Purpose: This challenging skill helps skaters test their balance and their strength; even if they can do a camel to sit position on the ice, they will be surprised to find it is much more challenging to do it off the ice!
Focus: Strength building, lower body strength, balance, alignment
Up Next in General
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Forward bounding: Beginner-Elite
Purpose: Skaters should add bounding to their warm-up as a heart rate boosting drill and to work on the quickness and explosive power. Skaters should try to be quick and light on their feet, trying not to heel strike.
Focus: heart rate boosting, timing, rhythm, power -
Grapevine: Foundation-Elite
Purpose: This drill helps skaters to work on their quick feet and the quick snapping of their hips and core, waking up their obliques. Skaters should try to move their hips with their feet rather than just crossing over to get greatest benefit from this drill.
Focus: Timing, rhythm, quick twitch,... -
Forward and backward skips: Beginner-...
Purpose: Skaters can use this exercise in their warm-up to warm-up hips, knees and ankles. Practice both forwards and backwards down the floor pumping arms back and forward with the knee to simulate the axel take-off on the ice.
Focus: hip, knee, and ankle extension; power, roll up to the toe, co...
