The exercises looking like skating around the rink at top speed in a herd. The skaters focus on body position, getting good glide, and proper pushing of the blade.Originally Posted by krenseby
The exercises looking like skating around the rink at top speed in a herd. The skaters focus on body position, getting good glide, and proper pushing of the blade.
I noticed that Ashley was looking leaner and more muscular at Nationals. Agnes always looks to be in great shape.
You seem obsessed by skaters' weights.
More muscles makes it easier to skate well. It's not a bad thing to wish for skaters (and people in general) to eat well and exercise regularly.
Besides, Polymer Bob only comments on skaters who look very fit and healthy and strong, and never makes fun of skaters for being the opposite.
YMMV, but for a 1 hour lesson with my coach focused on "performance and skating" (his words), he has me do:
a lap of forward power stroking (prejuvenile MIF test)
backward power stroking (prejuvenile MIF test)
Focusing on even-ness of push, quality of edge, carriage, and ice coverage for each of those.
Then we proceed to a mohawk-crossover pattern with similar focus as the first two.
Then to the "next level" of the mohawk crossover exercise with back inside double threes between focusing on body line and extension in the double threes.
Then to the "third level" of the same exercise with a counter to change circles between instead of a plain stroke.
Then slow figure 8 crossovers forward focusing on even-ness of push, generation of power (slow being the tempo of the crossover, not the speed across the ice)
Then slow figure 8 crossovers backward focusin on even-ness of push and generation of power
We do forward outside circles (in preparation for the forward loop pattern in MIF) down one length followed by insides on the other, focusing on upper body and knee action
We flip it and do it backwards with the same focus
We do power pulls from a dead stop down the length of the ice on each foot with the free foot resting on a hockey puck to learn how to only use the skating leg to generate power (R+L, F/B)
We do forward and backward cross strokes followed by forward and backward inside slips focusing on knee action of the skating foot
Finally we do alternating single, double, and triple twizzles down the length of the ice focusing on foot placement and upper body position (or the Novice back twizzles), or the forward and backward loops from the Novice and Junior MIF, or the alternating rocker-choctaws from the Novice MIF, the counters and rockers from Novice and Junior respectively or pieces of the sustained edge step from Senior MIF. (I am currently working on my Novice MIF, so the Junior and Senior stuff is a lot harder for me than the Novice stuff since I work on it ONLY in lessons because I am not comfortable with them yet).
Depending on when in the season it is, we may work on the step sequences in my programs or just skate through the choreography of my programs (without jumps and spins) if they are done near the end of a stroking session.
Any or all of these items may be repeated if I don't "get" the purpose of the exercise which cuts into the bottom items.
Saying skaters are not fit and need to lose weight is both dangerous and unhealthy. He's not their coach, their trainer or their parent. Far too many girls fall victim to eating disorders and reading crap like - she needs to lose weight, which he has posted ad naseum in regard to Zhang, feeds into body dismorphia. Puberty is a very dangerous time for eating disorders, especially for athletes who struggle to come to terms with their new bodies.
DL- you took the words out of my mouth (fingers). I really am sick and tired of all the talk about needing to lose weight, etc. There may be an "optimal" body type for skating but different types have been successful as well. I can only imagine what it must be like in the skating community (coaches, parents, etc.)- probably just as bad if not worse than what fans say on the boards. Ugh
(And to add insult to injury- try typing in "caroline zhang" into Google and take a good look at the first search suggestion)
Last edited by R.D.; 02-08-2012 at 11:45 AM.
I totally agree on the losing weight thing/what skaters eat. Look at Harding - she was NEVER a waif and she had HUGE jumps, even when she wasn't training optimally/coach hopping/etc. The comment on her thighs (I believe it's in the US pairs thread) was WAY too much. Ito in her prime was also never a waif and came back when she reinstated with disordered eating that put HER in the hospital (officially hospitalized for "anemia") and cut short her comeback. Someone mentioned in a thread about Bobek having a philly cheesesteak and fries while Kwan was having sushi at a comp they ran into them at. Well, it could be a post competition celebratory/consolation meal for Bobek if she had done well/badly after being regimented in portions/food choices up to that point during the season, especially if it was the last competition of the season.
Eating disorders and body image problems are inherent problems when girls wearing revealing, skimpy clothes. Happens in gymnastics, cheerleading, modeling, pageants, bodybuilding. Comes with the job, whatcha gonna do.
Just because it's inherent in the sport, doesn't mean that fans should contribute to it. It's enough that skaters, coaches, and peers contribute.
You can pretend that you don't notice their fitness levels if you want. After all, Rachael Flatt's fans know about her body, even if they choose to prefer to not acknowledge it.
There are practice reports coming in here and at FSUniverse. Agnes and Caroline have been seen executing their triple/triples in their short program run-throughs. It should be an exciting event.
Well, as is often said- if you've got nothing nice to say...
It is what it is.
Eating disorders are made much worse when young, impressionable skaters go on message boards and post that Sally Skater is fat. Sally is already struggling with her body because puberty does that to an athlete and then she reads that on top of the problem that she can't do half the stuff she used to do, everyone is commenting that she's fat, and it sends her over the edge.
It really is none of the fans' business what weight a skater is. That's between the skater, her parents and her coaches. If weight is an issue, it's up to them to deal with it.
Last but not least, skaters read the board. People tell them not to but they do. How would you feel if all these strangers said you were fat. Kelly Osbourne has talked about the pain of reading people's comments on the internet.
So choose to be part of the solution and not part of the problem and ignore the issue.
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