A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO SPORT SPECIFIC TRAINING
M AGAZ INE VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 1 • OCT 2015
THE BEST MIND TRAINING TIPS
3
EXERCISES TO IMPROVE YOUR FLYING SIT SPIN
Signe Ronka
ON WHAT FITNESS TRAINING MEANS TO HER
DO AT HOME CORE WORKOUT FOR SKATERS
SIMPLE WAYS TO A STRONG IS TH BODY FOR N SEASO www.figureskaterfitnessmag.com
Figure Skater fitness
NOTE FROM PUBLISHER
MAGAZINE
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED TO FIGURE SKATER FITNESS! PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Signe Ronka CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dawn Drummond-Hill CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Angela Ronka CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Christian Bonin Jessey Dell Three Valleys Studios WRITERS Dr. Bryon Weinberg Meghan Buttle Signe Ronka Patty Cranston Martha Weizman Rebekah Dixon Angelica Kada Amy Lau Stephen Yam DESIGN/LAYOUT Envinion
figureskaterfitnessmag.com
LET’S START THE SEASON WITH A 3.0 GRADE OF EXECUTION! B
ecoming the Olympic/World champion takes hard work, perseverance and dedication. It does not happen over night, which is why we are here to help. In each issue our experts will help you set your goals, train your mind, train your body properly off the ice, and get the right tips on nutrition and injury prevention. Most of all, we are here to provide you with the knowledge of everything you need to know about what it takes to succeed when you step off the ice. It takes more than on ice training to become a champion. Each of our editions will be packed with advice, tips and scientifically backed research on fitness training, injury prevention, training the mind, nutrition and glamour. We will also include excerpts from current and former figure skaters all over the world who give us their side of the story. We want to welcome you to the official start of the new season of training. This edition we will teach you how to condition, build endurance and set goals for the new season ahead. We have also included a Figure Skaters Talk section, where skaters of all levels will discuss every day figure skating topics. Our Glamour section will feature two skaters in different age groups, where we will break down step by step tips on how to do hair and make-up for a tango theme solo. We hope you enjoy our very first edition of Figure Skater Fitness. Let’s start training!
Signe Ronka BA, CSCS, PTS, NCCP3
OCTOBER 2015
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Figure Skater fitness
ABOUT THE WRITERS
Our Writers NCCP level 3 National Competitive Coach. She is the founder of Figure Skater Bootcamp Inc. and Figure Skater Fitness Magazine. Signe has worked with Olympic/ World level figure skaters, teaching them the importance of fitness training and sport specific training. She also travels international hosting Figure Skater Bootcamp workshops.
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES
FIGURE SKATER FITNESS/ INJURY PREVENTION
Section: Injury Prevention Article Name: Maximizing Injury Prevention Section: Fitness Insider Article: SPORT SPECIFIC TRAINING: ENERGY SYSTEMS & MUSCLE ACTIVATION
Signe Ronka, CSCS, PTS, BA, NCCP 3
Section: Fitness Insider Article: 10 Reasons You May Be Overtraining
Signe is a certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association. She is also a certified Personal Trainer Specialist. Signe has an honours Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Toronto (Trinity College), where she specialized in psychology, political science and bioethics. Signe is a former National and International level competitor and certified
Section: Fitness Insider Article: Injury Prevention- 12 PAK Warm Up vs Figure Skater Bootcamp Warm Up
NUTRITION INSIDER Dr. Angelica Kada, ND Angelica is a licensed naturopathic doctor (BDDT-N) and a member of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND). She received her Naturopathic accreditation at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and her honours degree in Kinesiology
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Section: Fitness Insider Article: 15 min High Intensity Heart Rate Booster Flying Sit Spin Exercises Strong Figure Skater Core Improve Your Splits
INJURY PREVENTION Meghan Buttle, MSc.PT, BSc.KIN, FCAMPT, CGIMS, Sport Diploma (SPD) Registered Physiotherapist Adjunct Lecturer, University of Toronto – Department of Physical Therapy Meghan graduated from the University of Toronto in 2005 with a Masters of Science degree in Physical Therapy. Meghan has been practicing at The Sports
and Health Science at York University. She maintains a family practice focused on diet and lifestyle to make long-term changes while using botanicals, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, and nutritional supplements as a temporary aid to help the body rediscover health and balance. As a former competitive figure skater with an honours degree in kinesiology and health science, Angelica can appreciate the physical demands on athletes and the importance of diet and natural medicine to help individuals feel and perform their best. To learn more about Dr. Kada and Naturopathic medicine, visit her website at www.angelicakada.com
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES Section: Nutrition Insider Article: Hydration Guidelines Section: Recipes Article: Homemade electrolyte drink recipe
FIGURESKATERFITNESS OCTOBER 2015
Medicine Specialists in Toronto, Ontario for over 10 years where she has numerous figure skaters on her caseload from the recreational level up to the World and Olympic level. Meghan is part of the Integrated Support Team with Skate Canada and has covered various National and International events in Figure Skating, Gymnastics, Tennis and Hockey. She has been involved with skating for over 25 years as a competitor, coach and now physiotherapist and thus has an extremely high knowledge about the sport as well as the injuries sustained by these athletes. Since graduation, Meghan has completed her Advanced Diploma in Manipulative Therapy (FCAMPT), her Sport Physiotherapy Diploma and also obtained certifications in Acupuncture and Intramuscular Stimulation (Gunn IMS).
Rebekah Dixon, MSc, CPC Mind-Body Performance Specialist Rebekah understands Figure Skating from a Competitive
Dr. Bryon Weinberg BA, DC, CSCS, Acu., ART® Chiropractor, High Point Wellness Centre Co-director of Athletic Movement Assessment Inc. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Medical Acupuncture Provider Active Release Techniques Provider Dr. Bryon Weinberg is a graduate of the University of Hawaii where he attended on a tennis scholarship, and the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. In addition, he is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and
Amy Lau is a professional Make-up Artist. She received her Makeup Certificate with Honours from Canadian Beauty College in 2013. She has over 5 years of experience with beauty makeup applications, skincare, and beauty product knowledge. She is also experienced in basic hairstyling, eyelash extensions, and manicures. Amy Lau is also passionate about figure skating and fitness. She skates for fun on the side and has done make up and hair for multiple varsity skating teams.
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES
GLAMOUR
Section: Glamour Article: Let’s Tango- Hair and Make-Up
AMY LAU
STEPHEN YAM CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES Section: Recipes Article: Asian Glazed Pork Loin with Zucchini Gratin and Quinoa Pilaf
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES Section: Injury Prevention
Section: Recipes Article: Mango and Coconut Water Smoothie
Article Name: What you need to know about injury management
Section: Recipes Article: Western Omelet and Sweet Potato Hash
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES Section: Injury Prevention Article Name: Injury Prevention & Management
Athlete and Coach perspective. Rebekah completed her Masters in Developmental Psychology at the University of London, in England in 2005. Rebekah is a Certified Life Coach, Certified Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Time Line TherapyTM, and Hypnotherapy. More recently she has created the Mind-Body Performance Coaching Program and Workshops, empowering individuals with the tools to achieve peak athletic and life performance.
TRAIN THE MIND
INJURY PREVENTION
co-founder of Athletic Movement Assessment (AMA). As a chiropractor specializing in sports performance at High Point Wellness Centre, Dr. Weinberg has been able to help athletes from all different sports achieve their goals through treatment, rehabilitation, and pre-habilitation programs. Dr. Weinberg has worked with numerous amateur and professional athletes, including former top 10 world ranked tennis player Maria Kirilenko, many Toronto Argonaut players, and North American Boxing Association champion Stephan Boyd. Please check out highpointclinic.com and athleticmovementassessment.com for more information.
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES Section: Train The Mind Article: Setting Goals and Maintaining the Motivation to Achieve Section: Train the Mind Article: Breaking the Habit of Popping Jumps
her ballet classes, ballroom styling and her unique Deep Flow Stretch classes have been in high demand. Martha is a private coach to many top athletes, improving their performance in sport. Martha is affiliated and certified with: IDEA International Dance Exercise Association RAD Royal Academy of Dance CDTA Canadian Dance Teachers Association FOLP Fitness Ontario Leadership Program CANFITPRO ISD International Standard Dance Gold Level
FITNESS INSIDER MARTHA WEIZMAN
Martha formerly trained with the National Ballet of Canada and continued her dance career with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. After many years her career began to shift to ballroom dancing and is now a competitor of dancesport. Having taught in many studios and fitness facilities in Toronto
SKATERS CORNER CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES Section: Fitness Insider Article: Why figure skaters need ballet training Section: Fitness Insider Article: Why stretching is important for figure skaters
PATTY CRANSTON
With over 35 years of skating experience, PATTY CRANSTON is a figure skating champion, coach and choreographer and the author of bestselling children’s book Magic on Ice. Off the ice, she is a marathon runner, yogi and hiking enthusiast with a keen interest and expertise in all areas
of health and wellness, including nutrition, fitness and stress management. She lives in Toronto, where she is a devoted wife, proud mother and grandmother. You will still find Cranston on the ice enthusiastically passing on the art of ‘beautiful skating’ to the next generation.
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES Section: Skaters Corner Article: Talent- It’s not the gift it’s the grit that counts
If you would like to contribute to Figure Skater Fitness, please contact us at info@figureskaterfitnessmag.com for more information. figureskaterfitnessmag.com
OCTOBER 2015
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Figure Skater fitness
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents NUTRITION INSIDER
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
FITNESS INSIDER
PAGE 8 SPORT SPECIFIC TRAINING: Energy Systems & Muscle Activation
Figure Skater fitness Figure Skater Fitness (FSF): Tell us about your skating career and your greatest accomplishments in the sport. when I Signe: I started skating at East was 8.5 years old in 1996 ON. In York Skating Club in Toronto, Cricket 1998, I joined the Toronto to train Club Curling and Skating Burka. with Ellen Burka and Petra I was landBy the time I turned 12, In 2001, ing all of my triple jumps. Ladies I was the Canadian Junior 13. Right Bronze Medalist at age I switched year, after Nationals that Club. I Granite the at train clubs to Grand Prix went to multiple Junior few (JGP) events over the next JGP ciryears. My first year on the my events in cuit, I medalled at both qualified me France and Italy, which Finals in to the Junior Grand Prix my bigHolland. This was probably I remember gest accomplishment. I were in my coach Mrs. Burka and not only tears celebrating because
to ever was I the second Canadian going to make the JGP finals, it was It was be held in her home country. From there a very special moment. in Czech I went to Junior Worlds Republic.
FSF: What did you do after competitive skating? 16, everySigne: When I turned skating. thing changed with my , and my My body started changing ent jumps became more inconsist startand that’s when the injuries career in ed piling on. I ended my at Na2006, with a top 10 finish it me For tionals in Senior Ladies. end to my was a really depressing feeling competitive career. I left the level of like I had never reached I was at a competition I wanted to. 18. It was crossroad when I turned that a tough decision, but I decided and start a I wanted to go to school different life.
PAGE 31 Hydration Guidelines and a Homemade Electrolyte Drink Recipe
TURNING PASSION INTO A CAREitEiveR From a compet essful skater to a succ business woman
essSet yourself up for succ tools give yourself the right to accomplish your goals
RECIPES
Food
Figure Skater fitness
ASIAN GLAZED PORK LOIN WITH ZUCCINI GRATIN AND QUINOA PILAF
to Fuel Your Training
P
cut that is perfect for ork loin is a lean, versatile possible, get pork loin roasting or stir frying. If off excess fat prior to without the fat cap or trim that is high in protein, cooking. Quinoa is a seed both calories. For vegetarians, iron and fiber, but low in are excellent side dishes the zucchini and the quinoa by themselves. sauce if possible, as it is soy sodium reduced a Use to make the glaze in smaller lighter in flavour. It is difficult use (it excess glaze for a future amounts, so reserve any the fridge). can last up to a month in
tion Total preparas time: 4 hour 4: Serves
with the University of Toronto In 2010, I graduated from political of Arts, where I studied an honours in Bachelor unibioethics. When I finished science, psychology and at Pricewaterhouse Coopers versity, I was offered a job
PAGE 11 10 SIGNS YOU MAY BE OVERTRAINING PAGE 12 INJURY PREVENTION 12 PAK Warm Up vs Figure Skater Bootcamp Warm Up
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TURNING PASSION INTO A CAREER
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Split Lunge Jumps
Y 15 MIN HIGH INTENSIT R TE HEART RATE BOOS 2
Note: If you are not yet conditioned, try starting a with 3 sets, then adding set each week to build up stamina.
Jump Squat
1
Set the timer to 30 total sets
3
Set a timer to 20 second intervals with 10 second rest period
1
hip Stand with the feet slightly in distance apart. Squat back the hips pushing the weight sinking down while heels, the to more thighs. the with s degree to 45-90 push the hip Swing the arms back and as high as and arms through to jump you can in the air. Repeat.
degrees and the with your front knee at 90 Start in a lunge position bend and hovers The back leg has a slight knee aligned with the ankle. straight. the ground. Keep your back about 1-2 inches above in the air and switch can you as , jump as high From the starting lunge position Repeat. the other leg in front. legs in the air to land with
3
By Dr. Bryon Weinberg
PAGE 42 INJURY PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT
Repeat each exercise 6 times before moving on to the next exercise.
Rowing Sit Ups
4 Do the whole workout with no breaks.
4
your legs off Lying on your back, hover next to your the ground and your arms sides. while rowing Come into a full sit up position position. Repeat. your arms to a bent elbow ging, add weight To make this more challen
By Meghan Buttle
to each hand.
Burpees
Push Ups
2
PAGE 38 HOW TO MAXIMIZE INJURY PREVENTION PAGE 40 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT INJURY MANAGEMENT
UTS FITNESS INSIDER WORKO
Figure Skater fitness
INJURY PREVENTION
By Signe Ronka
From a competitive skater to a successful business woman
3 4
utes.
8
When the glaze is cool, put the pork loin and the glaze in a plastic bag. Add enough of glaze to coat the surface the pork loin. Allow the pork for to marinate in the fridge at least 3 hours To prepare the quinoa, rinse thoroughly under cold water, 3 changing water at least to times. This is vital in order avoid the bitter, soapy taste naturally present in the seeds
Add the prepared zucchini rounds to the tomato mixture and mix to coat well. Place cook the dish in the oven and for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are crisp, but set cooked. Season well and the the oven to broil. Return for dish to the oven to broil 45 seconds.
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themselves.
5 6
Add the quinoa and chicken broth to a pot. Cover and for cook under medium heat broth 20 minutes, or until the the has been absorbed and quinoa is tender.
off Scrape the excess glaze in the pork and place the pork ovenon a wire rack above an for proof tray. Roast the pork 25 minutes or until the pork temperainternal reaches an ture of 145F. If desired, add pork some glaze on top of the Let and broil for 30 seconds. the pork rest for 10 minutes before serving.
10
Preheat the oven to 350F. An hour before serving time, remove the pork from the to fridge. This is vital so as ensure even cooking time
es To serve, add the cranberri and almonds to the quinoa and season accordingly. of Place the pork on a mound vegquinoa and arrange the etables in a fan next to the quinoa. Serve immediately.
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RECIPES
FOOD TO FUEL YOUR TRAINING SKATERS CORNER
Figure Skater fitness
to confluence of several factors of the iceberg. It takes a produce world-class athletes. nary are born with the extraordi Only an infinitesimal few or Michelle Kwan. Jordan Michael talents of Wayne Gretzky, their gift is legendary. Despite How these ‘stars’ finessed long assiduously and enjoyed being the best, they practiced careers. es individual to devote themselv While it may take a unique passionate sport, I have worked with wholeheartedly to their ethic work their Yet week. a times kids who skate only a few or. competit rivals that of a world of comes in all forms. A love I’ve discovered that skating us at every level. the sport is what inspires experpass on my passion and What a gift it has been to greatest gift to me. tise. And that is figure skating’s
Ta le nt
g: Recommended Readin Separates world-class perReally Talent is Overrated: What by Geoffrey Colvin former from everyone else
It’s not the gift, it’s the grit that counts
Y
GLAMOUR
OCTOBER 2015
OCTOBER 2015 figureskaterfitnessmag.com
four” start of the year. Your It’s September, the “real and at the local skating club year-old joins Canskate snow-suit , aded et-he helm r joins the lesson with othe clad youngsters.
the air, once you land up as high as you can in Starting in a squat, jump feet back in. Repeat. position and jump your push down into a plank es, you can skip the ups as a separate exercis Note: Because we did push . burpee push up on the modified
Start in a plank position on your hands. Bend your elbows until they are about 90 degrees with your back and hips parallel to the floor. Repeat. If you need to modify, you can also try it on your kneesremember to keep your hips in a linear line with the rest of the body.
By Martha Weizman
By Martha Weizman
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT
on increase anaerobic threshold his HIIT workout will help to increase cardio and offset the ice. It’s great training ice. lactic acid build up on the ! sweating start and Try these 5 exercises How to train this:
PAGE 16 WHY FIGURE SKATERS NEED BALLET TRAINING
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2
a Add olive oil and garlic in dish wide, shallow casserole over medium heat. Fry until not the garlic is fragrant, but minburnt – approximately 1 ute. Add tomato sauce and mix well. Cook over medium heat for about 10-15 min-
7
place To prepare the zucchini, the rounds in a bowl with a generous amount of salt (around 1/3 cup or enough to coat the surface of the dry zucchini). Place in a cool half place for approximately an hour. Rinse the rounds well and pat dry. Set aside.
y 1/3 cup hone (optional) 3 star anise
figureskaterfitnessmag.com
T
PAGE 14 WHY STRETCHING IS IMPORTANT FOR FIGURE SKATERS
fitness?
competitive skating, I couldn’t Signe: When I quit and was a huge part of me just leave the sport. It that passion alive. While I so badly wanted to keep coaching and for I was in universality I started in the ice show at Canada’s two summers I skated y in universit my for d Wonderland. I also compete two the OUA Championships Varsity events and won on I decided to focus more years in a row. After that, I was of undergrad because school the last two years to school full time. working full time and going
body for Train both the mind and ice. ultimate results on the
pork without the centre of the to being cold. Allow the pork ure stand at room temperat for at least 15 minutes.
Loin Chops 150g) t 4 Lean Pork weighs abou (Each chop rounds into 1/4 inch 2 Zucchini, cut hed tomatoes 1/3 cup crus ed minc c, garli 3 cloves of oa quin 1/2 cup en broth 3/4 cup chick berries 50g dried cran ted slivers, toas 75g almond soy sauce ced sodium 1/2 cup redu
in Consulting.
into FSF: So how did you get
Prepare the glaze by adding honey, soy sauce and star anise to a pot over medium high heat. This should take the around 3 minutes or until mixture is viscous in texture. Cool and set aside
1
LET’S TANGO HAIR AND MAKE-UP
ou sit in the stands and wonder if the coach notices your child. It is a common of enquiry. On the other side take the boards however, it doesn’t to know all long for the coach to get is unique. the canskaters. Each one they Most kids love to skate after It feels master the ‘art of the glide.’ there like flying. But for every ‘flier’ and are also kids who are reluctant ement. fearful. They need encourag to the off race to Others just want bar. snack arena kids but Passion exists within all where it is for some, skating is not
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to watch. uled on TV, I raced home nt. If yours moved to found. Kids are transpare As a pre-teen, my coach spark Finally I got loves to skate they possess a new club across town. share the ice and a “love of the game”. to skate every day. And we Drive follows talent; when skaters! ss with world-cla g we skating of have an affinity for somethin thrill the y Eventuall a chore ation embrace it. Practice is less morphed into fierce determin - the thrill ive ladder. than the joy of discovery as I climbed the competit “joy of the of skill acquisition. On tough days it was that ! I lived to connect. As a kid, I was obsessed glide” to which I tried to ed daydream I off days my On Beautiful skate. The only requirements? in about performing for Canada music and the ice. I would front of thousands of people. As a coach I have seen many t chosport to spend hours in the basemen gifted skaters leave the The Sound ities. It reographing routines to embrace other opportun is the tip of Music and Mary Poppins. becomes clear that talent schedwere ions When competit
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OCTOBER 2015
MIN HIGH INTENSITY 22 15HEART RATE BOOSTER FITNESS INSIDER WORKOUTS
PAGE 50 Charlotte figureskaterfitnessmag.com
PAGE 52 Jananiy
SKATERS CORNER
TALENT IT’S NOT THE GIFT, IT’S THE GRIT THAT COUNTS OCTOBER 2015
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Figure Skater fitness
FITNESS INSIDER
SPORT SPECIFIC TRAINING:
ENERGY SYSTEMS & MUSCLE ACTIVATION
F
igure skating is a complex sport that involves intense training both on and off the ice. Off-ice training is extremely important in order to prevent injuries and maximize potential on the ice. As our sport evolves, the skills are more difficult to perform, which in turn makes it even more important to prepare the body to take on such demands. When I was competing, we didn’t have sport specific training programs designed. My coach would tell me to go for an hour run to condition, do some weight training to get strong, do pilates to have a strong core and stretch for 30 min every day to be more flexible. If I did that, then I would be in good shape. As our sport evolved, so did the fitness industry with new studies and research proving that some of the things I was doing in the past, may not have fully been benefiting for my sport. Or in other words, I could have been doing more sport specific training to see more improvement on the ice. What is sport specific training? This term is used a lot in other sports, and the goal here is to focus on figure skating. Sport specific training involves understanding a few key components to the physical demands of the sport and the energy systems we use to perform various
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skills. The chart on the following page looks at the three types of energy systems (phosphagen, glycolytic, and oxidative) to understand how the physical demands of the sport tie into this. As you can see, different skills figure skaters perform on the ice will use different energy systems. In order to make this as easy as possible to understand, I will skip the deep science behind how each energy system works and compare it to muscle activation. What is a muscle activation? Muscle activation refers to muscle fibres simultaneously activating to create a contractile “twitch”. There are two types of muscle fibres: fast twitch (Type IIa and Type IIb) and slow twitch (Type I). You may have heard your coach say to you: “You need more fast twitch!” Fast twitch muscles are activated during high intensity and short duration exercises, which are associated with the phosphagen/glycolytic energy systems. This is commonly known as anaerobic exercise, where most of the oxygen in the muscle is used to perform an exercise at high intensity. For example, sprinting at high 90% of power for 10 seconds or performing 10 squat jumps in a row.
ENERGY SYSTEM
% OF EXERCISE FIGURE SKATING POWER DURATION EXAMPLE
PHOSPHAGEN
90-100
5-10 s
Performing a double, triple or quad jump.
GLYCOLYTIC
75-90
15-30 s
Performing a spin or pairs lift.
GLYCOLYTIC + OXIDATIVE
30-75
1-3 min
Performing a step sequence and transition steps in a short/ long program.
OXIDATIVE
20-35
>3 min
Stroking exercises.
important to train the muscle groups needed for specific skills on the ice appropriately with a proper off-ice training plan. Training more efficiently will save the athlete more energy and time and essentially lead to improved results both on and off the ice. Thus, sport specific training is understanding the knowledge of energy systems, muscle fibre activation and skills needed on the ice in order to develop a training plan most appropriate for a figure skater. If you would like to learn more about sport specific training for figure skating, check out Figure Skater Bootcamp for more information. www.flexafit. com Slow twitch muscles are activated during low intensity and long duration exercises, which are associated with the oxidative energy system. This is commonly know as aerobic exercise, where oxygen is continuously replenished to the working muscle in order for the body to be able to sustain figureskaterfitnessmag.com
longer duration exercises. For example, running a marathon would recruit slow twitch muscle fibres. Figure skaters need more fast twitch muscle activation than slow twitch. Although every athlete can benefit from both fast and slow twitch fibres, it is
Signe Ronka,
CSCS, PTS, BA, NCCP3 Reference: (National Strength and Conditioning Association- Essentials of Strength & Conditioning- 3rd edition) OCTOBER 2015
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Figure Skater fitness Figure Skater Fitness (FSF): Tell us about your skating career and your greatest accomplishments in the sport. Signe: I started skating when I was 8.5 years old in 1996 at East York Skating Club in Toronto, ON. In 1998, I joined the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club to train with Ellen Burka and Petra Burka. By the time I turned 12, I was landing all of my triple jumps. In 2001, I was the Canadian Junior Ladies Bronze Medalist at age 13. Right after Nationals that year, I switched clubs to train at the Granite Club. I went to multiple Junior Grand Prix (JGP) events over the next few years. My first year on the JGP circuit, I medalled at both my events in France and Italy, which qualified me to the Junior Grand Prix Finals in Holland. This was probably my biggest accomplishment. I remember my coach Mrs. Burka and I were in tears celebrating because not only
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
was I the second Canadian to ever make the JGP finals, it was going to be held in her home country. It was a very special moment. From there I went to Junior Worlds in Czech Republic.
FSF: What did you do after competitive skating? Signe: When I turned 16, every-
thing changed with my skating. My body started changing, and my jumps became more inconsistent and that’s when the injuries started piling on. I ended my career in 2006, with a top 10 finish at Nationals in Senior Ladies. For me it was a really depressing end to my competitive career. I left feeling like I had never reached the level of competition I wanted to. I was at a crossroad when I turned 18. It was a tough decision, but I decided that I wanted to go to school and start a different life.
TURNING PASSION INTO A CAREER
From a competitive skater to a successful business woman
Set yourself up for successgive yourself the right tools to accomplish your goals
In 2010, I graduated from the University of Toronto with an honours in Bachelor of Arts, where I studied political science, psychology and bioethics. When I finished university, I was offered a job at Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Consulting.
FSF: So how did you get into fitness? Signe: When I quit competitive skating, I couldn’t
Train both the mind and body for ultimate results on the ice.
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just leave the sport. It was a huge part of me and I so badly wanted to keep that passion alive. While I was in universality I started coaching and for two summers I skated in the ice show at Canada’s Wonderland. I also competed for my university in Varsity events and won the OUA Championships two years in a row. After that, I decided to focus more on school the last two years of undergrad because I was working full time and going to school full time.
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Figure Skater fitness
IN THE SPOTLIGHT However, over the four years of school, I joined a private gym where we trained more intensely than I had ever trained when I skated. I learned so much from that trainer and he offered me a group class instructor position provided I got my PTS (Personal Training Specialist) certification. I helped him for two years teaching fitness classes and personal training. After all the training and learning experience I got from my trainer, I realized that had I trained that intensely when I skated, I could have prevented injuries and been so much stronger on the ice. This is when I started looking into sport specific training for figure skaters. In 2010, I put together a small class called Figure Skater Bootcamp with some of my own skaters. We trained on weekends in the park until more skaters wanted to join. The following year, I rented space from a local gym to hold weekend classes in addition to my coaching and full time job at PwC. I started a website for my program to encourage other skaters to join. As the word spread about the program, people from all over the world were contacting me to learn more about the program. This is when I got the idea to create a DVD - “Reach New Heights- The Ultimate Off-Ice Workout”. To date, the DVD has sold hundreds of copies worldwide. In 2012, I decided to leave my job at PwC and start Figure Skater Bootcamp full time. I opened up my own studio (Flexafit) downtown Toronto. I continued my education in the fitness industry where I studied under the most recognized National Strength & Conditioning Association. I certified as CSCS (Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist).
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FSF: What is your philosophy behind Figure Skater Bootcamp? Signe: Figure Skater Bootcamp is designed to condition figure skaters with sport-specific exercises and training methods which directly relate to figure skating movements, energy systems used and proper muscle activation. We focus on providing proper training in order to foster athletic development, prevent injury, and maximize efficient use of on ice training time. Skaters learn a warm up routine that is done before every session. This warm up can also be used before practice and competitions. Following the warm up, each week is a different focus for
strength & conditioning. We run a structured 8 week cycle with a testing session on the final week. We also train off ice jumps and plyometrics weekly along with a long stretch session at the end of each class.
FSF: What’s new and exciting with Figure Skater Bootcamp? Signe: We have lots of new and exciting things going on at Figure Skater Bootcamp. Currently the program has expanded across several skating clubs around the Greater Toronto Area/ Ontario. I have hired new trainers who all have figure skating backgrounds and personal training certifications. I have also opened up the opportunity for skating clubs and sections to host Figure Skater Bootcamp workshops. To date, we’ve done multiple workshops at various skating clubs figureskaterfitnessmag.com
internationally. In Canada, we have done Skate Canada- Nova Scotia, Skate Canada- COS, Skate Canada- PEI and Skate Canada- New Brunswick. Workshops are a great way for skaters to get a kick start on sport specific training if they are unable to train with us in Toronto. Follow us on our social media sites to stay up to date on all the fun things going on at Figure Skater Bootcamp. Facebook (put icon): Figure Skater Bootcamp Instagram (put icon): @flexafit Twitter (put icon): @figsk8rbootcamp
FSF: What’s next for you? Signe: I am constantly doing research on improving the program and looking into ideas that will add value to the skating community. I decided to start Figure Skater Fitness magazine to provide up to date in-
formation to skaters, coaches, and parents about everything they need to know about what it takes to train like a figure skater. The goal is to be the number one source for fitness training, nutrition advice, training the mind, injury prevention and glamour. We have a wonderful team of writers and editors on staff who have amazing credentials. As figure skating advances technically, demanding more mind and body training, I believe a magazine based on a scientific approach to sport specific training will benefit the skating community. OCTOBER 2015
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