Hope you all had an awesome Labour Day weekend (if you get that where you live). Paul and I got up to our condo at Blue Mountain and had an awesome time playing. On Saturday alone we ran 6 miles (up Blue Mountain twice), biked 16-miles and then went out paddle boarding at sunset – whew! It was an awesome day.
If today is your first day back to school – – good luck 🙂
3 new hockey strength exercises for lightning fast changes of direction and startling acceleration.
Remember last week when we talked about finishing the season stronger and faster than you are right now? Then I told you that I would be giving you lots of ways to do that? Then I gave you practical ways to ‘tweak’ your nutrition so you are fueling your body so it will not fail you as the game wears on.
Nothing worse than feeling like your body has betrayed you. You would be shocked at how many players I hear from during the season who say, ‘I don’t understand why I am feeling like I have lost my first step quickness, I worked so hard this off-season.’ My response to them is…. ‘Um…it’s November! What have you been doing the last two months to maintain your strength and power, those are the two ingredients for lightning fast changes of direction and startling acceleration?’
Typically they have been doing…nothing OR in some cases the team has a trainer come in once or twice per week to run off-ice. Very often (not always) this looks something like running stairs.
Nothing against the stairs themselves, but that is an endurance exercise. Yes, it is hard, but it is still endurance. You actually get a fair amount of that skating during practice. What we are talking about is your strength and power for the lightning fast changes of direction and startling acceleration – – remember?
If you are only going to do three exercises (and hopefully you take your hockey seriously enough to do more than just the absolute minimum) these are the ones.
I could easily give you about a hundred exercises that given the right volume and intensity would give you the same result – lightning fast changes of direction and startling acceleration – but I chose these three because you can do them at home with very basically no equipment other than dumbbells.
Of course you can do them at the gym if you prefer, but like the Goalie Workout Club and the Hockey Workout Club programs, I want the workouts accessible whether you have the money for a gym membership (or maybe you just hate going to one of those big box gyms/social clubs) or whether you train at home with basic equipment like some dumbbells and a few resistance bands.
Watch the video below first so you know exactly how to do each exercise.
If you cannot see the video in the player above, simply click on the link below…
http://youtu.be/QBmBSjmu5aE
Here’s how many of each to do…
Skater Hop + Knee Down
- This one is for power and to teach you to apply force from a low position. Failing to get low in the hips is one of the biggest factors limiting your speed right now. This drill will help you solve that issue very quickly.
- Do 3-4 sets of only 5 reps per side.
Elevated Hip Drive
- Your glutes are simply your most powerful skating muscles. You thought it was your quads didn’t you? They are important too, but look at the fastest skaters in the NHL, heck look at the speed skaters on TV in their skintight suits. They have some huge quads, but take a look at their butts! MASSIVE!
- You can add weight to this one by holding dumbbells, weight plates or a barbell across the front of your hips.
- Do 3 sets of 8-12 on each side. If you cannot maintain perfect form, then use two legs to build up the strength…and get ready for a boost in your speed on the ice.
Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat
- This one is to help you build strength. I chose it because it lets you go very heavy since you are not as off-balance as you may be in a single leg squat, but you still need to do some single leg stabilization.
- Oh yeah, it also puts a good emphasis on your glutes – looks like you will be needing some new jeans to fit your new butt!
- Do 3 sets of 4-6 reps on each leg if you have been training consistently, if not then start with 8 reps on each leg.
Happy training!
Cheers,
M
From now until NHL Training Camps Open, you can get your first 4-months of Training for under $20
at Hockey Workout Club or Goalie Workout Club
