Level: Beginner
Base exercise: Sit spin
Variation: From standstill, on axis line
Purpose: Doing a forward sit spin from standstill on an axis line is helpful for skaters just starting a sit spin to know when to place their edge hook and snap by returning back to the same axis they started on
F...

Purpose: This drill challenges skaters to maintain good balance and engagement through their standing leg and to keep their core strong and free hip lifted as they move from a forward leg extension, to a lateral leg extension to stroking position, while maintaining a countercheck with their arms....

This workout series is for everyone who wants to have better pelvic control. These exercises will strengthen the deeper core to help with control and stability of the pelvic. It is essential to do these exercises along with other core training.

If you struggle with edge quality on your flip jump, or picking close enough to your skating leg to have good axis alignment on your flip jump, use this drill to help practice.

Place your picking (landing) foot softly on the top of a yoga ball, and use your hip hinge in your skating leg to gent...

When it comes to skaters’ fitness, traditional fitness training can only take you so far. That’s because it takes having both a skating and fitness background to properly teach off ice training. That’s why an in-depth understanding of sport science, anatomy and body alignment can make all the dif...

Level: Foundation
Base exercise: Single leg stationary change foot 1 turn
Variation: Arms above the head
Purpose: Doing change foot jumps from stationary is helpful for skaters to improve their consistency and their power because they need to generate vertical height and the rotation without the ...

Level: Foundation
Base exercise: Backward glide air position squeeze
Variation: Practice on a straight line, switch feet while gliding, exit into stretched landing position
Purpose: This drill helps skaters practice the muscle engagement needed to hold a tight air position. By doing this dril...

Purpose: This drill helps skaters work on a quick snap into their air position on a loop take-off, vertical height on the take-off, rotation, and control of landings so that they can do it continuously.
Focus: vertical height, tight air position, upper body control, jump combinations

Warming up is very important for figure skaters as it helps initiate blood flow to the muscles and prevent injuries. Includes series of warm up drills that can be included in your training as well as before you skate and compete.

We will be doing various stationary warm up drills. If you have mo...

In this video, Danielle demonstrates how to find how to find natural turnout position, and a few exercises that help safely develop more turnout.

Purpose: This pattern allows skaters to work on combining their backward inside three turns with a c-step. The change of edges and the alternating sides makes it a good pattern for skaters to work on their general skating skills and quality

Focus: Edge quality, lobe, across the ice, turn placeme...

Purpose: By working on this spin variation off the ice, skaters can focus on maintaining good alignment over their skating leg as they press up from the sit spin into the Y-Spin. Having good balance and less wobbles will make the spin faster and higher quality on the ice.
Focus: Stability, basic...

Purpose: This very challenging exercise helps skaters build stability and control during spinal rotation, which is a movement that happens in most figure skating skills, including air position.

Focus: Injury prevention, stability, posture, alignment, core strength, back strength

Level: Foundation
Base exercise: Single leg stationary axel take-off
Variation: Lockdowns, continuous
Purpose: Single leg stationary axel lockdowns help skaters practice using their take-off leg to generate vertical height before rotation. The lockdown also helps them practice getting into a tig...

Purpose: The downward dog pose stretches the whole back of the body while requiring full body strength. It is especially helpful for stretching the ankles and calves and elongating the spine. Resting on the forearms and dropping the heels to the ground increases the intensity of the stretch in th...

Level: Foundation Base exercise: Hip twist + rotation. Variation: Resistance band stretched between both hands, checked on skating side. Body alignment focus: Arms and shoulder position before take-off of a jump. Purpose: The resistance band helps skaters keep a strong check over the landing sid...

Purpose: This sequence of plyometric exercises can be used as a workout with 2-3 sets. Skaters can either do a timed workout, with 40-60second intervals and a 20 second rest, or they can do 10-15 reps of each exercise.

Focus: Workout, explosive power, rotation, quick twitch, plyometrics

Level: Foundation
Base exercise: Clamshells
Variation: Resistance band around the knees for added difficulty
Muscles worked: Gluteus Medius and gluteus maximus.
Purpose: Injury prevention, stability.
Range: Muscle isolation--lower body.
Contraction type: Isotonic.
Movement: Hip Abduction a...

Purpose: This forward fold elevates the feet so that the skater can get a deeper stretch in the hamstrings. This should only be done if the skater is able to reach their hands past their toes.

Focus: Hamstring flexibilty, low back tension relief

Purpose: This pose helps stretch out your shoulders and increase mobility while also stretching your hamstrings and relieving low back tension in the forward fold

Focus: Injury prevention, shoulder mobility, shoulder extension, hamstring flexibility, low back tension relief, warm-up

Purpose: Skaters can practice their forward inside twizzles on the floor to get the feeling of counterchecking their arms and then gathering all their weight over their turning axis. Doing these alternating also helps skaters learn how to quickly change directions--an useful skill for step sequen...

Purpose: The upward-facing dog is a great back stretch that opens up the chest and collarbones, lengthens the spine, stretches your wrists, and strengthens your back muscles.

Focus: Back stretch, back strength, wrist stretch, chest opener, spinal elongation.

Increase fast twitch on double axel on and off the ice:
- 3 concepts to improve fast twitch,
- what causes jump to slow down,
- how to increase the quickness of execution,
- 3 common errors, how to fix them training off ice.

Purpose: Skaters can improve their backward inside three turns by working on them off the ice. They should step down onto an inside edge and keep the free foot lifted. The upper body should rotate outside the circle in the direction they are turning, and when they turn to forwards the free foot s...