Parker Abs                    by Jim Parker

                                       Chicklets, six pack, abs, four pack - all these are current nicknames for your stomach muscles.  Obviously they refer to having a flat stomach.  Well, there's a lot more to having a flat stomach than just looks!  Having strong stomach muscles is important for everyone; competitive athlete, Mom and Dad, Olympian, the disabled, test skaters - EVERYONE!  Think of all the weight that is dragging your hips forward and straining your lower back, if you have slack stomach muscles and a wee bit of fat on top of that!  No wonder middle-aged people complain of sore backs all the time!                                                                         How does it apply to you the skater?  I think that the abdominal muscles are probably the most important muscle 'group' to a skater.  Strong abs help fight your tendency to 'fold over' upon landing jumps, they help maintain the integrity and alignment of the body during jumps, they fight lower back pain, increase muscle endurance and if you are a pairs skater - WOW!  I suppose there is some aesthetic component to looking fit and trim as well.

There are three keys to successful Parker Abs and I am giving them to you for FREE!  All you have to do in return is do your Parker Abs every day!  Deal?   Tip #1. Fit your ab routine into your everyday schedule.  In other words, just don't add the workout on top of everything you do already.   Tip #2. Do your ab exercises s-l-o-w-l-y.  And Tip #3.  Don’t count how many you do.  Rather, do them for a certain time period such as 30 seconds, 1 minute, two minutes, etc.   Hard to believe that that's all there is to it, isn't it?  Okay, here's one way to achieve number one:  Do you watch television?  How about this?  Every time a commercial comes on the tube, drop down on to the carpet and do your ab exercises until your show starts up again.  In a half hour television show, that is TEN MINUTES OF ABS!!  Can you imagine how you'll look and feel after a month of just doing television abs?!  As for doing them slowly, quite often you'll see people at the gym doing their crunches super fast.  In truth, much of that kind of workout is momentum.  Try this; Sit up as high as you can and do s-l-o-w 'pulses' as long as you can.  That's right, GO FOR THE BURN!  Finally, don't aim for 20, 50 or 100 crunches or leg lifts.  Rather, try to keep doing them without stopping, for the length of the commercial or for whatever time period you choose.

So, there you go.  Do your crunches slowly, every day while ignoring commercials during your fav TV show and soon you'll have PARKER ABS!!

G.I. Gym's Fit Tips:

You will probably benefit more from exercising every other day, as opposed to daily. This is because the body actually benefits from the exercise on the day of rest, not during the actual exercise!

Jim Parker has a graduate degree in exercise physiology from Michigan State University.  He has worked with all levels of skaters from beginner to Olympic, including Brain Orser and Elvis Stojko.  A columnist for the Barrie Examiner for 12 years, Jim also co-authored a manual on skating conditioning with Dr. Tony Bauer of Lakehead University, composed the level 3 NCCP weight training manual for weight training and figure skating, and has written articles for Figure Skating Digest among many other publication.).

Buying your first pair of skates!                     Whether you’re buying new or used skates, the proper fit is imperative.  Your skates are your only piece of equipment so the fit, comfort and support are essential to your skating enjoyment.

Tips                                                      

How they should feel

Sharpening Figure Skates

Dress Wright On Ice – Expert skate fitting, by skaters for skaters!

Other important skating accessories include:                                                  Skate guards – always walk in hard guards but never store your skates in hard guards, because the blades will rust.                                                         Blade Covers – the fabric absorbs the moisture from the blade and prevents it from rusting or getting chipped as you transport your skate.                             Chamois – or soft cloth to dry your skates.                                              Skate Bag – to carry your skates and accessories!

Good Luck, Skate Hard – ‘tll next time!

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