Playing Hurt

Today I am going to talk about an issue that we all face on some level. First, let me clarify something though. There is a big difference between hurt and injured. If you are injured, something is torn or broken, you should take all of the necessary precautions to allow yourself to heal. If your hurt, in some sort of pain or discomfort, I would recommend that you push through the best you can. Let me be frank. There are times in life that it hurts. Your body and your ego will take some blows; a few strains or bruises if you will. This is where the true measure of who we are shines through. Not to get too deep but this applies to a whole lot more than just roller derby. I would venture the guess that at some point in each day you experience some sort of pain. The question is do you let this pain define the rest of your day? On the other side of most of the pains we experience is some form of victory. How sweet of a word is that...Victory. Winston Churchill summed up victory for the British in WWII pretty succinctly: praying for victory was fine, Deserving victory was what really mattered. As you go through the workout today think about what you are really developing. The commitment you are making to yourself and the discipline you are exhibiting by following through with this commitment is another step toward deserving the victories that are to come. I understand very well that exercising is not comfortable but it is worth the short term pain for the results. Let's go to work!

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 20 squat jumps
3x 20 speed skater jumps
3x 20 push ups
3x 20 bent flys
3x 20 overhead press
50 meters lunges
2x 25 crunches of you choosing
2x 20 straight arm twists (each side)
5 min. cool down
Stretch

Have a great day!

J

Grunting Builds Muscle Faster?

It's Monday morning, I haven't had my coffee, and some broad in a pink sports bra just told her friend that the most effective way to get the best body is to grunt loudly while lifting. This, she said, is a sure way of knowing that you are pushing your body far enough. Bullshit! It's just annoying and makes you look like an absolute moron. By the way, put on some clothes.That said, let's get this over with!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
6x 400 meters @ 120 sec.(2 min. ) pace
15 min. light jog
4x 30 sec. planks
2x 25 bicycle crunches
2x 10 3 sec. abdominal press
2x 10 3 sec. superman
5 min. cool down
Stretch

Let's try and make it a Great Day!!!

J

More Than A Hobby

One of my favorite things about roller derby is that for most it is more than a hobby. It is a way of life. Fitness is very similar in this way. You know what it is like during the incredibly short off season that you get. The first week it is hard to just relax. By the second week you are already planning for the next season and the points that will be scored and the hits that will be had. Your workouts can be very similar in this way. Once you get yourself into a routine, you find it more comfortable living fit than it ever was not living this way. Let me blow your mind real quick. I hate to workout! This is not what trainers are supposed to say but it is the truth. above all, I hate to run. After 8 to 10 hours in the gym the last thing I want to do is worry about my own workout. Many of you can probably identify with this feeling. Now before I am burned as a heretic by the local mob of meatheads, let me say I absolutely love the feeling right after a workout. I also love not having to think about it if my friends want to go on a twenty mile bike ride or do some rock climbing. The feeling right after a workout is the reason that I can still survive 2 hr. hockey pick up games or knocking a ball around with the boys (it also helps me make it up the stairs). All of this is to say that I don't blame you for not enjoying working out, but it doesn't let you off of the hook either. but whether it's derby, running around with friends, chasing kids, taking some time to yourself, or working toward looking even more amazing in a little black dress(or fishnets and a jersey), make your fitness a part of your day and I promise it will pay off. Now let's get after it!

5 min. warmup
Stretch
2x 100 meters skipping for distance
2x 25 meters karaoke step(each side)
2x 25 squat jumps
2x 25 up downs (squat thrusts, burpees)
3x 10 push ups
3x 10 inverted rows
2x 25 shoulder shrugs
4x 30 sec. planks
4x 30 sec V sits(seated pike pos.)
2x 25 crunches with legs straight up over body
2x 25 reg. crunches
5 min. cool down
Stretch

Enjoy!

J

Finish Strong

Another week is almost officially on the books. All we have to do is survive the day and we are officially into the weekend. This gives us the opportunity to finish the week out nice and strong so that we can continue our progress(or run damage control) into next week. I'll try to keep this as quick as possible so you can go begin enjoying the rest of your day!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
4x 100 meter sprints( 30 to 45 sec. of rest between and no more)
2x 50 meters of lunges
2x 50 meters skipping for height
2x 100 meters skipping for distance
3x 10 push ups
10 dive bomb push ups
3x 10 inverted rows
2x 15 lateral arm raises
4x 30 sec. planks
2x 25 bicycle crunches
2x 15 side crunches(each side)
5 min. cool down
Stretch

Have a great day!

J

The Easiest Way To Lose Is To Never Begin!

This is the fastest way to lose! There certainly are quite a few other ways to lose but this one is guaranteed. Never begin. The second most effective way (virtually the same thing) is to quit. These concepts should disgust us, but how many times everyday do we not even try? I'm more guilty than I would ever care to admit. Sometimes, especially in the area of working out, it is easier to find something, anything else to take priority. We take ourselves out of the training game before it ever begins. You are athletes, some of the finest i have ever had the pleasure of getting to know. Here is the things about athletes though. Practice is just the the beginning. This is the minimum buy in to play in this game. The aim should be far above the basics. That is the point of this blog. My way is not the only way though(maybe in my own head). If you are having trouble getting up the motivation to get more than just practices in, start by doing something. Anything is better than nothing. Just don't quit on yourself. I can't promise a title but i will guarantee you will win your own respect. Let's go to work!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
45 min. interval training ( 5 min. running, 3 min. light jog)
2x 25 bicycle crunches
2x 10 superman
2x 25 regular crunches
2x 25 crunches
5 min. cool down
Stretch

Enjoy!

J

Halfway There is Halfway Gone

I have begun writing this post like nine times and I have no idea where it is going so to hell with it. Today we are going to be looking at another aspect of the game of roller derby rather than focusing only on skating fast and staying on your feet. Today we are going to look at the part that hurts more than average, giving a hit and receiving a hit. Derby is a contact sport and this is not something we can just avoid. Most of you have probably realized at this point that the harder you go for a hit, the less you actually feel it(most of the time). There is a biological reason for this and it is called adrenaline. Everyone has heard of it but how does it work? When your body feels the need to be at a heightened level of awareness, typically in a time of either excitement or perceived danger, the hormone adrenaline is released into the body and acts as a re-director of blood away from some organs,including portions of the brain, and toward muscles. This is commonly referred to as the beginning of the "fight or flight response". What this means to you is that when you deliver or receive a hit, the elevated blood flow allows your muscles to divert pain for a while. This can often explain why you can be devastatingly sore two days after a bout and not recall any particular reason why. It can also explain why the hit we don't see coming is often the absolute worst. So that is basically how it works, but why is this important? Because the side affects of all of this hitting and adrenaline rushing can be very demoralizing to your body if it is not properly prepared. Roller derby is a sport with it's roots centered around skating, typically at speed. Recently we have seen a lot of crossover into roller derby from both artistic and speed skating and I believe that is awesome. The issue is that none of these sports have much focus on upper body strength and the typical female is much more lower body dominant in strength. Today we are going to focus almost exclusively on upper body work and the form that goes with. Forgive the length of this post but a lot has to be taken into consideration. First of all, doing these exercises will allow you to tone up, not to bulk up(you won't end up looking like a body builder). Secondly, all exercises should be completed with your abs squeezed tight. This is not the same as sucking in your stomach while trying to put on your favorite pair of jeans. The concept is to squeeze your belly button toward your spine. (wicked cool party trick if you can get them to touch, I'm just saying)Third, your neck should be straight and you chin slightly tucked at all time. with that on the table , let's go to work!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
3x 15 tricep dips
3x 15 shrugs(this will feel pointless unless you focus on squeezing your shoulder blades up and together)
3x 15 overhead presses
3x 15 wide push ups
3x 15 front raises ( raise your arms to the front, keeping them straight and together)
3x 15 lateral raises (raise your arms to the side like a bird flying)
3x 15 inverted rows
3x 100 meters skipping for distance
3x 50 meters skipping for height
100 crunches of your choosing( the form above applies to all exercise, including these)
5 min. cooldown
Stretch

none of these exercises require a gym or any weights to complete, however if they are too simple add resistance. This can be as simple as bags of flour, phone books, gallons of water, or if you prefer, shopping bags. Just try to make it as even on each side as possible and enjoy!

J

Like You Mean It

Today is another day where we are focusing on cardio and your core. The reasoning behind this method of preparation is both simple and a little unique. Most people will carry on about cardio being all about burning calories, assisting in losing and maintaining weight, or keeping you and your vital organs(all of them) in best working order. While all of these things are important, I believe that there are some other important reasons for a cardio workout and that is what we are going to focus on. We are going to approach this similarly to the way that I prefer to train people for marathons. Don't let that word scare you, I am not suggesting 26 miles. The concept is that if you can keep your body moving for the time that you will need to complete the given task, you should have no problem completing it when it is game time. The truth is that most of the things I am talking about have nothing to do with most of your body. It is all in your head. Your body was designed to do whatever you need it to do. It is up to your mind to make it do it. The problem that we run into is that a game is roughly 60 min long. That means that you want to be able to go for at least 90 min. to 120min. just in case you have to go into overtime or play games back to back, which can certainly happen. Today we are going to look at about 60min. worth of time that your workout will take to complete. To get the best results, you need to approach this in a minute by minute way. Every minute of a game is not only important, it is special. It should mean something. The way you workout should be treated the same way. Why?
This is the time that you are dedicating to yourself to improve. This is the time that you can focus yourself on whatever you choose to. This is also the time that you are proving to the women that you have the honor of skating with that you feel they are important as well as your joint success as a team. This is about integrity, accountability, pride, and dignity. Make the most of it and make every step count. Make this mean something! So let's get on with Tuesdays workout!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
45 min. of moderate cardio( this means working hard enough that you can't talk in complete sentences without pausing to breath)
3x 10 straight arm twists
3x 10 wood chops( each side)
2x 10 3 sec. superman
2x 15 side crunches (obliques) (each side)
2x 25 bicycle crunches
5 min. cool down
Stretch

Enjoy!

J

Pain Is Our Business and Business Is Good

Though I am not a derby girl personally, I believe we do have a few things in common. First of all, we are both in the business inflicting pain. On some level I believe we both enjoy this almost too much. One other thing that we both have in common is that we both know what it is like to be in pain. I am not talking about an injury or soreness from a workout. I am talking about halfway through the season, body is pissed as hall at you, every now and then something shoots through the white noise of your everyday aches kind of pain. I understand this all to well. The harsh fact is that there is a price to be paid for the mentality that allows you to push your body as far as is necessary to play at the level you truly desire. There are a few things that you can do to help minimize any less desirable consequences as far as your body is concerned. Here are a few basics:

1. Do not stretch without first warming up. If you do, it increases the risk of tearing your muscles.
2. Skate the opposite direction occasionally. The long term effects of only using one muscles in one direction will be bad. You need to mix it up and keep yourself balanced
3. Focus on some resistance training. Resistance will build muscle that is crucial in supporting joint health and fighting against decreasing bone density. This is far more important for women than men. (Who'd have thought weights are better for women. Keep that in mind the next time you run across a worthless meathead!)
4. Range of motion is key. When you are exercising it is important to move your joints through a full range of motion to allow you muscles to develop and protect against injury at weird angles( such as the way a jammers body contorts while being smashed by three blockers and whipped by her own team)

If you can keep these things in mind they will help you in the long run. So will continuing to work hard! let's get after it!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
3x 10 squat thrusts (burpees)
3x 30 sec. mountain climbers
3x 10 pushups
3x 10 inverted rows
3x 10 overhead press
3x 10 tricep dips
50 meters of lunges
4 planks to failure
2x 10 3sec. abdominal presses
5 min. cooldown
Stretch

If you have any questions feel free to ask. I am hoping to have a reference guide for the exercises ready this week but we'll see. Enjoy!

J

Good Week

I hope everyone had a great week. If you are tired, you should be. This is life! We might as well live it in a way that leaves us tired at the end of the day because we have been so busy taking advantage of every moment. I mean isn't that what roller derby is all about? Taking advantage of every moment, every opportunity you receive? Today we are going to focus on a lite cardio workout so let's get it done and then take advantage of some down time if we can.

5 min warm up
Stretch
45 min interval training( 5 min light, 3 min moderate to fast paced)
100 crunches of your choosing
10 2 sec. superman
5 min cool down
Stretch

Enjoy!

J

Nothin's Gonna Stop Us Now!

At this point you should have been hitting it hard all week and we are not stopping now. I'm not trying to be an asshole and I am well aware it is Friday, however, regionals are coming up and now is the time to prepare. It's the pain of discipline or the pain of regret, one of which hurts a lot longer than the other. I'm just saying. So let's not waste time and just get this workout over with. One other thing, give it a little swagger. If your going to look like a rockstar and skate like a bat outta hell, you might as well act like it!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
3x 15 push ups
3x 20 sumo squats
3x 15inverted rows
3x 15 tricep dips
3x 15 overhead presses
25 bicycle crunches
25 side crunches (each side)
25 regular crunches
5 min. cool down
Stretch

Enjoy!

J

Thursday

The week is drawing to a close and we are pushing right on through. At this point in the week, depending on how last weekend went, Your body should be feeling pretty good and reacting favorably. With that in mind, today we are back to a cardio endurance workout. Here you go!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
2x 50 meters skipping for height
2x 100 meters skipping for distance
45 min interval training (5min. moderate, 3 min. high intensity)
25meters of frog hops(traveling squat jumps)
2x 50meters karaoke(grapevine)(each side)
4x 30sec. planks
4x25 crunches, your choice
5. min cool down
Stretch

One thing to keep in mind, Intervals don't have to be running. If you want to bike or swim feel free; you could even break dance or practice your rockstar moves. The important part of intervals is getting your heart rate up and recovering asap without stopping. Enjoy!

J

Half Way Through

It's Wednesday and the week is half finished. Today we are putting a lot of concentration into the development of muscle and groups of muscle while simultaneously getting some good cardio. The pace with which you approach today's workout will make all of the difference. Your repetitions should be slow, concentrated, and through a full range of motion. The rest between your sets should be as short as possible. This will make for the best results so without further adieu!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
3x 20 Sumo squats
3x 20 fire hydrants (each side)
3x 20 donkey kicks (each side)
50 meters of lunges
3x 10 push ups
3x 20 tricep dips
3x 10 inverted rows
3x 10 pull ups (if you need help, use it)
3x 10 superman
3x 20 flutter kicks
ABC leg lifts (draw the alphabet with your feet, I prefer lower case cursive)
2x 50 rapid fire regular crunches (small movements, really fast)
2x 25 bicycle crunches
5 min. cool down
Stretch

This should be difficult so if it hurts that's a good thing! Enjoy!

J

Bad Behavior

Fuck it, here we go. In the past week we have seen bad behavior at it's worst being glorified. I have tried my best to ignore it but to no avail. We have seen stories on a national level, in a variety of areas of life, all dealing with bad behavior. From government officials, to service personnel, and of course athletes. My take is simple. As an elected official, an employee, a team member,or a human, what kind of thinking is it that allows you to place yourself above the rest and take matters into your own hands? Perhaps it is some kind of annoyance or injustice? If this is the case there are appropriate methods and channels that do not involve acting out, sacrificing the integrity of the people or organization that you represent, or engaging in a physical altercation of any kind. These things are not alright and should not be treated as such because there are certainly and definitely consequences. The reason that I feel the need to discuss this is that in the roller derby community you have an opportunity to join together in one of the most sacred of assemblies, that of a team. Within the dynamics of a great team, there are many roles, none of which is greater than the whole of the team itself. In a team environment everyone makes sacrifices to achieve the common goals of success. Each individual is responsible for attending practices, giving the finest effort that they are capable of, and being accountable for there individual actions that in some way affect the rest of the team. There are times when this is absolutely glorious. there are also situations where this is the definition of misery. In order to support the women with whom you skate, sometimes it means that you have to quietly ride the bench so the team as a whole can succeed. Sometimes it means that no matter how cheap a foul is, how badly your ego or your person is bruised, you must keep you head up and your mouth shut so that your actions support the integrity of the team for which you participate as a member. Please understand, I am not suggesting that this is always easy. In athletics, as in life, you will no doubt have injustices occur. There will be times that it feels incredibly personal and incredibly wrong, and for the time, they may be. But the upsides far outweigh the down in these cases. If you can still look at your fellow teammates with pride and confidence in your integrity as a whole, the feeling is indescribable. This is where championships are born, long before they are ever realized. If these things do not interest you, feel free to join the mob, but please do it with enough manners that you don't destroy what so many others are attempting to build within their organization. To most of us, even though we understand some of your circumstances, your bad behavior is still unacceptable and not something we wish to associate with. Now back to the work of striving for greatness!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
45 min. of cardiovascular motion(Moving in what ever way you see fit with an elevated heart rate)
2x 10 jack knife crunches( finish in a pike position)
2x 25 side(oblique) crunches
2x 30sec. side planks (each side)
5 min. cool down
Stretch

Enjoy!

J

Let's Grit Our Teeth And Get It Over With

Today's workout is going to be one that you just have to force yourself to do and get it done with. This is my approach even now as I write. I apologize ahead of time for any soreness. Meet today with the best effort you can muster and if your still hurting from the weekend adjust accordingly. Here you go!

10 min. warm up
STRETCH
3x 10 push ups
3x 10 squat jumps
3x 10 speed skater jumps
50 meters skipping fpr height
100 meters skipping for distance
4x 100meter sprints
3x 10 inverted rows
3x 10 overhead presses
4x 30 sec. mountain climbers
4x 60 sec. planks
2x 10 3 sec. ab presses
2x 25 crunches with knees bent
5 min. cool down
STRETCH

The less rest the better between exercises! Enjoy!

J

Let's Start the Week Early!

This is going to be a rough week of training and we are going to get after it beginning now. I understand it is more than likely hot where you live and you are probably coming off of a game, that is if you are not still playing today. In spite of all of this, it is time to really start working up the endurance aspects of your conditioning. Now is the time that we need to worry about this so when we are going into regionals and then nationals we don't have to. So let's continue building the platform for success on our terms!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
30 min. light interval training ( 5 min. jogging, 3 min. running)
50 meters of lunges
3x 10 push ups
25 meters bear crawl
10 meters crab walk(Forward, backward, and each side)
4x 30 sec. planks
2x 25 crunches your choice

Enjoy!

J

And Here's to Many More

It has come to my attention that yesterday was the 75th anniversary of the invention of roller derby as a sport. I would just like to say congratulations on making it this far and thank for the great idea. today we are going to keep it kind of light as many of you are playing this weekend and we will be hitting it hard next week. Today, focus on moderate activity of your choosing for 60 to 90 minutes. This may include, but is not limited to, running, walking, swimming, biking, hiking, climbing, bouncing, dancing,heavy cleaning, jumping, skipping, and of course participating in any semi- athletic venture. (this does not include practice) Get out and enjoy the day!

J

Where To Begin

This is probably going to take a second so feel free to skip straight to the work out. Let me begin by saying I have no clue how I ended up working with roller girls. It was certainly not my dream as I was growing up to one day be the personal trainer who helped a roller derby team with their strength and conditioning. Understand, I'm not complaining by any stretch. It just wasn't in the plan. The good news is that I kinda hated plans in the first place. Getting started with the derby seemed easy enough. The mechanics of skating are relatively simple and the game was basic enough to pick up. Jammers and Blockers, skate fast turn left, no punching, no elbows, no tripping. No big deal. God, how naive I was. What I found out about roller derby was that it was a way for me to be around a sport that was still competitive but void of huge scandal and the business that accompanies most high levels of athletics. That's right, selfish reasons were what got me started. These reasons are not what keeps we involved though. I found out that roller derby was a community of people who, for the most part, would rather hang out with the other team and have a beer. These women that I met were real women, strong women, beautiful women. Yes, the nature of the sport is to knock the shit out of each other and the scoring allows for some pretty demoralizing beatings. Many people may not look deeper but I did and it has literally blown my mind. Roller girls do friendship better than I have experienced in any sport at any level. I have been blessed to experience this first hand. Who else can take a dark night, a flat tire, no spare, and the middle of nowhere and turn it into a cartwheel competition down the yellow lines of a highway? Who else is willing to open up there home to people they don't really know, from places far away, and welcome them in for the weekend? Name one other sport where it is common to invite rivals to your closed practice knowing that you will probably have to play them again on the way to a national title? These are the women you get to share the joy of victory, the pain of defeat, and the experiences of a life away from the track with. Treasure this for it is hard to find. Competition got me started, the heart of one of the finest groups of women in the world is what keeps me coming back. Now enough with the emotional stuff and let's break a sweat!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
50 meters lunges
50 meters skipping for distance
50 meters karaoke step (each side)
2 planks til failure
25 regular crunches
10 min. cool down
Stretch

Enjoy!

J

All About Beating The Heat

Let's face it. We are in the dog days of summer and it is hot! One of the important things to remember about the heat is that it will affect your body, even if you are in a climate controlled environment all of the time. When we begin to see temperatures in the upper 80's and beyond, fluids are evaporating from your body at an elevated rate. This holds true even if you don't notice yourself sweating. The simple truth is that if you find yourself dehydrated, even a little, your performance will suffer. To help combat dehydration there are a couple of things you can do. First off, drink plenty of water. Water is the way that your body will stay hydrated the best. If you simply cannot drink plain water, try to stay away from drinks with high amounts of sugar. Second, limit your caffeine intake. Caffeine is a diuretic and will not help you stay hydrated. I'm not saying don't drink it, most of us definitely need our morning coffee to function, I'm just saying try not to drink the whole pot. Third, make sure you are getting some salt in your diet. This will help your body retain some of the water that you are drinking. Again, you cannot afford to go overboard here because there are consequences to too much salt as well. These three tips will help you balance out and stay hydrated so that you can knock a broad off her skates at will. Here is your workout for today!

10 min. warm up
Stretch
20 min. Interval training (2 min. moderate fast jog, 2 min. full run)
3x 10 wood chops
3x 10 straight arm twists
4x 60 sec. planks
2x 25 bicycle crunches
5 min. cool down
Stretch

Enjoy!

J

Sometimes It's Just About Kicking Some Ass

Today I am going to rant for a minute mostly because I can. For anyone who doesn't really care, go ahead and skip straight to the workout. For the rest, I appreciate the levity and will attempt to be brief. Today was one of the days that I hated my job and possibly society as a whole. Generally speaking this is not the case. I have a pretty good gig as a trainer and the pluses consistently out weigh the drawbacks. What they don't tell you when you get started though is that you need a psych degree rather than a passion for fitness, competition, or life. My clients on a day to day basis are relatively regular people. That is if you passed them on the street. God help anyone who actually has to engage them in conversation. For instance, today I was informed by one of them that the reason that he is fundamentally unable to lose weight is that he finds himself living out a scene from "My Best Friends Wedding" over and over in his mind. I had to indulge his thought process, mostly because we had already discussed the weather and I didn't even want to touch the concept of a food journal for fear that I may just start crying uncontrollably. He informed me that his ex love interest is pursuing a twenty two year old and he is pursuing his ex, but who is pursuing him. I wanted to tell him that by the look of things it must be Mrs. Fields, Ben, Jerry, and potentially the Hamburglar. What the hell does this have to do with your calorie intake? Why did you just quit your set of 12 after completing 5 and 1/2 reps? Why are you shocked that your results are as poor as they are? To ice the cake , this gentleman informed me that there was no need to worry over the science of weight loss because he was a fighter and a survivor. That's right folks, a fighter as well as a survivor. This is where my head nearly exploded. It may have been that my client the hour before had informed me of his difficulty in training his newly adopted, special needs(downs syndrome) pug to sit. This gentleman's frustration that a mentally challenged puppy didn't learn to sit in the first week probably didn't help matters. Neither did the fact that he referred to himself as resilient while discussing his returning of the dog to a shelter. Here is my point in all of this madness that I will not force you to re-live with me any further. It is vitally important that you stop lying to yourself or anyone else. It takes real, legitimate effort to duly earn the title of fighter. In order to be resilient, you must first try! Don't get caught on the bull shit of the weak. We can not just go around wearing titles like "fighter", resilient", or "survivor" because they sound good. It needs to be because we have earned them otherwise we devalue the efforts of people who did pay a price for these titles and bear the scars to prove it. There are still circles where things like the true will to win, will to compete, and the will to contend for our personal best still matter. Please don't take the meaning away from these words as well. I wish that there was a way for me to transfer the mentality I see with many of the women in the roller derby community to the cream puffs I call clients. It does take courage to skate into a pack of aggressive women at top speed knowing that there express desire of the moment is to inflict enough pain in order to stop you. It also takes courage to love a sport with little mainstream visibility, no compensation, and a season that seems to never quit. It takes courage to commit to a sport at the level most of you do. I haven't seen passion like this in a long time and I hope it will be contagious and spill over into our regular lives. Keep doing a good job and let's go to work!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
2x 10 squat thrusts (burpees)
2x 10 speed skater jumps
2x 10 fire hydrants
2x 10 lateral leg lifts
2x 10 tricep dips
2x 10 bicep curls
25x 5 sec. ab press
ABC leg lifts ( lay on you back, draw the alphabet with your legs straight beginning at a 45 degree angle to the floor)
2x 25 bicycle crunches
5 min. cool down
Stretch

If you have any questions other than does mixing vodka with Pedialyte make it a healthy drink, feel free to ask. By the way the answer to the question above is no!

J

Plan to Win

I really hate schedules generally speaking. Some of you will identify and some will completely disagree. One thing that we will probably all have to concede is that we are more productive within a schedule. The same hold true to a game. If you have designed your victory and scheduled it long before you lace up your skates, your chances of fulfilling that victory are astronomically higher. How do you design a victory though? This is the part that is not so simple. You have to account for your personal ability, fitness, ability to work as a team, ability to execute, and overall desire as a group to win. One way to simplify this for yourself is to schedule your time accordingly. You can't always control the outcome of a game, however, you can always control the way you meet the challenges a game will present. A lot of this prep work is done in your workouts so let's begin!

10min. warm up
Stretch
25 meters skipping for height
50 meters skipping for distance
2x 25 meters lunges
3x 10 push ups
3x 10 overhead squats (no more resistance than a broom handle)
10x 5sec. superman's
2x plank to failure
25 bicycle crunches
25 side crunches(each side)
5 min. cooldown
Stretch

Enjoy!

J

Back to Work

Yesterday, we rested. Today we work and we work hard!

5min. warm up
Stretch
3x 15 push ups
3x 10 single leg step ups
3x 10 fire hydrants
3x 10 front arm raises
3x 10 inverted rows
4x 60 sec planks
2x 25 crunches of your choosing

Enjoy!

J

More Than a Feeling

I know it's Saturday and many have already checked out for the weekend but we are going to talk somewhat serious anyway. It's getting to the point in the season for a lot more multi game tournaments to begin. One of the biggest keys to making this style of play successful is physical conditioning. The physical demands of playing multiple games in a short period of time are vast. Beyond physical demands though there are psychological hurdles that must be met as well. It takes a mental toughness to be able to dig deep in the second or third game of a weekend. To be able to handle this kind of mental abuse, it too takes prep time. As you go through your workout today, visualize game situations that you may encounter. Concentrate on what the pack looks like, what your teammates having your back feels like, how the first jam feels as you make your first hit and your first lap. The clearer you can see it, feel it, and hear it now, the better prepared you will be when the time comes. That being said, lets go to work!

5 min. Warm up
Stretch
15 min interval training( Jog 1 min., run 1 min.)
25 push ups
25 frog hops (squat jumps with a tuck)
2x 25 crunches your choice
20x 15sec. abdominal press
5 min. cool down
Stretch

Enjoy!

J

Get Out of the Box

Sometimes You just need to get some aggression out. Today, that's what we are pursuing. The workout today is all about working your ass off until the aggression is gone. Let's get outside and run, bike, swim, box, kick box, play hockey or football or soccer. The mission is an hour of elevated heart rate and exhaustion afterward. Go have some adventure!!!

J

Centered

One of the key elements of being able to get your body to perform at it's peak is balance. It seems like such a simple concept, however, more often than not it is a difficult thing to maintain. Today we are going to focus on it!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
3x 10 push ups
3x 10 speed skater jumps
3x 10 single leg squats
3x 10 single leg toe touches(Keep the leg your standing on straight)
3x 10 woodchops (each side)
3x 10 inverted rows
4x 60sec. planks
2x 15 sec. side plank
4x 25 v-ups (pike crunches)
10 min. cool down
Stretch

Enjoy!

J

Evolution: What's Coming Next !

So this week we are going to change up the interview a little bit and spotlight an up and coming rookie. I figure why not give a little spotlight to someone who is still in the process of falling in love with this sport. Maybe vicariously we can all reconnect to what it was like the first time that we realized that this crazy game would mean the world to us. I was fortunate enough enough to have the opportunity to interview Evolution of the KCRW Roller Warriors. While this is her rookie year, she has certainly snapped some necks around, quite literally, and become somewhat of a force to be reckoned with. This seems to be a pattern with this woman on the track and off. I can personally attest to the incredible amount of positive attention that she has garnered for the sport in the KC area, bringing herds of her own loyal fans to support the entire team for which she plays. Not to mention the incredible amount of hospitality both she and her husband show when they welcome you into their restaurant,Mayas Mexican Bistro. I highly recommend this food in proper portions of course. And in case you missed it, that was a shameless plugg. What can I say, I have a soft spot for Mexican food. All the same, the interview went like this:

So this is your rookie season and your already skating with the All-stars. How did you get started in Derby?

Evolution"Lou": The truth is someone dared me. My birthday was coming up and I kinda wanted to have a skating party. A friend of mine had seen an ad in the paper for upcoming derby try-outs and he bet me i wouldn't do it. I didn't really know what it was but I was like, it's on.

Alright, what was your first derby experience like the?

Lou: I went to the try out meeting at the rink and there was an all-star practice going on. I brought my skates, that I had to dust off( I hadn't really skated since 8th grade) and I was ready to go. I didn't get to skate that night, but I was ready though.

Sounds like an ambitious start. Had you been an athlete prior to this?

Lou: I had dabbled with a lot of sports. I ran track and played soccer. I had scholarship offers to play basketball in college. I was even a cheerleader for a short time.

What is life like for you when you are not playing derby?

Lou: Busy! I spend time with my family or at work running the restaurant. We also try to travel any chance we get.

Any favorite places?

Lou: Lot's! Typically anywhere i can go to the beach!

What about music? What do you listen to while getting ready to play?

Lou: I like Justin Timberlake or Christina Aguliera's song "Dirty". Tupac is good too!Typically I just put Justin Timberlake into Pandora and let them do the rest!

So would you consider yourself more of a princess or a bad ass?

Lou: Probably a bad ass. My dad still calls me princess but that is because he is a bigger bad ass then me. Generally I have heard that I am a little intimidating. Maybe it's because I always give 120%. I came in to do a job, the best that I can, and to do it till it's done!

Maybe it is because you are almost 6'2" with skates on and you look like you may kill someone. Just a thought. So what is Roller Derby all about for you then?

Lou: For me it's all about a national title. I didn't come here to make friends. I have along the way and that is awesome, but that's not why I started. I came to compete. to do the absolute best that I can. That is what it is all about for me!!!

Thank you Evolution and best of luck in your title pursuit. Speaking of pursuit, let's get after it today.

5min. warm up
Stretch
50 meters skipping for distance
50 meters skipping for height
20 frog jumps
50 meters karaoke(grapevine)
20 squat thrusts (burpees)
10 dive bomb push ups
2x 100 meter sprints @ 65-75%
4x 60 sec. planks
10 supermen
4x 25 crunches of your choosing
5 min. cool down
Stretch

Have a great day!!!

J

Keeping It Rolling

Alright we're off and running. sounds like a relatively simple beginning to the week so it's time to turn it up a little bit. Today we are focusing on the core so let's get started!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
3x10 overhead presses
3x10 front arm raise
3x15 standing straight arm twists
3x10 inverted rows
3x10 side leg lifts(lets go with standing today, Each leg)
2x10 quadruped
2x10 abdominal press ( hold for a 5 count)
2x25 swiss ball crunches
2x25 regular crunches
2x25 bicycle crunches
1 plank until failure (hold it as long as you can)

Enjoy!

J

Too Bad

It's Monday and I'm not really ready for it. On top of that I'm not really in the mood to write or workout hard. I could probably go on with mindless rambling followed by excuses on why not to get a good hard workout in today but why bother. Days like this happen and I believe I'm probably not alone. At the end of it all, no matter how much it sucks, it's just too damn bad. We will be working hard today anyway. You see some people can probably with good conscious take the day off. They also can probably drive without feeling like it is a competition and lose without shedding a tear or the gut wrenching pain that typically comes with for me. Days like today I wish thatI had it in me to quit like the people i mentioned a second ago. Thankfully I simply don't have it in me and i believe that most of you probably don't have it either. Now let's quit bitching and go to work,and by the way, if you are in a great mood just ignore what i just said and get straight down to business!

5 min. warm up
Stretch
25 meters lunges
20 squat jumps
20 squat thrusts (burpees)
20 pushups
20 straight arm twists
15 min. cooldown
Stretch

Enjoy!

J

Recovery

After a hard fought game or a high intensity practice it is important that you recover your body quickly. Protein within an hour of completion will maximize your bodies recovery time and help your muscles begin building back up from the beating they have to endure. Personally, I am not a big supplement fan, preferring to instead go with something more naturally found in food. This does not mean a protein supplement won't be beneficial, it's just a preference thing. Chocolate milk has been shown to be as effective if not more so than your average protein supplement and i will promise that it tastes better. If dairy is a concern, you have other good options with lean meats or rice protein.

Stretching and blood flow are the biggest keys to helping your muscles recover aside from diet. Getting your heart rate elevated the day after an intense workout will be much better for you than doing nothing even though it may still suck a little. Never stretch your muscles cold. You need increased blood flow in the tissue to help prevent overstretching or further tearing of the muscles. If you still have muscle soreness, hit the bath tub with some epsom salts and warm water. This will help alleviate some of the soreness and help your body recover. Also remember to stay hydrated. Water is best but gatorade or pedia lite in moderation will help as well especially if you are very dehydrated.

Keep in mind, these are only suggestions. Every one will react a little differently while recovering form intense exertion on your muscles. Do what works best for you but these suggestions will work for most people. Today's workout is in your hands, keeping in mind we are treating this as a recovery day. 30-40 minutes of moderate activity or "active rest" will be the goal. Achieve it as you will and enjoy your Sunday!!!

J