A-Skip Resisted
How to Do It
Wear a belt/band anchored behind (or held by a partner) and perform A-skips moving forward against the resistance — driving the knee to hip height with a dorsiflexed ankle, the opposite arm punching, against the band’s backward pull. Keep tall posture and active ground strikes. Travel against the tension for the prescribed distance.
Why It Works
Adds resistance to the A-skip’s knee-drive mechanic, overloading the hip flexors and the coordinated sprint action; the resistance forces stronger knee drive and ground application, reinforcing acceleration mechanics under load while keeping the teachable skip rhythm.
Hockey Transfer
Strengthens the resisted knee-drive and acceleration mechanics that transfer to a powerful skating start; the overloaded hip flexion and ground contact build the drive used to accelerate while grooving clean sprint posture.
Coaching Cues
- "Drive the knee against the band"
- "tall posture, toe up"
- "active ground strike, punch the arms"
Common Mistakes
Collapsing posture under the load; overstriding; lazy knee drive; the band pulling you out of position
Progression / Regression
heavier resistance or progress into a resisted sprint
lighter resistance or unresisted A-skip
Primary Muscles
Energy System
Alactic/ATP-PC
Put it to work
on the ice.
This exercise is part of a fully periodized 12-week off-ice program — built by a sport scientist who coaches at the national level.
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