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SELF GUIDED

Slideboard

A brief introduction to Slideboard workouts and a video demonstration (bottom) of the basic technique.  This article is part of the self guided training series.

Be Specific

When the snow starts to fall, inline skaters are forced indoors. While some cities have venues for indoor inline or ice skating, some do not, or offer only limited time. Fortunately there are off skate forms of training that can be used, not just to stay in shape, but to actually improve!

When training for improvement in sport it pays to be specific. By focusing on the energy systems and muscle groups specific to skating you can make the most of your workouts and be sure that you are guiding your improvements towards better skating. One of the most specific ways to train for speed skating while not actually skating, is to use a slideboard.

A slideboard is essentially a slippery surface 2-3 feet wide and 5-8 feet long. There are bumpers at each end to catch the skaters feet. To actually workout with a slideboard the skater simply mimics the normal (classic) skating stride, pushing off from one bumper, and upon hitting the other, executing a recovery of the push leg, transferring the weight and pushing off again.

A portable plastic slideboard

By mimicking the classic skating stride, the skater can focus on all the skills necessary for proper technique, design interval workouts to suit various race distances, and most importantly practice sitting in a deep skating position and build a tolerance for lactic acid build up (normally known as the "the burn"). Because the burn comes from the body not being able to process lactic acid build up (a waste product of intense activity), the only way to become better at tolerating it, is to teach the body to cope with it through time spent in the down position. When not on skates, the slideboard is an excellent way to do this.

Certain plyometric exercises are also an excellent way to spend time in the down position.

The slideboard is a very effective tool for skate specific training, but this is not its only advantage, slideboards can be used in your home, at any time, some are even small enough to be portable and they provide yet another means of cross training to keep you from getting bored on the bike or with jogging.

Slideboard Technique

As shown in the video (below), a slideboard allows you to focus on proper classic stride technique. The only major difference is that the support leg will be slightly outside of the body while gliding from side to side across the board. This is normal and necessary, since the slippery surface does not allow for a "grip" position underneath the body. This technique difference will not harm your on skate technique, but you should be aware of it, and remember that while on skates, the support leg should be under the body.

Other aspects of the classic stride, such as recovery, arm swing, sitting low, correct bend at the knees, hip and ankles, shoulder positioning can all be practiced and transferred directly to skating.

Aside from practicing classic stride technique, you can design your workout to focus on various energy systems in your body and train for endurance or speed. Research has shown that training through intervals or changes in speed, can extend your endurance, peak speed and sustained high speed abilities.  More detail on intervals is provided below.

Equipment

To make use of the slippery surface you must use either natural wool socks or special synthetic fabric "booties" that can be placed over your feet. A typical bootie is shown below:

During your workout the board should be kept dry of sweat, any sweat on the board will catch your feet and slow you down.

In addition to being able to practice good technique from the comfort of your home, a slideboard can offer the advantage of immediate feedback on your form. Inexpensive mirrors can be purchased at furniture stores such as Ikea and you can lean these mirrors against the wall in front of you. As you skate you can watch your technique and have immediate feedback. Some Ikea mirrors are shown below, in this example two of them are used together to provide a complete view of the entire skating motion:

A couple of Ikea mirrors, leaning against the wall, and duct taped to the floor to keep them from slipping. The mirrors should be leaned back 10-15 degrees, enough to give you a view of yourself from head to toe. You may have to experiment with your position relative to the mirrors to get a good view. These mirrors 2.5' x 4' each. Ikea cost was ~ $90.

Designing Your Workout

Your slideboard workout can be structured just like your normal skate sessions that involve interval training. However, you should allow time to building some basic conditioning before attempting intense intervals. Normally 6-8 weeks of endurance type cross training (jogging, cycling) should be done before attempting the more intense sprint style intervals. However, even early on you may sprinkle your workouts with higher intensity, but only sparingly. As you become more fit you will be able to safely ramp up the intensity and length of your workouts.

When building up your endurance conditioning or "base", your workouts should be of moderate intensity for at least 30minutes and typically 3-5 sessions per week. By occasionally playing with the intensity level, going a bit lighter, or a bit into the "hard breathing" zone, you can keep your workout interesting and start preparing your body for more intense workouts.

Typically the slideboard is used in the off season in conjunction with other training which encompasses building up a basic fitness level. The key idea is to progress from light workouts in the beginning, that focus on endurance to harder more intense workouts later in the off season, that focus on speed. As you become more fit, you will be able to increase the number of repetitions per set and the number of sets (longer workout sessions). A slide board workout once or twice a week is a good compliment to your other training.

While a complete discussion of interval training design is outside the scope of this article, there are some quick and easy ways to design your skate intervals. Barry Publow suggests in his book Speed on Skates that endurance intervals are essentially longer intervals over 2 minutes, and should be paired with a rest period of the same time, that is a work to rest ratio of 1:1, where the intensity level is moderate.

Endurance intervals are an excellent way to give your body general conditioning and loose weight. Publow suggests some starting points for intervals that focus on speed:

  • Coping with lactic build up - intervals should be high intensity for 30-60 seconds with a work to rest ratio of 1:1 or 1:2. For building greater capacity (longer sprints), extend the work period out to 1-2 minutes and use a 1:2 work to rest ratio. Repetitions in a set range from 4-8.

  • Peak power - intervals should maximum intensity for 10 seconds and use a work to rest ratio of 1:10-12, in this case rest for 2 minutes. For expending the time you can spend at peak capacity, extend the work period to 30 seconds, and use a work to rest ratio of 1:4. Repetitions in a set range from 4-10.

When repeating an interval in a set, generally endurance intervals are fewer in number and longer (in total time). Speed intervals are greater per set, higher in intensity and shorter (in total time).

Publow's book Speed on Skates contains a much more in depth discussion of interval design that allows you to focus on various aspects of your bodies energy systems, and relating them to training for specific distances when skating. See the Further Reading section below for more links to workout recipes by Publow.

For added training effect, Holum suggest wearing a weighted backpack.

As with any workout, you should begin with a warm up and end with a cool down. Starting with some low intensity sliding for a couple of minutes and then stretching will help loosen up and get your heart rate up and ready for the workout to come. Stretching will help avoid injuries to muscles and ligaments. When the workout is over, a cool down is important because stopping exercise abruptly will not allow the built up lactic acid to be fully flushed out. By cooling down gradually, your body has a chance to process the build up of lactic acid and return to a normal state. This further helps to prevent muscle soreness after the workout is over.

Constructing a Slideboard

Although good quality slideboards can be purchased, you may wish to build your own. Several sites on the internet provide step by step instructions, and Barry Publow's book "Speed on Skates" includes a chapter devoted to slideboard technique and construction. See the Further Reading section below for more details.

Key points for construction: the base should be a hard wood that resists warping and provides good stiffness. The top should be a smooth, glossy and polished surface such as high quality formica or melamine. The sliding surface can be attached to the base using wood glue or contact cement. The size of the base/sliding surface should be 3' wide by 8' long. The bumpers at each end should be high enough and thick enough to catch/support your feet, 4" x 4" is recommended by Publow, in addition Publow recommends inclining the bumpers by 10 degrees (at the front) to allow for the natural "toe out" present in most people's feet, and also lining the bumpers to absorb the impact. Publow suggestions high density foam or carpet lining for this. Finally a carpet under pad should be used beneath the board to prevent slippage while in use.

Video Demonstration

The video below demonstrates the basic technique to use on a slideboard.

Further Reading


About the Author

Michael Garvin is a skater with the Ottawa Inline Skate club (OSIC)





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