Figure Skating Training: Off-Ice Jumps, Strength, Flexibility and Jump Load

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Watch the lobby of any rink before a freestyle session and you’ll see it: skaters in sneakers doing single, double and triple rotations on the rubber floor, arms snapping in, landing on one foot in a checked-out position. Off-ice jump training is part of the culture of figure skating, from a 9-year-old learning her first axel to Olympians landing quads. This page covers figure skating training off the ice: jump drills, strength, balance, flexibility, conditioning, and the most important topic of all for young skaters, how much jumping is too much. It’s general information; your coach and, when needed, a PT or strength coach should shape your plan.

What skating asks of the body

Figure skating combines explosive power (jumps), very fast rotation, one-leg balance on a blade, extreme flexibility (spirals, laybacks, Biellmanns) and the stamina to hold it together at the end of a program. Under International Skating Union (ISU) rules as of the 2026–27 season, the short program lasts 2 minutes 40 seconds and the senior free skate 4 minutes (3½ for juniors), long enough that tired legs show in the last jumping pass. The technical bar keeps rising: a study of World and European Championships since 2005 found jumps with fewer rotations steadily replaced by triples and quads, and a study of junior events found the same trend among teenagers. Researchers who measured landing forces inside the boot found that triple jumps were landed with less time to spread the impact than singles and doubles, a “collision type” landing they flagged as a potential injury risk. Good training prepares the body for that load and keeps the number of landings in check.

Off-ice jump training

Off-ice jumps let skaters rehearse the take-off position, a tight air position and a solid landing without the blade or the ice. Many coaches build them like a ladder:

• Landing positions first. Hop and freeze in a checked landing on one leg: knee bent over the toes, hips square, free leg extended, arms out. Hold for a count of three.
• Rotations on the floor. Half, single and double turns with a quick snap into the air position, always finishing in a controlled landing. Quality over quantity: a sloppy double on the floor teaches a sloppy double on the ice.
• Spinner work. An off-ice spinner, a small rotating disc, lets skaters practice spin and rotation positions and centering. Use it on a smooth floor with space around you, and keep the same positions you use on the ice.
• Plyometrics. Low box jumps, single-leg hops and skips build the elastic power behind take-offs. Land softly and quietly, and keep the volume small at first.
• Jump rope. A rink-side favorite for footwork, ankle stiffness and conditioning.

Off-ice jumps still count as landings. Do them on a sprung or rubber floor rather than concrete, with good athletic shoes, and include them in the day’s jump total.

Strength and balance

Strength training is safe and useful for young athletes when it’s well taught and supervised: that’s the position of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and of a 2014 international consensus on youth resistance training endorsed by sports medicine and pediatric organizations. For skaters, the priorities are:

• Legs, single-leg first: split squats, step-ups, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, calf raises and lateral lunges for take-offs and landings.
• Hips and trunk: side planks, glute bridges, anti-rotation presses with a band. Skaters land and rotate on one leg, and the trunk has to stop that rotation.
• Feet and ankles: towel scrunches, single-leg balance and slow heel raises. Reviews of skating injuries call out intrinsic foot and ankle strengthening.
• Upper body for pairs: lifters need shoulder, back and trunk strength for lifts and twists; the partner being lifted needs a strong, stiff core to hold positions.
• Balance training: in a randomized trial of 44 skaters, a 4-week supervised neuromuscular program (three sessions a week) improved single-leg balance in skating-like tests, including a jump landing with eyes closed, while a basic exercise program did not.

Resistance bands make most of this possible in a rink lobby or a hotel room. See our best resistance bands for athletes guide.

Flexibility, the skating way

Skaters need range, but the useful kind is range you can control in a position, not passive extremes forced by someone pushing. In a study of adolescent elite skaters, those with front-of-knee pain had tighter quadriceps, and three-quarters of those who improved quadriceps flexibility lost the pain. A 2025 review of skating injury risk factors listed tight hamstrings and quadriceps among them. A sensible routine: dynamic mobility before skating (leg swings, lunges with a twist, hip circles), longer static stretching after, and active holds for spirals and layback positions. Skaters who already arch a lot need trunk strength more than more back flexibility; low back pain in a flexible skater is a reason to see a professional (see figure skating injuries).

Conditioning for a 4-minute program

Program run-throughs are the most specific conditioning there is, and coaches often build up from sections to full programs before competitions. Off the ice, intervals that mimic program length (2 to 4 minutes of hard work with rest) on a bike or with a jump rope build the stamina to land the last jump. Long, slow running has a place for base fitness but adds pounding; cycling, swimming and dance classes are common lower-impact choices.

How much jumping? Load for young skaters

This is where most overuse injuries start. The evidence and the pediatric guidance point the same way:

• Count jumps. In a 2025 survey of senior British championship skaters, none regularly monitored jump loads, and the authors named jump counts as an area for improvement. A notebook works. So do newer tools: researchers have shown a waist-worn motion sensor can count multi-revolution jumps, and U.S. Figure Skating now partners with a phone-video app that measures jumps (see figure skating wearables).
• Grow slowly. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ HealthyChildren.org advises limiting repetitions of new moves and increasing training by less than 10% a week.
• Watch sessions and hours. Individual studies have linked more than 12 sessions a week, and more time on the ice, to injury. One study found kids who trained more hours a week than their age in years had about twice the odds of a serious overuse injury.
• Rest on purpose. The AAP recommends 1–2 days off a week from the main sport and about 3 months off a year, in 1-month blocks. Growth spurts are a good time to lighten the jump load.
• Fuel the work. Skipped meals were linked to injury in young Swedish skaters. See figure skating nutrition.
• Respect pain. Pain that changes a take-off or landing is a stop sign, not a toughness test.

The warm-up before you step on the ice

Rinks are cold, and cold muscles don’t jump well. A 10- to 15-minute off-ice warm-up is standard at every level: light jogging or skipping, dynamic mobility, a few activation exercises (bridges, band walks), then a handful of off-ice jumps. On the ice, stroking and edges come before jumps. HealthyChildren.org recommends a dynamic warm-up before and static stretching in the cool-down.

Gear for off-ice training

You don’t need much. An off-ice spinner such as the CRS Cross Figure Skating Spinner (an 8-inch metal disc) is the classic skating tool for spin and rotation practice; start on a smooth floor and away from furniture. A speed rope like the WOD Nation Jump Rope covers footwork and conditioning. A soft foam box like the Yes4All Adjustable Soft Plyo Box is a forgiving place to learn landings, and a THERABAND Beginner Kit handles hip, ankle and shoulder strength work.

For more ideas, see our best speed training equipment guide. Next steps: how to handle a competition day and how to recover between sessions. Back to the figure skating hub, or compare with soccer training.

Figure skating training: FAQs

How can I practice figure skating jumps off the ice?

Start with landing positions held on one leg, then add half, single and double rotations on a rubber or sprung floor, always finishing in a controlled landing. Add plyometrics, jump rope and an off-ice spinner. Count off-ice jumps as part of your daily total and work with your coach on technique.

Should young figure skaters lift weights?

Supervised, well-taught resistance training is considered safe and beneficial for young athletes by the NSCA and an international consensus. For skaters, start with body weight and bands, single-leg strength, trunk and foot work, and add load gradually under a qualified coach.

How many jumps a day is too many?

There’s no single research-based number. What the evidence supports is counting jumps, limiting repetitions of new jumps, raising training by less than 10% a week, and taking 1–2 days off a week. Pain or a change in technique means stop for the day.

Does flexibility training prevent skating injuries?

It helps in specific cases. Tight quadriceps and hamstrings are linked to knee pain and injury in skaters, and improving quadriceps flexibility relieved knee pain in one study. But extra back flexibility isn’t the goal for skaters who already arch a lot; trunk strength matters more.

Is an off-ice spinner worth it?

Many skaters and coaches use one to practice spin positions, centering and the feel of a fast rotation at home, and it’s inexpensive. Research on spinners is still thin, so treat it as a practice aid that works alongside on-ice coaching, not a replacement. Use it on a smooth floor with space around you.