Your Training Toolbox!
Check out our catalogue of over 80 detailed instructional videos. Learn the correct form and get tons of ideas for your next team workout! These videos are organized by area of focus. Some exercises will appear in more than one category. If you’d like, you can organize the videos alphabetically.
How to: Cardio >>
How-to: Frog Jumps
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
How-to: Mountain Climbers & Spidermans
Exercise: Mountain Climbers and Spidermans For Mountain Climbers, bring your knees straight in towards your chest without touching your front foot to the floor; for Spidermans, bring your front foot to the outside of your hand and transfer your weight to it. Do: Place wrists directly below shoulders Don’t: allow hips to rise up Easier: go […]
How-to: Skater Strides
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 :)
How-to: High Knees
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…
How to: Plyo >>
How-to: Skater Strides
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 :)
How-to: Thrusters
Exercise: Thrusters Do: Drive up powerfully with legs and hips Don’t: separate the movement into a slow squat and a slow overhead press. Easier: Use lighter weight. Harder: Lift heavier weight (in the video I have 15 lb dumbbells in each hand) See also: Squats, Burpees & Variations Back to all How-To Videos, in alphabetical order…
How-to: Power Push-Ups
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…
How-to: Lunge Jumps
Exercise: Lunge Jumps Do: Jump high! Keep your chest and head lifted Don’t: Allow your front knee to cave in towards centre, or push forward past your toes Easier: Go slower, step between positions instead of jumping Harder: n/a Click here to see all the How-To Videos…
How to: Strength >>
How-to: Roll-downs on a Ball
Exercise: Roll-downs on a Ball Do: Roll slowly and with control, initiate the roll-down by tucking your pelvis under Don’t: Start sitting in the centre of the ball, or go too quickly Harder: Raise one arm at a time as shown
How-to: Planks on a Ball
Exercise: Planks on a Ball Variations: Feet on the Ball (FOB) and Hands on the ball (HOB) Do: Keep a straight line from the crown of your head to your heels Don’t: allow hips to sag or rise, or sink into your shoulder sockets Don’t: attempt the HOB plank if you have wrist problems or […]
How-to: Split Squat
Exercise: Split Squat Do: Keep chest lifted, stance wide enough that both knees bend to 90 degrees but no further Don’t: Allow your front knee to cave inward Easier: n/a Harder: add weight Click here to see all the How-To Videos…
How-to: Flying Plank Push-Up
Exercise: Flying Plank Push-Up Do: Keep your hips neutral – flat line from your head down to your heels; do a full push-up; try to keep your hips and shoulders square to the floor when doing the “flying” Don’t: Allow your hips to rise up or sag Easier: Do push-ups and/or flying from your knees […]
How to: Core >>
How-to: Thrusters
Exercise: Thrusters Do: Drive up powerfully with legs and hips Don’t: separate the movement into a slow squat and a slow overhead press. Easier: Use lighter weight. Harder: Lift heavier weight (in the video I have 15 lb dumbbells in each hand) See also: Squats, Burpees & Variations Back to all How-To Videos, in alphabetical order…
How-to: Ab Leg Lifts & Scissors
Exercise: Ab Leg Lifts & Scissor Leg Variation Do: Lower with control, keep your low back in contact with the mat, use your abs to lift and lower. Don’t: Do if you have low back problems, allow your body to move around during the leg movement Easier: keep the range of motion smaller, rest your […]
How-to: Walking Push-up
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…
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, more than ever we skaters need strong backs, shoulders, chests, and […]
How to: Stability >>
How-to: Tricep Rollout on a Ball
Exercise: Tricep Rollout on a Ball Do: Maintain a plank position and neutral neck position Don’t: Pop back up to the starting position (go slowly instead) Click here to see all the How-To Videos…
How-to: Side to Side Switches
Exercise: Side to Side Switches Do: Hold weight close to body, use core to control the movement, move quickly and sharply Don’t: swing the weight in large arcs or compensate with a wide stance. Easier: n/a Harder: go faster, use heavier weight. See also: Heismans Back to all How-To Videos, in alphabetical order…
How-to: Planks with Knee Tucks (FOB)
Exercise: Planks with Feet on the Ball & Knee Tucks Do: Initiate the movement by lifting your hips up Easier: straight knee tucks Harder: Side to side knee tucks Click here to see all the How-To Videos…
How-to: Skater Jumps & Hops
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 […]
How to: Lower Body >>
How-to: Lunge Twist
Exercise: Lunge Twist Do: Practice good lunge form – front knee tracking straight over your supporting ankle Don’t: Allow front knee to “cave in” towards centre or come past your toes Easier: Keep arms closer to your body Harder: Add weight Click here to see all the How-To Videos…
How-to: Sumo Squats & Variations
Exercise: Sumo Squats Variations: Sumo-Squat-Tiptoe, Sumo Squat Pulses Do: Rotate your legs from the hip, use adductors (inner thighs) and glutes (booty) to hold this rotation throughout Don’t: Turn your feet out further than your hip flexibility allows; Don’t: Allow your knees to bend forward in front of your ankles! Easier: n/a Harder: add weight […]
How-to: Chair Step-Up
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.
How-to: High Bridge with Marching on a Ball
Exercise: High Bridge with Marching on a Ball Do: Keep hips lifted, keep torso as still as possible Don’t: let hips sag Easier: no arms Harder: with arms Click here to see all the How-To Videos…
How to: Upper Body >>
How-to: Plank – Elbows to Hands
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…
How-to: Walkout Push-ups on a Ball
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…
How-to: Praying Mantis Plank
Exercise: Praying Mantis Plank Do: Return to good plank form between each rep Easier: Touch outstretched foot to floor near hand, instead of touching hand & foot in the air; or leave both hands in place and just reach your foot out. Click here to see all the How-To Videos…
How-to: Upper Body Warm-Up
Exercise: Upper Body Warm-Up and Mobility Sequence Do: Follow this sequence before doing heavy lifting or extensive upper body training. Don’t: Let your ribs poke forward during pass-throughs, pull-aparts, or cactus arms. Here’s the sequence: 10 Pass-throughs 10 Cactus Arms 10 Wall Push-ups 10 Pull-Aparts – overhand 10 Pull-Aparts – underhand 10 T-Spine roll-outs in each […]
How to: Agility >>
How-to: Tuck Jumps – Advanced Variations
Exercise: Tuck Jumps – Advanced Variations Do: Get low to start every jump. Power up as high as possible and tuck both knees to chest. Attempt to stick the landing each time. Don’t: do these without a very good warm-up. Easier: take more rest between jumps. Harder: n/a See also: Long Jump with Weight, Tuck Jumps Back to […]
How-to: Frog Jumps
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
How-to: Duck Walk
Exercise: Duck Walks Do: Take long, low strides Don’t: Pop up between steps Easier: Shorter sustained periods of walking Harder: Keep going! quack!
How-to: Heismans
Exercise: Heismans Do: Keep feet fast and light; use your abs to tuck and crunch toward your knee Don’t: look for height – the movements should be lateral Easier: go slower and more deliberately Harder: faster feet!