Welcome to another Monday! Hope you had a great weekend. Paul and I were in Toronto for Saturday/Sunday. Toronto is only a 2.5 hour drive from home, so we typically try to get there every year around this time for some Christmas shopping and for dinner at one of our favourite restaurants. It was a great weekend and the weather really cooperated with some very nice mild temperatures so we could roam around without our big heavy coats; very odd for this time of year.
We almost got trapped in downtown Toronto because the Santa Claus parade was getting ready to roll past just as we were trying to exit the parking garage. The block where we exited was blocked off by barricades at either end. There was a moment of panic that we would be stuck there for 1.5 hours while the parade past, but a bystander saw our issue and moved one of the barricades enough for us to squeak out on to the street and make our escape – Thank you guy with the Tim Hortons coffee cup!
Off-Ice Training for Hockey Refs
As you know I train hockey players from all different levels of the game, but what you might not know is that this past off-season I had the opportunity to train my first elite level hockey ref. It was great fun helping him prepare for the rigors of the season. I know a few of you are refs as well, so here is my annual in-season training routine for hockey refs. This one is in response to a question about maintaining speed and stamina during the season, so here goes…
If you want to maintain your speed we need to work on leg power. To maintain your stamina you need to do longer bouts of high intensity work interspersed with active recovery. For example, while you are resting your legs, we will put your arms or core to work and vice versa. I love to use circuits for players and refs alike during the off-season, so here is my ref specific in-season off-ice training circuit.
Circuit 1: Leg Power for Refs
A1 – DB Squat Jump x 6 (hold 5-10lbs dumbbells)
A2- Core Plank w Marching Feet x 10-15 each foot
A3 – Lateral Hop 2-Count and Stick x 5 off right foot
A4 – Right Side Plank x 30 seconds
A5 – Lateral Hop 2-Count and Stick x 5 off left foot
A6- Left Side Plank x 30 seconds
Repeat this circuit 3 times with 2 minutes of rest between circuits. Do this twice per week.
Circuit 2: Stamina
A1- Agility Ladder Scissor Switch x 30 seconds
A2 – BG or Cable Step and Chop x 15 seconds each
A3- Agility Ladder Wide Lateral Shuffle x 30 seconds
A4 – Single Leg Standing BG Punch x 15 seconds each leg
A5 – Agility Ladder Ins & Outs 3 Forward: 1 Back x 30 seconds
A6 – Reverse Lunge to BG Row x 15 seconds each
Repeat this circuit 3 times. Rest 3 minutes between circuits. Repeat 1-2 times per week.
Not sure what all of these exercises are or how to do them, don’t worry – I will shoot a video for you and post it later this week. Watch for it!
Happy Monday all!
Cheers,
Maria