Upper body strength and skating

[AgnesNitt]

My trainer has me lifting weights (12-15 lb dumbells) while standing, doing squats, and turning on top of a Bosu ball. There's also balance stuff and she also has me doing feet off the floor situps one top of one. It's brutal.

I like working on upper body strength, but I was wondering, what's it doing for my skating?

[JHarer]

Strengthening your core muscles and helping you have a strong check.

[Doubletoe]

It sounds like everything you're doing is actually meant to work your legs, glutes and core muscles (abdominals and back).  The core muscles are extremely important for balance, strength and injury prevention, as well as properly executed jumps and spins.

[MadMac]

All of the above, plus, to help you have strong posture and a strong frame for your ice dance partner to drive you around. 

[AgnesNitt]

All of the above, plus, to help you have strong posture and a strong frame for your ice dance partner to drive you around. 

...like a truck!

[MadMac]

BEEP BEEP!!

[lindafmb]

My trainer has me lifting weights (12-15 lb dumbells) while standing, doing squats, and turning on top of a Bosu ball. There's also balance stuff and she also has me doing feet off the floor situps one top of one. It's brutal.

I like working on upper body strength, but I was wondering, what's it doing for my skating?

Hahaha, I bet it's NOTHING compared to what I'd make you do on a BOSU..back when the BOSU first came out, I used to master train trainers how to use it. I also have a video out for balance training for figure skating. It's one of my favorite toys and I use it extensively for my own training and with clients.

Here's a preview, if you haven't seen it before- perhaps it will give you some ideas of other things that you can do on a BOSU that functionally relate to skating:

http://youtu.be/O7wHSWtV5Ys

PS - it's because of my upper body strength that I'm the ONLY adult that my dance coach doesn't make skate around with a stick...my posture muscles are super strong and since having surgery, not a single judge has given me the "poor posture" feedback that I received on earlier tests, prior to taking dance.

[AgnesNitt]

Well, we're working up something closeto a couple of those. We started with balancing on one foot on the Bosu and a kind of spiral, but the whole jump on the Bosu thing is not happening in my living room.
And in mitigation, I'm nearly elderly, so jumping around just puts me closer to an accidental death.

[rsk8d]

Please, oh please, do not jump on a bosu ball.....

[FigureSpins]

Please, oh please, do not jump on a bosu ball.....

I can barely stand on a bosu ball, so I won't be trying that anytime soon.

Is it better (for beginners) to have an underinflated balance tool or a very firm one?

[isakswings]

My trainer has me lifting weights (12-15 lb dumbells) while standing, doing squats, and turning on top of a Bosu ball. There's also balance stuff and she also has me doing feet off the floor situps one top of one. It's brutal.

I like working on upper body strength, but I was wondering, what's it doing for my skating?

My daughter is working on her upper body strength too. From what I understand, having a strong core will help her check outs and help her jump height too. I would imagine it will help her spins as well... especially sit spins and other spins that require that core strength in addition to lower body strength. When my daughter was evaluated a couple of weeks ago, it was her core strength that was the weekest. Everything else is right where it should be for her age with her flexibility being better then some. It is obvious in her landings and sometimes when she is doing edge work, that her core is weak. Her trainer is having her do sit ups and push up for now. Her training will increase as she gets stronger.

[lindafmb]

I can barely stand on a bosu ball, so I won't be trying that anytime soon.

Is it better (for beginners) to have an underinflated balance tool or a very firm one?

Yes, this is NOT the starting point, but it is very much in line with the guidelines for athletic training on the bosu. I trained directly with Douglas and Candace Brooks when I certified to be a master trainer...will be seeing him up in Vancouver in a few weeks (AWESOME person, btw).

Just curious...why would you say not to jump? We even have football players doing plyos on them, and the lbs per sq inch of pressure they created is much greater than any figure skater creates. It's certainly later in the progression of skills on the BOSU, but it's definitely something we do with a variety of athletes.

If you're just starting out, work with a firmer BOSU, and really start with some orientation and stablization work to help kickstart training of your vestibular system. I will post a video of this, since it's something I don't often see trainers and fitness instructors doing in BOSU classes, and it's very very important for success for more challenging activities using the bosu without injuring yourself.

[rosereedy]

This might be a little late but the P90X really helps with strength!  I do the lean workout guide and it helped me get back on the ice after being off a few years and still be able to do most everything.

[Skate@Delaware]

I use a bosu...it's great for developing balance (I'm a klutz).

At my summer rink, there is a high level skater that holds hand-weights while she does her footwork.