A hockey player can begin their season a new and improved player from the hockey-specific training they were free to commit to all off-season. New hockey training programs focus on the secondary characteristics of fitness including dynamic balance, speed, agility, quickness, movement skills, and full-body reaction skills, building more skillful attributes on top of their foundation of anaerobic and aerobic fitness and whole body strength. The right exercises with the right coaching can take your off-ice gains and see them expressed on the ice as improved play.
But what happens when summer turns to a full hockey schedule, with a high volume of time and energy depleted for on-ice practices and games? How much in-season dryland is required to stay at your best and not drop off, yet how much is too much leaving players fatigued for games?
Hockey demands a lot out of the body for optimal performance. But players who do not participate in an in-season conditioning program are commonly detrained by playoff time.
Hockey, while intense and physical, does not present the right overload to adequately build up each specific. Even pro players are de-conditioned at the end of a season, in poorer shape than training camp, without the intervention of a specific exercise program.
If a team practices regularly, and a player receives a regular shift in games, their anaerobic conditioning is likely to be maintained or continue to improve through skating repeated sprint intervals for drills and shifts. Aerobic fitness can be maintained, however does not often increase in-season. Players who reported to camp below a satisfactory aerobic level will need two high intensity aerobic dryland workouts per week – run or bike – for 20 minutes per session in-season but at the top speed and intensity possible.
Upper body strength is the biggest loser over the course of a season. Sprint skating overloads the legs well so prioritize weight room time to upper body and core – ideally through multi-joint lifts which are initiated and fed by the legs. Two to three very short lifts with moderate to heavy weights are needed to maintain upper body strength and mass. Integrating balance and movement into some lifts can chip away at other physical ingredients in the training recipe and help overload muscles in a way that builds Smart Muscle™.
With more limited time and energy to train, with a prioritization method, select the attribute most important to your game, and also your weakest area. This might be quick feet (best) and balance (poorest) for a player who would then ensure they train their most prolific ability and upgrades their poorest attribute all season long.
Good luck with your season!
Peter Twist, 11 year NHL Conditioning Coach, is President of Twist Conditioning Inc, a company that provides franchised Sport Conditioning Centres, Smart Muscle™ Hockey training products and home study coach education. www.twistconditioning.company |
