Why the Off-Season Is the Best Time to Get Stronger
Your next season starts long before your next competition. The off-season is the time to build the strength, stability, and physical foundation that can help you become a stronger, more capable skater—and Skate VIDA's off-ice training is designed to help you do exactly that.
Stronger Skating Starts Off the Ice
When figure skaters think about improving, the first place they usually look is the ice.
More practice.
More jumps.
More spins.
More skating skills.
And, of course, time on the ice is essential.
But the ability to execute those skills doesn't come from skating alone.
Every jump, landing, spin, edge, and step sequence depends on a body that can generate force, control movement, maintain alignment, and recover from repeated demands.
The stronger the physical foundation, the more potential there is to build on the ice.
That's why the off-season is such an important time to prioritize strength and athletic development.
Why the Off-Season?
Strength training is valuable throughout an athlete's development, but the emphasis can change throughout the training year.
During competition season, skaters are balancing practices, programs, competitions, travel, and recovery. The goal isn't necessarily to stop strength training—it may instead be to maintain the strength already developed while making sure the athlete is fresh enough to perform.
The off-season creates more room to build.
This is when athletes can progressively increase their strength and conditioning work, develop physical weaknesses, and give their bodies time to adapt without every training week being built around the next competition.
Think of it as laying the foundation before you start building the next floor.
What Does “Getting Stronger” Mean for a Figure Skater?
Strength isn't simply about lifting heavier weights.
For a figure skater, useful physical strength can include:
Core Strength and Control
A strong core helps the skater control the body through rotation and maintain position while moving at high speeds.
That matters everywhere from basic skating skills to advanced jumps and spins.
Leg and Hip Strength
Skating requires tremendous work from the legs.
Takeoffs, landings, deep edges, transitions, and repeated knee bends all require strength and control through the lower body.
Single-Leg Stability
Figure skating happens on one blade much of the time.
Being able to control the body while standing, landing, and moving on one leg is fundamental to skating.
Balance and Proprioception
Skaters have to know where their bodies are in space while moving quickly and often rotating.
Off-ice exercises can challenge balance and body awareness in ways that complement skating practice.
Power
Strength provides a foundation for producing force.
Over time, appropriately designed training can help athletes develop the ability to produce that force more quickly and efficiently—an important component of explosive skating skills.
Mobility and Movement Quality
Getting stronger doesn't mean becoming stiff.
Good athletic development also considers mobility, movement quality, flexibility, and the ability to control a joint through an appropriate range of motion.
Build the Foundation Before You Need It
Imagine a skater who wants to add a new jump next season.
The jump itself is only part of the equation.
The athlete also needs to be able to:
Generate enough force to leave the ice
Control rotation in the air
Maintain body position
Absorb the landing
Stabilize on one foot
Repeat the movement consistently
Recover between attempts
Those aren't purely skating problems.
They're athletic development problems, too.
The off-season is the opportunity to address those physical pieces before the pressure of competition returns.
Instead of waiting until a new skill feels impossible and then asking, “Why can't my body do this yet?”, we can spend the months beforehand building the capacity that makes the skill more attainable.
Strength Training Doesn't Replace Skating
It's important to be clear: off-ice training isn't a substitute for time on the ice.
A stronger athlete still needs good skating technique.
A stronger core doesn't automatically create a better jump.
And lifting weights isn't going to teach someone how to execute a proper edge.
Off-ice training and skating training work together.
The ice is where skaters develop skating-specific technique.
Off the ice, athletes can develop physical qualities that support that technique.
The goal is to create a better-connected athlete who can take what they're learning on the ice and execute it with greater control and physical capacity.
Why We Love the Off-Season for This Work
One of the biggest advantages of the off-season is that athletes have more room to adapt.
When you introduce or increase strength training, your body needs time.
You may experience muscle soreness.
You may feel fatigued.
You may discover weaknesses or movement patterns that need attention.
That's normal.
It is much easier to work through those adaptations when the athlete isn't simultaneously trying to peak for an important competition.
The off-season gives us the opportunity to build progressively rather than rush.
And progressive development is exactly what we're looking for.
Train Where You Skate
One of the advantages of training with Skate VIDA is that our off-ice program is connected directly to the skating environment.
Our training takes place at The Pond Hockey Club, where Skate VIDA also has access to a dedicated gym facility.
That means off-ice development doesn't have to be something you squeeze into an entirely separate routine across town.
You can train your body where you train your skating.
Our off-ice offerings are designed to complement the needs of figure skaters, with opportunities to work on areas such as strength, conditioning, mobility, coordination, balance, and athletic movement.
And because skaters are at different stages of development, the goal isn't to give everyone the exact same workout.
Training should meet the athlete where they are.
Make This the Season You Build the Foundation
If you've been thinking:
I need to get stronger.
My landings need more stability.
I want to be more powerful.
I need better core control.
I want to be ready for my next level.
This is the time to start.
Don't wait until next season's first competition is on the calendar.
Don't wait until you're struggling with a new element.
And don't wait until you feel like you have to “get in shape.”
Build the physical foundation now.
Join Skate VIDA Off-Ice Training
Skate VIDA offers off-ice training opportunities for skaters who want to develop the strength and athletic foundation behind their skating.
Whether you're working on your first foundational skills or training toward more advanced jumps and elements, there is value in developing the physical tools that support your goals on the ice.
Our off-ice program at The Pond gives skaters the opportunity to make strength and athletic development a regular part of their skating routine—not an afterthought.
Ready to get stronger?
Talk to the Skate VIDA team about our current off-ice classes and find the training option that fits your skater's level and goals.
The next season starts now.
Skating is Life. Build the strength to live it.
Frequently Asked Questions about Off-Season strength Training:
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The off-season gives figure skaters more time to build strength, stability, balance, mobility, and conditioning without the same emphasis on immediate competition performance. It is an opportunity to develop the physical foundation that supports skating throughout the next season.
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Figure skaters benefit from training that develops the core, legs and hips, single-leg stability, balance, coordination, power, mobility, and overall movement quality. The goal is not simply to lift heavier weights, but to become a stronger and more capable athlete on the ice.
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Off-ice training can be an important complement to skating. Strength, conditioning, mobility, balance, and athletic movement work can help skaters develop physical qualities that are difficult to train through skating alone.
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Yes. Age-appropriate strength and athletic training can be valuable for young skaters when it is appropriately supervised and focused on movement quality, coordination, stability, and progressive development rather than simply lifting heavy weights.
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No. Strength training is a complement to time on the ice, not a replacement for skating. Figure skaters need both skating practice and off-ice physical preparation to develop their technical and athletic abilities.
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Skate VIDA offers off-ice training opportunities at The Pond Hockey Club in North Austin, where VIDA has access to a dedicated gym facility. Training options are designed to complement skating and may include strength, conditioning, mobility, balance, coordination, and athletic movement.