Sports training
Strength and landing workout for skateboarders: legs, ankles, wrists and core
Landing an ollie loads your feet at nearly five times body weight, and skaters with better balance, leg strength and ankle control tend to be the better skaters. This session builds those qualities, with wrist and forearm work for the falls. In other sports, balance training after an ankle sprain cut repeat sprains by about a third, and strength training cut sports injuries, but no programme has been tested in skateboarders. Your helmet and wrist guards still do more for serious injuries than any exercise. You need dumbbells or a kettlebell, a low box or step, a light resistance band and a mat.
Warm-up
- Intermediate · Abs, Shoulders, Hamstrings · 3D demoWalk your hands out and backEasier: Forearm plankHarder: Plank walk-up
- Beginner · Glutes, Hamstrings, Abs · 3D demoSqueeze at the topEasier: Pelvic tilt into bridgeHarder: Glute kickback (quadruped hip extension)
- Ankle CARs (controlled articular rotations)5 circles each way, each ankleBeginner · Calves, Shins · 3D demoSlowEasier: Ankle circlesHarder: Toes-tucked kneeling (toe squat)
Jump and land
Rest 60 to 90 s between sets
- Jump squat4 × 3Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Calves · 3D demoDip and jump as high as you can; land softlyEasier: Bodyweight squatHarder: Box jump
- Box drop landing3 × 5Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoStep off, land on both feet and freeze; quiet landingsEasier: Snapdown to athletic landingHarder: Depth jump
- Single-leg hop and stick2 × 5 each legIntermediate · Quads, Glutes, Calves · 3D demoHold each landing for 2 secondsEasier: Standing broad jump with stuck landingHarder: Alternate-leg bounding
- Lateral bound (skater jump)3 × 4 each sideBeginner · Glutes, Quads, Hip abductors · 3D demoBound sideways and stick the landingHarder: Box push-off jump
Legs
Rest 90 s between sets
- Dumbbell goblet squat3 × 6 to 8Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Abs · 3D demoSit down between your heelsEasier: Bodyweight squatHarder: Back squat with bands
- Rear-foot-elevated split squat (Bulgarian split squat)2 × 8 each legIntermediate · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoFront knee over your middle toesEasier: Reverse lungeHarder: Split squat jump
- Single-leg Romanian deadlift2 × 8 each legAdvanced · Hamstrings, Glutes, Abs · 3D demoHips level; a hand on a wall if you need itEasier: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
Ankles
- Single-leg stand2 × 30 s each legBeginner · Hip abductors, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoClose your eyes only when it's easyEasier: Tandem stance and heel-to-toe walkHarder: Single-leg reach matrix
- Band ankle eversion8 each sideBeginner · Calves, Shins · 3D demoSlow: about 3 seconds out and 3 backEasier: Isometric ankle eversion against a wallHarder: Pogo hops
- Single-leg calf raise from a step2 × 12 each legIntermediate · Calves · 3D demoFull range, slow on the way downEasier: Slow calf raiseHarder: Single-leg pogo hops
Wrists and arms
- Push-up3 × 8 to 12Intermediate · Chest, Triceps, Shoulders · 3D demoBody in one lineEasier: Wall push-upHarder: Close-grip push-up (close triceps position)
Trunk
- Side plank2 × 20 to 30 s each sideIntermediate · Abs, Hip abductors, Shoulders · 3D demoHips highEasier: Knee side plankHarder: Side plank with leg lift
- Dead bug2 × 8 each sideBeginner · Abs, Hip flexors · 3D demoLow back stays downHarder: Forearm plank
Fall practice (on a mat)
Tips
- Twice a week, on days you don't skate or after skating, not before: tired legs land badly (our suggestion).
- After an ankle sprain, do the balance programme in our sprained ankle guide before going back to tricks: in a trial of athletes with a recent sprain, it cut repeat sprains from 33% to 22%.
- Pain in the hollow at the base of your thumb after a fall needs an X-ray, even if your wrist moves: see our scaphoid fracture guide.
- Adults starting out: lessons with a qualified coach, flat ground before skate parks, and full pads.
- Electric skateboards: in our reading of UK law, they count as motor vehicles, so they're not allowed on pavements or cycle lanes or, in practice, on public roads. Rules differ in other countries.
The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.
Guides that recommend it
Find more moves like these
More sports training
Injury prevention exercises for runners
Foot, calf, balance and hop exercises taken from the running trials with positive results, in a 25-minute home routine for 3 or 4 days a week.
25 minBeginner11 movesOther / check instructions, A bench or box
Plyometrics for runners
A 20-minute hop and bound session for runners: ankle bounces to pogo hops, one-leg hops and bounding, building foot contacts slowly over 10 weeks.
20 minIntermediate8 movesCardio machine
Strength workout for cyclists (gym)
A 50-minute gym session for cyclists: heavy squats, one-leg presses, hip flexion and calf raises as in the cycling trials, plus jumps for bone.
50 minIntermediate13 movesCardio machine, A barbellQuestions people ask
How long does the strength and landing workout for skateboarders: legs, ankles, wrists and core take?
About 45 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.
What equipment do I need?
You need: A step, A dumbbell, A bench or box, A wall, A band. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.
Is it suitable for me?
It is written at intermediate level. 16 of its 20 moves have an easier option listed beside them; use them freely.
How do I make it easier or harder?
Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.