Roller Derby Training for Fatties: Cross-Overs

Ages ago I said I would post on how to do cross-overs as a fat derby skater. In the photo above, you'll see a perfect cross-over. But here's the thing: when you can't cross your legs, how do you perform a cross-over?

This has been one of the biggest challenges for me as a skater. It's also very difficult from a learning standpoint because when you ask someone who is good at cross-overs to help you, they are inevitably someone who can easily cross their legs off-skate and can't comprehend your fat-specific needs as a skater. A lot of plus-size derby girls just skip cross-overs all together and find other ways to get speed and navigate corners, adopting an awkward version of cross-overs for skills testing.

Here's the thing: I have, on occasion, performed a proper cross-over. It requires the perfect storm of quad strength, muscle warmth, flexibility and distraction. Usually it's during a speed drill, when I don't even think about it. But there is a way to train for cross-overs when you can't cross your legs, and here are my tips on how to do fat cross-overs:

1. START BY RUNNING ON THE CORNERS

Some derby teams train doing "fast feet" or "quick steps." If you are familiar with this drill, you'll understand how important agility is as a big skater. To start doing cross-overs, use fast feet every time you hit the corner. Another way to look at it is running, sprinting or jogging on the corners. Get your feet moving. Don't get stuck in a lean. Learn that you can still transfer your weight when you are concentrating on making a tight turn and not sliding out.

I have found that simply running on the corners often gives me the speed advantage I miss out on when it's not a confident cross-over night. You can still use the push of your outer right thigh and the push of your inner left thigh to get some of the acceleration of a cross-over without performing one completely.

2. LEAN FORWARD

A very insightful ref once told me that he noticed that bigger skaters have to lean further forward when they skate around the corners. This is true. You can also translate this into "good derby training" language by saying you should GET LOW. Every skater knows that getting low enough is the never-ending challenge for a derby skater. So, work on it. Get low and lean forward.

If you think about the geometry of your thighs, you have to make a wider gait to cross your legs over one another. The farther forward you lean and the lower you get, the wider your gait will become. This will allow you to perform a fat cross-over.

2. EXERCISE YOUR QUADS

If you want to carry your weight in roller derby, the biggest focus will have to be on building quad strength. Without this, you can't get low and you can't lean forward. Do squats, leg presses and anything else you can to get your quads up to speed. This will help you with all of your derby skills (see my earlier post on Training for Fatties). Your quads are the key to making your weight your biggest asset. They allow you to move your booty around quickly and with accuracy.

Hope this helps all my fat derby sisters out there! I'll have some more Roller Derby Training for Fatties posts in the future.