Roller Derby Workouts

Cunning

2012-02-08T14:23:00.006-06:00

Of the thoughts that I have been swimming in over the past week one word keeps coming to the forefront: Cunning. By definition, it means to be dextrous or crafty with the use of resources in attaining an end. If I had to guess as too my current obsession with this word, it would probably be because I appear to be lacking my sense of cunning right now. If you'll indulge me I am just going to break down my thoughts for a bit. Things are intense, but that is nothing new. Dancing on a razors edge between chaos and control is what we were made for. The skills that are inherent to us may dull from time to time but will come right back to a shining hone with just a little well placed effort and a righting of our heads. The most important part of cunning is a clear objective; an end or desired result in mind. So what are we really after? This is the first, and probably the most important question to answer. Everything else is based on this so make sure you are clear. Then for the planning. Simple is usually best, flexible enough and easy to execute. Lastly, take action and take it swiftly.

What am I trying to say here? If and when you don't feel at the top of your game or you are finding yourself getting out maneuvered by others politics, get fucking resourceful or get out of the way. Roller derby is a sport after all (even though it is fun like a hobby) and should be respected as such. Step one of reaching a proper peak performance on time is developing your cunning before you need it. Now go to work.

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
4x 8 push ups with rotation
4x 8 overhead presses
4x 8 inverted rows
4x 8 jump squats
2x 20 quadruped
2x 25 neg crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

Under The Gun

2012-01-31T10:29:00.005-06:00

The first month of the year has already sped by. It's crazy to think that it is already February but it is. This also means that roller derby is beginning to hit it's stride for the season and girls will be fighting more and more to find their niche on a team; to preform at their very best. For my end, this has been a hell of a start to a year and it is showing no signs of letting up (Thank God!). In short, this is the part of the year where the pressure, be it subtle or overt, is definitely mounting and as well it should be. The bright side to dealing with chaos early in the year is that a person is able to develop a certain grace under fire that will no doubt pay dividends later on. Let me take a second and digress. For many of you , regular practices have only recently gotten started back up. Roller derby has some fresh meat and most players are freshly falling back in love with the reasons they skate. Generally speaking, life on the track is good, but...are you making the gains that you should be as a player and are you approaching this season with the outlook of beginning to climb toward your peak performance? My single biggest gripe with roller derby (in my experience at least) is that there is very little forethought put forth in planning out a season as far as how and when to be at your peak performance at the most crucial of times. This is a matter that I have often talked about and has seemed to fall on deaf ears based on looking at performances that I have witnessed. Rather than bitch about it, or preach it to people who don't care to hear, I will share it openly for everyone in the coming days, as well as the theory behind the madness for anyone who would care to implement this in their workouts. Today I will leave it at this: you cannot overestimate the importance of this single element when it comes to the point that you are under the gun with the game on the line. The best prepared will win.

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 15 single arm stab ball chest presses
3x 15 squat jumps
3x 15 step up to single arm overhead press
3x 15 inverted rows
90 sec plank
30 sec floor bridge
25 reg crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

All Too Often Overlooked

2012-01-05T02:41:00.002-06:00

The timing seems all to appropriate for this one with the new year being in it's infancy but that isn't necessarily the reason why I am writing. Let me be candid with you. I just left a meeting with a friend of mine who is an incredible writer/director/producer of theatrical production. The conversation started off simple enough with a few pleasantries and some small talk but took on a much more serious tone when I began to ask him how he has become a master at his craft. His answer shocked me a bit as he simply put it as "Discipline". Over the years this is a word that I have both embraced and loathed simultaneously. By nature I am not a structured human being. Sure, I have my routines and my idiosyncrasies but on the whole there has been very little method and a large serving of madness. The one area of my life that does not follow this rule is in the gym. There may also be a direct correlation between that and the success that I have found, but I can't be totally certain. I digress. My friend explained to me what discipline meant to him in his work down to the details of always writing with the same pen at the same time of day and for the same amount of time. I remember similar being said by Coach Lou Holtz when he discussed his coaching success. He referred to The details of how his players huddled before a play rather than the play call or execution being the thing that made all of the difference. So maybe it's good advise to pay attention to details but what does that have to do with this blog or working out for roller derby? Quite a bit actually. When it comes to strength and conditioning for a sport, especially in a gym type setting, clearly set expectations and the discipline to meet them is paramount. I had one coach that literally had a soundtrack of music to keep the pace of our workouts, and though to this day I cannot listen to most of the songs on that mix, I received
the best results of my life while working with him. All of this is to say that the discipline to make it in to a gym (or wherever you train) at a set time each day, for a set amount of time each day, and to not get caught up in conversation or distraction while you are there is the fundamentals of achieving the success that you seek. If you can master only this, I promise that you will get the results that you want. Now I am going to try and apply this to the rest of my life...

Jon

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 8 step up to overhead presses (each leg)
3x 8 Squat jumps for distance
3x 8 Push ups to row
3x 8 med ball soccer throws
2x 60 sec planks
2x 20 floor bridges
2x 25 reg crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

Resolute

2011-12-30T14:38:00.002-06:00

2011 is nearly all gone and 2012 is upon us. Besides the parties and dui checkpoints that will shortly ensue, the champagne and the auld lang syne, New Years' resolutions will be made by most. Among these will be one that will pertain to health or physical fitness. Now forgive my cynicism but this is mostly bullshit, forgotten by the time the hangover has worn off. I cannot tell you the number of people that I have seen over the years come into the gym on January first only to sign up and never be seen again, but the number is staggering. My personal belief is that a resolution has become little more than a tradition that is made and never carried out. The silver lining in all of this? It is very simple to stand out among the crowd that neglects to be truly resolute with there plans and goals. Nothing will make the masses more uncomfortable than an individual that decides to make some changes and then does exactly that for themselves personally. The rest of the good news is that it doesn't take much effort really. Goals can be achieved and resolutions upheld by simply doing something, anything really, to gain just a little ground toward that which you set out to achieve. I have also seen this happen many times and the results can be staggering. So whether you want to lose 5 pounds, break a four minute mile, or just be in the best ass kicking shape you have ever been in on wheels, make a decision to achieve your aim and then take the actions to show that you are serious. You may literally astonish yourself and the rest of us in the process!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
4x 8 push ups with rotation
4x 8 overhead presses
4x 8 inverted rows
4x 8 jump squats
2x 20 quadruped
2x 25 neg crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

Peace On Earth

2011-12-19T18:25:00.003-06:00

Maybe it is the holidays or maybe the coming of another year but whatever it is I have have been caught up in a bit of reminiscence. I have heard it said that while we may not be our past, our past is definitely a part of who we are. On occasion I believe that we are all taken back into our pasts one way or another, on purpose or not. For me right now I seem to be caught up by a weather pattern. Today has been a grand, soft day. It has been cold and rainy; the kind of rain that isn't driving but still manages to leave you cold and soaked through and through. While I admittedly hate the cold, days like this remind me of some of my favorite times playing soccer. I remember leaving the locker room, adrenaline pumping and a crisp, fresh jersey on my back. I remember a cold, stadium coming to life with the anticipation of the first whistle and the bloodshed that would follow in the next ninety minutes or so. I remember the rain running down my face and into my eyes. By the time warm-ups were over sweat was mixed in to the liquid concoction and my cleats were beginning to give way in there water resistance. If there is a better way to draw up the mood for an ugly battle to ensue I have not found it. I remember hearing the crowd begin to chant and seeing the rain piss it's way through the spotlights and onto the pitch. While all of this is still such a vivid imagery in my mind, it pales in comparison to my favorite moment of all. In all of this I remember living for the last moment before the whistle when I would kneel down to make the last minute adjustments to my boots and breathe in the smell of the grass. There was something about the smell of the field, fresh cut grass mixed with mud that would all be torn to shreds for the duration of the game, that somehow made everything seem right in the world. The cold rain had a certain way of making this more alive than most times, other than summer of course. Honestly, I don't remember most of the games I played but I cannot forget that smell. It made the whole thing seem easy the way it was when I was a kid just having a kick with my friends. For all of the training, all of the practice, all of the pain and injury; the grass made it worth it. It was the only thing about the game that didn't have some sort of bias and for the few minutes before we would tear it to shreds that piece of earth seemed the only possible peace on earth. What is the point of this? There isn't one. I just like that story...

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
2x 20 narrow grip push ups
2x 20 lateral raises
2x 20 high rows or chin ups (either or will work)
2x 20 rockstar jumps
4x 60 sec planks
2x 25 straight leg crunches
2x 25 frog kicks
5 min cool down
Stretch

Holding You're Ground ?

2011-12-19T00:06:00.003-06:00

The most difficult thing in the world to overcome is fear. This is, of course, only my opinion but I believe that I am correct (as always). One of the biggest mistakes I see made all of the time, and for that matter make myself, is letting fear run things in an effort not to lose the ground that has already been gained. It is so easy to get caught in the trap of playing not to lose rather than playing to win and for most of us the fears of losing in some way, shape, or form can seem very real. As an athlete, this was one of the most difficult concepts for me to wrap my head around and this is an example of why. Let's say that there are two minutes left on the game clock and we are on the team that is marginally ahead. Tensions run high, the stress of competition that was already there elevates for both sides, and victory is in sight if we can just hang on. This is about the time where stress takes over and clouds judgement on even the most basic of maneuverings. Some people are able to rise to the challenge while others fall off, but what makes the difference? I had a coach once tell me that the problem that most players have in a game is that they believe that there is a clock. I disagreed with him vehemently, pointing out the obvious clock on the sideline that was keeping time, and asked him if he'd always been this crazy or if he had just recently lost the plot. Thank God the coach was patient enough not to kill me before he explained that to be a great player, in sport or in life, you have to ignore the clock all together and just try to give everything you have for that moment, damning the consequences. He told me that sports always mimic life and there is no exact clock on how much time we have in life, only what we do with the moment that we are living. "This concept will always make the difference, but you can't just try to hold your ground. If you do that, you let your side, as well as yourself, down. Don't by into the commentators hype about clock management. There is a reason that they are not called players. Just do all you can in the moment that you are living and be ready to keep doing that for as many moments as you have." I have found that when you look at things from my old coaches perspective there isn't much time left for fear of any kind to creep in and things are a lot more fun as well. Just a few thoughts to work over as you work out...

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
2x 20 wide grip push ups
2x 20 squat to overhead press
2x 20 narrow grip inverted rows
2x 20 meters of lunges
4x 45 sec. planks
2x 25 neg crunches
2x 25 side swishies (each side)
5 min. cool down
Stretch

Kick Start

2011-12-15T03:37:00.002-06:00

Lets keep this simple. Today is all about getting your heart rate through the roof and keeping it there. If you feel like you are about to pass out, lie down. Otherwise, have fun! Flectere si neqoeo superos, achaeronta movebo!

Enjoy

J

5 min warm up
2x 20 squat jumps
2x 20 burpee push ups
2x 20 box jumps
100 jump ropes
2x 20 step up to overhead presses
2x 20 back flys
4x 100 meter sprints
4x 30 sec planks
5 min cool down
Stretch

The catch: get it all done with no rest. Here is some music to work with

Kick Start My Heart- Motley Crue
Chop Suey- System Of A Down
Complicated- Face To Face
Bro Hymn- Pennywise
Metro- The Vincent Black Shadow
Astro Zombies- Misfits
I Don't Want To Grow Up- The Ramones
Dancing With Myself- Billy Idol
Bad Reputation- Joan Jett
Jude Law And A Semester Abroad- Brand New
It's Complicated- A Day To Remember
Untouched- The Veronicas
Prayer- Disturbed
This Town Your Grave- Innerpartysystem
Gimme Sympathy- Metric
Bonus Mosh Part II- Taking Back Sunday

The Lull

2011-12-12T17:21:00.004-06:00

Over the top, all of the time is probably the best way that I can describe how I would rather conduct my life. Roller Derby is about one month into the off season, as am I with my training schedule, and I am growing impatient. It is not that things are going poorly, it's quite the opposite really, but this doesn't stop me from having plenty of pent up aggression that I am ready to unleash for no purpose in particular. I guess what I am getting at is that I can deal with crazy travel schedules, days that are booked to the hilt, and general chaos coming around every corner. I thrive in that type of environment, especially when the rest of the world is a little too uncomfortable with it. What I struggle with is the concept of boredom and that is what I am finding more days than not right now. With the holidays upon us most people you see out are relatively happy. Good food, time away from work, and a thousand other reasons have the public in a better than usual mood. I guess I understand on a cerebral level but I cannot connect with the truth in the sentiment. I would rather be chasing parked cars than pissing time away with no aim in mind. Please forgive my cynicism as I unravel a bit here but I was not really built for peace. I much prefer the fights in life but right now things are pretty peaceful and I am uncomfortable with that. Many of you can probably identify with my state of mind right now and I offer you my condolences. A lull in the action can be a tough thing to weather but we will make it through, we will persevere. Soon enough Derby will be back and weight will need to be lost again. Motivation will be a desirable quality again and killer instincts will again be sharpened and readied to strike. Until then, for those of us that are bored to death with "normal", we can take some ground in improving physically and hopefully snap some necks in the process for those people who are watching. Here we go...

Enjoy!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
2x 20 back flys
2x 20 lateral raises
2x 20 squat jumps for distance
2x 20 push ups with rotation
2x 20 frog kicks
4x 45 sec planks
2x 25 ball crunches
2x 25 neg crunches
5 min warm up
Strtech

Like You Mean It

2011-12-09T00:48:00.002-06:00

I was in the middle of my workout yesterday and it hit me. Literally! Like alot of other workouts that I have done, my mind had wandered into the beat of the music and away from paying attention to the weight or fatigue my body was experiencing. I let my form waiver and in the process managed to put a dumbbell into the side of my head. aside from the slight discomfort that this gave me, it also made me realize that I was half-assing my workout. For me, the gym was always an escape from the pressures of life, that is until I began earning my livelihood in one. Now it is a constant barrage of questions and conversations and stresses. My own workouts have become harder to complete because they are incessantly interrupted. Don't get me wrong, for the most part I have a pretty sweet gig. But every now and then it is all too easy to lose focus on what I am doing. Today I was a victim of the same thing that gives me an occupation: not lifting like you mean it. My workouts should not be my hobby, they should be what earns me the sweat equity to live life at it's fullest. I prefer to call it training because there is always something we should be putting time in the gym toward, whether it be roller derby, weekend fun, or making it through a parking lot and up seven flight of stairs before we are late to the meeting that will give us a promotion(I'm just saying). To put a point on it, when you hit the gym, hit it like you mean it and don't let it hit back!

Enjoy

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
2x 20 burpee push ups
2x 20 squat to overhead press
2x 20 inverted rows
2x 25 meters of lunges
4x 45 sec planks
2x 20 single leg floor bridges(each leg)
2x 25 jackknifes
5 min cooldown
Stretch

Not So Sweet Emotion

2011-12-01T20:07:00.003-06:00

Crowds cheer, taunt, and cat call. The other team sneers and berates by whatever means necessary. your own teammates scream and encourage the best they know how. This is the scenario that we all find ourselves in on game day. Hell, occasionally this is what practice can feel like. it all boils down to psychological warfare and like warfare of any kind it has it's price. Psyche, by definition, is the term that describes the human soul or spirit, essentially the emotional epicenter of ourselves as a human being. While typically feeling is a good thing, in a game-time situation it can be much more of an enemy than a friend because emotions can cloud everything from judgment to the ability to execute even the most basic and ingrained of skills. I can remember as a kid playing soccer and having well meaning coaches tell me to imagine the ball being the face of someone that I hated and kick it as hard as I could. I remember doing just that and missing the ball entirely, landing flat on my back with the force of my leg picking me right up off of my feet. It wasn't until I got around some good coaches that I was taught that fundamentals such as kicking a ball and staying on your feet were best executed with no emotion at all. You see this demonstrated with good runners, especially sprinters. The expression on their face remains relaxed freeing up tension in the facial muscles and reserving more energy for making their feet move as fast as they can. The same applies to roller derby, both skating and hitting. If you want your moves to look ice cold, that is the way that you should feel inside (on the outside you should feel hot and sweaty). The ability to control your emotions in a way that takes them out of the equation will always lend itself the best performance possible. Save the emotion for celebrating the win at the after party because there is no need for stoic reserve there. After all it is a party ...

Enjoy!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
2x 20 push up to rows
2x 20 step up to overhead presses
2x 20 side lunges
2x 20 squat jumps
4x 30 sec planks
2x 25 side swishies
2x 25 bicycle crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

It's December

2011-12-01T15:49:00.002-06:00

I can't believe that we are already into December! This past yer has felt like it has flown by in some aspects and never ended in others but either way, it is time to write the final chapter on 2011 and get ready for 2012. I understand that this is also the middle of a crazy holiday season but there is no reason for that to stop your progress toward being at your peak performance and best look ever. now is as good of a time as any to kick your motivation into overdrive and fucking tear it off the proverbial wall. From an athletic point of view, I would concentrate on maintaining or losing weight and increasing flexibility during this month and that is just the way that the workouts will be tailored. The reasoning for this is that less weight on your joints means that you will have a body that is less vulnerable to injury and increased flexibility will better prepare you for kicking girls asses once the season kicks back into full swing. These things take a little time so preparing for them now is a much more ideal approach than waiting til two weeks before you have to make training camp. So without further adieu, let's get down to business!

Enjoy,

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
2x 20 push ups with rotation
2x 20 step- up to overhead press
2x 20 back flys
2x 20 straight leg dead lifts
4x 30 sec planks
2x 25 neg crunches
2x 25 side swishies
5 min cooldown
Stretch

Team Dynamics

2011-11-26T15:35:00.003-06:00

Let me start by saying that the following thoughts are only my opinions and observations after being involved in teams of varying types from the time that I could walk. While I won't go so far as to say that this is the recipe for developing a team, I must admit that it has served me well on many occasions. There are many different aspects to having a team that can consistently function at the top of it's game for an extended period of time, despite the many pitfalls that will inevitably befall the team and the changes that it must endure. The first thing that must be in place to make an effective team is good leadership. This does not mean, however, that you have to have an amazing coach or captain, but rather a good core of people who are dedicated to excelling in all circumstances and growing forward into an amazing team. The real question here is how do you identify the people (especially but not limited to the newest talent) who want to excel and foster there desire improve most effectively? Personally, I have always seen it break down into essentially three categories: The Players that are ready, the on the fence players, and the social player.

The People Who Are Ready: This is the group that is relatively easy to identify. These are the players that come early and stay late to any activity that involves the team. They run hard, they hit hard and they play hard. In the best scenarios they ask good questions and try to implement any good teaching they can almost immediately. The good news is that these players are going to be good no matter what anyone does or says. The bad news is that they can be difficult to deal with at times because the drive and the ego that makes them who they are also slows them down from being able to listen objectively and grasp team concepts immediately. The best way that I have seen to deal with this type of player (though there is no wrong way if it is the right player) is to let them play with as little criticism as possible until they are able to understand the shortcomings in their game. This usually doesn't take long but being patient in the process can be a bitch. Don't be afraid to call their ego into check during this process but I would strongly encourage that it be done privately. The majority of your time as a team should go toward these types of players as they will be the quickest to respond.

The "On The Fence" Player: This is the player that is still figuring things out and is probably the most difficult to identify as they often mask themselves as one of the other two categories. These players can be sporadic, sometimes very accountable sometimes nowhere to be found. These players will typically ask for a lot of coaching, sometimes what seem to be good questions, but they will be slow to implement any tips if they do at all. The best way to deal with players like this is to include them in everything and answer what questions that they bring you, but limit the time that you actually spend coaching them. Seems a bit harsh? These players are in the process of making up their minds and the last thing they need from you as a team leader is to help them stay undecided. Give good advice and plenty of space for them to grow but spend your time with the ones who are ready to go. For the record, this is the group where many times you will find your best players but also where your heart will get broken.

The Social Player: This is the group of players that just want to belong. Usually it has nothing to do with their talent or abilities (many times the social players are the most athletically gifted) but for whatever reason, these players are not interested in dominating yet. This is not where you want to spend your time coaching and it is certainly not where you want to spend your frustration with lack of development. The best way to deal with these players (the ones who just wanted to be derby girls because it looked cool on a movie) is to let them belong and focus your efforts on the people who are ready to go now. There is nothing wrong with being a social player and they should not be ridiculed for it, but they should also not be allowed to create drama for the rest or monopolize the time that should be dedicated to improvement.

Again, the most difficult part of all of this is actually making the distinction on who is what player. Good luck with that one because people will always surprise you, but with a little practice and some good instincts you can use these tips effectively. Now back to the off-season workouts!

5 min warm up
Stretch
2x 20 push ups
2x 20 overhead presses
2x 20 seated rows
2x 20 back squats
4x 30 sec planks
2x 20 floor bridges
5 min cool down
Stretch

Give Me A Beat

2011-11-23T07:19:00.002-06:00

I have hit a bit of a rut as far as music that gets me through a workout and I am in desperate need of some help from you. What can you do? Please make some recommendations and help find a groove that can carry us all through the cold days ahead. Other than that, have a great Thanksgiving tomorrow and we'll be back on Friday!

Enjoy!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 12 burpee push ups
3x 12 step up to overhead press
3x 12 back flys
3x 25 meter lunges
4x 30 sec planks
4x 5 sec superman
2x 25 neg crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

Mediocrity

2011-11-21T21:40:00.002-06:00

This one is going to read like a bullet so I figured that I'd warn you up front. I received a text the other day from a close friend of mine telling me that they had just been honored at a large function for being the "most valuable to the team". While this came as no surprise to me at all, I was shocked at my friends response. "I still have so much to learn. I am not even close to being as good as I could be. I have work to do..." My favorite part of this is the fact that it was all real. My friend wouldn't bother with false humility or any other manner of bull shit. This is what makes people of this nature who they are. Now as much as I love to brag about being friends with awesome people, today I am a little more concerned with those of us that should be awesome but are not meeting our potential. I remember when I played my last game, when I realized I was done with athletics as a career, and how much that hurt to leave the field. I also remember, being the arrogant bastard that I am, thinking that my team would probably not play nearly as well without me and the sport of soccer may come to a screeching halt with my absence. Neither of these came to be true whatsoever. I remember being a little depressed at the lack of anyone giving a damn that I was gone when an old coach called me up and met me for a cup of coffee. "Your problem is that you believe that you are something special" he told me. I was looking at him wondering why he had called me knowing that I was a little down already and decided to go with this line of conversation. " The truth is that you were not. You were an average player, one that at times brought more than was necessary to the team and at other times only did your part. Some people believe that when they leave something whatever it may be comes to an end but the truth is that is a childish way to look at the world much as believing that the world disappears when you close your eyes is." At the time I didn't understand and for that matter wasn't really interested in hearing anymore, but like every good coach I know, that didn't stop him in the least. "The truth is life moves on. Even the best players in the world are only missed. If you quit your job the company doesn't go under and if you have a bad day it doesn't mean that I will smile any less. You have two options with what you can do with this information. You can ignore it and go on pissing your life away or you can stop acting like mediocre idiot and do something that will be worth paying attention to. Remember, you were born as an individual, not as someone special. What makes you special is what you do with your life so go fucking do something!"he said and he walked away. Conversations like that have a tendency to stick with a person and that one certainly did for me. I can't tell you that every day since then I have been the most amazing human being to breath oxygen but I have had those words in the back of my mind and they do still influence the decisions I make. Today you get to choose whether or not you will work out and improve yourself. I would recommend it strongly as I am always in the market for more friends that are pushing the envelope and showing just how awesome they can be,

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 12 chest press on stab ball
3x 12 front raises
3x 12 step up with db
3x 12 inverted rows
2x 25 side swishies
4x 30 sec planks
2x 10 plank crunches on stab ball
2x 25 reg crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

Off

2011-11-15T19:47:00.006-06:00

With the tournament season officially over and one of the smallest off seasons known to sport, now is a great time to take a little break from roller derby. Like that actually makes any fucking sense given the audience I am writing to. Rather than carry on about how the body needs time away to rest (and I do mean completely rest), I think I'll save my energy. After all, this sport and it's competitors are rabid and there is nothing you can do for rabies but to let it take it's foaming at the mouth, out for blood course. This is, of course, why I love you all and I am sure that many of you are back to wortking on next season (that is if you took a break at all). The toughest part of the off season, even when you love what you do, is that with a lack of organized practice and training structure it is easy to fall into bad habits. My personal favorite was always copious amounts of alcohol but I never waited for an off season to begin that. Holidays are coming up, weather is turning less desirable, and most of your teams are taking a short breather. Solution? Get in the best shape of your life and stay hell bent on maintaining it. Or relax and heal for a week or two. It's really up to you as i won't be disappointed with either choice.

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

Push Through

2011-11-10T05:46:00.002-06:00

"Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever". Not so eloquently put but more true than you can believe. I am going to keep it simple today. Sometimes things are fun. Sometimes they are not. Sometimes they feel like hell. Winston Churchill said "If you are going through hell, keep going." The point? Good, bad, or otherwise, getting to the next stage and remembering to grow in the process is what is really going to matter in the end. If the road is easy (which I doubt) or if the road is hard, push your way through it by whatever means necessary and if you have to look the devil in the eye in the process, don't forget to give him a smile!

Enjoy!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
2x 100 meter sprints
2x 200 meter sprints
2x 400 meter sprints
2x 50 meters skipping for distance
2x 25 meters skipping for height
10 min moderate cardio
4x 60 sec planks
5 min cool down
Stretch

Frustration

2011-11-09T02:12:00.002-06:00

With a national champion soon to be crowned I will no doubt seem like a buzzkill of epic proportion but to hell with perception. The simple fact of the matter is that every team in the world save one will be frustrated in their pursuit of a national title. Some of you are already experiencing this. Each day it is part of my job to help people overcome their frustrations, whether they be physical, professional, mental, emotional, relational, or occasionally athletic (not really what you thought a personal trainer was there for is it?). I deal with people who have been injured and people who have been hurt (experienced some pain or discomfort that they were not prepared for and are struggling to overcome) but in the end, without fail they are all frustrated. Here is my particular dilemma today. I am frustrated, and as you can imagine, it has a tendency to seriously diminish my effectiveness in helping others when I am not sure I give a damn myself. Literally, I am going to attempt to reason this whole mess out with you right here with me. First of all, what are the sources of frustration? A belief that we are never to fail? That anything short of perfection is not good enough? That we should be able to control everything that happens to us or for that matter that we do? Who told us these lies in the first place? I mean none of these questions make any rational sense when they are written before us but we still hold to these and many other nonsensical ideas as we crucify ourselves again and again. So how do I get past these feelings of frustration. First off, maybe take it a little easy on yourself. I am harder on myself than anyone else could ever be in the world (and for the record a tongue like a razor will still slice through a brain even when it doesn't use a voice). Forgive yourself and try to keep a rational frame of mind. Rome wasn't built in a day and for that matter it took more than a day for it to burn so you probably can give yourself a little leeway. After that, go back to the lab, the drawing board, the locker room, or wherever else you go to make plans and draw up some revised fucking plans. Take into consideration incremental growth and stop believing that you have to be a phenom all of the time. Possibly most importantly, take the time to let a little healing take place before you go tearing away all of the new flesh that is trying to grow in your wound (literally and figuratively). Alright, I'm feeling much better actually. maybe you got something out of that, maybe not. Now I'm in the mood for scalping some pounds off some people and whatever baggage comes with....

Enjoy!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
5x 5 burpee push ups
5x 15 meters of lunges
5x 5 squat to over head press
5x 5 inverted rows
5x 5 50 yard sprints
5x 5 10 yard sprints
5x 5 frog hops for height
2x 25 negative crunches
2x 25 side swishies
2x 10 supermans
5 min cool down
Stretch

Under The Covers

2011-11-03T13:15:00.003-05:00

I am no morning person. I'd prefer to sleep late and stay up all night but life doesn't always bend to our wishes. Instead, I stay up all night and still get up before the sun. Sleep is a premium that I cannot afford because there are too many other things in life that I'd rather be doing. For the record I don't recommend this as a healthy approach as your body definitely needs it's share of rest, but we all have those few things that keep us from being perfect (or a laundry list). The only way that I am able to function most mornings is with a fair share of coffee and music that will move me into the tempo of the day. Today, most of those songs appear to be covers and while not necessarily better than the originals, they certainly bring a different flavor to the mix. Here is a quick playlist for you. Let me know if I miss anything.

J

1. Nothing Compares To You- The Stereophonics
2. Mrs. Robinson- The Lemonheads
3. Regret- The Get Up Kids
4. Stand By Your Man- Me First And The Gimme Gimme's
5. Hungry Eyes- New Found Glory
6. Radiation Vibe- Hem
7. Mad World- Gary Jules
8. To Love Somebody- Damien Rice and Ray LaMontagne
9. Sweet Dreams- Marilyn Manson
10. Crimson & Clover- Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
11. Leaving On A Jet Plane- Slightly Stoopid
12. Pony- Far
13. Lover, Lover -Jerrod Niemann

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 5 pushups with rotation (each side)
3x 10 step up to single arm overhead press (each side)
3x 10 inverted rows
3x 10 tuck jumps
4x 60 sec. planks
3x 10 floor bridges
5 min cool down
Stretch

Some Like It Hot

2011-11-03T02:03:00.002-05:00

I found myself caught in the middle of a rainstorm with falling temperatures on a bike today. The cold spray off of the back tire was more than a bit brisk as it completely soaked my back and I was squinting through the nasty drizzle as I pushed my legs to move as fast as possible. At some point the cold water mixed with sweat and just began to freeze me to the bone. With four miles left on a ride that seemed right out of hell, I found myself laughing uncontrollably. At first I was sure I had gone mad, as was the traffic that I was weaving in and out of like a man possessed, but then it all snapped into perfect clarity. I openly hate the cold with a passion. What I love is when a fight turns nasty and today, on the back of a goddamn ten speed, the fight turned nasty. Some of us, as if by some reincarnation of spartan code, just love the battle for the battles sake. We like the odds against us, we are the underdogs and we seek nothing more than to strive for the top. This touches on the very essence of what roller derby is all about. Not to be rude but the whole sport is a counterculture, a place for the people who play because they either cannot or refuse to play by anyone else's rules. This is the nastiest fight that we can encounter, the one for our own individuality and the roller girls I know have their straight razors sharpened and are in the mood for slitting some throats. Why do we do this? It is my personal belief that it is better in the fire than it is in the pan and we like it hot. So here's to jumping in with both feet!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 8 burpee push ups
3x 8 inverted rows
3x 8 squat to overhead presses
3x 25 meters of lunges
4x 30 sec ball planks
2x 25 jackknifes
2x 25 neg. crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

Cutting The Strings

2011-11-02T04:44:00.002-05:00

Today I am going to change things up a bit and deals in vague specifics. What the fuck does that mean? Watch this. One of the most difficult parts of joining a team is finding your place on it. For some people this is easier than others due to their brilliant personalities or super human athletic ability. Then there is the rest of us, the blue collar grunts of a team that have to work for every inch of progress we make and even then make it look like it may have happened by accident. This is the type of player that is probably most likely to see great results given the time to bust their asses long enough to earn them. The trouble is that inside of a team chemistry there is often little room for perceived error and, lets face it, teammates can be hell to deal with. I remember being hazed into teams fondly now but at the time it was miserable. I also remember putting new players through more than their share, not as retribution so much as out of desire to have only the strongest stand at my side when the whistle blew. I will make two points here. First, if you are playing for a team that does not force you to earn there respect (within reason), then you may want to find a different one. winning never came by welcoming someone so warmly into a team for effort they didn't put forth. Secondly, make sure you have an idea of what kind of player you want to be and go be it. You may have people that you want to emulate or mentors even who will take you under their wing, but at some point you have to develop as a player on your own. Specifically if you have a mentor who is bringing you along, you have to cut the strings and stand on your own or you will tangle up an entire team. In short, don't be afraid to put your own twist on the game, especially for the new players to the game!

Enjoy!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 8 dive bomb push ups
25 meters skipping for height
25 meters skipping for distance
3x 8 step up to overhead press
3x 8 inverted rows
3x 8 jump squats
25 min moderate to fast paced run
4x 30 sec planks
2x 25 side swishies
2x 25 neg crunches
5 min cooldown
Stretch

Halloween

2011-11-01T14:29:00.003-05:00

Last night I could not really tell the difference between it being Halloween and a roller derby after party other than to say that last night was not nearly as fun. This morning November is here and Nationals are right around the corner. That also means that a new season begins in a 12 weeks or so, so it would be a good time for us to get back to pushing ourselves into the best shape of our lives. For today, we will be mixing a little strength training with a little endurance and voila, we are on our way!

Enjoy,

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 8 dive bomb push ups
25 meters skipping for height
25 meters skipping for distance
3x 8 step up to overhead press
3x 8 inverted rows
25 min moderate to fast paced run
4x 30 sec planks
5 min cooldown
Stretch

Rice Crispies

2011-10-27T03:16:00.005-05:00

For every athlete that I have had the honor of meeting pain is simply a reality. You wake up in the morning and there is some part of you that is not feeling it's best. Before you write this off as a bitch session, understand it is just the way things are. The pain is neither a good thing or a bad thing, it is just a reality. My knees still ache from the countless miles that have been put on them and there are still ghosts of hits delivered and received that would prefer to torment every other joint in my body. Sometimes the pain is there to the point where you don't notice it anymore, like static in a speaker that has been playing so long that you have forgotten that it is broken. These things, my friends, are absolutely beautiful. Now beautiful may be a strange description for something that I just described as torment but hear me out. In the pain there is not only a reminder of the price that we were willing to pay but also an opportunity for growth. It is not until we have taken risk, even physical ones, that we can truly enjoy life and all that it has to offer. And sometimes life offers us it's finest gifts in the form of some sort of injury or injustice, essentially some form of pain. This moring when you get out of bed and hear more snaps, crackles, and pops than a box of Rice Krispies, remember the joy that you have received in playing along side of some of the finest people in the world and pursuing the purest form of freedom through competition. These are wounds that are hard won and more than worth it.

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 15 alt db chest press
3x 15 straight arm twists
3x 20 ball squats
3x 15 squat to overhead press
3x 15 meters lunges
3x 15 seated rows
4x 15 sec planks
2x 15 reg crunches
2x 15 crunches with feet up
5 min cool down
Stretch

Krushing It

2011-10-25T02:22:00.003-05:00

I'm in a bit of a cardio kick right now and I will tell you there is nothing worse except doing it with no music. If your going to be out crushing some miles and getting your heart rate to the max, make sure you have some music that will carry you through when your brain goes to mush because you think putting miles on your body for no specific fucking reason is ludicrous. (maybe that is just me). All the same, conditioning your heart and lungs is important and doing it over distance is different than any other form so have fun! Below is a playlist that helps me through. Let me know if i mussed anything.

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
60 min consistent moderate to intense cardio
4x 30 sec planks
5 min cool down
Stretch

Hard In Da Paint- Waka Flocka
Natives- Blink 182
Brown Eyed Girl- Pennywise
Crushcrushcrush- Paramore
Electable- Jimmy Eat World
I Melt With You- Mest
Where Is My Mind- The Pixies(Bassnectar Remix)
Sail- Awolnation
Internet Killed The Video Star- The Limousines
The 59 Sound- The Gaslight Anthem
Wishing Well- Airbourne Toxic Event
Ditty- Paperboy
Notorious Thugs- Bone Thugs N Harmony and Notorious B.I.G.
Fuck Authority- Pennywise
Life Is Beautiful- Sixx AM

Basics

2011-10-24T12:49:00.002-05:00

The basics are always the basics, and everything else is a variation of them. At this point in the season, it is not bad to visit or revisit the fundamentals just to make sure they are solid. That is what the workout is going to be about today. Have fun!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 12 alt db chest press
3x 12 straight arm twists
3x 20 ball squats
3x 12 squat to overhead press
3x 12 straight leg dead lifts
3x 12 seated rows
4x 15 sec planks
2x 15 reg crunches
2x 15 crunches with feet up
5 min cool down
Stretch

Just One Of Those Weeks

2011-10-20T22:38:00.005-05:00

You ever have a week where you just can't get things to go in your favor? How about one straight out of hell? This week I can identify. At first it was a little frustrating, then maddening, and now it is straight-up comedy. Why funny? Because it doesn't matter how mad you get at the things you cannot control. You still won't be able to control them. I have had a somewhat sinister smile on my face for the past few days and it is fucking with peoples heads. They don't seem to be able to process the thoughts of moving forward no matter what that are running through my head. I'm not judging them for this as there is no room for them in my head anyways (it's already crowded enough) but I'm not slowing down either. We either gain ground or we don't. We are either growing or dying, both of which involve pain and difficulty, so I choose to grow. You choose for yourself but make it worth it. Now let's wrap this bitch up. It is Friday after all!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 10 pushups with rotation
3x 20 chest passes with med ball
3x 10 step up to overhead presses
3x 20 volleyball set with med ball
3x 10 deadlifts
3x 20 box jumps
3x 10 inverted rows
3x 20 back flys
2x 25 stab ball crunches
2x 15 stab ball plank crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch