Pre-Game Dryland Warm-Up

• March first: knee to hip height, opposite arm forward, tall through the chest.
• Then add a small skip. Quick off the ground, stay light on the feet.

Common mistake: Leaning back as the knee comes up.

• Step into a long lunge, back knee off the floor, both hands inside the front foot.
• Drop the inside elbow toward the front ankle, then rotate and reach that arm to the ceiling.
• Finish by pushing the hips back and straightening the front leg, then switch sides.

Common mistake: Rushing through it. Hold each position for a full breath.

• Hold something for balance and swing one leg forward and back.
• Start small and let the range grow with every swing.
• Stay tall — the movement is at the hip, not the lower back.

Common mistake: Throwing the leg straight to its end range on rep one.

• Face a wall, swing one leg across your body and back out.
• Toes pointed forward, hips square, chest tall.

Common mistake: Twisting the whole body instead of moving at the hip.

• Stand tall holding a wall. Lift the knee, open it out to the side, sweep it behind you and bring it back down.
• Make the circle as big as you can without the pelvis or trunk moving.

Common mistake: Twisting the whole body. The hip moves, everything else stays still.

• On your back, feet flat, drive through the heels and squeeze the glutes at the top.
• Ribs down — do not arch the back to get higher.
• Pause a second at the top of every rep.

Common mistake: Feeling it all in the hamstrings. Push through the heels and squeeze.

• Band above the knees, drop into a half squat, step sideways.
• Do not let the knees cave in, and keep tension on the band the whole set.

Common mistake: Standing up tall and waddling. Stay low.

Skip it if you don't have a band.

• Big slow circles both directions, then pull a light band apart at chest height.
• Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end of every pull-apart.

Common mistake: Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears.

Skip the pull-apart if you don't have a band.

• Stiff ankles. Bounce off the balls of your feet with only a little knee bend.
• Spend as little time on the ground as you can, like the floor is hot.

Common mistake: Landing on the heels or sinking into the knees.

• Push off the outside leg and bound sideways, landing on the other foot.
• Stick the landing for a beat, hips back and knee over toes, then bound back.
• Add distance as the landings get cleaner. This is your skating stride.

Common mistake: Landing with the knee caving or the chest falling over the knee.

• Feet together, hop side to side over a line as fast as you can.
• Stay on the balls of your feet with short, quick contacts.

Common mistake: Hopping too high. This one is about speed, not height.