"Loading Up" - Before Your Extension

By Jack Blatherwick

When we envision Troy Riddle skating, the first thing that comes to mind is his powerful extension. There’s a good lesson on how he does it: “loading up” his weight over a bent knee. This “Start Position” (or loading up) allows the leg to extend powerfully and efficiently, getting the most from his strength. Troy’s extension is awesome, but remember, this is the result, not the source of his power. A good training plan should focus more on the source of power from the correct “Start Position.”

There are two important elements of training (on-ice and off) to improve skating power: (1) Training should form correct habits, so that whatever force we can muster will be applied in the most efficient way; and (2) Training should develop strength and explosiveness in a skating range of motion.

One-legged jumps to the side (like on the Russian box) utilize the same source of power, “loading the weight” over one leg, then extending the hip backward and to the side, while at the same time using the quads to extend the knee.

Finally, great skaters get an excellent “toe kick” or extension of the ankle. The results are measured by Troy’s world-class skating times.

Weighted two-legged jumps and unweighted one legged jumps (many of them to the side) are excellent training for hockey — and one of the reasons Riddle has such powerful strides.

However, to be most effective, the center of gravity should be lined up with the direction of the force when viewed from any direction.

Weaker skaters will often bend forward or to the side at the hips, so the force line does not pass through the center of gravity.

Notice the center of gravity shifts when the body is in this bent or “pike” position and might actually be outside the body if the                torso is bent excessively forward or sideways.

This sounds more complicated in words than it is in action, but remember this important concept and try to feel the proper sequence of power when you’re doing training jumps or working on your skating stride:

Efficient skating (or jumping) requires the center of gravity to be in line with the force.

Off-ice training should include many more one-legged exercises to learn correct skating posture and technique, then later to develop strength and explosiveness. Efficient delivery of power from this “Start Position” is perhaps the most important dryland training for skating.

In this way, “training” has a much greater meaning than simply adding strength or power. We are forming correct neuormuscular habits off-ice that can make the skating stride both efficient and powerful, even if the legs are not stronger.

Then, when we strengthen our legs in this range of motion, we have the best of both worlds — biomechanical efficiency and explosive leg power.

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