How-to: Lower Body Archives | Roller Derby Athletics

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 re…

How-to: Squat with Weight

Exercise: Squats with Weight Do: Keep weight in heels, maintain a slight curve in the lower back at the bottom position, keep chest and head lifted. Don’t: squat lower if you can’t maintain good form. Easier: Use lighter weight; use a Smit…

How-to: Calf Raises with weight

Exercise: Weighted Calf Raises Do: Rise as high as possible; lower with control Don’t: drop down quickly without resistance. Easier: Use lighter weight; use a calf raise machine at the gym. Harder: Lift heavier weight. See also: Calf Raises (sin…

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) …

How-to: Split Squat with Raised Leg

Exercise: Split Squat with Raised Back Leg Do: Place about 70% of your weight on the front foot. Drive through the heel of the front foot to rise up. Don’t: allow front knee to cave inward. Easier: Do standard split squats instead Harder: lift he…

How-to: Lunges with Weight

Exercise: Weighted Lunge Do: Warm up with the bar only. Keep knees over toes. Drive through the heel of the front foot to rise up. Keep chest and head lifted. Don’t: allow front knee to cave inward, or take too large a step forward. Easier: Do …

How-to: Deadlift and Romanian Deadlift

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 ba…

How-to: Box Jump Variations

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 b…

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. …

How-to: Long Jump Tuck Jump

Exercise: Long Jump + Tuck Jump Combination Do: Spring up into the tuck jump quickly and vertically. Don’t: jump forward on the tuck jump. Easier: Separate the two jumps with a pause. Harder: n/a See also: Long Jump with Weight, Tuck Jumps, Advan…

How-to: Long Jump with Weight

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 …

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!To access this post, you…

How-to: Lunge Stretch

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. B…

How-to: Lunge (Basic)

Exercise: Basic Lunge & Variations Do: Try lunging in different orientations; keep your knees aligned with your ankles; keep your head and chest lifted; drive through the front heel as you push back to standing. Don’t: let your front knee dr…

How-to: TFL + IT Band + Hamstring stretch

Exercise: TFL + IT Band + Hamstring Stretch Do: Work with a friend or use a strap or band; Play around and find the angle of stretch that works best for you; hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds on each side. Don’t: stretch into pain – pu…

How-to: Walking Lunge

Exercise: Walking Lunge Do: Keep head and shoulders lifted, drive up through your front heel Don’t: let your front knee drive forward past your toes, or cave inward towards your centre line. Easier: hold on to a wall for support, don’t be…

How-to: Sideways Stairs

Exercise: Sideways Stairs Do: Use “outside” and “inside” leg equally, & remember to swap sides every flight of stairs or two. Don’t: forget to get low and attack the stairs like a speed skaterTo access this post, you m…

How-to: Wall Sit

Exercise: Wall Sits, and one-leg wall sits Do: Maintain a 90 degree bend in the knee When testing your single leg wall sit, get into a 2-leg sitting position, and start your timer when you lift one foot off the ground. Don’t: rest your upper body…

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 :)To access this post, you must purchase Sun's Out Guns Out Chal…

How-to: Single Leg Squat

Exercise: Single Leg Squat Do: Engage your core, shoot for a 90 degree bend, try different leg positions Don’t: let your shoulders and head do all the lowering! Easier: hold on to a wall or counter for support Harder: get lower!To access this p…

How-to: Single Leg Dead Lift

Exercise: Single Leg Dead Lift, aka SLDL or 1LDL Do: Engage your core, hinge your torso and leg as a unit, send your hips backward and weight over your heel Don’t: use the same forward arm as your supporting leg! Easier: n/a Harder: Add a dumbb…

How-to: Isometric Stride Push

Exercise: Isometric Stride Push Do: Get low, try to push the wall right over!To access this post, you must purchase Sun's Out Guns Out Challenge.…

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 pointTo access this post, you must purchase Sun's Out Guns Out Challenge.…

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!To access this post, you must purchase Sun's Out Guns Out Challenge.…

How-to: Cross-Under Swipes

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 “rea…

How-to: Cross-Under Squats

Exercise: Cross-Under Squats Do: Keep head and chest lifted, get hips down low, reach far across with the back leg Don’t: take miniature steps, or only bend forward at the waist instead of bending from the kneesTo access this post, you must purch…

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 …

How-to: Calf Raises

Exercise: Calf Raises Do: Rise and lower with control; distribute weight evenly across the balls of your feet. Don’t: let your heels splay out to the sides. Easier: hold on to a wall for stabiity Harder: one-leg calf raises; add weightTo access …

How-to: Forward Lean-Over Lunge

Exercise: Forward Lean-Over Lunge Do: Take a big enough step forward that your back leg is fairly straight; push through your heel to “spring” back to the starting position Don’t: let your front knee “cave in” towards your c…

How-to: Clamshells

Exercise: Clamshells Do: Line up your shoulders, hips, and heels on a straight line Don’t: Race through the reps Click here to see all the How-To Videos…To access this post, you must purchase Sun's Out Guns Out Challenge.…

How-to: Chair Squats

Exercise: Chair Squats Do: Lower with control, keep your supporting knee pointed straight forward over your toe Don’t: Drop heavily into the chair; allow your supporting knee to cave inward Easier: use a higher platform (bed, arm of a couch), or do …

How-to: Burpees & Variations

Exercise: Burpees Variations:Half Burpees, Squat Thrusts Do: Hit all the ‘stops’ with good form: Squat, plank, push-up, squat-jump Don’t: Rush through it and sacrifice form Click here to see all the How-To Videos…To access …

How-to: Bridges & Variations

Exercise: Bridges Variations: Basic, One leg, Marching, One leg with a Kick Do: Keep hips level and as still as possible. Engage your abs and glutes before lifting your hips Don’t: Allow hips to dip side to side Easier / Harder: The variations are …

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…

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…To access this post, you must purchase Sun'…

How-to: Good Mornings

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…To access this post, you must purcha…

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 …

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…To access this post, you must purchase Sun's…

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: A…

How-to: Side Lunge

Exercise: Side Lunge Do: Keep weight in your heel, hips pointing back; spring back to the starting position Don’t: Look down Easier: n/a Harder: Add weight Click here to see all the How-To Videos…To access this post, you must purchase S…

How-to: Side Lifts

Exercise: Side Lifts Do: Align your head, butt, and heels in one straight line Don’t: Look down at your feet Click here to see all the How-To Videos…To access this post, you must purchase Sun's Out Guns Out Challenge.…

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 al…

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…To acc…

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; tran…

How-to: Tuck Jumps

Exercise: Tuck Jumps Do: Get your knees UP! Land with soft knees Don’t: try these before being well warmed up Easier: take small stutter jumps in between each tuck jump Harder: jump higher, go faster Click here to see all the How-To Videos&#…

How-to: Hamstring Curls on a ball

Exercise: Hamstring Curls on a ball (FOB) Variations: 2 legs, 2-to-1, single leg Do: Keep hips lifted Easier: 2 legs; take more rests Harder: single leg variations Click here to see all the How-To Videos…To access this post, you must purchas…

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…To access this post, you must purchase Su…

How-to: Bridge – Feet on a Ball

Exercise: Bridge – Feet on a Ball (FOB) Click here to see all the How-To Videos…To access this post, you must purchase Sun's Out Guns Out Challenge.…

How-to: Squats & Squat Jump Variations

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…