Transition

Over the years I have been blessed t have some incredible coaches. None of them approached a situation the same way and most of them had very different, distinct personalities. One thing that remained consistent in their philosophies was the danger and opportunity in times of transition. Transition, as I am speaking of here, can relate to any number of things which include going from offense to defense, from losing to winning, shifts in the momentum of a side, or standing still to playing. I remember one of the lessons being that the most dangerous times in a game are the first 3- 5 min. of a half and the last 3-5 min of a half. What I didn't count on was that this applied more so to life than it did athletics, even though most of my coaches spoke of transition that way. What makes transition such a vulnerable time? It is the time where there is uncertainty, when surges of emotion can make the difference in action and when emotion can cloud things as they slip from your grasp. Most of the time it is subtle, but even then tangible for those who are paying attention and recognize it. When we are training, we are forcing our body to be in a state of transition all of the time. This is one of the reasons that it is so vital beyond the physical aspects of our workout. Learn to deal with that and you will truly have something to capitalize with!

Enjoy!

J

5 min. warmup
Stretch
2x 100 meters skipping for distance
2x 25 meters karaoke step(each side)
2x 25 squat jumps
2x 25 squat thrusts (burpees)
3x 10 push ups
3x 10 inverted rows
2x 25 lunge to overhead presses (each leg)
4x 30 sec. planks
4x 30 sec V sits(seated pike pos.)
2x 25 straight leg crunches
2x 25 side swishies
5 min. cool down
Stretch

Talk Is Cheap

I have a tendency to let my mouth run a little bit longer and a little bit louder than is recommended in civilized society. I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked to apologize for something that I said, usually off the cuff and without too much depth. Here is the truth of the matter: I don't fucking care. At this point in my life I am so sick of hearing people apologize for things that they feel no contrition for and frankly I am refusing to participate. I am comfortable with this because I have learned to be honest to my thoughts or emotions. This does not make them the truth, many times far from it. For the record this is not directed at anything in particular and for that matter may be a flawed system of modus operandi, but it is what works for me. The way I see it is that if you are offended by the rantings of any moron, with or without basis, you are probably not doing a very good job of recognizing who you are to begin with. If you realize who you are, know your strengths and weakness, beauties and flaws(so often one and the same), there is nothing that I or anyone else can say that will disrupt your life. And while we are at it, feel free to tell me to fuck off if you'd like. I see it as practically a term of endearment anyway. The only semblance of a point that I will attempt to make in this brief rant is that action will always speak louder than words and there is no better way to shut up a critic than to prove them wrong with your own success through these actions. Speaking of action...

Enjoy!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 10 pushups with rotation
3x 20 chest passes with med ball
3x 10 lunge to overhead presses
3x 20 volleyball set with med ball
3x 10 straight leg deadlifts
3x 20 box jumps
3x 10 back flys
3x 20 lawn mower pulls
2x 25 stab ball crunches
2x 30 sec. single arm single leg plank(each side)
5 min cool down
Stretch

It's All In The Hips

The classic line from the movie "Happy Gilmore" pretty well sums up what most of us as athletes forget all too often. It is all in the hips! This is especially true of a sport like roller derby where you are unable to use your hands, arms, elbows, or even trip people with your feet. Not to be completely cliche but your hips don't lie. This is true because all movements begin in the core and the hips are where the most complex of the core muscles originate and insert. Two points here: if you can control someones hips you can control the rest of them and if you strengthen your core around your hips you will be a better athlete. Now let's go to work!


J

5 min warmup
Stretch
2x 10 pushups
2x 20 chest passes with med ball (or any ball for that matter)
2x 10 overhead presses
2x 20 kettle bell swings (a gallon of milk will work just fine here)
2x 10 step ups (each leg)
2x 20 rockstar jumps
2x 10 inverted rows
2x 20 soccer throws
4x 30 sec floor bridges
2x 25 hip ups
5 min cooldown
Stretch

With Friends Like This Who Needs Enemies?

Late last week I was slinging drinks at a local bar when a young couple came in. I asked what they wanted and the man replied "a little more time". I ignored this and went back to washing glasses, waiting for these two to make up their mind. Finally they made their order, a couple of bush lights, and the man gave his girlfriend some money to put into the jukebox. "It's my last night as a free man" he said "play me something good." While he was explaining to me that the next day he was to begin a prison sentence, "Sitting, waiting, wishing" by Jack Johnson came on as his girlfriends first selection. This was only mildly amusing compared to the next three selections; "Freebird" by Lynard Skynard, "45" by Shinedown, "I Hate Everything About You" by Three Days Grace, and "I'm A Slave 4 U" by Britney Spears. The shear irony of most of these songs left me falling down laughing and feeling sorry for this guy, not because he had to do his time but because he was clearly being sent of with a nasty message rather than best wishes. In honor of irony and some jackass in prison, here is a top 10 for songs about Jail. Have a great day on the outside!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 10 pushups
3x 20 twist throws with med ball
3x 10 lateral raises
3x 20 step up to overhead presses
3x 10 single leg squats
3x 20 tuck jumps
3x 10 inverted rows
3x 20 back fly
2x 25 single leg crunches (each side)
2x 25 stab ball crunches
2x 20 floor bridges
5 min cool down
Stretch


1. Folsom Prison Blues- Johnny Cash
2. I Fought The Law- The Clash
3. Jailhouse Rock- Elvis Presley
4. Penitentiary- Citizen Cope
5. Bullet With Butterfly Wings- Smashing Pumpkins
6. Date Rape- Sublime
7. This Place Is A Prison- The Postal Service
8. Sanitarium- Metallica
9. 99 problems- Jay Z
10. Friend Of The Devil- The Grateful Dead

Awkward

Lets say that you find yourself in an elevator and you are singing "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama at the top of your lungs. As you hold your own private dance party in your mobile sound booth, you suddenly realize that the doors have opened and all twenty eyes of the people waiting to get into the elevator are now on you. This is an awkward situation for certain!(Not that I would know personally) Now imagine that your body has to deal with this every day. Essentially, your body has to try to arrange order and reason back to a plethora of cells that are well out of line. When we exercise it forces our body to repair tiny tears and other chaos that we incur during the activity. During the process of repair our bodies actually overcompensate a little so that they don't have to repair the same tears over and over, causing us to gain strength. The issue that we run into is when we don't allow our bodies to rest enough and thus are continually interrupting the repair cycle and making things more awkward for our bodies than is necessary. The Point: Take Time To Rest Occasionally ( like once or twice a week). I understand that when dealing with derby girls that aforementioned statement is about as effective as pissing in the wind but nonetheless it must be said. Now have a great day and I will talk with you tomorrow!

J


5 min warm up
Stretch
20 min interval training ( 2 min at 80 %, 3 min at 60%)
4x 30 sec planks
5 min cool down
Stretch


Notes: keep in mind that this can be any movement, not just running. I will be on a bike personally but rowing, jumping rope, swimming, or any other aerobic motion is fine as well.

Moody

I cannot stress enough the impact of your mood as to your results during physical exertion(and for that matter writing). The better that you feel about taking action, the better the action that you take will be and the more likely you are to be successful. A lot of this has to do with hormones that are released and drastically effect your body as well as the way it processes both diet and exercise. Here is the catch... Action breeds emotion more often than not. This means if you want to feel better about doing something, the fastest way to make that happen is to do it. There is the cluttered, disjointed thought for the day.

Enjoy!

J


5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 10 pushups
3x 20 soccer throws with med ball
3x 10 lateral raises
3x 20 step up to overhead presses
3x 10 single leg straight leg deadlifts
3x 20 tuck jumps jumps
3x 10 inverted rows
3x 20 back fly
2x 25 single leg crunches (each side)
2x 25 stab ball crunches
2x 20 floor bridges
5 min cool down
Stretch


P.S. If you need a soundtrack to go with this one I strongly recommend listening to Girl Talk's "All Day". The whole album is solid and should definitely help you through.

This Is War (Alright maybe not quite)

Saturday night the air was electric. Kansas city hosted St. Louis in a match that was sure to be exciting and did not disappoint. From the first whistle the game was off at a quick pace that didn't really let up for the remainder of the bout. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to see such an action packed, fast paced game. It was pretty clear in the first few jams that the game was going to be a battle, one with huge hits and every point having to be clawed for. In the end, Kansas City came out on top and put another win on the books for the season. Congratulations to The Roller Warriors and thank you to Arch Rivals for an incredible bout that the fans enjoyed so much!


J


5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 10 pushups
3x 20 chest passes with med ball
3x 10 lunge to overhead presses
3x 20 rockstar scissor kicks
3x 10 straight leg deadlifts
3x 20 single leg squat jumps
3x 10 back flys
3x 20 lawn mower pulls
2x 25 stab ball crunches
2x 20 floor bridges
5 min cool down
Stretch

Bringing In The Weekend

Its Friday afternoon and I am almost back in the groove after a long night and an early morning. Just in time to settle in for a weekend of craziness and roller derby! This week has been a long one and, at the same time feels as though it has flown by. Hopefully it has been a good one for everyone out there and I hope you have a great weekend!


J


5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 10 pushups
3x 20 soccer throws with med ball
3x 10 lateral raises
3x 20 step up to overhead presses
3x 10 single leg straight leg deadlifts
3x 20 tuck jumps jumps
3x 10 inverted rows
3x 20 back fly
2x 25 single leg crunches (each side)
2x 25 stab ball crunches
2x 20 floor bridges
5 min cool down
Stretch

Mixin It Up

On a day like today, after a relatively difficult workout, cardio is the best way to continue your progress without over-stressing your muscles. The problem is that in a sport like roller derby, pure cardio will only take you so far. The way derby has evolved into a dynamic and multi-dimensional sport means that just being able to skate every jam is no longer enough. you also have to be able to sprint, stop on a dime, move laterally, and knock another girls fillings out. That is why the workout will be a mix of many different motions today.

Enjoy!

J

10 min warm up
Stretch
20 min. intervals (3 min at 80%, 2 min at 60 %)
4x 50 meter hills
50 speed skaters
2x 20 soccer throws
2x 10 wood chops (each side)
4x 90 sec planks
2x 25 hip ups
5 min cool down
Stretch

This One Is A Little Nasty

In order to maximize results for the effort that we are putting forth in training we are stepping things up pretty extensively. There are no two ways about it, this one will have your heart rate through the roof and your muscles screaming. The only good news is that it will be the most difficult workout for the week. The tempo is x-x-x meaning that there is now pausing for rest or isometric stabilization with the muscles. Fluidity of motion is absolutely key here and will make all the difference in the long run. Most of the exercises have explanations either on the blog or the facebook page. If you have any questions let me know. I will warn you that this is not a beginner level workout. Have a great day!

J


5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 10 pushups
3x 20 chest passes with med ball
3x 10 lunge to overhead presses
3x 20 rockstar scissor kicks
3x 10 straight leg deadlifts
3x 20 single leg squat jumps
3x 10 back flys
3x 20 lawn mower pulls
2x 25 stab ball crunches
2x 20 floor bridges
5 min cool down
Stretch

The Weight

Every so often the gravity of situations settles upon us and we realize the moments that we are in as they occurring. This seems as though I am pointing out the obvious, but what I am hinting at is a little deeper. What is it that separates the good from the extraordinary? Besides the talent and hard work, I believe it is the recognition of what is taking place and the ability to line up within that rhythm or flow and maximize the situation. Athletes talk all the time about being in "the zone", a place where things seem to slow down and everything seems clearer than any other time. While these may sound like outrageous claims, for those who have experienced it this is both mystical and not simultaneously. Wayne Gretzky was quoted, when asked what made him the greatest hockey player of all time, as saying "A good hockey player plays where the puck is, A great one plays where the puck is going to be. I skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been." Understanding the weight of such a simple statement and living this way will no doubt drastically affect the results of anything you do in life, including training for and playing roller derby. Just something to think about!


Enjoy!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 20 pushups
3x 20 lunge to overhead presses
3x 20 squat jumps
3x 20 bent flys rows
3x 20 45 degree burpees (total)
3x 20 quadruped
2x 25 neg. crunches
2x 20 floor bridges
5 min cool down
Stretch

The Top

Recently I have had a rash of clients that are doing their best to not be on time, or for that matter, show up at all. Some of this is to be expected with summertime but this has been a little worse than normal. Honestly I would love to tell them off, give one of those speeches that tugs at the heartstrings and puts more than a thin layer of guilt on ones conscience, but at the end of the day I really have to take responsibility for some of this. I don't want to be in the gym any more than most of my clients do right now. It's hot outside and I am tired of doing laundry after sweating through three shirts a day. I am a little more irritable and therefore not interested in listening to more bitching about my clients not wanting to workout. Many days I would just rather take a nap and go hang out with my friends. The problem with this is that my job is to motivate other people to get in shape, to put themselves in temporary discomfort in pursuit of health and vanity. It has been my experience in this, as well as many other areas of my life, that people will only rise to the standards that you hold yourself to. I have no leverage with my clients to motivate them if I am unwilling or unhappy to do the things that I am asking them to do. This coupled with the attitude you approach life with will determine your results in the end. (On a side note, if you are struggling with getting your body to improve even though your diet, exercise, and sleep are perfect, change your attitude and it will be the edge you need to move forward. Just saying!) All this is to say that people will always look to the top first for change and if you have people looking to you, the example you set will be followed. Now if I could only take my own advise!

Enjoy!

J


5 min. warm up
Stretch
4x 400 meter sprints with 30 sec. rest between
4x 200 meter sprints with 20 sec rest between
4x 100 meter sprints with 10 sec rest between
20 min of intervals (3min jog, 2 min 80% run)
25 lunges each leg
2x 25 side swishes
2x 25 oblique crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

Better Late Than Never

Schedules can be hectic, life a little crazy, but there are things that must be done and things that should be done no matter what. To be honest I have lost track of what day it is and was a little shocked to find out that we are already into August. The one thing that I recommend remembering to do each day (no matter what day it actually is) is to break a sweat doing something positive toward building your health and competitive edge. this workout, posted late as it may be, will help you in doing just that! Have a great day!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
2x 20 pushups
2x 20 lunge to overhead presses
2x 20 squat jumps
2x 20 bent flys rows
2x 20 burpees (total)
2x 20 quadruped
2x 25 reg crunches
2x 20 floor bridges
5 min cool down
Stretch

Hitting Stride

The summer is beyond halfway over and with it's passing signals tournament season. I say this only to remind you that the workouts I post are designed not only to assist in getting physically fit but to be at the peak of your performance as the biggest games of the season approach. From here, the intensity will build and the muscle movements become more specialized, as you will notice over the following weeks. As for today, we will be targeting the cardio vascular system and it's recovery conditioning.

Enjoy!

J

5 min. warm up
Stretch
4x 100 meter sprints with 30 sec. rest between
4x 100 meter sprints with 20 sec rest between
4x 100 meter sprints with 10 sec rest between
20 min of intervals (3min jog, 2 min 80% run)
2x 25 side swishes
2x 25 oblique crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

"Victory cannot simply be declared, it must be won and won in person." This statement will speak for itself today.

5 min warm up
Stretch
2x 20 pushups
2x 20 step up to overhead presses
2x 20 squat jumps
2x 20 inverted rows
2x 20 45 degree burpees (total)
4x 30 sec planks
2x 25 neg crunches
2x 20 floor bridges
5 min cool down
Stretch

Enjoy!

J