Top 5 Beginner-Friendly Exercises To Improve Your Technique

Photography: Bernadine Geary

Speed skating, despite its name, is a sport where the core focus, at any level, remains in good technique. Arguably, to be a good speed skater, you cannot ignore the importance of having good technique. So much so that whilst going as fast as possible is considered the primary goal of speed skating, coaches and seasoned athletes alike will agree that you are only as fast as your technique allows and working on technique is the crucial process of achieving the goal of going fast.

Why is technique so important?

Technique in speed skating has a clear and direct relationship to:

• How much speed you can generate (top speed), and

• How long you can maintain that speed (efficiency)

While strength and fitness also play a role in speed skating, a skater with bad (inefficient) technique will always work harder to produce and maintain the same speed as a skater with good (efficient) technique.

How do I improve my technique?

Beginners and elite speed skaters who are focused on improving actually share a common practice: working on technique. And regardless of how fast a skater gets, there are basic skills that should never be overlooked, even at the elite level:

1. Single leg strength & control - speed skaters spend most of their time on just one leg so it is critical to have the strength and balance needed to support your body at speed, on a single leg.

2. Edge control - speed skaters must know how to carry their body and drive power through both edges to get the most out of a single leg "push". Ignoring an edge is an effective way of immediately reducing stride efficiency.

3. Ankle strength - strong ankles facilitate effective transfer of force from the legs through to the skates. Strong ankles also allow the skater to maintain control of their edges, rather than 'flopping' onto a default edge, which is usually the inside edge.

4. Body weight transfer - As much as pushing through your legs generates speed, being able to transfer body weight from one leg to another efficiently is what allows a skater to generate 'more' out of a single "push", and ultimately what differentiates a beginner skater (someone who can/ does not transfer weight) from an advanced skater (someone who can transfer weight effectively).

Our Top 5 'On-Skate' Exercises

We recommend these 'Top 5' exercises for improving the skills mentioned above. These exercises can be done almost anywhere that has a flat, relatively smooth, and large enough surface. Though suitable for beginner skaters, these exercises can be incorporated into experienced skaters' regular routine and still provides benefits for skaters of all abilities.

1. Slalom Skating

Benefits: Edge control, ankle strength, manoeuvrability on skates

Variations:

Level 1: 'Fish' / Forward slalom

Level 2: Criss-cross slalom

Level 3: Single leg slalom

Equipment: cones

Tips: reduce the spacing between cones and increase your speed going through the cones to increase the difficulty of the exercise

YT Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bV5J2kzUnY

2. Single Leg Skating

Benefits: Single leg strength and control, building ankle strength and control, balance on skates

Variations:

Level 1: Semi-upright position, knees bent and one foot lifted up off the ground

Level 2: Skate position (90 degree knee bend) and the knee of the raised leg hovers behind the grounded skate (refer to the video below for correct positioning)

Level 3: Skate position, 90 degree knee bend of the weight bearing leg and the non-weight bearing leg is completely straight, pushed out beside the body and hovering off the ground. The weight of the body must be over the weight bearing leg, with the skate on a neutral or slightly outside edge

Equipment: n/a

Tips: Balancing on a single leg must be done on the neutral or slight outside edge. An inside edge means the ankle is not holding strong and/or the body is not positioned directly over the supporting leg. Practise this exercise while moving (not still).

YT Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDcJ9jli7m4

3. Circles

Benefits: Correct body positioning for cornering, weight distribution for cornering, building strength required for loading when cornering, stability

Variations:

Level 1: Following the circle - roll along a circle with most of the weight on the inside (left) leg, pushing the outside leg out and in

Level 2: Cross and holds - push out with the outside leg and hold, cross the outside leg over the inside leg and hold, repeat

Level 3: Cross overs - consistent cross overs in a circle. Avoid stopping and starting. If speed cannot be controlled (getting too fast) doing this exercise, more practice at Level 1 & 2 are needed.

Equipment: cones (optional for setting out a circle)

Tips: Ensure hips are square to the ground, push out through all wheels and ensure that skates push directly out to the side of the body rather than back.

YT Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOOlXHznlDs

4. Bubbles

Benefits: Getting familiar with skating edges, push-pull leg strength

Variations:

Level 1: Double leg - start in skate position, push both legs outwards and then return both legs back to skate position.

Level 2: Single leg - start in a split-stance skate position. push the front leg outwards and then pull inwards while the back leg remains trailing behind for support.

Equipment: Nil (cones are optional)

Tips: Focus on pushing the leg directly out to the side and ensure that the body stays at the same level (not bobbing up and down) while the legs move out and in

YT Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNAg4FNV-Qs

5. Side-to-Sides (Weight Transfer)

Benefits: Practising weight transfer, building leg strength, practising pushing out to the side

Variations:

Level 1: Begin in skate position, shift weight onto one leg and push the other leg to the side. Return the leg to skate position, shift weight onto the opposite leg and push the other leg to the side. Repeat.

Level 2: Begin in skate position, shift weight onto one leg at the same time as the other leg pushes out to the side. Shift weight from one leg to the other at the same time as the opposite leg pushes out (refer to the yt video below)

Level 3: Incorporate a 'recovery leg' by picking up the leg that has finished its push and bring it back around to skate position.

Equipment: Nil

Tips: Focus on pushing the leg directly out to the side and ensure that the body stays at the same level (not bobbing up and down) as you transfer weight from one leg to another

YT Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoeeeDYg5x0

So give it a go and see how much you can challenge yourself with these exercises!