Great spinners with less flexibility

[el henry]

Flexibility can be improved with proper stretching exercises, but only to a certain point. The rest is genetics. I have extremely tight ligaments. I have taken ballet and exercise classes all my adult life and still cannot do splits. Good natural physique is an absolutely necessary starting point for a competitive skater. Good training and work ethic are equally important but cannot compensate for a non-athletic body (which most of us have).

This is sadly true. The last physio I saw said my flexibility was good...if I were an 80 year old arthritic man.

I can't even touch my toes!

Interestingly personally I am the complete opposite. Although I am a woman of a certain age who is definitely no longer at at her playing shape, my trainer was always complaining I was too flexible. We only did strength and stability exercises because, as he said, the last thing I needed was more flexibility. Unlike the majority of his clients

Too bad in my youth I hit 5'7" by the time I was 12, and only ever "skated" (if you could call it that) on natural ice, or I could have given Jason a run for his money.
Well, in my dreams