Coming Soon January 2008

Coming in January 2008 we will have even MORE great training information, drills, information and workouts for athletes and coaches! Stay tuned!

Step up and exlode for powerful ice strides

Using step-ups in off-ice workouts helps to power your skating on the ice by working key lower body parts---hips, knees, glutes, and hamstrings. Now take it to a totally different level by adding resistance and instead of finishing on the box or bench, step-up and explode into the air!

Here's how:

1. Find a bench or box that can be stepped up on
2. Have a partner stand behind you with a bungee cord or some type of "stretchy" band around your waist
3. With one foot on the box and one foot on the box, explosively drive into the air off of the elevated leg
4. Land and repeat

Perform with the opposite leg.

Check out the video below to see it in action and for suggest sets and reps.

Hurdle drill for fast twitch/knee drive emphasis

Take a step! Although hockey players do not run on the ice, taking steps during dryland training is still a very important element in training for the demands of ice play.

Using the mini hurdles (about 6" high), hockey players can step over hurdles with a couple of different goals in mind.

One goals is to emphasize hip action. Set up about 4-6 hurdles in a line about three feet apart. With one leg in line with the row of hurdles, and the other one "outside", perform a high knee step with the inside leg over the row of hurdles. As you step through, focus on a high knee action raise with the inside leg.

This drill helps with training a "drive" effect with the hips.

Another drill is to perform the same action, except this time instead of a high knee raise, focus on a quick lift with your inside knee. The focus is on quick tapping of the power pad (forefoot) with tiny quick baby steps over each hurdle as fast as possible.

This drill helps to promote quick foot fire and trains the fast twitch muscle fibers.

Incorporate these drills into your program for great results. Perform about 4 sets per leg, and carry your stick as you go through each set (see pic).

Need hurdles? Check out Pro Power Training.

The most important meal of the day--Smoothies for breakfast

Check out this video on how to grab great nutrition on your way out of the house in the morning.

Kettlebell lunges for skating power

The kettlebell is a traditional Russian cast iron weight looking somewhat like a cannonball with a handle. The kettlebell has become a popular exercise tool due largely to the efforts of strength and flexibility coach Pavel Tsatsouline.

Many companies produce their own brands of kettlebells and kettlebell exercise programs. Kettlebell workouts are intended to increase strength, endurance, agility and balance, challenging both the muscular and cardiovascular system with dynamic, total-body movements. They are fantastic for hockey players!

Kettlebell lunges
Lunges performed with bells are important for hockey players since they are a terrific off-ice training exercise. These weighted lunges incorporate the glutes, hamstrings, and quads, as well as the shoulders, ankle and knee joints. Here is how to perform bell walking bell lunges to maximize your ice strength and power:

1. Select a good 10-20 foot lunging path to work with
2. Grip kettlebell by the handles, holding close the sternum
3. With feet in firm parallel position, lung forward at an angle away from the mid point of your body
4. After reaching lunge position, drive off your front leg forward back into a standing position
5. Continue in this manner alternating legs each step as you move forward

A key to remember is that when you lunge forward, mimic that "skaters angle", and step slightly to the the side, not directly forward in a straight line.

Kettelbells are also great for other exercises such as presses, squats and power cleans. Stay tuned for more great kettlebell routines for you dryland training needs!

Use push ups to become a stronger on-ice player

If you are going to be checking players on the ice, you gotta be able to move your own body weight! Push ups are age-old, yet they still remain one of the top strength exercises for hockey players today. Push ups do more than strengthen the arms; when done correctly and with variations, they can become a great total body trainer.

Try adding these tips to your push up routine to take your ice strength to the next level!


Upper Body positions:

• diamond hand position
• wide hand position
• close hand position
• low hand position (hands near waist)

Upper Body "body" positions:

• Incline hands on elevated surface (about 12") using above hand positions
• Incline feet on elevated surface (about 12") using above hand positions
• Hands elevated on 2 individual surfaces so body lowers between hands
• Same as the above, only with feet elevated as well

Core Tips:

• Push ups with one leg off the ground about 4" for duration of the set
• Push ups with one leg off the ground and to the side about 6" for duration of the set
• Push ups with one leg off the ground using elevated hands, feet and different hand positions

Add these tips to your workouts and experiment with them to create your own push up routines. Push up routines can be performed daily, and the strength and conditioning you gain will help your game immensely.