Why squad skaters train almost as much off the ice as on it: harness work, core strength and ballet as levers for better jumps.
The question that comes up as soon as you see how much squad skaters train off the ice: does that really pay off, or isn't ice time the only thing that counts? The honest answer: off-ice training isn't a bonus program for the ambitious, it's a structural necessity. Squad athletes train anywhere from three sessions a week to twice a day — at that volume, every hour of ice time becomes precious, and off-ice work makes sure those hours aren't spent on foundational work that could be done elsewhere.
The core idea: rotation, strength and flexibility can be prepared on the ground, so that on the ice only the actual execution remains. Harness and spinner systems, for instance, suspend you on a training line so you can practice air position and rotation technique without fall risk — exactly the safety net that lets you learn new jump levels faster, without crashing hard on every failed attempt.
And one piece is often underrated: core strength. Research on triple and quadruple jumps stresses that targeted abdominal and trunk training is needed so the body can absorb the forces at takeoff and landing — the landing forces from the jump-technique guide (several times body weight) don't just hit the legs, they're carried through the core too.
Ice time is limited and often expensive — off-ice work is the supplement that gets more out of that limited time, not a replacement for it. Basics like rotational feel, strength and flexibility can be prepared on the floor, leaving more ice time for the actual technique.
These systems let you practice rotation and air position for double, triple and quad jumps without falling on the ice on every attempt. That not only removes fear of falling from the learning process, it also saves valuable ice time for fine-tuning.
Trunk and abdominal muscles absorb the forces acting on the body at takeoff and landing. Exercises like planks, controlled rotation work and trunk stabilization therefore belong in the program not as a "fitness side note" but as direct jump preparation.
Ballet or dance training builds not just flexibility, but exactly the qualities scored in the Performance and Interpretation program components. Anyone who only trains jumps but never works on expression leaves points on the table that count just as much as technique in the scoring system.
The squad's volume of three sessions a week up to twice a day isn't a goal for recreational skaters. Two to three off-ice sessions a week, combined with your regular ice time, are enough to make noticeable progress without building your whole life around training.
Off-ice training with a harness or spinner belongs under supervision, especially when learning new rotation levels — these systems remove fall risk but don't replace correct technique control. Get instructed before training alone.
And an important point from the injury guide: off-ice and on-ice load add up. Anyone with lots of ice time who also trains intensely off-ice needs correspondingly more recovery — log both together instead of viewing them separately.
Combine core exercises with jump-specific movements — for example, a trunk rotation that mimics the arm position of a takeoff. That way you're not just training "strength in general," you're training exactly the pattern you need on the ice.
A trick many discover late: ask your club whether a shared ballet class for figure skaters is offered. That's usually more targeted than a general dance class, because the exercises are tuned directly to posture and expression on the ice.
Not strictly, but it pays off even in small doses. Just two to three short sessions a week with core and flexibility work noticeably improve jump stability and expression, without taking on the squad's training volume.
A harness suspends you on a training line so you can practice rotation and air position for new jump levels without landing hard on the ice on every failed attempt. That speeds up learning while also saving valuable ice time for fine-tuning.
Because trunk and abdominal muscles help absorb the forces at takeoff and landing. Without a stable core, the load shifts more heavily onto the legs and spine — directly connected to the overuse risks from the injury guide.
Ballet trains flexibility, posture and expression — exactly the qualities scored in the Performance and Interpretation program components. It's not an "extra," it directly trains part of what counts in the scoring system.
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