Get Coached S&C for Figure Skating - w/c 8/12/2014

Well that's the season over with for most of my skaters and that can only mean one thing; winter training or off season training depending on your terminology! This means different things to different skaters within the training group.
The senior skaters will be looking to increase strength and stamina with a shift to power development later in this cycle whilst the younger athletes will be consolidating existing exercise techniques and learning new exercises, improving coordination and increasing stamina.

For one of my seniors the first half of this cycle is about regeneration and hypertrophy followed by a strength phase then power and competition preparation. The key lifts for the first 3 cycles will revolve around squats: back, front, overhead and split whilst continuing to develop the clean from both the hang and floor positions.
Right now I'm not too popular due to the high reps and sets but the targets are in place and the goals to aim for!

Other seniors are looking to improve their overall conditioning levels and as such are currently following more of a HIIT style programme that varies between higher load and lower load workouts aimed at improving strength and stamina.

The younger skaters will be working on improving their strength and stamina too but with an emphasis on correct movement patterns, exercise technique and coordination. We will also be developing strength in key muscle to reduce injury risk in the coming season, in particular core, gluts and hamstrings.

Physical development is not possible all year round for most athletes due to competitions and training specific to their sport, in this instance Figure Skating which also requires the skater to pass skill based technical tests to move up the levels. Therefore all windows of opportunity must be used for maximum gains. This means it is vital to understand what key elements of physical development should be focused on for each athlete specific to their chronological age, training age, stage of physical development/maturation and where they are at with regards to their peak height velocity.
So lets get the hard work done now and look forward to the new season with confidence.

Thanks for reading this far, I hope you have found this blog informative and thought provoking. All relevant comments and suggestions welcome here on Blogger or on the Get Coached FB page.

Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating w/c 17/11/2014

It's the final week of preparation for the NISA British Figure Skating Championships 2014 and the excitement is growing! The coaches and athletes I am working with are each beginning to go into their own special places to focus and motivate themselves for the competition.
This got me thinking about how we each plan and prepare for competition, what our thought processes are and how we each motivate ourselves or respond to motivation and advice from others.

Having been a sprinter and a rugby player at a reasonable standard for both sports I can say that my approach to each sport was quite different, and also that the approach by my rugby team mates and other sprinters was also very individual. We are all individuals with different life experiences, opinions and thought processes and this can lead to very different pre-competition plans.

Positive mental attitude, self belief, high intrinsic motivation and a love of competition are all qualities that can be associated with a confident and successful athlete. However, anyone who has worked in high performance sport knows that athletes come with a whole host of different mind sets and baggage which can lead to all manner of issues come competition time!

Even with any negative thoughts put aside we as coaches still need to accept and understand that some athletes will either want company and communication or will want to be alone and undisturbed. The headphones will go on and the whole world ignored, or maybe the opposite in that they will talk and be sociable. Either way we as coaches need to respect this while at the same time ensuring that the athlete is best prepared mentally and physically. 

As a parent this can be particularly challenging as we naturally want to protect our children and make sure they are OK. However, this can sometimes come across as fussing and irritate or upset the athlete, the emotional connection being too close. As hard as it may seem we parents sometimes just need to back off and trust the athlete and the coach.

Thanks again for reading this far and I hope you found it informative? All relevant feedback or comments are appreciated. If you have any suggestions for future blog topics then please let me know here or on my Get Coached Facebook page. 

Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating w/c 10/11/2014

Over the last few weeks the tension has been building and the detail has been scrutinised as the build up for the NISA British Championships in Sheffield gets closer. It is only a week and a bit away now, starting on Wednesday 26th November.
I am currently working with thirteen skaters from four different coaching groups/clubs and I can't wait to see how they all do. Quite a few are skating against each other but have been training very well on and off the ice together, there is a real sense of camaraderie here which is great to see.
Yes there have been some challenges and upsets but this is competitive sport and feelings will get a little out of control at times.

A coach has a lot of contact time with their athletes and as an S&C coach supporting the Lead Coaches I also get a lot of contact time as well, especially in a sport where strength, power, coordination and flexibility all play a major role in performance.
With this in mind it is vitally important that we coaches communicate regularly and send out the same messages to the athletes. As I have said before I am very lucky to be working with a great group of coaches. We are all learning from each other, respect each others opinions and experiences and are able to have open and honest discussions about the athletes, our ideas for athlete development and they even put up with some of my daft questions that really show my lack of Figure Skating terminology but highlight their patience and understanding!

Off-ice training (S&C) has been going well over the last few weeks across the groups. One senior skater had their taper start early to reduce fatigue and enable higher quality sessions on ice in terms of programme practice, this is going well and whilst the volume of the S&C programme has dropped the overall intensity remains quite high.

High intensity interval training has been programmed in for a few of the skaters over the last few weeks to get them to know what it feels like to push themselves and keep going as much as improving their fitness; a mental gain as much as physical. It is great to see such a mature, committed and dedicated approach to their S&C training from a young group of mostly female athletes, one of which is only twelve years old! I am excited to see what this bunch of enthusiastic skaters can achieve over the years!

As always, thanks for reading if you have got this far! All relevant comments welcome here and on my Get Coached FB page.

S&C for Figure Skating Oct 2014

The NISA British Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield are fast approaching and the Get Coached skaters are gearing up for the competition!

This is interesting times indeed, not only do we (that is Get Coached and the Gain the Edge and Olympia skating coaches) have more athletes attending this year than previously but I believe they are in better shape both mentally and physically this year too.

The training group has grown in number and this has both added a degree of internal competition as well as a sense of confidence and excitement throughout the squad. They have been attending more group training sessions together both on and off of the ice and it is this that I feel is building a team spirit for what is an individual sport, pairs aside!

Training this week has been focused on continuing to build strength in what is still quite a young training group both in training experience and chronological age. They have all been well focussed and motivated throughout the sessions while still bringing an element of fun and enjoyment. Each athlete has specific developmental needs with regards to their S&C programmes as well as the overarching goal of Get Coached in providing athletes capable of withstanding the demands of and achieving the performance levels required for Figure Skating.

Overhead lifts are the mainstay moves for the programme along with various single leg exercises and movement combinations. The younger athletes are tasked with improving their coordination, balance and control of movement, whilst those with a greater training age follow a more traditional S&C programme. With just under 5 weeks until competition and an increased demand for time on the ice the S&C programmes have to be well balanced and periodised so as not to impact too heavily on programme run throughs on the ice. Good communication with the coaches is key for this to be effective, and I must say I am very lucky to be working and communicating well with the coaches for this training group. We are all keen to learn and progress in our chosen disciplines whilst learning about each others area of speciality as well.

As always thank you for reading this far. I hope you have found this blog interesting, any relevant feedback or comments are always welcome here and on the Get Coached FaceBook and Google+ pages

Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating w/c 15/9/2014 to 6/10/2014

Again it has been a few weeks since the last post, and a lot has happened in a relatively short time.
Two of my skaters, one junior one senior, were both at the Lombardi Cup in Italy with another 6 novice and junior competing at the Southern IJS in Lee Valley, London, and a further 12 skaters competing at the Deeside IJS, Wales. This included Basic and Advanced Novice, Junior and senior skaters.
It was a mixed bag of performances across the board but overall good, moving in the right direction.
Training has been about competition preparation and individual development.
For example, one coach has asked that their athlete work on developing their triple extension for jump take off. The athlete jumps on dry land without extending at the ankle, this same athlete has also struggled to decelerate the downward momentum on landing. Thus we worked on various repeated hops, jumps and landing exercises both single and double leg.
Another athlete needed to improve their explosive speed of movement with regards to take off and landing in combination jumps, this is a more experienced athlete and as such we introduced drop jumps and rebound jumps into their programme. This was already a very individualised programme and we did not want to add any significant volume at this point, but we did need to answer the needs as highlighted above.

The overhead lifts are seen by many S&C coaches as essential for athletic development and key in improving core strength and stability in performance. In my opinion and experience these lifts are key for take offs, landings and spins in their various forms for Figure Skating.

I have included two short video clips showing an overhead squat and an overhead split squat performed by one of my athletes. He has been performing these lifts for about a year now and is competent but we did need to work on shoulder mobility for the overhead squat.
This is not a coaching article but rather a call to notice the benefit of these exercises for Figure Skating.

As always any relevant comments or feedback is welcome.

Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating w/c 1/9/2014 & 8/9/2014

Welcome to the latest blog from Get Coached, apologies for missing a week. That means that I will cover the two weeks here and bring all things Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating up to date!
The week commencing 1st of September saw some of the Get Coached skaters in final preparation mode for the Ayr Open starting Friday the 5th.
The Olympia and Gain the Edge groups both had skaters competing across all levels in Ayr many of whom had great skates and performed really well.
My final sessions with them looked to include mobilisation and muscle activation using exercise bands for clamshell, monster walk and hamstring curl exercises and finishing this set with the bands around the knees for resisted squats. This was followed by split squat with a rotation over the forward knee and single arm overhead split squats for core activation and hip stabilisation work. We also completed progressive sets of arabesque with squat variations for hip strength and coordination.
A big part of figure skating performance are the jumps, and for every up there is a down so landing practice in the form of a hop with a held landing focusing on technique and body position was a central part of the programme. Controlling the deceleration from jumps where the landing forces can be up to 10 to 15 times body weight for doubles and triples needs high levels of strength and coordination to ensure success.
To put this into perspective; a 50kg skater landing a double or a triple jump will have to withstand momentary landing forces in excess of 500kg, on one leg!
Having seen the Ayr Open through it was onwards to focus on the next competition which for some is the Lombardi Cup, and others the Southern Open at Lee Valley, London.
Similar focus and programme adjustments being made to accommodate the various competition schedules and individual needs.
With regards to the ongoing development of Get Coached I am now starting to push out the seminars I delivered at the NISA Coaches Conference and the Performance Camp to the clubs across Scotland, and if they continue to be well received then across the rest of the UK. If successful, this will be a big step forward for Get Coached and a move towards it's aim of being a platform for quality coaching and education for skating.
As always, thanks for following me this far and any comments and feedback regarding all things S&C for skating are appreciated.

Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating w/c 25/8/2014

This will be a post of two blogs as it were!
I am going to update the week as well as a little piece on the Back Squat.
The week commencing 25th August saw the Sheffield IJS competition take place with some great skates and dazzling performances, I am always amazed at what these guys and girls can do on the ice!
As previously mentioned I was able to update on my daughters performance due to the late post last week. I can add to that and congratulate several more of the Get Coached skaters on some solid performances. Whilst some of the skaters felt their performances and scores were below par there were good lessons to be learned and lots of positives to be taken home from Sheffield and worked on before the next competition, always onwards and upwards!
I have had some good S&C sessions with the Get Coached skaters in preparation for Ayr and beyond with the highlight of my week being my involvement in the NISA Performance Camp in Sheffield.
It was fantastic to meet such celebrates as Robin Cousins and Kevin Adams as well as the International Judges and Coaches. The athletes were all great and hopefully enjoyed the presentation and workshop. It was also good to catch with/meet for the first time the support staff on the programme and discuss how best to work together to deliver our best to the athletes.

The Back Squat 

Much has been written and demonstrated on video about the back squat and how to perform it correctly, how much you should lift and what the benefits are. It truly is a foundation exercise that anyone who walks, runs or jumps in one form or another either competitively or recreationally should do! In other words, everyone should squat if they are safe and able to do so.

I am going to briefly discuss two key points regarding the back squat, at this point I will not be discussing key coaching points, loading or otherwise.

The back squat is primarily a knee extensor (quadriceps) and hip extensor (gluteus maximus and medius, hamstrings and adductors) exercise, with the latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, oblique and anterior abdominal muscles all involved in stabilisation of the trunk, spine and pelvis.

There are two key debates that are still ongoing with regards to the squat; squat depth, and should the knees go beyond the toes? 

Dynamic hip extension is vital for explosive movement, particularly in a sporting environment. It has been shown that a greater squat depth will result in a greater activation of the major hip extensors i.e. gluteus maximus. Therefore, a squat to parallel (hips level with knees) will result in the specific adaptation required to improve performance. 

With regards to the knees moving beyond the toes ask yourself this "Does this happen in sport?" Yes most definitely, this can be seen in most sports at some point or another. We then need to ask if we should train it? A correct squat technique will distribute forces evenly between knees and hips thus reducing the risk of injury, as such there will be some forward trunk lean and some knee movement  forward over the toes. 

Now this is where good coaching skills come in as everyone is built differently. A squat will look very different for someone with a long thigh bone (femur) and less flexible ankles than for someone with a shorter femur and greater dorsiflexion at the ankle. Both can squat safely and effectively with appropriate input and direction. 

Thanks again for reading my blog and I hope you have found this informative. Once again please feel free to comment appropriately or get in touch either here on Blogger, on my Facebook Page Get Coached or my G+ Page Get Coached.

Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating w/c 18/8/2014

This week starting 18th August was spent primarily focusing on getting the Basic Novice, Advanced Novice, Junior and Senior Get Coached skaters prepared for the Sheffield IJS running from Monday 25th to Thursday 28th August.
The Development Group programmes were still on for those not competing with the focus still on overall strength development, coordination and conditioning.
Needless to say both groups worked hard and enjoyed the sesssions; it was also an opportunity to catch up on a few tests missed from the previous week.
The pre competition preparation was individualised for each skater depending on their specific needs, injury status and on-ice training volume for that week. These sessions were delivered either 1 to 1 or in small groups (no more than 3) with on going communication and content adjustment throughout the session.
For my part as a skating Dad it was the first full IJS competition for my daughter where qualifying for the Free programme is required. This did add to the nerves and pressure a little but she did us proud as always no matter what her results were. as it went she did qualify and went on to skate her Free programme too!
The next competition for most of the Get Coached skaters is the Ayr Open, nice and local, and a familiar rink to get a run out on before the Southern Open at the Lee Valley Ice Centre.
But before that I travel back down south for the Performance Camp to be held at the Sheffield Hallam University. I am really looking forward to working with the skaters, coaches and support staff. I am looking to learn more about skating, especially Dance as I have no experience here at all and to hopefully build and develop further professional relationships within this  amazing sport.
Once again, thanks for reading and I hope you are enjoying the Get Coached blog.
Any suggestions or feedback are always welcome and can be left on the Get Coached Facebook Page or Google+ page or right here on Blogger.

Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating w/c 11/8/2014

What a week it has been!

We completed some basic tests on our Gain the Edge skaters on Saturday the 9th August and caught those skaters who missed the test day because of a training camp later that week. The test battery included height and weight measures to monitor growth (PHV - Peak Height Velocity), sit & reach for flexibility, the Multi Stage Fitness Test for endurance and jump height using a Just Jump mat. Understanding when PHV occurs can help in programming the correct developmental exercises into their training regime at the most effective time. It has been shown that there are certain windows of opportunity to enhance the development of particular physical attributes pre, post and during PHV whether this is strength, skills, speed or endurance.

We had a real mixed bag of test results with some good but expected results, some poor results and some unexpected and excellent results from some of the younger skaters.
On the Monday and Tuesday I was in Sheffield presenting at the NISA Coaches Conference. This included 3 presentations on Strength and Conditioning for Skating and 3 on Athlete Lifestyle Management; all of which were well received with some excellent questions asked. It was also a chance to speak to some very experienced high level coaches and network a little! We were well looked after and the Gala entertainment on the first night was very good.
I have since been asked to visit a few clubs to deliver some practical and classroom based workshops.
The week finished in Dundee for their Open competition at the Ice Arena where quite a few of the Get Coached skaters were competing for their various clubs. There were some excellent performances and everyone really put the effort in, it was great to see! All the hard work, early mornings and hard training was worth the effort and out on show.
Back to training for everyone this week and then off to the Sheffield IJS Competition next week then another training camp!
I'll be reporting back on these events and more. Thanks for reading and please let me know of any Skating S&C topics you would like covered and "like" my Facebook page Get Coached. 

Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating w/c 4/8/2014

This weeks post comes from Dundee and the Ice Coaching Elite Skate Camp. This is the second camp I have worked on with Simon and Debi Briggs and I was delighted to be given the opportunity to do so.
Gheorghe Chiper, Jenna McCorkell and Kevin van der Perren, all three of them Olympians, were guest coaches at the camp which was great for the skaters to receive coaching input from such experienced athletes as well as great coaching from the rest of the coaching team.
It was also a great opportunity for me as an S&C coach to ask them about their Off-ice training, what they did and the aims of their off-ice programmes.
There were between 90 and 100 skaters divided into four groups attending the week long camp with classes including various on-ice and off-ice activities, presentations and workshops.

My activities included a practical session for each group on Monday morning, this session concentrated on squat technique for standard; overhead; split and single leg squats all at bodyweight. We also completed various hurdle jump and hop exercises for the two higher level groups whilst the two lower level groups completed various balance exercises which proved quite interesting. Several of the younger kids about 10 years old, said their balance was good, by the end of the session and having fallen several times they were still of the same opinion!
On Wednesday I delivered a brief presentation on Athlete Lifestyle Management to all four groups, tailoring it a little to suit each groups age and attention span. This was well received (the presentation) and prompted some good questions. Hopefully everyone took something from this that will help them develop as athletes whether this was understanding that sleep is important or the need for good, balanced nutrition.
The last session I delivered on Thursday was a practical where we looked at shoulder range of motion, thoracic and lumbar extension, flexion and rotation, and hip extension. Most of the athletes knew what stretches to do for each of these areas but in most cases the stretch was ineffective. Therefore the main aim of the session was to teach correct technique for stretching these areas. I ended the session for groups one and two by asking if there were any particular stretches they wanted to cover which raised a few hands I was pleased to see. We covered a further stretches for the neck/upper trapezius, adductors and the IT band.
It was a great week for the skaters, they all worked hard on and off the ice and had fun along the way. The coaches were great and made me feel a part of the team, not so much a newcomer!
It's testing this Saturday in Ayr for the Gain the Edge skaters and then off to Sheffield to present at the Coaches Conference hence the early post rather than leaving it until late next week.
Thanks again for reading if you have got this far, if you have any skating related topics for discussion please drop me a line. The Get Coached Facebook page is best for any communications and has my mobile and email.

Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating w/c 28/7/2014

Coaching went well this week, as well as my usual development group classes I had a very good gym session with two of my younger skaters who have only recently started lifting. Both are slightly built but competent skaters who will really benefit from this step up in training and added resistance.
Funnily enough, although they have similar build and are in fact sisters their training needs do differ. Whilst technique work and learning the new exercises are the main focus of these sessions I know from working with them both for a number of years now that one needs to improve her speed of movement and power output whilst the other just needs to increase her whole body strength.

They do share most of the exercises in their programme but with subtle changes for each. Back squat, overhead split squat and stiff leg deadlifts were all performed well and the few  coaching points needed were picked up easily.
An increase in strength will improve power output but it is also the intent to move fast that needs to be developed and as such various jump exercises have been included in her programme as well as introducing the Olympic lifts. This latter inclusion has only just started with Jerks and has been picked up well so far.
I must also thank Bene-Fit Health & Fitness for the continued use of their excellent new facility in Ayr, a gym run by athletes for athletes.
I was also invited to present and deliver workshops on S&C at the Magnum Figure Skating & Ice Dance club annual training camp. This involved three practical workshops and one lecture for the two groups of skaters. The workshops covered basic exercise techniques including various squats, planks and agility drills whilst the lectures covered the need for S&C in Figure Skating and Athlete Lifestyle Management, both of which were well received by athletes and coaches alike.
I then received contact from Dundee at the end of the week to stand in and cover their planned Off-ice strength sessions and lectures at the Dundee Ice Camp annual training event at the beginning of August as well.
This was an excellent opportunity for me to work with some of the best figure skating coaches and athletes in Britain and continue to build my relationship with them after helping out at their camp earlier in the year. With international skaters and coaches in attendance it is an excellent opportunity to learn more about this great sport and pick their brains for their views and knowledge on S&C for figure skating.
I will give a full update in next week's post, thanks for reading and please get in touch with any questions or for more information on Get Coached.

Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating w/c 21/7/2014

This week has been fairly quiet on the coaching front with senior skaters still on camp and holiday (alright for some!).
However, I still had my development groups in Ayrshire and East Kilbride to work with.
Both groups are a mix of ages so adapting the planned programme and making adjustments on the run were the order of the day.
The key aim of both sessions was to challenge and build on their balance, coordination and proprioception abilities. We covered single leg squats, arabesques with a squat; a seesaw like pivot and moving from upright to arabesque and back upright again without putting a foot down. These moves all challenge balance and core strength/control as well as stretching and working the hamstring and hip muscles.

I have seen a real improvement in movement control and general coordination since introducing these type of exercises and few years ago and this had had a positive impact in performance on the ice.

This takes me on to my next point on core/torso strengthening exercises which is to ask if overhead squats in their many variations are better for developing torso/core strength for absorbing forces, bracing against and generating torque?

I currently use overhead squats and split squats with a barbell, overhead split squats with a dumbell and body weight overhead squats for the younger athletes. All my athletes also complete various floor exercises for core/torso strength as well including plank variations and sit-up variations both straight and rotational.

What are your thoughts and opinions on overhead squats and how do you use them?

Comment on this post here or on my Get Coached Facebook page.

Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating w/c 14/7/2014

Here is my first full post for week commencing 14th July 2014.
Coaching wise it was a good week for those not on camp in Canada or on holiday.
I introduced 3 of my higher level skaters to the Bulgarian Split Squat which was picked up well. They have done a lot of overhead split squats so adding a raised rear leg is a challenging but good progression, challenging their balance, increasing the load on the front leg and reducing it on the rear. 

These 3 have a relatively young S&C training age and as such the emphasis is still on developing techniques and increasing their repertoire of exercises.
I also had a great session with the Gain the Edge kids last Thursday evening. We trained outside as it was warm and everyone worked well.
The aim of these sessions is to develop good movement and coordination skills as well as develop strength and conditioning levels. 

There are a wide range of age and abilities so I need to be on my toes and giving constant input and feedback. Looking to challenge those more capable and correct those needing input.

The session included squats, split squats, lunges, arabesques and various balance exercises all at body weight. Press-ups, various core exercises and shuttle runs finished up the session.
The weekend was spent at Chesford Grange near Coventry at the annual UKSCA Strength and Conditioning Conference. This was a great event with some fantastic speakers. I particularly enjoyed and got a lot from Duncan French on concurrent training, Craig Ransom on intergrated injury prevention and athlete preparation and John Cronin on youth development.
Jean-Benoit Morin also gave a detailed and absorbing presentation on sprint mechanics that was very well received too. 

It was good to catch up with some old work colleagues and friends and to network and build some potential business opportunities. One such opportunity with a friend and old work colleague Jonny Stevenson who now owns Resilience which provides sports science testing and physical preparation for athletes. 

If you've got this far, thank you for reading and I hope you will continue to follow Get Coached.

Get Coached - First blog on Figure Skating

This is my first blog as Get Coached and to get things started I am going to outline my aims for the blogs. Having never blogged before I am sure I will make a host of mistakes and basic errors but here goes! These blogs are my own thoughts, opinions and views.

The main focus of Get Coached is to provide Strength & Conditioning (S&C) for Figure Skating and Ice Dance athletes. The plan is to post each week on the key training sessions held; how they went, key aims and objectives of the session and athlete feedback.

I will also post an "Exercise of the Month" with a descriptor and key coaching points and an article S&C in general that will aim to open discussion and feedback.

I will also look to answer questions on S&C for Figure Skating as best I can and again hope to generate opinion, discussion and feedback. 

For more information on Get Coached "like" my Facebook and "follow" my Google+ pages. 

This is all new for me and as such this site and my website are still developing and evolving so please bare with me. Thank you for reading this and I hope you will read and enjoy more of my ramblings in future.