Building feet strength off-ice and on-ice

[hope_skate]

I have just started on one-foot slalom (not sure if this is the right term, also called power pulls. I've checked the video and there seems to be two names for this) and although my technique understanding is correct (as told my coach), I lack the strength to actually shift the edge/blade on ice. I initially thought it's a balance issue but I settle into balance after a while on ice. But my feet seem to lack strength for it. Is there any suggestion on any exercises to do off ice(and maybe on ice as well) to strengthen the muscle needed for this?

 

[adhara]

Single leg calf raises
Balance on one foot on unstable surfaces
Thera band inversion and eversion
Doming

 

[LolaSkatesInJapan]

Single leg calf raises
Balance on one foot on unstable surfaces
Thera band inversion and eversion
Doming

I came here for the replies since even though I have no issues with 1 foot slalom backwards, my foward 1 foot slalom is not very good.
Coming from a lifetime of ballet, I'd say
single leg calf raises = releve
balance on one foot = anything en pointe with 1 foot (arabesque, attitute, passe, pirouettes etc)

I'm not familiar with the bottom 2, no idea what a doming is.

No issues at all with releve, or balance en pointe, yet foward 1 foot slalom is weak, I do think the issue is the placement of the foot. My coach never gets tired of telling me to stay on my heels and push with my heels for this exercise (did them as warm up for skating class with her today), and I tend to stay on the ball of my feet for everything non en pointe (even walking), and the most hard thing in skating for me is this "stay on your heels" placement.
My coach recommends exercising dorsiflection, flex the foot (opposite of pointing), body weight in the heels of the foot (won't fall backwards if the knees are properly bend). Also when talking to her, she says it;s more about proper placement of foot vs body weight rather than strenght (we who come from ballet have great leg strenght, flexibility, balance etc, but the placement to go forward in skating is different).

 

[hope_skate]

I came here for the replies since even though I have no issues with 1 foot slalom backwards, my foward 1 foot slalom is not very good.
Coming from a lifetime of ballet, I'd say
single leg calf raises = releve
balance on one foot = anything en pointe with 1 foot (arabesque, attitute, passe, pirouettes etc)

I'm not familiar with the bottom 2, no idea what a doming is.

No issues at all with releve, or balance en pointe, yet foward 1 foot slalom is weak, I do think the issue is the placement of the foot. My coach never gets tired of telling me to stay on my heels and push with my heels for this exercise (did them as warm up for skating class with her today), and I tend to stay on the ball of my feet for everything non en pointe (even walking), and the most hard thing in skating for me is this "stay on your heels" placement.
My coach recommends exercising dorsiflection, flex the foot (opposite of pointing), body weight in the heels of the foot (won't fall backwards if the knees are properly bend). Also when talking to her, she says it;s more about proper placement of foot vs body weight rather than strenght (we who come from ballet have great leg strenght, flexibility, balance etc, but the placement to go forward in skating is different).

I wonder, is it more useful to practice it en pointe or on demi-pointe (for the balance on one foot). Since in our skates, we are (especially with higher heeled Edeas) in a low demi-pointe?

But yeah, I get the ball-of-the-foot thing because I tend to feel a bit scared to work on my heels for fear of falling backwards (very new at this)

 

[LolaSkatesInJapan]

I wonder, is it more useful to practice it en pointe or on demi-pointe (for the balance on one foot). Since in our skates, we are (especially with higher heeled Edeas) in a low demi-pointe?

Asked that too, and my coach says the skill doesn't transfer to figure skating since en pointe you are balancing on your toes and demi pointe you are balancing on your ball of the foot, and for the forward skating skills, you want the heel (SO difficult, give me italian fouettes en pointe any time over putting all my weigh over my heels... or any adagio en pointe ), no toes or balls of the foot.
I'm not that new at this, but no matter how much I practice and am able to somehow learn the skill, it still feels very foreign to me to place my weight towards the back of the foot, on my heels, the fear of falling is real, no matter how many times my coach says it won't fall if the knees are properly bend and with all my core strenght/stability

 

[FlossieH]

I came here for the replies since even though I have no issues with 1 foot slalom backwards, my foward 1 foot slalom is not very good.
Coming from a lifetime of ballet, I'd say
single leg calf raises = releve
balance on one foot = anything en pointe with 1 foot (arabesque, attitute, passe, pirouettes etc)

I'm not familiar with the bottom 2, no idea what a doming is.

No issues at all with releve, or balance en pointe, yet foward 1 foot slalom is weak, I do think the issue is the placement of the foot. My coach never gets tired of telling me to stay on my heels and push with my heels for this exercise (did them as warm up for skating class with her today), and I tend to stay on the ball of my feet for everything non en pointe (even walking), and the most hard thing in skating for me is this "stay on your heels" placement.
My coach recommends exercising dorsiflection, flex the foot (opposite of pointing), body weight in the heels of the foot (won't fall backwards if the knees are properly bend). Also when talking to her, she says it;s more about proper placement of foot vs body weight rather than strenght (we who come from ballet have great leg strenght, flexibility, balance etc, but the placement to go forward in skating is different).

My interpretation of adhara's post was:
single leg calf raises - slow rises (ideally done on a shallow ledge so that you can lower heals below foot and then rise up smoothly through flat to a high demi-pointe). A releve is a sharper/snapped movement which goes straight from flat to pointe (or high demi-pointe if working in flats).
balance on one foot on an unstable surface - balancing on something like a wobble board. Balancing on pointe uses different muscles within the foot and leg.
Therabands are stretchy rubber or neoprene bands used for stretching and resistance work. Dancers use them a lot for working on foot extension/pointing, so I'm surprised you haven't come across them. Here is an example. You can also get them in pre-formed loops.

 

[adhara]

I came here for the replies since even though I have no issues with 1 foot slalom backwards, my foward 1 foot slalom is not very good.
Coming from a lifetime of ballet, I'd say
single leg calf raises = releve
balance on one foot = anything en pointe with 1 foot (arabesque, attitute, passe, pirouettes etc)

I'm not familiar with the bottom 2, no idea what a doming is.

No issues at all with releve, or balance en pointe, yet foward 1 foot slalom is weak, I do think the issue is the placement of the foot. My coach never gets tired of telling me to stay on my heels and push with my heels for this exercise (did them as warm up for skating class with her today), and I tend to stay on the ball of my feet for everything non en pointe (even walking), and the most hard thing in skating for me is this "stay on your heels" placement.
My coach recommends exercising dorsiflection, flex the foot (opposite of pointing), body weight in the heels of the foot (won't fall backwards if the knees are properly bend). Also when talking to her, she says it;s more about proper placement of foot vs body weight rather than strenght (we who come from ballet have great leg strenght, flexibility, balance etc, but the placement to go forward in skating is different).

See post above mine by FlossieH for explanations of the exercises. Keep in mind that releve in turn-out and releve in parallel are fundamentally different movement patterns with different muscle group recruitment. You should be able to do like 25 parallel releves slow and controlled (no plie) for your calves to be able to handle the demands of skating.

This is doming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS5ucOyfgSg

It seems to me that strength is probably not as much of an issue for you as it is for OP. Technique is likely your issue. Too much ballet is a hindrance to skating and ballet helps until it doesn't. The posture and movement capabilities help a lot, but for the actual technical part of skating, ballet and skating tend to do completely opposite things. I did ballet up through pre-professional schooling. Now I spot my twizzles, point my toes when they shouldn't be, and I have a hard time sickling my feet when they need to be. Drives my coaches absolutely bonkers.

 

[adhara]

I wonder, is it more useful to practice it en pointe or on demi-pointe (for the balance on one foot). Since in our skates, we are (especially with higher heeled Edeas) in a low demi-pointe?

But yeah, I get the ball-of-the-foot thing because I tend to feel a bit scared to work on my heels for fear of falling backwards (very new at this)

For balance on one foot I mean on a wobble board or bosu ball. Flat, not on demi pointe. Completely different muscles. Close your eyes when it starts to get easy.

And you absolutely need to relax backward into the heel of your blade to get an effective power pull back to the ball of the foot. Should be doing most of your skating on the ball of the foot (opinions on this vary though, general ice dance consensus tends to be ball of the foot or the front of the arch, I have heard a non-ice dance coach say back of arch. Never heard anyone say heel.).

 

[FlossieH]

Lola - looking at adhara's youtube link, doming is a foot/arch strengthening exercise. You might have done it on a tray with a tea towel in the past - start with the back of your heal on the edge of the tray and tea towel and, with your heal flat and still, gradually try to move the whole tea towel along the tray using just the ball of your foot (not your toes). We were told to do the length of the tea towel at least 3 times each day.

 

[LolaSkatesInJapan]

My interpretation of adhara's post was:
single leg calf raises - slow rises (ideally done on a shallow ledge so that you can lower heals below foot and then rise up smoothly through flat to a high demi-pointe). A releve is a sharper/snapped movement which goes straight from flat to pointe (or high demi-pointe if working in flats).
balance on one foot on an unstable surface - balancing on something like a wobble board. Balancing on pointe uses different muscles within the foot and leg.
Therabands are stretchy rubber or neoprene bands used for stretching and resistance work. Dancers use them a lot for working on foot extension/pointing, so I'm surprised you haven't come across them. Here is an example. You can also get them in pre-formed loops.

As kids we used a device like this photo to stretch the feet

 

[LolaSkatesInJapan]

For balance on one foot I mean on a wobble board or bosu ball. Flat, not on demi pointe. Completely different muscles. Close your eyes when it starts to get easy.

And you absolutely need to relax backward into the heel of your blade to get an effective power pull back to the ball of the foot. Should be doing most of your skating on the ball of the foot (opinions on this vary though, general ice dance consensus tends to be ball of the foot or the front of the arch, I have heard a non-ice dance coach say back of arch. Never heard anyone say heel.).

Not doing ice dance, it's singles freestyle. My coach only wants me on the ball of the foot for backwards skating and heel when pushing forwards to do snakes, slaloms etc
@hope_skate does your coach want you on your heels for these steps too?

 

[LolaSkatesInJapan]

See post above mine by FlossieH for explanations of the exercises. Keep in mind that releve in turn-out and releve in parallel are fundamentally different movement patterns with different muscle group recruitment. You should be able to do like 25 parallel releves slow and controlled (no plie) for your calves to be able to handle the demands of skating.

Not an issue either.
We do releves in 6th position (parallel) with no plie when studying character dance (with character shoes)