Feature Article - Olympics Issue

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Number 1             Olympics, 1998            Special Issue

With Barry Publow

QUESTION

I want to use my K2 flight 76s for conditioning and strength training. Is there a way to increase the spin friction on the wheels to achieve a better workout at lower speeds? Or should I get one of those mini-parachutes attached to a harness?

ANSWER

There are several ways to achieve gains in muscular strength for speedskating. Off the skates, resistance training with weights and plyometric training exercises can be used to develop explosive strength and power in the skating-specific muscles. However, what these auxiliary exercises lack is true specificity (i.e., no matter how much you try, it is impossible to exactly simulate the way the muscles function and the way the joints move during actual skating). Therefore, one must focus on more precise methods performed on skates. There are several wavs to increase the level of workload while at lower speeds:

LUBRICATE YOUR BEARINGS WITH THICK GREASE

PRO: This effectively increases the wheels rolling resistance, necessitating more muscular effort.
CON: Doing this increases the bearings resistance so much that gliding time is dramatically reduced. Although the physical training effect is favorable, this disrupts ones accustomed rhythm of push, glide, and recovery. The problem here is that if used too often, you may find it diffcult to re-adapt once "fast" bearings are back in your skates. You also will need 2 sets of bearings because of the workload required to de-grease after such a training session.

SKATE UPHILL

PRO: Skating uphill puts increased demands on the skating muscles, particularly the extensors of the hip joint. The results is increased leg strength.
CON: Once again, hill skating reduces the glide portion of the stride. This training technique is great so long as it does not constitute the primary training method. In addition, the relative contribution of the leg muscles during steep uphill skating is different than on flat terrain. However, hill skating can and should be used in conjunction with other such "muscle loading" training techniques.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: THE PARACHUTE

PRO: Runners have used mini-parachutes for years to increase the resistance to forward motion. It does this job rather well, requiring higher than normal efforts for any given speed.
CON: Parachutes provide resistive force in direct opposition to forward motion in much the same way a hill does. Therefore, the use of such a device can have the same negative consequences.

THE FITNESS HARNESS:

PRO: Rather than providing resistance to forward motion, this device provides direct resistance to the muscles themselves using rubber tubing. Therefore, such a device avoids the technique-altering pitfalls of hill skating or the use of a parachute.
CON: Such harness devices can prove cumbersome to some, and although they do a reasonable job, the resistance they provide doesn't perfectly match the muscle's ability to generate force over changing joint angles.

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