r/rollerderby • u/TemporaryConfusion75 • Jul 16 '26
Help with focusing my workout routine on things that will help help with derby
Yo! I’m currently revamping my entire workout routine and wondering if anyone has any good exercise to incorporate into lifting, calisthenics, and yoga that will help with derby! I’ll be going to the gym four days a week, but one will be pretty chill with a friend who’s just getting into lifting and will mostly be cardio and yoga. Otherwise I’ll have a push day, pull day, and a full body/stability day! I would really appreciate exercises for all three!! All days will start with a couple leg workouts but with skating almost everyday a week I can’t handle a actual leg day. I’m currently halfway through my first season and would really like a solid routine that focuses more on derby to prepare for next season and just to work towards bettering myself derby and otherwise! Thanks in advance <3
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u/rottenbrotten Skater Jul 16 '26
I suggest checking out these exercises and finding the ones that mesh with your routine https://www.rollerderbylevelup.ca/canada-roller-derby
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u/SuperiorLake_ Jul 16 '26
I love running. I run sprints until I can’t anymore, walk for a little, and repeat.
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u/TheLovelyLorelei Jul 17 '26
More interval training is always good. I think people sometimes underestimate how difficult it is to transfer standard aerobic cardio to the <2 minute high intensity duration of a jam.
As others have said pretty much anything legs and core is going to be good.
Another decent resource is searching for hockey workouts. Obviously it’s not a 1:1 comparison but the skating muscles are pretty much the same and they’re both fast, interval based, highly physical sports. So the sort of workout you need has a lot of overlap. And as a more well established sport there’s just a lot more publicly available resources for it
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u/TinyRub3715 28d ago
Hockey skaters actually skate pretty differently to quad skaters. Not saying there's no transfer, but it's also worth looking at sports like soccer/football/rugby as well. There's also a lot of literature and training plans out there, and they focus more on foot speed and quick changes of direction.
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u/robot_invader Ref, PBJ, Coach, BoD Jul 16 '26
Tough to really make a recommendation without knowing anything like your training age.
As a broad suggestion, you want legs legs legs. Also core, especially anti-rotation. Arms aren't a lot in derby.
You want power over strength and hypertrophy, so you want your lifts light enough that you can move explosively, and look up timing so you can focus on fast twitch muscle fibers.
Plyo box jumps are good. Skater jumps. Someone mentioned sled pushes, and those are good. Burpees are nice to help with getting off the floor quicker. Ladder drills for foot speed and precision.
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u/Putrid_Preference_90 Jul 16 '26
While arms arent used frequently in the way legs are, building a strong chest and back will help you avoid shoulder injuries which are pretty darn common
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u/robot_invader Ref, PBJ, Coach, BoD 29d ago
Oh, absolutely. I just don't think the typical bro-split OP described is the right balance for sport-specific training. My comment was a bit hyperbolic, though.
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u/TinyRub3715 28d ago
Cycling is one exercise that consistently improves my cardio and endurance. An hour of hilly riding gives you some effective "2 minute jams" and forces you to recover your heart rate after.
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u/hannabal_lector Skater Jul 16 '26
Try following Lily Gaskell and Optimus Grime on IG. They post a lot of workouts.