I am sorry… no idea how we have been together all these years and I don’t see where I have shared this one with you before. I can’t believe it is true since this is one of my go to exercises for off-ice hockey training.
Again, all I can say is sorry.
Here is how to do it…
Start with about 5 meters each way – seriously. Include it twice per week in your off-ice hockey workout – you can even use it as a dynamic warm-up/activation exercise.
You Are Doing It Wrong
If you have not done it before and you find it easy for you – – it isn’t easy, you are just doing it wrong. So go through this checklist to make sure you have the technique dialed in, because if you are not perfectly strict on the technique, you will use other muscles and it will be easy.
- Are your elbows even with your torso (not behind you)?
- Are your elbows tucked into your sides?
- Are you keeping tension on the top of the band – – like it is constantly under stretch?
- Do your hips and shoulders stay PERFECTLY level the entire time? – no side to side sway
- Do your knees stay off the band through out the entire step?
- Do you pick up your trail foot rather than drag it along the floor?
- Are your knees slightly bent?
If you said yes to each of those, then you are probably rubbing the outsides of your hips and shoulders right now and saying ‘Wow, that is way harder than it looks! That Maria is SNEAKY!!’
… yes I am 😉
Burn A Little
Because we are trying to target specific muscles with this exercise, I want you to go until it just burns a little – not to the point where you are in survival mode with your hips and shoulders tied up in a knot. Doing that will make you bring in bigger muscles to help and make a compensation pattern even stronger – not what we are trying to achieve.
What Is The Point?
So what is the point of this hip, shoulder burner anyway?
Good question.
The point is to work a diagonal chain of muscle that goes from the back of your shoulder down, across your body and into the opposite hip. Similar to a chain of muscle that you use when you skate, but the position for this particular exercise puts more of an emphasis on the smaller rotators rather than the bigger extensors.
Got it? Good – now go get it!
