Will off ice training help work through a growth spurt?

[jumpingbeansmom]

My 10 year old has grown 4 inches in the last 16 months...yikes...during this time she actually learned all the way from 2sal through to 2ltz...though lately her 2flilp and 2 lutz seem to be deteriorating...even her coach said I swear she looks like she got taller THIS WEEK...geesh.

Because of schedule issues, she hasn't been going to as much off ice training as she usually does....do you think getting back to it might help a bit?

[Sk8tmum]

Absolutely - if it is done right, which is why I would suggest would be done in conjunction with her coaches direction. However, that she is skating through the growth spurt is good.

We used off-ice with a balance board to help regain lost balance; resistance training to help build muscle strength to go with the new height; dance/yoga to help with coordination and suppleness; and aerobic, to help build lung capacity that was needed to support the bigger frame.

However, at your DD's age, you need to be careful - as badly done off-ice can cause damage and further problems.  A physiotherapist who specializes in sports would be the best resource; we have used one successfully with great effect.

Expect jumps to vanish with growth spurts. It will also be an issue with puberty when body dimensions change. This is why many kids leave skating/early stars are overtaken by others at this time period, as the new "bodies" hit the ice and the varying degrees of success with the new bodies cause changing dynamics. The kids who stick it out certainly learn lessons in perseverance and doggedness! If your kid keeps working, she'll gain it all back, just don't let her get frustrated ... which happens to many of them.

[rsk8d]

Balance training and core strengthening are very important during and after a growth spurt, as the skater's musculature has to adjust to a new length.  A skater may also experience a change in flexibility, in areas such as the hamstrings, adductors, and hip flexors.  This can fully be evaluated after the growth spurt.

A skater should also be doing off-ice training consistently (with some periodization involved), and it is not recommended to take an extended break.  You can build strength quickly, but can also lose it very quickly.

[jumpingbeansmom]

She hasn't totally lost any jumps, but some of them have become a bit harder to accomplish as well as she used to- especially double lutz.   Somehow, she managed to start landing double axel on the floor.   All her off ice is definitely done with her coaches.  As school winds down, she will be able to be more consistent about getting there to the off ice classes more.

[Sierra]

She hasn't totally lost any jumps, but some of them have become a bit harder to accomplish as well as she used to- especially double lutz.   Somehow, she managed to start landing double axel on the floor.   All her off ice is definitely done with her coaches.  As school winds down, she will be able to be more consistent about getting there to the off ice classes more.

Does she do her off-ice at home?

[jumpingbeansmom]

Does she do her off-ice at home?

No, there isn't time...between skating time, homework, school, ballet and clarinet...she really is flat out.   

[lindafmb]

Balance training and core strengthening are very important during and after a growth spurt, as the skater's musculature has to adjust to a new length.  A skater may also experience a change in flexibility, in areas such as the hamstrings, adductors, and hip flexors.  This can fully be evaluated after the growth spurt.

A skater should also be doing off-ice training consistently (with some periodization involved), and it is not recommended to take an extended break.  You can build strength quickly, but can also lose it very quickly.

Wow, we sure think along the same lines. This is exactly what I was going to post, but then I saw that you already did 

[kssk8fan]

Off Ice training is as important if not more important than on ice training!  There should be a nice balance between the two.  Most people up their ice time when things aren't going well, when they are trying to get a new element, when they move up a level.  Unfortunately, it's the off ice that get's lost in the mix and they wonder why they aren't improving.  For a new skater, it's the opposite - more ice time the better but when as the skater moves up, off ice time becomes crucial to sustaining and growth, especially during an injury, growth spurt, and off season.

When I think of my own skater, I envy gymnastics.  The girls may be at the gym for 4 hours in the evening but only a small percent of that is actually doing the apparatus.  The remaining time is conditioning.  It's so important yet so incredibly difficult for a skater!

[jumpingbeansmom]

Off Ice training is as important if not more important than on ice training!  There should be a nice balance between the two.  Most people up their ice time when things aren't going well, when they are trying to get a new element, when they move up a level.  Unfortunately, it's the off ice that get's lost in the mix and they wonder why they aren't improving.  For a new skater, it's the opposite - more ice time the better but when as the skater moves up, off ice time becomes crucial to sustaining and growth, especially during an injury, growth spurt, and off season.

When I think of my own skater, I envy gymnastics.  The girls may be at the gym for 4 hours in the evening but only a small percent of that is actually doing the apparatus.  The remaining time is conditioning.  It's so important yet so incredibly difficult for a skater!

This week was school vacation...so she got much more off ice time, and she actually has been doing fully rotated double axels on the floor!  Most weeks she gets ballet/hip hop one day and two days of conditioning with her coaches....when school winds down, we will be able to balance more!

[Sk8tmum]

Off-ice, done at home, doesn't need to be a huge time commitment.  20 minutes a day, organized properly, is quite effective; alternating cardio (a mini-tramp is easy and gentle on joints) with own-weight strength training such as resistance bands, pushups, situps, etc.  Look for a book called Conditioning for Figure Skaters: it's good, and there are nicely organized schedules and good understanding of the pre-pubescent skater.

My kids realized quickly that the "gains" made during the summer when they had time on their hands to do more off-ice AND on-ice were regularly lost when they stopped doing the off-ice portion when they returned to school, which was frustrating.  Because the return to school coincides with the start of the competitive season ... well, the impact was noticeable.  Thus, they/we make sure that efficient, effective off-ice training is done in the school period.

Interestingly, we had our first triple landed neatly and tidily after a change in footwear (better support), diet (more effective nutrition to support a growing body) and off-ice (change to core strength training) - occurred.  It was far from coincidental.  Sometimes small things have huge impact.

[jumpingbeansmom]

Off-ice, done at home, doesn't need to be a huge time commitment.  20 minutes a day, organized properly, is quite effective; alternating cardio (a mini-tramp is easy and gentle on joints) with own-weight strength training such as resistance bands, pushups, situps, etc.  Look for a book called Conditioning for Figure Skaters: it's good, and there are nicely organized schedules and good understanding of the pre-pubescent skater.

My kids realized quickly that the "gains" made during the summer when they had time on their hands to do more off-ice AND on-ice were regularly lost when they stopped doing the off-ice portion when they returned to school, which was frustrating.  Because the return to school coincides with the start of the competitive season ... well, the impact was noticeable.  Thus, they/we make sure that efficient, effective off-ice training is done in the school period.

Interestingly, we had our first triple landed neatly and tidily after a change in footwear (better support), diet (more effective nutrition to support a growing body) and off-ice (change to core strength training) - occurred.  It was far from coincidental.  Sometimes small things have huge impact.

That is a good idea, and honestly, some of it, I could do with her (running and some core strength things for example)-- I could use it.  I totally believe it on the triple....like I said above the 2A on the floor was suddenly there with seemingly little effort but for an increase in off ice training.    Our time is so packed during school, but I am wondering even if we did something on Sundays-- now with the weather getting nicer, maybe a mom and daughters run with some core strength and weight machines (we have one) -- perhaps even an additional DAY would help.

[Sierra]

Off-ice, done at home, doesn't need to be a huge time commitment.  20 minutes a day, organized properly, is quite effective

I agree totally. Today my entire core workout was finished in between 15-20 minutes. Even just 10 minutes would help. There must be a 20 minute slot somewhere, perhaps when she is watching TV, or something.

[Sk8tmum]

TV??? My kids haven't watched TV for years  !!!!!!   (that's how we keep up with the skating.... and volunteer hours ... and academics ... and music ...) ....


Actually, our physio strongly urges that kids do not watch TV while doing any form of exercising. It's too easy to hurt themselves/not do it properly as they are not focussing on the task because of the distraction of the TV.  Music with headphones ... yeah .. particularly "getting into the zone" music ...

Best time for us is in the a.m.  We got organized enough in the a.m. (lunches done the night before, clothes picked out, backpacks together....) - that we had 20 minutes free before school when energy levels were high - vs trying to do it late at night when energy levels were low ... and it was a great start to the day.

[Sierra]

TV??? My kids haven't watched TV for years  !!!!!!   (that's how we keep up with the skating.... and volunteer hours ... and academics ... and music ...) ....


Actually, our physio strongly urges that kids do not watch TV while doing any form of exercising. It's too easy to hurt themselves/not do it properly as they are not focussing on the task because of the distraction of the TV.  Music with headphones ... yeah .. particularly "getting into the zone" music ...

Best time for us is in the a.m.  We got organized enough in the a.m. (lunches done the night before, clothes picked out, backpacks together....) - that we had 20 minutes free before school when energy levels were high - vs trying to do it late at night when energy levels were low ... and it was a great start to the day.

Oops, I didn't mean actually doing off ice while watching TV, but replacing (the non-existant)TV with off ice. AM is a great idea. Maybe she could make it a routine to do off-ice before school. It'd help wake her up for school too. She could even maybe get up just 5 minutes earlier so she wouldn't have to rush.