One of the reasons I skate and do dance is because I've never been keen on gyms.

But, I keep reading that everyone should have some form of strength training/weights in their routine, and since I could also do with a lot of toning up, I'm wondering if it isn't time to give it a go.

There's a cheap gym where I work, it has a range of basic machines, so it would be convenient.

Are many others using a gym to compliment their skating/general fitness, and if so what kind of routine do you have?

I joined a gym but never went, it seemed like a waste of skating time

It may be worth asking at the rink if they have any facilities, a lot of rinks these days have off ice sessions, dance sessions etc.

I've joined so many gyms and never last the course, I find it SO boring

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The best whisper is a click

Well, I guess I have the opposite effect as TashaKat, since the gym is one of the proactive things I'm doing to keep myself healthy and to condition my body well enough to continue skating. I probably would not be skating for long if I didn't go to the gym too b/c I do a lot of back and abs exercises to keep the sciatica symptoms at bay... I'm not perfect now. I certainly can do better, but I definitely can do worse if I didn't work out at all either.

I WISH I had a free gym at my job! The closest gym to my job is 5 minutes drive and park (or 15 minutes walk) and it's cheaper, but what I get out of it isn't as good, plus I don't think it's very clean! I haven't really found any gyms that I really like but my current gym is probably the best for my needs. i.e. I need to be at a gym where the gym instructors are QUALIFIED to do their jobs and where there's clean locker rooms and bathrooms. (Of course, the joking reason why I joined the gym is b/c my husband wants me to be around the "movers and shakers" in the business world. Yeah, riiiight!!! Too bad they're too busy WORKING OUT for me to network!!! )

Of course, the person you really should ask is NoVa Sk8r! He's the KING of gym workouts!!!

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

TashaKat: AFAIK my rink has off-ice but not gym stuff, and they're too far for me to go there for non-skate stuff. The other rink I go to has a great off-ice, but at the only time I can skate there! Sigh. I'm worried I'd get bored, too.

I occasionally take a ballet class in the city, closer to home, so I'm set for that.

jazzpants: Unfortunately the work gym isn't free, but is insanely cheap and since I have trouble getting to the rink over summer (I work at a university, my schedule changes when students aren't here) the gym might at least keep me a little bit fit, if I manage to go regularly. I really need to strengthen my back too as I have mild scoliosis. And they have yoga and pilates once a week.

I'll check with NoVa Sk8r too, cool

If you've got a gym at work, snap it up!

The chances are that the trainer will be good quality, and should be able to give you beneficial advice on nutrition etc., as well as setting up a program for you.

Plus with any luck it may be very low cost.

I work out twice per week (1 1/2 hours per session) with trainers who have a strength and conditioning center set up inside another rink near where I live.

I started working out with them earlier this year. Partly to help the skating and partly to just help with overall fitness. And it has been of great benefit. I have not only stronger leg strength, but my core strength is much increased and my anaerobic/short burst stamina is much better.

So for me it has paid off.

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American Waltz... Once, Twice, ???? ...

Q: How many coaches does it take to fix Jen's Dance Intro-3 Problems
A: 5 and counting...

I have access to the University athletic facilities where I work, but I've never really taken advantage of them. Maybe it's because I'm overweight, but the thought of having my coworkers see me in a swimsuit or shorts is daunting. (Not that I know of anyone else who goes there.)

blisspix - I'll join if you join!

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My gym is the city run recreation center where for $55-60 per year, I have access to a weight room, pool, and can buy a "Flexaerobics" card for $30 for 15 classes.
One of the centers has a "Basic Strength and Conditioning " class three days a week, two of those days I don't skate- so I will be looking into that.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

If you have the option, and it's free, go for it! You might want to see if you can find the book "Conditioning for Figure Skaters" by Poe (try interlibrary loan). If anything an overall workout set up by a trainer should help you-weights and cardio and stretching.

I workout 3 times a week at my gym:
20 minutes of treadmill (I vary the workout so I'm not bored, sometimes doing the rowing machine but mostly the treadmill)
20 minutes of weight lifting (again, doing different things-upper/lower body)
20 minutes of stretching, mostly legs and lower back

During the weekend I stretch, sometimes if the weather is nice I bounce on my trampoline...

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

I think it is highly beneficial to incorporate a gym routine with your skating.
I've been going to the gym longer than I've been skating, and I initially started out doing a lot of cardio with minimal weight training just to get toned (those were the days, when I was 6' and weighed 160 lb--now, I'm about 190 lb).

When I started skating (in grad school), I added more of a variety of cardio--treadmill, recombinant bike, ergometer/rower, and eliptical and stopped running. I also used to swim, but the arm movements of swimming did not jive with skating.

A few years ago, I stared a spinning class at my gym (that is, cycling). This REALLY revved me up, and I loved it. But my gym changed the spinning class from 7:30pm to 5pm, so I can no longer get there.

As for weight training/conditioning, I do that 4 times per week.
My typical routine is:
Sunday, I'll do a brief cardio warmup, then work my arms for an hour or so, do abs for 20 mins. then STRETCH! for 20 minutes. (I also stretch in between my weight sets. I attribute my flexibility to all this stretching.) Then more cardio or not, depending if I have skated earlier or will skate later.

Tues., same routine, except that I work my shoulders (crucial for pairs skating/lifts, at least for me) and my back.

Fri., same, except that I work my chest (not heavy weights, just enough to keep toned) and do lots of cardio.

Sat., I do more cardio, then do 1 or 1.5 hours of leg work: quads (crucial for low sit spins and good hydroblading and of course higher jumps), calves (great for strong camel spins), abductor/adductor (great for better spinning in general), and squats (probably the best general overall exercise one can do). Then I do more cardio (so that I can fit in my pair outfit!).

I mention all this because I think it is important to have a goal and a plan for working out. I'm always perplexed when skaters tell me that they have zero flexibility or low endurance and when I ask if they stretch or do any exercises or do cardio training, they say no. Well, *I* wasn't born flexible--it was a process. Of course, some folks have other physiological issues, but that's not the point here.
Skating is not inherently a great cardio workout because we work on things, stop, and go to the boards, etc. When you are skating *continuously*, not *continually*, that is a cardio workout. But most of us only do that when we do program runthrus and we get exhausted and out of beath.

I am fortunate that my employer pays my gym fee. I belong to a Gold's Gym, which is very close to my primary training rink (yes, that is a lethal combination for me!). I am also fortunate that my community has a free gym (it's clean but small, and it closes early, but it's a nice change of scene sometimes). Too bad my employer won't pay for my skating!

I've noticed that USFSA's Skating magazine has some training exercises in the back pages. I think some of them look very good, but I've not really tried any of them. I'd recommend reading this section and seeing if thoses exercises will help you meet your goals.

Good luck!

__________________
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

If you want to try an interesting experiment, wear a hear rate monitor skating. You'll find that most of the time our heart rate is low (equates to low level of aerobic exercise) except for quick anaerobic bursts for jump runs and when you do your program. Realisticly we just don't push ourselves very hard unless in a powerstroking class or a lesson. Turns out that the most calories are burned per hour by Ice Dancing!

Off Ice exercises also prevent injuries. Doing upper body work, eg pushups, prevents the broken collarbone or wrist that can happen from even a silly little fall. Yoga has been shown, in 3 major independent studies last year, to be the best way to prevent back injuries. Spinning helps protect your knees.

So my 2 cents: If the hardest thing you do all week is skating then skating will always be hard.
Lyle

Since I'm one of the guilty parties that complain about my flexibility, I better set the record straight.

Oh, I definitely stretch alright. I stretch when I get home after my skating is done. I stretch when I'm in between sets and I stretch for at least a good 10 minutes before I leave the gym for the night. Originally, it was to get more flexible!!! Over the years, it has become MORE to prevent injuries than to be more flexible! Let's face it! I'm closing in on the big 4-0!!! It's much harder at my age to work towards being flexible, though I do keep working at it b/c I obviously don't want overuse injuries either... I have realized that I'll probably never get that nice high spiral or Y-spiral or Bielmann. Heck, I'll be lucky to get a hip level spiral even... But does it stop me from trying for it???? HECK NO!!!!!

LUCKY!!! I'm trying to get my employer to do corporate sponsorship so that we can at least pay less of a monthly fee, but knowing my employer, they'll go with just maybe a couple of gyms (25 Hour Fitness and Gold's Gym, even though I have told them that a couple of employees do go to my gym as well too.) My gym, Club One is a wonderful gym, but you don't wanna know how much *I* pay per month on my membership...and this is NOT including my monthly dues for my weekly group reformer classes, which my secondary coach suggested I do for flexibility as well as my normal stretches!!! Short of going back to my meat locker pick-up joint, I'm not sure how else I can lower my monthly fees...

__________________
Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I also want to mention: I will be turning 45 in a few more months (GULP) and have become MORE flexible in the past few years thanks to my off-ice workouts!!! So, saying you aren't flexible because of age isn't really an excuse (especially you, jazz-I've got a few years on you, but I'm sure you are more flexible than me so keep it up!!!). You might never be able to flex like Sasha (wouldn't that be nice?), but you can attain decent positions (enough to pass a test anyway). And, like jazzpants says, stretching after working out does help to prevent injuries and should become part of your workout in any instance.

If you have a sit-down job (or are a student), or any job or activity that keeps you in any position long enough to start those muscle tightening, then it becomes even more important to stretch them out and lengthen them.

If you can, take breaks throughout the day and loosen up. I am a secretary and try to at least stretch out my hamstrings often (sometimes hard to do when it gets busy).

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

So far, I've been able to get away with NOT going to a gym, but I make a point of stretching for at least 20 minutes at the rink every day after I skate. I was told by my physical therapist that my hamstrings are weaker than my quads and need to be strengthened, so I bought a big exercise ball for doing hamstring exercises at home. I did them for awhile, but now the ball is sitting in a very sad, half-deflated state under the dining room table. Now I'm going to my PT again (for help stretching out some old scar tissue) so she's having me hamstring exercises on the machine at her office.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Nova,

Your entry was interesting, and I was wondering if I might ask a few questions:

With your off ice workouts, how often are you on the ice per week?
Also, does your partner cross train, too?

The reason why I'm asking is, because I lift weights twice a week, and run a mile and walk another mile before lifting. Then stretch after it's all done. On the two days a week that I skate an hour by myself, I do off-ice stretching and aerobics for about 20 minutes, then I run a mile and walk a mile later that same day. Twice a week I skate with Lee for two hours, and we do about 20 minutes off ice, sometimes before, or sometimes after the skate, and that's all of the excersise I will do on those two days.

I keep thinking that I should lift more, but I feel like if I put another weight lifting session in the week that I'm going to die. I feel like I'm at the limit of my cross training, but, in a strange way, I don't feel like it's enough.

What do you think? You seem to be pretty knowlegable (sp?) about cross training.

In addition to what NoVa said...
The USFS website has a plethora of training tips on the website. Go to the "Athetes" page, then to "Athlete Programs" then to "Training Tips"
They have everything from logs to periodization tables, workout plans, etc.
A couple of skating parents at my rink are looking at this for their skaters.

__________________
Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

And while lovepairs is asking... I'm curious about your quad exercises! I can't do very low sit spins (though mine are okay enough that the judges shouldn't make a comment about it if I test Bronze FS...) but certainly not a hydroblade. Care to share your quad exercises???

BTW: calf exercises are also very good for jumps too...well assuming you also have good basic jump technique too!

__________________
Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Something I learned from my physical therapist--who is also a skater--is that our sport is very imbalanced in terms of the muscle groups we use. Most skaters have very strong outer quadriceps but have much weaker inner quads and/or hamstrings. It varies by individual, though, so I HIGHLY RECOMMEND just one visit to a qualified physical therapist to get your relative muscle strength measured (not by "feel" but using actual instruments) so you know which muscles need to be strengthened off ice. These muscle imbalances are a major cause of knee and hip problems due to the uneven pull on the joint, and if not for the knee problem I had last year, I would never have even learned about this! Fortunately, I left my first physical therapist after she started having me do quad exercises, which my current PT confirms would have just made the problem worse!

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

i go to a gym for an hour and a half , monday to friday

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~Skater Babe~
~!~Sarahh~!~

If you don't need to workout with heavy weights then save your money and workout at home with some basic exercies.

shoulders: do shoulder presses, lateral raises
back: kneel on a bench (or put some chairs together) and do one-arm row.
chest: lie on a bench and do chest presses.
legs: alternating lunges or squats.
biceps: bicep curls.
triceps: overhead tri extensions.
abs crunches.

All of the exerciese above can be done with a set of dumbells at home. Do high reps with moderate to low weight.

Contrary to popular thought that the man's muscles are keeping the ladies up there in a lift, the truth of the matter is that pairs ladies really have to have well developed muscle groups to keep themselves up there in a lift. It doesn't look it, but the ladies do half of the work in a lift. Also, we need really well developed shoulder muscles to handle the G-forces on the shoulders in a death spiral. Pairs ladies always look more muscle bound, especially, in the upper body than single lady skaters. There is a reason we do all that weight lifting off ice. I'm just wondering how many times per week I should be lifting weights?

Oh yeah, you pairs ladies have to have strong core muscles and upper bodies!
Back when I used to power lift (in a former lifetime; I hate gyms now!), I would work out lats, lower back, delts and biceps on Mon, Wed, Fri, then I would work out my triceps, abs and chest on Tues, Thurs, Sat. I would also do 50 sit-ups every night. But I would think twice a week for each muscle group should be fine. Something you can do if you aren't going to lift "heavy" is to circuit training, where you do two sets of 10-15 reps of a lighter weight for each muscle group but cover every muscle group on the same day, 3 times a week.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

I would debate you on that, given the videos I've seen of your lovely spirals!!! LOL!!!

__________________
Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I skate Sunday afternoon freestyle for 1.5 hours (almost all pairs), Monday night adult public session for 1.5 hours, Tues. morning FS for an hour or so, Wed. night public for 1.5 hours (half the session is for pairs), Fri. morning for 45 minutes (20 min. pair lesson, 25 min. pair practice) and if I have the day off--every other week--2 hour public session. Ice is available on Saturday at a new rink in NoVa, er, Northern Virginia, so I might go there and do gold moves for a session or two. But really, that is way too much skating for me. I'd rather just go to the gym.

I think it also must be said that I'm not a *total* gym freak. My job involves a lot of writing/editing that I never get done on-site. I work (or rather am *at* work ) 6 hours or so per day, so what I don't complete on my way commuting I just bring to the gym and read/edit while on the bike or treadmill or eliptical.
I've also suffered stress fractures/pinched nerves in my lower back, dislocated/sprained wrist, shoulder impingement, and bursitis in my left knee, so I tend to take a slow and controlled approach to lifting weights. It usually means a longer time in the gym, but, of course, this beats getting sore and injured.

Yes, but I'm not sure exactly what she does besides her cardio training. I believe she does arm/shoulder exercises.

I'm in no way an expert, but it sounds like you are doing enough. I think quality is more important that quantity. And like a good mutual fund, diversification is key. As doubletoe mentioned, there are a lot of secondary muscles used in skating, muscles that we overlook. My chest is pretty develped (I would say overdeveloped), but I met with a sports therapist and through a series of stretch diagnotics, she determnined hat my pectoralis minors are understretched. Same thing with the range of motion in my shoulder and hamstring.
With my gym membership came a few sessions with a personal trainer. She helped me develop a few plyometric exercises to increase my mobility and toning. Bulk may look nice, but it hinders some skating moves and is not crucial for pair skating (think power, not strength).

Another notion is static versus dynamic lifting. Standing and lifting a barbell is different that sitting on a stability (or Swiss) ball and lifting weights. It seems like you are lifting enough, you just probably need to alter your lifting exercises. I don't know about how much weight you are lifting andif you are maxing out or not, so it is hard to gauge what you could do differently. If you feel like you are stuck in a rut, I would try doing less weight, but lift more slowly and hold the contraction. After doing this for a week or two, you might see some gains in your overall strength. Also, I find it necessary every 8 weeks or so to not lift for a week to give my muscle fibers a chance to heal.

__________________
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

I work my legs with the squat machine (the freestanding squat method is too much of a risk for my back), as well with the machines where you sit at 45 degrees and wither push the weight stack awy form yo or raise yourself away from the foot platform. Wit hthese exerciese i use both my feet but also, using a lwoer weight, use only one leg. That way, each leg gets its own turn. And I don't just push and go quickly. I push the weight and hold the weight. I think this helps simulate the amount of time that you are in the hydroblade position. I alo do lunge squats, hack squats, and Roman dead lifts.
At home watching TV, I used to assume the sit or hydroblade position while holding onto the couch.

__________________
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.