Fabiola da Silva is one of only a handful of female professional inline skaters worldwide. Competing in a male-dominated sport, though, hasn’t stopped her from going up against some of the world’s best. In fact, da Silva’s consistent street and vert performances have landed her top-10 finishes in more than 40 competitions and the title of “Queen of the Halfpipe.”

To remain a serious competitor against her talented counterparts, da Silva realizes that simply skating for a few hours a day won’t cut it. “Skating takes a lot out of you,” she says. Since the sport requires a great deal of lower body strength—particularly in the quads, hamstrings and lower back—da Silva regularly targets these areas through explosive training in the weight room via “squats, lunges, sit-ups and [an hour of] cardio everyday,” she says. 

The daily exercises have allowed her hit rails that were previously out of reach, and overall, she cites a “110 percent” improvement in her performance. Her seven X Games gold medals prove it.

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