As you get more advanced with your training, you will find that your core training looks less and less like what you think “core” training should look like. There certainly are not any crunches at all; we never do those other than THIS version…
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There will even be fewer plank variations. You will do more work from an upright position, where you are hopefully spending most of your time on the ice.
The exercises I am about to show will not feel the same as doing 100 crunches; you will not want to roll around on the ground clutching your mid-section.
They are not supposed to. The goal here is stabilization. During a game do you EVER get so fatigued in your abs that they are burning? No you don’t – because your abs don’t work like that on the ice.
So here are three BRAND new core exercises for goalies…enjoy.
1: Tall Kneeling MB Dribble Off The Wall
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The first thing you will notice is that my arm is doing most of the work – that is correct because this is a core stabilization exercise, so our goal is to keep the torso stable, not use it as a force generator.
Once again we are using a medicine ball as a driver, dribbling it hard off the wall. The tall kneeling position puts more stabilization load on your hips and torso AND puts you in a position where you might commonly find yourself on the ice.
Once you get proficient at dribbling the ball off the wall, then try moving through an arc of motion with the ball to change the direction of the force on your torso.
Do 3 sets of 30 dribbles each side. Use your free hand to feel your abdominals throughout the exercise to feel them working and firing.
2: Cable Chop From Half Kneeling Groin Position
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You can use and adjustable cable or a bungee for this exercise.
You will put your adductors (groins) on a stretch for this one. I am trying to emphasize the interaction between the adductors and the abdominal muscles and how they work together as a chain.
In this version you will emphasize the anterior core muscles as they stabilize your torso during the chop action. Remember that you will not rotate your shoulders, I want you moving your arms, but stabilizing the torso.
Do 3 sets of 8 each way. Start with a mild stretch in your outstretched leg and use a light resistance – it can be harder than it looks.
3: Cable Lift From Half Kneeling Groin Position
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You can use and adjustable cable or a bungee for this exercise.
Like the exercise above, this one will emphasize the relationship between the adductors and the muscles of the torso. With the lifting action, the emphasis shifts to the posterior muscles of the torso to stabilize.
Remember, for this exercise you should not be turning your shoulders – remain stable in the torso even if you feel like you could lift further if you turned your body.
Do 3 sets of 8 each way. Start with a mild stretch in your outstretched leg and use a light resistance – it can be harder than it looks.
Happy Training,
M.