How to Use Glider Discs

By Sam Cortes, Communications Coordinator

So, you’ve upped your weights, reps, and sets – now how can you take your workout to the next level?

When you want to spice up your gym routine and add a new challenge to your workout, glider discs may be your next move.

What Are Glider Discs?

Glider discs (also known as sliding discs, or sliders) are a small but powerful workout accessory. Depending on what exercise you’re doing, the gliders will either be underneath your hands, feet, or knees.

Gliders add resistance to your workouts by increasing the amount of friction between your body and the ground. When pressing the glider into the floor as you perform your exercise, you’re working under more tension! As a result, using glider discs will also cause you to stabilize your muscles more, especially your core.

What Can You Do With Glider Discs?

Most resistance exercises can be performed with gliders to kick it up a notch, including upper body, lower body, and core exercises.

Many conditioning exercises can also be performed with gliders as a low-impact alternative.

Tip: If you don’t have gliders, you can make your own version of them at home! Try using dish towels on hard floors or paper plates on carpets.

Upper Body: Glider Disc Pushups

Place the gliders under your hands and begin in a high plank position. Slide your right arm out to the right side and lower yourself down into a controlled pushup. Squeezing your pecs, raise your body back up and slide your right arm back to its original starting position, underneath your right shoulder. Repeat on the left side. The pushup can be done from your knees or your toes.

Lower Body: Glider Disc Hamstring Curls

Place the gliders under your heels and lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Press yourself up into a bridge position by squeezing your glutes. Slide your heels away from your glutes until your legs are extended. Draw your heels back in towards your glutes by squeezing your hamstrings. Make sure to keep your hips lifted for the entirety of the movement.

Core: Glider Disc Knee Tucks

Place the gliders under your toes and begin in a high plank position. Draw your knees up toward your elbows, while focusing on keeping your back and hips still and level. Press your feet back out to the starting position.

Conditioning: Glider Disc Touchdown Squats

Place the gliders under the balls of your feet. Slide both feet out to the sides and press your hips back into a squat position, reaching one hand down toward the ground. Keep your chest up and open throughout the exercise. Come up from the squat by sliding your feet back to your starting position and squeezing your glutes.

Note: Make sure to keep some amount of pressure on the gliders, lest they slide out from under your feet as you perform the exercise.