LondonSkaters Speed Team - Speed Skating & Rollerblading Club in London

Johnny · Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 189 Location: Southwood, London

Hi,

I've joined a gym.

My gym program will be compiled this Thursday, but the gym (Fitness Exchange) has never had a speed skater as a member before.

So, what exercises should I be doing?

Ta

Johnny

Rick · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5913

Stuff for Legs, Lower, Back Abs, Calves, Heart, Lungs. Train sometimes for strength some times for endurance (lighter load but for longer) They have ankle trainers at some gyms. I think they are crap compared to actually skating though.

Warm up properly before hand with light exercise and stretch after exercise to get your muscles used to being extended. Places to stretch, Quads, groin, abs and back.

Try some bent knee exercises. Get on the bikes and do some spinning, unless you have a real bike which is better.

Forget running machines.

Tim · Joined: 26 Jul 2004 Posts: 381 Location: leytonstone E11

I,m going to gymn 5 night,s a week for 1 hour session,s and i use free weight,s for my side,s and lower back. stand with one hand resting on your head with elbow out and one arm hanging by your side with a 4-5kg weight and lean over to the side with the weight but only until you feel your other side become taut do this ten time,s each side and then wait 1 minute befoe repeating. 3 set,s of ten each side should do the trick. also you can lay down on a fitness mat ( also at home ) and put both hand behind your back and lift your upper body off the mat slowly. also 3 set,s of ten if you can. I also use the treadmill at fitness first and the personal trainer had me doing interval,s and cardio which meant some sprinting for 3 min,s and then slowing down and then some hill work and that work,s on your stamina and burn,s off a shit load of calories.

Mikey-two-Names · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 4106

Doing weights is only much use if you use plyometrics (jumpies) to convert the gains into useful skating strength and fitness. There are a whole load of skating specific exercises in Speed on Skates.

Otherwise the two things I would do in the gym would be yoga and cycling/spinning for those days I didn't get to go skating. There's little point in doing anything else such as running, rowing, etc., well, little point from a skating-only perspective.

KateB · Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 9:49 pm Subject:

I really like using the Stepper - esp. doing interval training. It seems to use similar muscles to skating, and I prefer it to a bike for aerobic / cardio training. But you have to focus on not "bouncing" it.
Biggest downside is you're vertical, not bent over, so it doesn't strengthen your back.

Whatever suits.
Kate