Why do speed skaters sit so low in the crouch? Base position, lateral push and glide phase — the foundation everything else builds on.
Why do speed skaters spend the whole time in what looks like a near-squat, while fitness skaters cruise upright? The honest answer: past a certain speed, your muscles aren't your biggest opponent anymore — the air is. At 30 km/h, drag already accounts for around 80% of the power you put out, and at 40 km/h it's nearly 95% — the more upright you stand, the more of your power evaporates into the wind before it ever moves you forward.
That's why the deep crouch isn't for show, it's plain physics: a low upper body offers the wind less surface area and, at the same time, puts your legs in the position from which you can push hardest. Before advanced skaters learn the double push — the advanced stride with two drive phases — you first need this one solid basic stride: deep crouch, long lateral push, calm glide phase.
This foundation is unspectacular, but it's exactly what decides your speed in the end — not the power in your calves, but how efficiently you actually get that power onto the ground.
Bend the knees and hips significantly, tilt the upper body forward, keep the back straight — not rounded. The knees track over the toes, weight sits centered over the skates. This position feels tiring at first because it demands unfamiliar muscles in the thighs and glutes.
The deeper your crouch, the smaller your surface area against the wind, and the more extension your leg has for the push. Both pay directly into your speed — above roughly 30 km/h, wind is the bigger factor, not your muscle power.
The base stride in speed skating doesn't push backward like walking, it pushes sideways, away from the body. Shift your weight onto one leg, push the other leg diagonally outward until it's almost fully extended, then pull it back under the body. The drive comes from extending hip, knee and ankle.
After the push you glide briefly on the standing leg before the next push follows. This resting phase isn't doing nothing — it's the moment you gather balance and position for the next, powerful stride. Beginners often skip it out of impatience and lose stability because of it.
Only once individual strides sit do you chain them into an even rhythm. Count internally, watch for even load on both legs, and stay in the deep crouch even when the legs burn. This exact base stride is later the foundation for the advanced double push.
The deep crouch loads the thighs, glutes and lower back in unfamiliar ways — build up the hold time gradually instead of practicing ten minutes straight right away. Warm up the hips and thighs thoroughly before every session.
Practice the new technique slowly, on open ground, before applying it at higher speed. A wobbly base position at speed leads to a fall much faster than during calm practice.
Practice the deep crouch first without wheels at all — just standing, in sneakers, in front of a mirror. That way you memorize the feel for knee and hip angle without also having to hold balance on wheels at the same time.
A trick from club training: hold the deep position for 30 seconds, stand up briefly, then go back down. That gets the muscles used to the new movement pattern faster than holding the crouch continuously.
Because past roughly 30 km/h, drag becomes the biggest drain on power — at 40 km/h nearly 95% of your energy goes into fighting the wind. A deep crouch reduces your surface area while also lengthening the extension you get on each push.
The base stride is a single, lateral push per leg — the foundation you need to master securely first. The double push adds a second drive phase under the body and is an advanced technique that builds on this base.
It varies, but expect several weeks of regular practice before your thighs and glutes adapt to the new load. Short, frequent sessions get you further here than rare, long ones.
While practicing: yes, as much as possible, because that's how the muscles learn the position. In later racing you vary the depth by pace and recovery needs — but without the base ability, that fine-tuning gets you nowhere.
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