How many hours does a competitve skater train? | Golden Skate

How many hours does a competitve skater train?

passion

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 17, 2005
How many hours does a competitive skater spend on the ice per day and how many times per week?

Is there a point at which it's futile and a waste of energy?
 

GoldMedalist

Match Penalty
Joined
Jul 1, 2007
3-5 hours on the ice a day, 5 or 6 days a week. Just depends on the skater and their training facility.

There is, of course, a lot of off-ice training to do as well (varies as well, but is often just as much time as the amount spent ON the ice).
 

Clarice

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
And, yes, there is a point of diminishing returns, although that will vary from skater to skater. At some point, the risk of injury can outweigh the potential benefits of more training. Training smart can be more beneficial than training more. I think there should always be one day off a week, too, to let the body recover.
 

PolymerBob

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
In Katy Taylor's now famous ( infamous? ) pink Hummer interview from the 2006 Nationals, she outlines her daily routine. She mentions that she works out for an hour each day, but doesn't say what working out entails.
 

passion

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 17, 2005
3-5 hours on the ice a day, 5 or 6 days a week. Just depends on the skater and their training facility.

There is, of course, a lot of off-ice training to do as well (varies as well, but is often just as much time as the amount spent ON the ice).


Wow! 6 - 10 hours of exercise per day sounds like a lot. How is it that skaters can maintain their weight with that amount of daily exercise? Anyone would easily drop ten pounds training like that.

Assuming school is 8 hours of time, that leaves 6 hours left in a 24 hour day to eat, sleep, and spend time at home. With less than 6 hours of sleep and up to 10 hours of intense exercise, don't skaters get tired? It seems rather unbalanced.
 
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passion

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 17, 2005
And, yes, there is a point of diminishing returns, although that will vary from skater to skater. At some point, the risk of injury can outweigh the potential benefits of more training. Training smart can be more beneficial than training more. I think there should always be one day off a week, too, to let the body recover.

I think this seems sensible to me.

It would seem absolutely crushing to train 240 hours per week (based on a 10hr/day training schedule) and to miss a jump in competition in half a split second. All those hours of training were in vain. That's brutal!!!
 
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GoldMedalist

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Jul 1, 2007
Wow! 6 - 10 hours of exercise per day sounds like a lot. How is it that skaters can maintain their weight with that amount of daily exercise? Anyone would easily drop ten pounds training like that.

Assuming school is 8 hours of time, that leaves 6 hours left in a 24 hour day to eat, sleep, and spend time at home. With less than 6 hours of sleep and up to 10 hours of intense exercise, don't skaters get tired? It seems rather unbalanced.

Nobody does 5 hours on AND off ice in a single day (10 hours total). That would be insane! 8 hours in a single day is probably the most you'd see a person doing.
 

bruingrl

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 25, 2007
From what I've heard and observed (though never done), the really competitive skater does an hour or two freestyle in the morning, followed by an hour workout, then school for a few hours and lunch, then another hour or two freestyle in the afternoon. Then you've just got time for dinner and homework before going to bed.

Oh and some skaters might throw in a ballet class somewhere in there.

Rinse, lather and repeat six days a week. Then on the seventh day you can sleep (in my opinion). It's not my idea of fun, though this is what makes the Mao Asada's of the world so great.
 

passion

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 17, 2005
From what I've heard and observed (though never done), the really competitive skater does an hour or two freestyle in the morning, followed by an hour workout, then school for a few hours and lunch, then another hour or two freestyle in the afternoon. Then you've just got time for dinner and homework before going to bed.

Oh and some skaters might throw in a ballet class somewhere in there.

Rinse, lather and repeat six days a week. Then on the seventh day you can sleep (in my opinion). It's not my idea of fun, though this is what makes the Mao Asada's of the world so great.

Ah, thank you for breaking it down. Five hours per day sounds a little more reasonable (although still intense). My physio said that four hours of training per day (in total) is the most a competitive athlete should train. Beyond that you just increase the risk of injury including overuse injuries and also burnout.

I'm also wondering whether skating too much can lead to an unaesthetically pleasing body to the eye. For instance, a certain skater has skated nearly 8 hours per day almost everyday of her life (predominantly jumping) and I wonder whether that has affected the bulkiness and shortening of the muscles. If it is indeed true, skating too much can backfire from an aesthetic sense.
 
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GoldMedalist

Match Penalty
Joined
Jul 1, 2007
I'm also wondering whether skating too much can lead to an unaesthetically pleasing body to the eye. For instance, a certain skater has skated nearly 8 hours per day almost everyday of her life (predominantly jumping) and I wonder whether that has affected the bulkiness and shortening of the muscles. If it is indeed true, skating too much can backfire from an aesthetic sense.

Probably, although even if someone does 8 hours of training a day it's not all going to be intense. Part of a skater's work out time is going to include stretching and just doing balance/posture exercises and run-throughs of choreography.
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Bebe is doing 3, 40 minuite on ice sessions everyday, 5 days a week for now. She will might do more around competition time. I do not know what her off-ice shcedule is.

during the school year I skate two hours a day 5 days a week. I have ballet class once a week, off-ice jumping twice a week. during the summer I am usually at skating camp for most of the day skating up to 3 hours of freestyle plus classes. I am at the Juvinille Level.
 

antmanb

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
Ah, thank you for breaking it down. Five hours per day sounds a little more reasonable (although still intense). My physio said that four hours of training per day (in total) is the most a competitive athlete should train. Beyond that you just increase the risk of injury including overuse injuries and also burnout.

I'm also wondering whether skating too much can lead to an unaesthetically pleasing body to the eye. For instance, a certain skater has skated nearly 8 hours per day almost everyday of her life (predominantly jumping) and I wonder whether that has affected the bulkiness and shortening of the muscles. If it is indeed true, skating too much can backfire from an aesthetic sense.

Don't forget that skaters do lots of pilates/yoga as well in between and also lots of stretching and flexibilty so it won't just be pounding the body with jumps.

Ant
 

backspin

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 30, 2003
When my coach was training (senior dance) he's told me they skated 4 hours a day, I think 6 days a week. Plus 1 hour of ballet, & another hour of cardio/strength training.
 
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