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*** The SkateLog Forum Has Been Replaced by SkateDebate Dot Com ***
FROM SKATELOG FORUM HOST KATHIE FRY IN MARCH OF 2020:
NEW FORUM NAME: SkateDebate Forum
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Fitness Skating and Training Forum Discussions about on-skate and off-skate training, hydration, sports nutrition, weight loss, injuries, sports medicine, and other topics related to training and physical fitness for skaters. |
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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 42
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I started skating at the start of this year (I could always skate but in the last 20 years probably averaged a skate a year, if that) and have fairly quickly become kind of obsessed. I try to do a couple of 5-10k outdoor skates a week in inlines but it's hard as the weather stinks at the moment and I rink skate in quads 2 or 3 times a week.
I was seriously out of shape when I started. A healthy weight but no real muscle tone or definition and no stamina for cardio so I was excited to take up a hobby with such an array of health benefits. It didn't take too long to notice a real improvement in my stamina. Just little things like not being out of breath if I had to run a short distance, more obvious power in my legs, etc. But at the weekend I looked in the mirror when I was getting dressed and my arms haven't looked this good since I did serious martial arts training in my mid-20s. I've read all the articles that state skating even works the arms but I really was not expecting this sort of obvious improvement this quickly. It's genuinely amazing! I have post-pregnancy injuries that prevent me from doing a lot of exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, cross-fit and many types of weight lifting, so I'm beyond delighted in the physical improvements skating is bringing for me. I wonder if it's the rink skating or inline skating is more responsible for the arm improvements. I think I engage my arms more inline skating, especially during sprints because I can't just glide about on the rougher ground but there is absolutely no way I've done enough outdoor skating yet to have made this kind of difference to my arms. So, even though I feel no noticeable arm engagement at the rink, they are obviously doing a lot of work that I'm not feeling. (And to top it off, I expected to have put on weight thanks to the muscle gain but I've actually lost a few pounds.) It seems way too good to be true that I'm just having excessive amounts of fun while experiencing this kind of gain. |
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#2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Mountain View, CA
Posts: 504
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Curious. Arms don't generally do much in skating. This is especially true with speed and trail skating where arms mostly rest on the sides with hands behind. Occasionally, you will see someone post here about using poles when skating as a means of giving their arms something to do. My arms are still twigs after 20 years of heavy skating.
Do you do something unusual with your arms when you skate? |
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#3 |
..., therefore, I skate.
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Southern Oregon
Posts: 1,025
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When I skate with skates on my hands....
To be serious, many skaters, especially recreation skaters, until they are about to hit the floor, use very little upper body movement. However, if employed on a regular basis, it will build muscle. Just look at some videos of any professional skating element to see arms in use.
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Riedell 336, Roll-Line Mistral, Roll-Line Panthers. Swiss Labyrinth II . |
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#4 |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 42
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I don't know. I make an effort to pump my arms when I inline skate. Kind of similar to the way Bill Stoppard describes. In the rink I often use my arms like crazy when dancing. I like figure skating stuff like arabesques and I'm working on managing a smooth transition from shoot the duck into an arabesque and I'm starting spinning which I guess utilise my arms. And for the first few weeks I was half holding my son up while he learned to skate but he hasn't needed my help in about 6 weeks, so I doubt it's that. I'm seeing a real improvement in my arm muscles though, particularly my biceps and I'd definitely like to keep it up.
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#5 |
Major Trouble
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Iowa
Posts: 1,406
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during very hard acceleration... when you are making your foot/leg speed increase greatly... your arm swing speed must keep pace with your legs to keep you counterbalanced. (based on short track ice). If your arms cannot swing fast enough your arms can over-rule your leg speed.
This is where 'arm muscles' (or perhaps more correct 'arm swing speed') make a difference.
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Quando omni flunkus, moritati |
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#6 | ||
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana USA
Posts: 512
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Cheers, and welcome!
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2 Inline Skates, 1 Quad Skates, 4 Longboards, 3 Bicycles, 0 Cars |
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#7 |
Sk8 Ninja
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Huntington Wv
Posts: 3,423
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A weight lifter I met years back used to go to the gym multiple times a week. He got injured in his upper body and could only do legs, situps sets for a while.
In his downtime from most of the upper body training, he focused a lot more on legs. Doing so actually accelerated his upper body growth oddly enough. Your legs help to generate upper body strength and to some degree, some believe it helps with testosterone. I skate hard when I get to at the rink, lot a of high intensity short bursts. I never bench press anything and dont push on anything with more than 50 lbs of force at my job. However I can easily bench 185 lbs(my body weight)4 times. And can rep 135 a little over 20 times. I think it's more that hard reflex during a sprint or abrupt changes in direction which is enticing the muscle growth. That super hard actuation of your arm muscles for a very brief period combined with the legs usage helping your overall body physique. There's a few other people that run the same machine as me and do the same work I do and some that are younger, and their arms are NO WHERE close to the appearance of mine. Just googled it, apparently doing squats alot helps biceps significantly.
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Home rink: Roll-A-Rama in Huntington Wv. "Focus on form and speed is a byproduct, focus on speed and falling is a byproduct." - Matguy |
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#8 |
Ninja Naked Mole Rat
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: San Antonio Tx
Posts: 4,348
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I haven't been skating too much lately. Just once a week. But I have been bike riding, a recumbent, a lot. At least an hour or two every day. What I noticed at skating is my arms feeling stronger, and I was using them a lot while skating. I too have not been doing any upper body work, as I have an injured left arm that precludes any pushing or pulling motions. But I have been hammering my thighs on the bike rides. It has also made my skate night a lot more fun having thighs with a little oomph to them.
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Don't let people live in your head rent free. ~princessfluffhead~ BontQRL/InvaderDA45: Seba-FRX: Alkali CA9 |
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#9 | ||
Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 42
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#10 |
Sk8 Ninja
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Huntington Wv
Posts: 3,423
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It really does help. It also has a large impact on core strength, and the harder and faster you skate, stop, accelerate, juke etc the better it gets.
Core fitness, flexibility, leg strength, and as a added bonus arms firm up. My arms are very defined for not lifting weights, and a lot of that has to come from skating. Forearms being cracked out is from my job though lol
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Home rink: Roll-A-Rama in Huntington Wv. "Focus on form and speed is a byproduct, focus on speed and falling is a byproduct." - Matguy |
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#11 | |
Ninja Naked Mole Rat
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: San Antonio Tx
Posts: 4,348
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High Intensity Interval Training. I'll warm up, then go as hard as I can for 30 seconds, rest a couple minutes, then do two more intervals. Once my arm finally heals up, I will do that some. You should try and use the bike some. Maybe even do some high speed hard pedaling for some set period of time. It can really get your blood pumping, and get your legs feeling stronger for skating.
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Don't let people live in your head rent free. ~princessfluffhead~ BontQRL/InvaderDA45: Seba-FRX: Alkali CA9 |
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