Why do you sit so low in speed skating, and why push sideways instead of backward? The technique that actually creates speed on the oval.
The honest answer first: your power in speed skating doesn't come from behind, it comes from the side. That's the biggest technical difference from recreational ice skating, where you intuitively push backward. In speed skating, that would mostly just brake you.
The reason lies in the biomechanics: during the push-off you shift your body weight from the outer to the inner edge of the blade to reach the optimal push angle — the force goes sideways, under your center of gravity, not backward. Studies on muscle coordination show the main drive comes from the gluteus maximus and the inner thigh muscle, which are pre-stretched during the glide phase — like a bow that releases its energy only right before the shot.
For that sideways push to work at all, you need the second ingredient: the deep crouch. Elite skaters hold a knee flexion of roughly 90 to 110 degrees during the stride — noticeably deeper than you'd ever bend in skiing or recreational skating. For comparison: sit down so low you almost, but not quite, land on a very low stool — and hold that position for several minutes. That's exactly what speed skating demands of you.
The force running through your leg while doing this isn't random: during the push-off, forces peak at around 140 percent of your body weight — so with every single push you're pressing away more than your own weight, dozens of times per lap.
Train Smart. Play Hard. — in speed skating that means: the crouch isn't a style choice, it's the precondition for every efficient push.
Bend your knees until your knee angle sits around 90 to 110 degrees — noticeably deeper than in recreational skating. Your upper body tips forward until it's almost horizontal, arms relaxed in front of you or behind your back.
Instead of pushing backward, you shift your weight sideways under your center of gravity and push off at an angle to the side. Imagine pushing yourself away from an imaginary wall beside you, not one behind you.
During the glide phase, your thigh muscles get slightly pre-stretched by the opposing calf and hamstring muscles — that pre-stretch is exactly what makes the following push explosive instead of merely powerful. It happens automatically once your crouch is deep enough.
The most common beginner mistake is standing back up after every push. Pros stay in the crouch between pushes — standing up costs both time and aerodynamics equally (more on that in the race tactics guide).
Because the position is unfamiliar, your thigh muscles fatigue quickly at first. Train the crouch in short intervals before holding it through a full lap — the strength endurance for exactly this position builds over time.
The deep crouch loads knees, hips and lower back in a way your body doesn't know from other sports. Build up the load slowly — long hold sets right from the start are the fastest route to soreness and overload.
Warm up hip flexors, thighs and ankles thoroughly before every session, watch for a clean knee line (knees over the toes, not caving inward), and break off the crouch as soon as technique breaks down under fatigue — bad reps groove in just as much as good ones.
Practice the crouch first without skates, on land, in front of a mirror. That lets you control knee angle and core posture without also having to manage balance on ice at the same time — learning two new skills at once overwhelms almost everyone.
A trick from competitive sport: also train the crouch position isometrically, holding without movement — that exact muscular endurance later decides who holds the crouch through 10,000 meters and who collapses halfway.
Because it enables two things at once: the sideways push with maximum force transfer, and an aerodynamic position at high speed. Elite skaters hold a knee angle of roughly 90 to 110 degrees, noticeably deeper than in recreational skating.
Because the blade finds almost no grip during a backward push — most of the force would just fizzle out. The sideways push under your center of gravity, by contrast, makes optimal use of the blade's edge and transfers noticeably more force into forward motion.
With every push, forces peak at around 140 percent of your body weight — so with every single stride you're pressing away more than your own weight, multiple times per lap.
That's individual, but strength endurance in this position builds measurably over weeks. Short, repeated hold sets get you there faster than rare, very long practice sessions.
Speed Skating: Cornering Technique on the Oval