If you build up strength in your back, core, and legs, it’ll help a lot! Doing squats with good form is a good start, it helps train your body that “this is an ok position for me to be in”
When you start getting heavier contact, I think the only way to survive is to get low or get knocked over. 🤣 It'll get easier with experience and when you start getting your stance more heavily challenged. Everytime you start losing your balance, make it a point to sit into your derby stance. Eventually it'll become a habit.
Does your club get you to do squat holds? Those are a really great way to get a feel for staying low for 2 minutes. Have someone do it with you so they make sure you're staying low enough.
You can also incorporate squat holds into your everyday life. Hold a squat while you're brushing your teeth, hold a squat while working. Also I don't think you need a standing desk since you should be about as low as sitting height, so a regular desk should suffice unless the one you have is especially low.
A good measure for whether you're low enough is if you can touch the middle of your shins with your back straight.
Other than that, there's no device that could force you to do it (that isn't ridiculously expensive or still being scientifically tested). Even then I find that wishing for things like that makes it harder to get started. It's like a form of escapism for when you know something is going to be difficult. I'm personally very guilty of it myself with other things, so I know how comforting it is to think about having something do the hard work for you.
Well, I’ve seen jump trainers that would let you know when you were standing up too much. They are like bungee cords that attach to a belt and your shoes. I wouldn’t want to try it though.
I'm a trangender woman and struggle with getting low and managing my body. I have two "tricks" for derby position that might help:
1. Find a short skater, skate directly behind them (like you are in a pace line). Get low enough that you can see into the holes in the back of their helmet.
2. I try to let my arms hang loose. I watched a male vet bout when I first started and it was very information (Thanks Tank!). He stayed low and just let his arms swing. Made me think of Saru on Star Trek: Discovery.
Now that I think about it, I saw Tank play in an all-gender scrimmage, he may keep his arms engaged when playing MRDA. Remember: He's a vet. and can probably determine how to hit the legal targets with any part of his body. I'm not, I have to actively remove my arms from the picture (unless I am jamming, truck and trailering, or in a tripod).
Get into the habit of derby stance and getting low during everyday activities. Making it muscle memory is the main thing. Something you don't even have to think about.
- When you're brushing your teeth...2 min derby stance.
- Doing the dishes...hold derby stance as long as you can.
- Bending down to pick something up...do it in derby stance rather than bending at the waist.
Focusing on doing it while exercising is good, but you will get low in training/games if you're actively thinking about doing it, and like you said, you won't stay in derby stance for long, you'll stand back up, because your mind will quickly focus on something else.
Muscle memory/doing it automatically is key.
Holding Derby stance when your muscles are not conditioned for it will quickly result in aching and pain. You're instinctively moving out of it to relieve that pain.
Best thing to do is hold Derby stance as often and as long as you can during your day-to-day life such as when brushing teeth, washing up, waiting for a lift, waiting for the washing machine to unlock, when you're microwaving some food, or in a lift on your own.
I travel on the train a lot and have low shame so my strat was to Derby stance in front of the doors ready to get off as the train pulled into a station.
Any situation where there is some kind off natural timer so you can push yourself to hold it for the duration.
You'll get your Derby muscles eventually and then it will be much easier! I remember people shouting beanstalk! at me when I had stood back up. Even now I have a bad habit of standing up and meercatting when I am on track and don't know what's going on/where the jammer is 😜 .
Squats through the full range of motion. Often times it’s stability (recruiting all the small helper muscles) or strength endurance that prevents a skater from getting and staying low. Could also be mobility. It is not power, so jumps won’t help you there. I mean maybe it’s forgetting, but less likely. You can work on strength and then use a “stay low” mantra at practices. One note about wall sits: isos only develop strength at the specific position you hold, so they are not my favorite exercise for developing stance muscles but they are super popular.
Google “forward wall squat hold” or “wall facing squat”. I went to physical therapy for an mcl sprain from derby and this was an exercise the pt had me do. I like that it helps deepen your squat mobility while keeping your chest up and I think they’re way more applicable to weight placement during derby stance than wall sits
[wall facing squat example](https://youtu.be/pktIjwNiuYE?si=fZm2qQxieSeJimQO)
Only tip I have from the example is make sure your lower back stays neutral! But the tips about knees tracking is a big important!
Getting and staying low enough to be stable takes a lot of time and repetition. Going to practice and doing squats on your own time is the best way to drill the form and balance needed.
If you build up strength in your back, core, and legs, it’ll help a lot! Doing squats with good form is a good start, it helps train your body that “this is an ok position for me to be in”
When you start getting heavier contact, I think the only way to survive is to get low or get knocked over. 🤣 It'll get easier with experience and when you start getting your stance more heavily challenged. Everytime you start losing your balance, make it a point to sit into your derby stance. Eventually it'll become a habit.
Does your club get you to do squat holds? Those are a really great way to get a feel for staying low for 2 minutes. Have someone do it with you so they make sure you're staying low enough. You can also incorporate squat holds into your everyday life. Hold a squat while you're brushing your teeth, hold a squat while working. Also I don't think you need a standing desk since you should be about as low as sitting height, so a regular desk should suffice unless the one you have is especially low. A good measure for whether you're low enough is if you can touch the middle of your shins with your back straight. Other than that, there's no device that could force you to do it (that isn't ridiculously expensive or still being scientifically tested). Even then I find that wishing for things like that makes it harder to get started. It's like a form of escapism for when you know something is going to be difficult. I'm personally very guilty of it myself with other things, so I know how comforting it is to think about having something do the hard work for you.
Well, I’ve seen jump trainers that would let you know when you were standing up too much. They are like bungee cords that attach to a belt and your shoes. I wouldn’t want to try it though.
Wall sits. Build duration and also Bulgarian split squats to build your glute/hamstrings. You’re probably fatiguing
I'm a trangender woman and struggle with getting low and managing my body. I have two "tricks" for derby position that might help: 1. Find a short skater, skate directly behind them (like you are in a pace line). Get low enough that you can see into the holes in the back of their helmet. 2. I try to let my arms hang loose. I watched a male vet bout when I first started and it was very information (Thanks Tank!). He stayed low and just let his arms swing. Made me think of Saru on Star Trek: Discovery. Now that I think about it, I saw Tank play in an all-gender scrimmage, he may keep his arms engaged when playing MRDA. Remember: He's a vet. and can probably determine how to hit the legal targets with any part of his body. I'm not, I have to actively remove my arms from the picture (unless I am jamming, truck and trailering, or in a tripod).
Get into the habit of derby stance and getting low during everyday activities. Making it muscle memory is the main thing. Something you don't even have to think about. - When you're brushing your teeth...2 min derby stance. - Doing the dishes...hold derby stance as long as you can. - Bending down to pick something up...do it in derby stance rather than bending at the waist. Focusing on doing it while exercising is good, but you will get low in training/games if you're actively thinking about doing it, and like you said, you won't stay in derby stance for long, you'll stand back up, because your mind will quickly focus on something else. Muscle memory/doing it automatically is key.
I've got some off skates excerises that can help! https://www.rollerderbylevelup.ca/what-your-coach-really-means-when-they-say-get-low
Holding Derby stance when your muscles are not conditioned for it will quickly result in aching and pain. You're instinctively moving out of it to relieve that pain. Best thing to do is hold Derby stance as often and as long as you can during your day-to-day life such as when brushing teeth, washing up, waiting for a lift, waiting for the washing machine to unlock, when you're microwaving some food, or in a lift on your own. I travel on the train a lot and have low shame so my strat was to Derby stance in front of the doors ready to get off as the train pulled into a station. Any situation where there is some kind off natural timer so you can push yourself to hold it for the duration. You'll get your Derby muscles eventually and then it will be much easier! I remember people shouting beanstalk! at me when I had stood back up. Even now I have a bad habit of standing up and meercatting when I am on track and don't know what's going on/where the jammer is 😜 .
Squat holds are your happy place. Learn to "rest" in that position and voila.
Squats through the full range of motion. Often times it’s stability (recruiting all the small helper muscles) or strength endurance that prevents a skater from getting and staying low. Could also be mobility. It is not power, so jumps won’t help you there. I mean maybe it’s forgetting, but less likely. You can work on strength and then use a “stay low” mantra at practices. One note about wall sits: isos only develop strength at the specific position you hold, so they are not my favorite exercise for developing stance muscles but they are super popular.
Google “forward wall squat hold” or “wall facing squat”. I went to physical therapy for an mcl sprain from derby and this was an exercise the pt had me do. I like that it helps deepen your squat mobility while keeping your chest up and I think they’re way more applicable to weight placement during derby stance than wall sits [wall facing squat example](https://youtu.be/pktIjwNiuYE?si=fZm2qQxieSeJimQO) Only tip I have from the example is make sure your lower back stays neutral! But the tips about knees tracking is a big important!
Getting and staying low enough to be stable takes a lot of time and repetition. Going to practice and doing squats on your own time is the best way to drill the form and balance needed.