Arizona Derby Dames ~ View topic

Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 18527 Location: Phoenix

Here is a list of off the rink excercises you can do to build your strength and power for derby!

Before blocking and high contact moves are performed, you must make sure that there is enough muscle mass around joints and bones to support heavy body checks and potentially dangerous falls. Below are some strength exercises to build muscle mass, which will protect you and help build power and speed in your stride.

Strength & Power

Squats
All squats can be done on skates as well as off. Change up your routine to keep from getting bored. They can also be done standing still or skating around the rink.
Basic Squat Form

Stand with legs shoulder width apart. With your weight evenly distributed on your feet, squat down with your back straight as if you were holding yourself over a nasty toilet. Slowly raise up, making sure your knees never bend past your toes.

For the basic move, aim for 3 sets of 15 squats with excellent form – a set done with good form will do you more good than 10 sets that are sloppy.

Variations
Be sure to change up the way you do this move by incorporating different variations such as:
• Quick reps (but slow enough to keep good form)
• Slow reps
• Deep/Shallow/Deep pyramid working each section to exhaustion before
moving up/down again
• One legged - work both right and left legs
• Try adding in leg kicks with the non-supporting leg – use all directions similar
to ballet warm-ups: forward, backwards and out to the side

Alternating Lunge Steps
While skating around the track, at the blow of a whistle, start using each leg as if taking a large step. Continue while moving around the rink until the whistle is blown again. Normally this is done at 30 second intervals with brisk skating in between. Also can alternate with sets of squats.

Floor Work

Straight leg raises
Lay on your back with one knee bent, and the other out straight. Lift the straight leg to the ceiling. Repeat 3 sets of 15 reps, adding weight when a greater challenge is needed.

Side Leg Raises
Lay on your side, and bend the knee of the leg closest to the floor. Keep the other leg out straight and lift up towards the ceiling. Repeat 3 sets of 15 reps, adding weight when a greater challenge is needed.

Inner Side Leg Raises
Lay on your side, and bend the knee of the leg closest to the ceiling so that your foot is on the ground and the knee points up to the ceiling. Keep the other leg out straight and lift up towards the ceiling. Repeat 3 sets of 15 reps, adding weight when a greater challenge is needed.

Side Leg Raises
Lay on your side, and bend the knee of the leg closest to the floor, and the other out straight. Lift the straight leg to the ceiling. Repeat 3 sets of 15 reps, adding weight when a greater challenge is needed.

Bridge Kicks (Doggie Style Kicks)
Get down on all fours - beginners support yourself with your hands, while more advanced girls support yourself on your elbows. Straighten the right leg out so that your toe touches the floor. Lift that foot up to the ceiling and back down again – repeat 30 kicks before switching to the other leg. Many variations can be used in any desired sequence, and include:
• Kick out to the side with a flexed foot
• Bend the knee so that the sole of the foot is facing the ceiling. The foot
remains flat to the ceiling while you pump the leg up and down, doing 30 reps
on each side.
• Bend the knee and lift the leg out to the side (doggie pee style)

Quad/Butt Lifts
With skates on, this becomes a much more intense exercise of deep muscle control. Beginners start without skates and add them in when you feel more confident.

Lay on your back with both feet (all wheels) flat on the floor and knees pointing up. Lift your butt off the floor so that your lower back comes off the floor and your upper back and shoulders support your weight. Slowly release down so that your back is flat on the floor again. Repeat 3 sets of 15 reps on each side.

Minute of Death
This is similar to the Plank pose in Yoga, but keep your skates on. Get in a pushup position, only instead of your hands supporting your weight, use your elbows and forearms (forming a triangle with the point at your hands). With your weight on your elbows and your toes/toe stops, lift your legs and torso so that your body forms a flat “plank” pose. Hold this position for 1 minute – repeat up to 3 times if possible. Be sure not to let your torso/butt/knees sag to the ground or point up to the ceiling – keep as level as possible.

Situps
There are many variations – below are just some of the options. Whatever you do, try and do them till the point of exhaustion for the muscle group. All sets should start with 3 sets of 15 reps. Add more reps or add additional variations to the sequence to increase workout. In any trunk exercise, you will get the most out of it if you take a half second to tighten up that muscle group before the actual movement occurs. This prep keeps you focused, regulates your breathing and and keeps your mind off how much you hate the exercise.

• Lay on your back with your feet on the floor and your knees pointing towards
the ceiling. Hold your arms up and out, palms down, fingers pointing to the
ceiling. Reach up, bringing your shoulder blades off the ground and bring it
back to neutral.
• Next, do a set with your arms straight out facing up like before, but this time
pull them down closer to your knees for a mid-level crunch.
• Do a set with your arms down reaching through your legs toward your feet.
• Raise your right leg and rest your ankle across your other knee. Place your
left hand out on the floor for balance. Put the other hand behind your head
and (leading with your shoulder – not your elbow) crunch across to the raised
knee. Switch sides.
• Do a set with your arms behind your head crunching your upper torso towards
your knees
• make sure to lead with your shoulders, not your elbows
• relax your neck so that all work is coming from your abs

Reverse Crunches
Reverse crunches are done from the same position as a traditional situp/crunch, but instead of bringing your upper torso up, these involve the lower abs lifting your butt (and legs) off the floor.

• Lay flat on the floor with legs out long. Raise the legs up so that the soles of
your feet are facing the ceiling. Keep the feet up in the air pump the legs up
and down (from the lower torso), keeping them as straight as possible
• Make sure your feet are flexed to get the most out of this exercise.
• The movement is very small – concentrate on squeezing your trunk supporters
and getting that butt off the floor.
• A variation to the above – have a partner standing over your head (facing
your feet). Lay flat with your feet out long. Keeping your legs straight, raise
them up to meet the hands of your partner who then pushes them back
towards the floor. Don’t let them hit the floor, but raise them back up to your
partner’s hands. Start with 3 sets of 15. Try them fast to harness the
explosive potential of your torso that you will need in games.

Introverted Push Ups
Lay on the ground with your face towards the floor. Start off each push up by using your toe stops to hold up your legs and your arms to hold up your upper body. Counting to ten, slowly lower your body to the floor. Each count to ten is one push up.

Tri Push Ups
Lay on the ground with your face towards the floor. Place your hands in front of you so your index fingers and your thumbs form a diamond shape on the floor. Push your self off the ground without lifting the lower half of your body, do this 8 times. Move your arms out to your sides with hands facing inwards and push your self off the grounds, do this 8 times as well. When finished turn your hands to face straight, not outwards, and push yourself off the ground, also do this 8 times. Do each set 8 times, than 6 times, than 3 times and than 2 times. Do not stop in between sets and never lift your lower half off the ground,
_________________
Ann Thrash, Ref
2006:Best Pivot, Rink Rash, Biggest Lush, Ball & Chain
2007:Best Pivot, Best Blocker, Most Feared, Hardest Hitter
2008:Best Pivot, Best Blocker, Biggest Lush, Biggest Bitch
2009:Best Pivot
2010-12:The Regulators Ref Team - Mount Up!

Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Posts: 387 Location: Glendale

Rawr! You do all this shit? A lot of this is in the Turbo Jam workouts that I do but not that many sets. It's aerobic strength training, basically. I'll just have to add the ones I don't do to my routine. Thanks Thrash!
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COFFIN DRAGGERS!!!

Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 18527 Location: Phoenix

If I did all this, I would be thin! Rolling Eyes

No, I go to the gym 3 times a week. I have a trainer 2 days and go on my own 1 day. I try to get to spin class cause it is the shit for derby. Then I skate 2 days a week.

I'm trying to eat healthy - so all my efforts show!!!
_________________
Ann Thrash, Ref
2006:Best Pivot, Rink Rash, Biggest Lush, Ball & Chain
2007:Best Pivot, Best Blocker, Most Feared, Hardest Hitter
2008:Best Pivot, Best Blocker, Biggest Lush, Biggest Bitch
2009:Best Pivot
2010-12:The Regulators Ref Team - Mount Up!

Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 35 Location: Tempe

Roller Derby as you know is intense. It is essential that you are exercising on your own, outside of the bouts and the weekly practices. This will help you avoid injury and perform at a higher level.

Thrash gave you a huge list of great exercises. The most important thing about exercising is that you actually do it and that you have good form. Exercise done with poor form has the potential to do more harm than good.

If you don't have a personal trainer or someone to make sure you have correct form I am willing to help.

Let me know!
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GOT PAIN?
TRY CHIROPRACTIC!

Joined: 25 Jan 2009 Posts: 169

You've listed some awesome information on here- that's really cool! For those of you with gym memberships and access to squat racks, I HIGHLY recommend large compound movements, which means big exercises that engage all of the core muscles at once.

Some examples:

Deadlifts (this will engage your back, traps, quads and glutes) Getting this into your routine will increase your strength exponentially. If you think about what it takes to give a whip, this exercise will help you tremendously.

Front Squats with Push Press (a hard one to do, but well worth the effort)

Bent over row *underhand- engages your lats/erectors, biceps, shoulders- again building your back will increase your overall strength exponentially and make a major impact with your power hits and whips. Using an overhand grip will engage your triceps more.

I have found since starting skating again that I have to adjust to how my body has changed as far as strength and getting a better gauge of what I am able to do now as a result. Embarassed

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"Don't be scared!!"

Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 35 Location: Tempe