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: 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!

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: 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: 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: Plyo >>

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: 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 skater

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: 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 box! Easier: use a 20″ or shorter box / step Harder: use a 24″ or higher box; […]
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

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: 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 centreline – instead keep you knee tracking right over your ankle Easier: n/a Harder: Add weight

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 position, before you progress to the next lower hand elevation. Back to all […]
How to: Core >>

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: Swimming on a Ball
Exercise: Swimming on a Ball Do: Maintain a straight line from head to heels, keep your neck neutral, engage your abdominal muscles Don’t: Overextend/arch your back, look up or look down Click here to see all the How-To Videos… Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

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: Stability >>

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 your ears Easier / Harder: variations are listed in order of challenge Click here to see all the […]

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: 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: 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: Lower Body >>

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. Back toes can be tucked under, or top of the foot resting on the ground Harder: Rise up to […]

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, Advanced Tuck Jumps Back to all How-To Videos, in alphabetical order…

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: 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 box! Easier: use a 20″ or shorter box / step Harder: use a 24″ or higher box; […]
How to: Upper Body >>

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 position, before you progress to the next lower hand elevation. Back to all […]

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…

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: 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: Agility >>

How-to: Agility Hops
Exercise: Agility Hops Variations: Front/back, Side-side with feet together; side-side one foot at a time Do: Wear shoes! Use something soft as an obstacle, e.g a rolled towel or t-shirt. Move feet quickly Easier: Go slow Harder: Move quickly! Extend your time Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

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: 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: 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!
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