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Burpees for Birthdays

Every year since starting Roller Derby Athletics, I’ve done burpees on my birthday – one for each year. This year, for the first time, I actually felt like I had to train for the event (LOL… so many candles on that cake! That’s a LOT of burpees�…

The Biggest Crossover Mistakes – Part 2

You're probably making at least one of these 4 big crossover mistakes. But they're easy to correct if you know what to change. So let's learn how to crossover more comfortably and confidently! In this video I identify the four biggest crossover mistakes …

The Biggest Crossover Mistakes – Part 1

Get Stronger Plow Stops for Derby

What are the two things we should practice the most in roller derby? Jam starts (cause they are guaranteed to happen every single jam), and... plow stops! You can use stronger plow stops about a hundred times per jam so it's a solid strategy to make sure…

Stability Workout At Home

Stability workouts are critical for derby! This kind of training makes us feel more solid on the track. It helps us absorb hits and stay in-bounds. It makes us stronger in a braced formation. AND - very important - it also helps us to avoid injuries. In …

How to Master Single Leg Squats

Want to have better agility and explosive power? You need to start with single leg work - and single leg squats are the foundation. Think about it: every skating movement is a drive off one leg. It makes sense, then, that we should train one leg at a tim…

No-kettlebell Swings for RYU One More Rep Challenge

Move THIS: No-Kettlebell Swings

RYU is trying to raise a million reps to help make mental health care more accessible in our communities. My friend Andi Struction tagged me to do the RYU One More Rep Challenge, so I'm taking this chance to show you how to do a "kettlebell" swing when …

All-Star AMRAP 12 Workout

Workout Focus: Endurance, Power, Strength, Full Body You need: Stopwatch, bench for dips, mat (optional) Warm up: 20 x wall push-ups | 20 x good mornings | 20 walking lunges | 20 half squats | 3 core activations + 20 Dead Bugs (from the How to Engag…

My Super-Quick Warm-Up Routine

Is that you? Late for practice again?Or maybe you're trying to slot in a quick but intense workout on your lunch break?I've been working on warm-ups and cool-downs, aka "flexibility training" a lot lately (You can check out my Pre-Hab! On-Skate Warmup, t…

How to Stretch Everything in Eight Minutes

Stretching feels like a chore. “Flexibility Training”, however, feels like something I can sink my teeth into. Competitive Yoga anyone? I kid. But if you’re like me, you’re a fairly competitive sort, and you like to push your boundaries. That’…

My Quick and Dirty After-Derby Stretch

We’ve all been there. Practice ran late and you’ve got a big meeting at work first thing tomorrow. As quickly as you can, you gear down, throw your sweaty gear into your bag and run out the door – only to wake up the next morning feeling like you�…

Derby Love for Derby Legs

I promise: this is a different kind of Valentine. It's no news that we live in a world with unattainable physical beauty standards for women, underscored by incessant chipper Hallmark-holiday messaging. The past week's marketing onslaught …

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…

Guide to Off-Season Training

Guess what? I missed my third birthday.It's true. Roller Derby Athletics turned three in October, and I was so busy helping athletes kick ass that I forgot to properly celebrate. Good thing those WFTDA Championships helped me celebrate in a different way,…

How To Reduce Concussions in Roller Derby

PreHab: How to Reduce Concussions

Despite our helmets and our mouthguards, concussions are among the most frequent, and most traumatic of roller derby injuries. Anyone who's suffered a concussion in derby can tell you how crappy the experience can be, on many levels. From the initial, ac…

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…

RDA Insider: Roller Derby World Cup

If you caught some of the action from the Blood & Thunder Roller Derby World Cup last weekend, you saw how physically tough the game play was. How does one of the top roller derby teams in the world prepare for a four-day, seven-game tournament? I ca…

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…

No Hands! All-Star Extras

Hello All-Stars! Here is your exclusive real-time version of this video - great for if you want to follow along step by step with me in doing this session! [rda_video video_url="//player.vimeo.com/video/111579367"] Here is the abbreviated workout vid…

No Hands Roller Derby Workout

Yay! It's Autumn! Leaves are falling, frost is crunching underfoot, Championals are over, and leagues all over North America are preparing for winter hibernation... And yet. You are here. YOU, my friend, are not about to let cold, wet weather stop …

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…

How to Improve at Derby’s 27 Laps Test

Photo courtesy of my favourite skate shop, www.Rollergirl.ca One of the biggest challenges that haunts all new derby athletes is their minimum skills testing, and particularly the endurance skill – the ol’ "25 in 5" as it used to be called, now the m…

Super-Plyo All-Star Extras

Hello All-Stars! Here is your exclusive real-time version of this video - great for if you want to follow along step by step with me in doing this session! Do note that you need a little bit of space for some of these - especially the frog hops in part 1…

Super-Plyo Workout for Roller Derby

Plyo, aka plyometrics, is the key to building explosive speed in any sport. Deep knee bends followed by explosive high jumps will build fast-twitch muscles needed for quick accelerations and powerful hits. And we all love both of those things, no? In thi…

Pre-Hab! Stability Training All-Star extras

Hey there, All-Stars! Here's your extra content on this one - download this PDF handout that summarizes the exercises I showed in the video! Print it out, take it with you, put it under your pillow... :) Pre-hab Stability Handout xo Booty Quake …

Pre-Hab! Stability Training Workout

What's that you say? Another Pre-Hab video? INDEED! Many skaters ask me for tips on how to gain more agility as a skater. Well, friends - stability is a big part of your answer. (Other parts include leg strength, core strength, and ninja skills). It's …

“Basic Training” Derby Strength Workout

Everyone wants to be a superstar on the track. Unfortunately, not that many people want to legitimately work towards being a superstar. Of the remainder, a good chunk of people ARE super motivated, but they aren't sure where to focus that energy to get …

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 …

Resolutions are so last year…

Everyone is talking resolutions and big plans for 2014 these days. Hard to open a magazine, the intertrons, or the boob tube without facing someone's list of goals for the 365 days ahead. I was planning to write a resolutions-themed blog post of my own, i…

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…

Rock the Big Rocks – Part 2

Ever wondered how to incorporate weight training into your derby crosstraining routine? Felt intimidated by the machines, the muscleheads, or the unlimited choice of possible exercises? She can't fix the testosterone level at your gym, but Lilith NoFair (…

Rock the Big Rocks – Part 1

If you follow me on Facebook or get my newsletter you know that I love Weight Plates and Rollerskates, an excellent fitness blog written by Lilith NoFair of “the other” TCRG, Tri-Cities Rollergirls from Ontario, Canada. Lilith (aka certified Personal …