November
Upper Body/ Chest PositionJust as there is an ideal knee angle for each skater, there is an ideal position for the upper body. It is dependant on body type, torso vs leg length, flexibility, long track vs short track. It is generally 45 degrees or lower to the ice.
The goal is to bring your upper body in to a position that allows your weight to easily come forward to the ball of the foot. If it’s too high your weight will stay towards the back of the blade, and if it’s too low your weight will come to the toe.
When bringing the upper body in to position you must bend over the belly button rather than bend from the hips. Bending from the hips will leave your butt untucked and you won’t be able to fully use your hips and upper quad muscles. Tuck your butt slightly and fold forward from the belly button (L3 – L4 vertebrae). You should not be trying to really round the entire back like a mad cat as this will pre-stretch muscles around the lower back and glutes needed for pushing and cause tension in the back. Although the upper body may be slightly rounded, the key is to be relaxed.
To find your ideal chest position bend your ankles, tuck your butt, and slowly fold over your belly button to bring your chest lower. Stop when you feel the pressure under your foot at the back part of the ball of the foot. That is your ideal chest position.
Play with raising and lowering it and you will quickly find that even an inch too high or an inch too low has a great impact on where your weight is under your foot. If it is too high your weight goes back toward your heels. If it is too low your butt will release, your knees will drift back and your weight will go to your toes.
In very windy long track conditions you may want to keep your chest a little lower going in to the wind to be as aerodynamic as possible, and raise your entire position a little going with the wind to take advantage of it. However in short track and long track where there is no wind, the ability to generate maximum power and forward momentum are more important than aerodynamics.
If you have any comments or questions on this tip please visit our message board at http://pub150.ezboard.com/bellisedge
