Dry-Land Drills
Roger and Heleen and I (Bruce) took notes on all the drills we did at the Calgary
Speed Skating Camp so that we can get together and do more of them in
Bellingham. More dry-land drills exist, but this includes a big chunk of 'em!
Bruce Guthrie 7/29/01
Calgary Camp Dry-Land Drills with Shane Vopicka, CASSA-NCCP level 3 coach and
Marcin Goszczynsky, Canadian jr. World Team Member, 7/16/01 & 7/17/01.
All drills are done for 30 seconds with a 30 second recovery between. The
Canadian national team does it for longer and with less rest!
For all drills, keep head and eyes up and feet straight ahead (parallel.)
Basic position involves a 90 degree knee bend and a "cat back" which is
arched. The position is very low. You should be able to touch the ground
easily with either hand. Your back should be almost horizontal and your rear
end should be low. Weight is centered on the feet or back towards your
heels, not on your toes.
The focus of each drill should be on quality as opposed to quantity. In
other words, if you can only maintain the low position for half the time,
it's better to stop and rest than to choose a high, or poor quality position
that you can maintain for the entire time. Do a high quality drill or not at
all. Endurance will come with improved muscle strength over time.
Basic Position, hands on back. (Avoid both hands in front. You don't skate
that way!) Keep head and eyes up and feet straight ahead (parallel.)
Basic Position, hold 1 foot up, hold it close to ground, next to the other
foot.
Basic Position, other foot up, hold next to first foot.
Basic Position, 1 foot to the side, barely (or not) touching the ground.
Basic Position, other foot to the side, barely (or not) touching the ground.
Basic Position, 1 foot to the back, barely (or not) touching the ground.
Back knee almost straight.
Basic Position, other foot to the back, barely (or not) touching the ground.
Basic Position, 1 foot to the side barely (or not) touching the ground, then
to the back, then to Basic Position. Alternate legs for 30 seconds.
Basic Position with arm swing.
Basic Position, full skating imitation with weight transfer, recovery and arm
swing.
Basic Position, little hops from shoulder-width position to a wider than
shoulder-width position and back. Stay low. Hands on back.
Basic Position, jumps without having feet leave the ground. Extend knees
fully and return very quickly to Basic Position. Do one jump every 10
seconds for 3 jumps in 30 seconds.
Basic Position, Step one foot right in front of the other. Hold three
seconds, then walk forward. Walk like this, low for 30 seconds.
Basic Position, do the same as the above but walk backward.
Basic Position, Low walk forward, drag back toe, keep recovery knee VERY
close to the ground. Swing arms or keep them on your back.
Basic Position, Fall to the side/push and land, then bring recovering foot
STRAIGHT back in and do it again. No circular recovery behind you. You
should move laterally like an inchworm.
Basic Position, do the same as the above but go back the other way.
Basic Position, do two crossover-steps as you move diagonally forward
(instead of directly to the side) and then extend your leg behind your
support leg to achieve the position of the end of a cross-over push. (Do a
"cross-behind") Make your toes even so that the toes of your back leg
extends forward to be in line with the toes on your front leg. Then go back,
diagonally, the other way.
Basic Position, cross behind, step, then cross behind the other way, step etc.
Basic Position, jump high and land in Basic Position each 10 seconds for 3
jumps in 30 seconds.
Jumping jacks and burpees. (Squat-thrusts)
Frog jumps.
Basic Position jump up, land with one leg back, jump and then switch legs.
Find the base of a set of stairs or a grassy hill. Basic position, face
across the hill, do crossovers up the hill. Don't twist upper body into the
hill. Lead with the uphill hip. Keep weight in the pushing foot and hop
laterally so that you don't have any weight on two feet at once.
Super Dave's Balance Drills
Find a bench.
Stand next to bench with side towards bench. Put your near foot up on the
bench. Hop up on the bench using only the leg and foot that is on the ground.
Face bench and step up on bench without using the foot and leg that is on the
ground.
Basic Position, hold with eyes closed.
Basic Position, hold one foot up, switch feet.
Basic Position, transfer weight foot to foot with eyes closed, then do it
with eyes open.
Basic Position, eyes open, hop up and make a soft landing. Repeat with eyes
closed.
Basic Position, eyes open, hop up and make a hard landing. Repeat with eyes
closed. Feel weight in feet.
Toe touch, rock onto heels, hold 5 seconds, rock to middle of feet, hold 5
seconds, rock to toes and hold for 5 seconds.
Find a running track with marked lanes, or imagine marked lanes. Basic
Position, imitations line to line. Picture railroad tracks and fall from
track to track. Shift side to side with hips.
Basic Position, fall laterally into mats or grass or partner with hips. Do
each side. Fall starts while free (recovering) foot is still back.
Check position in a mirror. Nose-knees-toes should all line up. Check from
front as well as side.
Torso
Lie prone on grass. Lift feet, knees, arms and head in "superman" position
and hold.
Alphabet leg lifts. Do leg lifts and spell out words in the air with your
feet.
Crunches
Bicycle crunches
Downward dog (hands and feet touch the ground) walk farther out till on
fingers and toes. Hold 30 seconds, then walk back to jackknife position.
Lie on side supported by elbows and feet. Lift hip off the ground so body is
in a line. Hold 30 seconds, then do other side.