How-to: Upper Body Archives | Roller Derby Athletics

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:…

How-to: Upper Body Warm-Up

How-to: Push-Up Progression

Exercise: Push-Up Progression A simple trick for progressing to a full push-up if you can’t do any (or very many) yet! Practice at your lowest comfortable hand position. Work up to where you’re comfortable with 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps at one …

How-to: Upper Body Stretch

Exercise: Upper Body Stretch Sequence Do: Just follow along and hold each stretch for 30 seconds minimum! Here’s the list: Chest stretch on the wall (or door stretch) Door frame back stretch Forearm stretch – inside and outside Back to all …

How-to: Hollow Body Holds + Rocks

Exercise: Hollow Body Holds, Hollow Body Rocks Do: Keep your low back pinned to the floor, engage your lats, glutes, and basically everything! Don’t: Crunch your chin to your chest. Easier: Knees bent to a tabletop position Harder: Arms overhead…

How-to: Bench Dips

Exercise: Bench Dips (aka Chair Dips) Do: Keep shoulders down, elbows pointed back Don’t: let your shoulders hunch towards your ears. Easier: Place feet closer to your bench Harder: Elevate feet See also: Triceps Push-Ups, Triceps Roll-outs Back…

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: 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: 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 r…

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: I, Y, & Tees

Exercise: I, Y, & Tees Do: Engage your core and glutes throughout, keep the motions small Don’t: overdo the pulsing motion Easier: take rests Harder: add small hand weights Click here to see all the How-To Videos…To access this pos…

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

How-to: Push-Ups

Exercise: Push-Ups Do: Place hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart, point elbows about 45 degrees away from your torso, get to a 90 degree bend in your elbows at the bottom position Don’t: allow your hips to rise up or sag Easier: do push-…

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: Push-Ups on a Ball

Exercise: Push-Ups on a Ball Variations: FOB Push-ups; FOB single-leg push-ups; HOB push-ups from the knees; HOB push-ups (lowering motion only); HOB full push-ups Do: Practice good standard push-up form Don’t: Allow your shoulders to rise towards y…

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…

How-to: Sumo Push-Ups

Exercise: Sumo Push-Ups Do: Take a wide stance with feet and hands; practice good push-up form Don’t: allow hips to sag or to rise up into a pike position Easier: do the push-ups from your knees Harder: n/a Click here to see all the How-To V…

How-to: Lizard Planks

Exercise: Lizard Planks Do: allow your hips and shoulders to twist with the side knee movement Don’t: let your hips rise up into a pike position Easier: take rests Harder: n/a Click here to see all the How-To Videos…To access this post…

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…To access this post, you must purcha…

How-to: Triceps Push-Up

Exercise: Triceps Push-Up Do: Keep elbows tucked to your sides, practice good push-up form Don’t: allow hips to sag or rise up into a piked position Easier: From the knees Harder: Elevate your feet on a step, bench or chair Click here to see…

How-to: Planks with Single Knee Tucks on a Ball

Exercise: Planks with Single Knee Tucks on a Ball (HOB) Do: Try to keep as still as possible in your upper body and trunk Modification: do this from the ground, or with your elbows on the ball if you have wrist pain Click here to see all the How-…

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&#…

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 th…

How-to: Tabletop Rollout on a Ball

Exercise: Tabletop Rollout on a Ball Do: Go slowly, with control; bend at the hips; keep your neck neutral Don’t: pitch forward at the hips as though in a plank Click here to see all the How-To Videos…To access this post, you must pur…

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…To access this post, you must purchase…

How-to: Side Plank

Exercise: Side Plank Variations: from elbow or from hand; arm lifted; leg lifted; both arm and leg lifted Do: Align your head, hips, and heels in a straight line Don’t: Look at your feet Easier: hand on hip, from the elbow Harder: Variations are li…

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