When did hockey players
associate off-ice training with the need to get big? If a
strength and conditioning program does not introduce an athlete
to lifting, is it doing justice to this developing hockey
player? When you look at an athlete on the ice, weaving in and
out of traffic, finishing off checks and controlling the puck
with ease, do you wonder how much he or she can bench press?
Pound for pound, gymnasts may be the strongest athletes. Look at
their overall
capabilities in terms of strength, power and speed. Do they look
like they sit in a gym
and do repetition after repetition of bench presses, curls, and
squats?
Yet, they’re strong and powerful. In the mainstream today it
seems as if an athlete feels that they need to be “big” to be
strong, but that is far from the truth.
We look at an athlete, especially a hockey player, from the
ground up. Strong legs are a key component to a hockey player.
When chasing down a puck dumped into the zone during a
short-handed situation, the speed that a player may reach is
great. Couple that with the need and ability to pick up that
loose puck and break out from in back of the net – all while
limiting the amount of speed lost – is a tremendous task.
As you watch this play develop in your mind, think of what would
be the most advantageous for this player: isolated movements on
a machine focusing solely on a single joint and muscle group, or
a movement skill that would help the athlete stay low and
control his or her center of gravity?
Do we choose a couple of sets lying prone on a knee flexion
machine? Or do we decide to piggyback 30 seconds on a slide
board, and then instantly move into a split stance jump series
to produce the explosive force and drive that our legs will need
to dig our skates into the ice to produce a powerful and
efficient stride?
Let’s look away from the legs now and take a glance at the
stress placed on your
midsection during this same movement. As you race toward the
puck, your center of gravity is slightly shifted forward due to
the forward lean of your trunk in your skating motion. If you
were to take off all of your equipment, you would notice your
trunk rotating or twisting left to right. As you grab the puck
in the corner, your center of gravity has now shifted from this
forward position to the side of your body. Think of the Leaning
Tower of Pisa.
As you race out from in back of the net, you lose an edge. Your
center of gravity is out of control, and you are dependent on
your trunk musculature to help you regain control. How important
is that max bench at this moment? Take your leg circuit from
above and add on some powerful diagonal chops from a split
stance. Now we’re talking specificity. You have addressed your
skating stride and hip power from the slide board and jump
circuit. To that you’ve added strength in movement patterns that
will mimic your body position during the majority of the game.
We’re not advocating the complete and utter disappearance of the
bench press from your strength and conditioning program. We’re
suggesting that you look at the big picture as you participate
in off-ice training. Any exercise or program that allows an
athlete to increase his or her overall muscle mass is a
tremendous advantage when it comes to collision sports. This
increase in muscle mass will allow the athlete to better absorb
the forces that are incurred throughout the game and will also
help to lessen the chances of injury.
Here is a four-exercise circuit that will address many of your
needs as a hockey player
from the ground up:
Slide board – 30 seconds (quality reps, stay low and make sure
to get full extension in
the hip, knee and ankle)
Scissor jumps – 20 total (split Stance – focus on keeping your
trunk tight. Inhale as you go down and explode off your front
leg, exhaling as you jump. Try to hit the clouds with your head.
You want to maximize height and to control your landing as you
come back into contact with the ground.)
X-Chop – 20 each side (split stance – pull the weight past your
hip or knee in a tight and explosive motion. Keep the plane of
the chop diagonal. Think of the pull starting at your right or
left shoulder and going to the opposite hip or knee. Start slow
and progress the speed as your technique improves.)
Push Up with a Pull – 10 each side (put a dumbbell in each hand
and assume a push up
position on the floor. As you do your push up and start to
accelerate up from the ground, pull the dumbbell off the floor
and pull it tight to your body as you turn your trunk to the
left or right. You are just combining a push up with a dumbbell
row).
Complete this simple routine four times and see how you do.
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