Figure skating strength and conditioning expert Elizabeth Mullins continues an off-ice class for figure skaters, focusing on athlete strength and mobility and coordination/balance. In this kind of class, the order of exercises is important so make sure to watch Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. In this video, Elizabeth begins working on a change of direction exercise that these athletes have not yet learned. As she notes, the goal of this kind of training is about creating a long-term better athlete and not about sport-specific skill development.
With a demonstrator, Elizabeth shows the basic 5-10-5 change direction exercise/test. Three cones are set up representing the two endpoints (roughly 10 yards or meters apart) of the exercise and the mid-point. The athlete starts in a 3-point stance (left hand down) at the mid-point, then turns to the right and runs to the first end points, reverses direction and runs to the other end point, reverses direction again and runs past the mid-point (where the “time” is recorded for the exercise). The direction reversal at the end points requires a “hip flip” which incorporates a “shin angle change” and the class begins working on mastering this aspect of the exercise.
The hip flip requires a slight hop to a two foot landing. This hip flip is a kind of “attack” which puts the athlete in a position to “punch out” or accelerate with power in the opposite direction. Elizabeth explains, “I can project out faster with 2 feet than I can with one and then pushing off.” She describes this movement as a “bounce back.” The rest of the video shows the class working on the details of the hip flip to create efficient and quick/powerful movements. Notice the goal of landing on 2 feet where both feet make ground contact at the same moment, with the body already committing to movement in the opposite direction. Due to the required quickness, this isn’t a partial air turn with a 180 degree flip of the shoulders and hips, and Elizabeth continues to refine the movements of the class.
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