Being stuck at home without practice time is really frustrating, especially if you were or are feeling really motivated to improve and challenge yourself. Thankfully, many coaches are providing videos, challenges, and resources to keep everyone motivated and inspired. And so am I!
I’ve put together an edgework practice you can do outside or in your home (if you have a skate-able floor). Throughout this practice, focus on bending your knees as much as possible while keeping your chest up. Always remember: form over speed. It’s more important to do the drills slowly and in good form, rather than trying to do them as quickly as possible. Once you develop good form and it’s in your muscle memory, you can add speed! Each drill is described and includes a video tutorial filmed by me or one of my Rat City teammates. Stay safe by wearing all your gear when doing these drills.
Edges Practice
Finding Your Edges Warmup
Stay low. Keep your head up and arms at your side, with a little give at the knees.
- 30 secs | Kickbacks / Running Backward in Place (feet are parallel)
- 30 secs | Hip Rockers / Sidesurf in Place (hips open)
- 30 secs | Runners / Running in Place
- 30 secs | switch between all three
Edge Circles | 1 min intervals
Cut-flip-crossover-sidesurf around your cone! Go in both directions. Demoed by Gemini. Goals:
- Keep hips forward-facing.
- Stay low and try to get lower.
- Get out those blocker arms!
Edging Lateral Cone Drill | 1 min intervals
Use lead foot/follow foot footwork to move laterally while keeping your hips and upper body facing forward. Video with Kate Rage. Goals:
- Stay as low as possible and try to get lower each time.
- Get lower when you reach the end. Imagine a jammer coming into contact with your back and hunkering down for that contact.
- Get those blocker arms out!
- Do not use your toe-stops.
Hockey/Power Stops Around Cones | 1 min intervals
Skate in a figure eight around two cones (chairs or whatever works) and hit a hard stop around the apex. Goals:
- Come to a complete stop.
- Practice hockey stops and power slides.
- Challenge yourself by trying one-footed hockey stops!
- Try to stay low the entire time — don’t let yourself pop up at any moment.
Cut-Cone-Drop Drill | 1 min intervals
Skate up to your “cone” and cut out, cut in, and drop to mimic catching a jammer. Go to both sides. Video with StrangeHer. Goals:
- Stay close to your “cone.”
- Get as low as possible when you drop and try to get lower each time.
- Use those blocker arms to track the imaginary jammer!
Lateral Movement Drills | 1 min intervals
Move laterally while staying as low as possible using the footward below. Visualize yourself moving across the track to catch a jammer and hunkering lower once you’ve caught them. Then you must move laterally again with them on your back (while shuttle skating) or to catch them again (crossover laterals). Video with Punchy O’Guts. Goal for both: try to get lower at the transition point — where you stop and change directions.
- Shuttle Skating (for small movements)
- Crossover Laterals (for larger movements)
Squat Progression | 30 secs each
In this squat progression, you’ll work your stability and edges! Video with Nacho B. Goals for all (to help you from falling backward!):
- Keep your weight distributed evenly
- Engage your core
1. Squat on skates
2. Add leg lift to squat
3. Mega Challenge: repeat #2 with your eyes closed
Edgework & Mental Focus Drill | 2x each progression
Setup: Tape an agility ladder to the floor/ground. Don’t use a real agility ladder, because your skates can get caught in it!
In this drill you will complete a progression of exercises that start with footwork, then add arms, then add communication. The idea is to focus on all these things at the same time without compromising your form or footwork. Video with Canna Whoop Sass - Canna gives her own take on the drill, but she does demonstrates how to tape an agility ladder and provides some alternate toe-stop options! Goals:
- Stay low — bend your knees and keep your chest up and engage your core to keep from falling
- Try to keep your head up and look forward, rather than down.
- While doing the drill, notice your mental emotional state: do you engage in negative self-talk? Do you give up before trying? Or do you feel excited by the challenge?
For each progression, go down and back two times.
1. In-in-out-out on your edges: Start with both feet in the ladder and then step one foot out and then the other foot out. Then step one back in, followed by another back in.
- Add arms: circle arms as if you are swimming
- Add song: sing a song while doing arms
2. Out-Out-In-In on all eight wheels using edges: Start with both feet parallel and on the outside of the ladder. Step one inside the ladder and follow with the other. Step out of the ladder to the other side. Then, one-by-one step both feet back inside the ladder. Step outside of the ladder, but to the other side.
- Add arms: pretend you are holding a rolled-up towel over your head and lean it to each side (engaging obliques)
- Add song: sing a different song while doing arms
3. Hopscotch — try not to roll by staying low and engaging your core. Start with both feet outside the ladder. Hop inside on one foot, then hop outside of the ladder back to two feet. Hop into the ladder up the next rung, but on the other foot. This is the most challenging one!
- Add arms: arms go up when you jump out (like a starfish) and then to prayer when you jump in
- Add song: sing a different song while doing arms
Edges Practice Plan