3 Key Body Parts Goalies Neglect To Stretch (but shouldn’t)

You and your groins – you are all about your groins, stretch, stretch, stretch!

But there are lots of other areas that have a huge impact on your performance that you absolutely forget, so I am going to give you three stretches that you must complete every time you even think about stretching your groins.

Deal?

Before I give you the 3 key stretches, I just checked and there are 2 memberships up for grabs before it hits the threshold and the price goes up $10 per month.  Don’t know what I am talking about? Click HERE for all the info – basically, it is the semi-private coaching group for motivated goalies who are ready to take control of their success.

Okay – here are the 3…

1) Lats – stretching your lats will help you stay taller in your torso and that means looking bigger to shooters. It will help your shoulder stay in a nice neutral position, rather than getting pulled forward. This makes it easier to keep your glove in an open position without feeling like you are fighting with your shoulder.

NEW! Do this version with the breathing – do 4 breaths with your palms down and 4 breaths with your palms up.  Breathe in for 4 seconds and out for 6 seconds.

 

2) Shoulders/Chest – this something special is called a Seated Wall Slide and it is tough, tough, tough. You will feel this in your shoulders, but you will also likely feel a big stretch through your mid-back.

Our players will have a workout that includes heavy deadlift, sled pushes, battle ropes, chin ups, you name it and the one they will dread the most is this silly looking thing.

Pay close attention to form.  If you try it and it feels easy, you are probably doing something wrong – or you are a baseball pitcher.

Again, it helps you stay tall in your torso and keep your glove in a good position without as much shoulder fatigue.

 

3) Rectus Femoris – this is the quadriceps muscle that crosses your hip and knee. It gets missed when you do your ½ Kneeling Hip Flexor stretch with your foot on the floor, so make sure you add this one.

It helps you get a little longer skating stride, but more importantly, it helps keep your pelvis in a neutral position rather than the forward tilt that you see in almost any hockey player regardless of position.  This posture, although it makes you look like you have a hockey players butt, puts huge wear and tear on your lower back, steals power from your strides and pushes and leaves you injury prone.  None of those are cool.

Do 10 on each side and make sure you are feeling it in the front of your hip or the front of your thigh.

 

Enjoy!
M

PS – here is your monthly goalie specific training plan.