I started skating about 7 months ago and am now around Freestlye 2/3 in ISI. I would like to be good enough to start testing within the next 5 month and land all of my single jumps up to an axel (and that too if i can!) by April (my 1st year anniversary)

I skate about 4-5 hours a week with one 30 minutes private lesson a week(would love to more but it is hard with work). Off-ice I do weight training (full body) 3x per week. I do pilates 2x per week. Plyometrics (which I hate about once a week if I can convince myself to do it!) I work on jumps on a trampoline at least 2-3x per week. I also stretch 4-5x per week hardcore (but general stretch daily). I also run probably 4-7x per week depending on how much time I have between 3-6 miles (but this isnt really for skating just general health, endurance)

Does this seem like enough to meet my goals? Should I be doing more of anything in particular?

How much do you all train on and off ice per week? and what level are you?

I don't train nearly enough. I am currently working about 65 hours a week, so I barely have time to make it to the rink. I currently am in Basic 7/8 (I just passed Delta and then we switched systems) and take a 30 minute group lesson once a week. I also go and work on practice ice for 30 minutes a week.

That's all I get. I am going to add a 30 minute private lesson once a month starting in November, but I don't know if I have anyway to add more skating to my schedule. I don't have a goal of testing soon, but I would like to pass 7/8 without having to take the class more than once. (I don't believe I have the skills to pass this time around. Most of the other girls came in with strong 1 footed spins, and while I have a beginning backspin, I can barely make an attempt at a regular 1 footed spin)

I also do mat Pilates, at home- as I no longer live near my instructor, for an hour once a week.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

I've been skating for just over a year, and looking at the test levels, I'm working on ISI FS4 stuff. I skate for an average of 90mins most days, with 2x15min private lessons a week (one dance, one freeskate) and I walk for an hour a day (commute).

I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to answer your question of whether you can get lutz by April. Everyone's different - after seven months on the ice, I was only just learning a waltz jump and one-footed spin. I've never been athletic, and though I'm on-ice a fair amount, I wouldn't say that I *train* for that length of time - I don't have the stamina. I'm also injured at the moment, so I have to take it easy if I want to skate at all.

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"Every revolutionary idea seems to evoke three stages of reaction. They may be summed up by the phrases:
(1) It's completely impossible.
(2) It's possible, but it's not worth doing.
(3) I said it was a good idea all along."
- Arthur C Clarke

January will be one year for me. I take 3 skate classes that are groups, bridge, power stroking and freestyle and have one 45 minute lesson a week. I practice 4-5 days a week and workout daily in a gym..usually step classes. Bridge also has a ballet class that I attend once a week. It feels like a lot! But I am not sure I am in such a hurry to master all jumps in a year. Just enjoying my pace. Seems like I have picked up steam in my learning curve of over the last couple months but figure it will come when it comes. I am also starting ISI FS 3 and just passed 2.

sounds like you are doing a lot as it is hard with work. I keep adjusting my work schedule to fit everything in and it is not easy! As long as you are having fun and can fit in what you can then I think it is enough!

it sounds like you are doing plenty of off ice training, be careful not to overdue it..you don't menion your athletic level prior to skating so be sure to take it slowly..the last thing you want is to injure yourself from overuse.

it's great that you have set goals for yourself in skating, personally I learn very slowly but even from talking to other skaters i think giving yourself just 1 year to learn all the jumps is a bit ambitious certainly not consistenlty, but hey you never know. how are your edges turns and stroking? its very impt to concentrate on these since all jumps have some entrance with a turn or edge etc.. and personally what i think makes a good skater is their carriage and flow on the ice with their stroking from one end of the arena to the other. you should discuss your goals with your instructor as well and see if he/she thinks your goals are realistic, he/she usually have experience with other skaters with an idea of what kind of pace you are on.

lots of luck!

oops forgot to mention myself

i now train on ice 4x/week, (3 two hour sessions and 1 80 min freestyle), 1-2 private 30 minute lessons a week,

off ice- 1x/week ballet, 2x/week weight training at home, daily leg streching and 100 crunches, I used to do 1x/week plyometrics (jump rope and bench jumps) but i got lazy since the summer and haven't in a while

i havent tested yet, but im working on pre-bronze MITF with some bronze MITF elements as well, in freestyle im (still!) working on my sit spin, I can do a 1 foot, starting on my backspin, jumps i can do till salchow working on my loop, I hope i get my flip and maybe start working on the lutz by summer time.

Thanks everyone for all the advice and info - Its really helping!

Froggy - I was a higher level gymnast, used to train about 25 or so hours a week (maybe a bit more, cant quite remember) so what I do now is way less than before. I did the wt training and running for a long time before I began skating - so the only thing I have added is the pilates and Im going to try to be more consistent with the plyometrics (I used to do this all the time as a gymnast -maybe why I hate it haha). And my trampoline work is more cause I miss gymnastics, but now with my new skating habit I just added in jump work.

I wish I could skate a lot more, but with the rink being about an hour away, I can only manage 1-2x per week getting there. Im working on more, but I own a business so time is limited haha.

I know my goals are probably a bit premature - Ive just been enthusiastic since I learned the toe loop, toe wally, and flip all in one week and now (1 1/2 weeks since learning them) I can do them all from cross overs and in combo - So I was hoping that was a sign I'd be a quick learner.

According to my coach, my edges, stroking, crossovers, etc have improved a lot and are bordering on him saying "good" haha. I can do a one foot scratch spin but havent learned a backspin yet. But i definately know this is all important and have been working hard on it (even though jumping is more fun hehe)

I'm OLD and just started skating in January. I haven't tested anything and take private lessons (1 to 3 hours/week) so I don't have any formal level. I started with 2 hours/week, moved to 5 hours a week in February, 6 until this month, and now skate 7 to 8 hours/week. I want to add another 2 hour session but I have been skating on a sprained ankle and the therapist said not yet My goal is to compete in Interpretive in March.

Oh yes, off ice I SHOULD be doing more than I am but with only 3 evenings a week off the ice, I don't seem to find time.

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

I'm almost 45 and have been skating for four years. Here is my schedule (it's easier for me to break it down by days):

Sunday: 1 hr. show rehearsal; 2 hours of club (which includes 30 min of my lesson); 1 hour ice dance; I sometimes go back for the all-adult session which is almost 2 hours long

Monday: 1 hr. ice dance; gym is typically 20 mins cardio (treadmill), 20 mins weights, 20 mins stretching

Tuesday: Nothing...unless I'm nearing a competition then I might go to the drop-in freestyle which is almost 2 hours long

Wednesday: gym (again) same routine; 2 hours club ice

Thursday: Sometimes I hit the public session for 2 hours

Friday: gym (again)

Saturday: nothing...

I could do more but this year I'm striving for quality not quantity!!! I have a set schedule of what I'm working on when I'm skating, don't really talk much to people and skate hard. So far, it seems to be working! Same thing at the gym, I have a routine (varied once in a while) that helps me. I just don't want to overdo it.
ETA: I also work and have 2 kids plus a husband...so I'm pretty busy with all their activities too! My son plays hockey so we are back at the rink on Saturday mornings mixing with the hockey guys...

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I practice as much as I can. Some weeks it's more and others it's less. My average is 7 or 8. I work on staying limber and do spot exercises almost daily.

Chico

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"I truly believe, when God created skating, he patted himself on the back."

I'm probably one of the craziest here...

Today I skated nearly 8 hours. Yesterday I skated 6. Wednesday I skated 5... Tomorrow another 6.5. I have had some crazy weeks where I skated 45+ hours... But most of the time it's averages around 20-25 hours a week when I'm serious (I've had my months where I've done very little at all...the beginning of this year for instance).

I'm coming up on my 2nd anniversary since touching the ice for the first time, and haven't tested at all yet, and certainly don't have an axel. I haven't had coaching in well over a year which is a big part of why, but I'm pretty content with my overall skating progress.

I don't do much off-ice exercise except occasional pairs stuff and demonstrating stuff for others. I have started taking ballet lessons twice a week though, which are an hour and 15 minutes long and are a good workout and make me stretch which I don't otherwise do.

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

Gosh where do you all find the time to spend so long at the ice rink?
When I started taking it seriously (aged 37ish) after a year of (large) group lessons once a week on a Saturday I went to 2 public sessions a week and maybe spent an hour of each session actually working at anything including a half hour lesson a week. After about a year I added a second half hour lesson a week and really noticed the difference in rate of improvement (although it wasnt' that fast as I was trying to do both dance and free at the same time .

The most I ever skated was when I used to do 3 x 2 hour public sessions a week including 2 half hour lessons and a half hour group dance lesson, plus the occasional extra session with a group jumps class.

Now I skate just two 1 hour patch sessions including a half hour lesson in each (and rarely manage to do the full hour as I am always late!). I try to skate a 2 hour public session that includes a half hour group dance class but this is not regular and occasionally I'll do an extra patch session or extra public. Basically I am now skating between 2 and 6 hours a week with the average of about 3. Listening to how much time everyone else seems to spend on the ice it doesn't seem enough!

Off ice I do (when my back allows) a Pilates class, a ballet class and a ballroom dancing class.

I had no sporty background at all but have finally managed to get a loop and flip (having initially sworn never to have both feet off the ground at the same time and so doing mostly dance for a long time)

Gymnasts do seem to take to the ice well -presumably because they have great balance and body awareness so with a fair amount of practice I would think it would be very possible to achieve all single jumps in a year or less but it has taken me years to get to this point and I still dont' have a Lutz. I'm working on it though.

Good grief! 5+ hours a day at the rink...if only lol!

I started skating in January just once a week, 1/2 hour group lesson then about 1-2 hours on the public session afterwards.

At the end of March I started private free skate lessons (1x15 min per week) and at the beginning of May started private ice dance lessons (1x15 min per week). I was regularly skating 3-4 times per week, then had a few weeks off for an operation, and upon returning, the problem with my right foot flared up so that from June-August I was only managing to skate once or twice a week.

Now I usually skate 4 times per week, about 6 hours. Once my asthma gets properly under control I hope to increase this, and I'm going to do some off ice activities to help with stamina and flexibility - hopefully step class, yoga/pilates and possible trampolining.

S xxx

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

I generally skate between 7 and 10 hours a week depending on how hectic work is. I also do 2-3 hours of off ice a week.

I skate four times a week - three days when I skate for one hour on patch ice, and the fourth day I skate the hour on patch and stay on for another hour and a half to two hours on the public session, so in general I skate around six hours a week. I also do strength training at home three times a week.

I daresay I'm amazed at how many hours some skaters here are spending on the ice each week. I did used to stay on for three public sessions in a week but found it counter-productive staying on the ice for long periods as I invariably became tired and suffered some of my worst falls towards the end of a long session. I find an hour to be right for me - I get off while I'm still at a point of making progress!

Nicki

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I skate anywhere from 2-7 hours a week. It really depends on if I was sick at all that week or if I have a lot of homework or tests to study for. The average is about.. 4 hours a week. I go about 5 or 6 days a week usually, taking Monday or Thursdays off. I took a 7 week ballet class at my rink.. but that's the only off-ice I do. It ended last week and I don't think I'll need to do it again.

Oh yeah, I'll be 16 in February and I started lessons in the beginning of this past April so.. umm about 6 months in private lessons and 7 in group lessons. And I just passed FS2 so I'll be going into the group classes Advanced FS and Perfecting your elements. So I guess I'll be working on FS 3 and 4 stuff.

While I should mention I am in the process of recovering from major hip surgery my usual schedule was.
Skating 5 x 1.75-2.5 a week
Pilates 2x a week
Ballet 2x a week
Plus I have a reformer and cadillac in my home so I do pilates work whenever I want

Currently I am here:
3x a week 45-1 1/2 hours skating
Pilates everyday 1/2 hour to 1 hour
Adding ballet 2x a week
Physical Therapy 2x a week 1 1/2 hours

I am not allowed to jump at all until december or january depending on several mitigating factors, once I am allowed to jump, apparently I'm not supposed to fall. This could be interesting,

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

I skate 5 days a week, totalling around 7-8 hours. Included in that are 2 half-hour lessons. I don't do much off-ice stuff, at least not consistently, though I should.

It's good to have goals, & with your background it may be possible to achieve them. You know your own skating & rate of progress. Axel seems to be a beast of a different color for most people, so don't be discouraged if that one takes you longer than the other singles, which are relatively easy by comparison. Make sure you also focus on moves in the field so you don't become one of those skaters who can do cool "tricks" but can't actually skate very well.....

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coskater--good luck w/ the whole not falling thing!!! Maybe crash pads?

I know I don't train enough. (Currently rather frustrated on that point.) I am almost always able to make it to the rink 1x per week, sometimes twice, and about an hour and a half is my limit before I start risking injury and falls. I would *love* to be able to make it 3x for 1.5 hrs each, but that may have to wait until my daughter's a bit older (she's 5 and in preschool), my schedule less weird, and a rink nearer (currently 45 min away). (Erm, not that the rink would move--presumably I will move before scientists gain the ability to lift a sheet of ice and move it!) Coach last week was definitely hinting/implying that 3x a week would help a great deal. . . I wish, I wish. I do make it to the gym 3x a week usually for 30-40 min of cardio & some lifting, and I do a lot of stretching while I'm puttering around at home (eg, watching TV).

I skate 3x per week. Usually just under an hour each time. It's not ideal, but it is what I can afford. I get an hour of lessons per week. Half with my moves coach and half with freestyle.

I'm skating enough to progress, to keep my interest and to not go broke. It's pretty good. I think that one more day per week would be ideal for me, but I don't have the time or resources available.

I also go to the gym 3x per week. I do cardio and strength training. I started doing that this summer and it's made a real difference. Used to wheeze through my Bronze program, now I'm skating a Silver length program and I'm not as winded at the end as I used to be last year with 1:40. I've lost about 14 pounds since July and I also notice a difference in the ease of jumping.

http://figureskating.about.com/od/ge...f/training.htm

"One private lesson per day is really the ideal option"

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

Yikes I think I may have a lot of lessons compared to ice time. But I put that down to the fact that you can't skate early mornings at my rink unless you are having a lessson - so if I want to be on the ice, I have to have a lesson.

Monday - 1 hr practice ice (our rink's only evening session!!)
Tuesday - 1 hr lessons - 1/2 dance, 1/2 free - its the morning so unfortunately time does not permit practising as I have to get off right after my lessons for work and public transport does not allow me to get there any earlier.
Wednesday - usually nothing although sometimes occassionally I go to the group adult class - for fun mainly as friends go to it but it really only goes up to passport level so I guess I technically shouldn't go......
Thursday - 1hr lessons - 1/2 dance, 1/2 free
Friday - nothing
Saturday - usually nothing
Sunday - 1/2hr stroking group class then I usually stay on the ice for 2hrs in the publc session.

So I guess I'm on the ice for 5/6 hrs a week which includes 2hrs lessons. Sometimes near competitions and tests I do an hour on a Saturday.

I do try and go to the gym too - and I emphasise try as when I get home from work late I usually just want to sleep.

I started off with 15mins free and 15mins dance a week for about a year/year and a half then I moved to 1/2hr of both a week for another 2 years and its only been in the last year and a half I've had an hour of each in lessons a week. I also only skated one public session a week for about 2 years (but i stayed on the ice for about 3 hrs) and then I went twice a week to two public sessions. I had 3 times a week up until last year when it suddenly became 4. I wish I could go every day!

I find frequent short sessions are better than long sessions once a week - it takes too long to get back into it if you only go once a week.

So is a large bank account with no other purpose!

This is me:
Monday: 1 1/2 hour session with 20 minute lesson (well no lessons for three weeks- secondary coach was away.
Tuesday: Gym for 30-45 minutes of cardio on elliptical, then stretching
Wednesday: 1 1/2 hour session with 20 minute lesson with primary coach
Thursday and Friday: Gym or errands
Saturday: 1 1/2 hour session- no lessons here
Sunday: 2 hour club ice session

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"