video_url="//player.vimeo.com/video/…

Killer Core 251 Workout

Once upon a time, not so long ago, a girl thought she’d make some workout videos for derby players. I’ll show them how to train for derby, she said. I’ll make them do cool workouts that are sport specific, she said. I’ll just buy a camera and lea…

RDA Standardized Roller Derby Fitness Test

The Standardized Roller Derby Fitness Test

Introduction - Test Version 2.2 Why does it make sense to have a standardized fitness test for roller derby? Most major sports have a benchmark indicator of the elements of fitness necessary to be successful in the sport. These tests, like the NFL Combi…

Roller Derby Gamechangers

As part of Roller Derby Athletics' sponsorship of the 2014 WFTDA tournaments on wftda.tv, we're sharing these 30 Second #Gamechanger episodes all tournament season long! A team has 60 seconds for a time out on the track - what can YOU do in 30 seconds t…

Fast and Furious Derby Workout

You say ta-bay-ta, I say ta-bah-ta... Either way you slice it, Tabata is a great type of workout to try if you're pressed for time but want to make an impact. It takes only 4 minutes, but even a session as fast and furious as that can actually make a real…

Loving it Low Workout

By popular request, this week's workout is - first and foremost - for anyone who is looking for a strength workout and a good full body sweaty-time. But this one is especially great for those of you who are recovering from an injury. You want to keep yo…

The Agility Sandwich Workout

The secret to improving your agility for roller derby, is that there's no one secret. Yes, like so many things in life, you can't just hit the bullseye with a single dart. Sometimes you need to come at things from multiple angles. I won't call it a shotgu…

Core Crush Workout

Unless it's a day that doesn't end in -y, it's almost always a great day to work on your core strength! I mean, as long as you want better balance, agility, harder hits and those kinds of things... So with that in mind, I bring you another Core Strength …

Feel The Burn Workout

Some days you just need to get out there and crank it out. No holds barred, no excuses, just burning muscles, sweat, and that euphoric feeling when you're done. I bring you, therefore, an AMRAP challenge workout! We are going to haul ass for 12 minutes s…

Salute The Sun Workout

Some days, you just don't have it in you to get out there and do a plyo routine. You want to get some exercise in, and you know you'll feel better if you move, but a lingering cough, or a twingy muscle tell you not to overdo it. Or maybe you're coming bac…

Backtastic! Low Back Derby Workout

Not long ago I polled my readers on Facebook about what kind of workout they were in the mood for... so many requests came through for 'something to help my low back pain' that I couldn't resist. Low back pain, as you probably know, is the devil incarnat…

Prehab! Proper Form

Ladies and Gentlemen: prepare yourselves for a hard truth! Life is much too short to waste even a minute of it doing half-ass workouts with bad form. Here comes another one: getting an injury from cross-training is super super lame. No one at the office…

Core on the Floor Workout

Something new here - I'm really interested in your feedback on this one! I've recorded a real-time video here. No edits, no cutting between exercises. For the first time you can set up the video and do it along with me, at the same time. Love it? Hate it…

Five Ways to Fire Up Your Core

Think you’ve got pretty OK core strength because you can do a bunch of crunches? I’ve got news for ya, sister. Crunches are for chumps. Just about anyone can do a few crunches. It’s not a functional exercise. It’s a move people started doing beca…

Tag: core