Continue developing your core on a daily basis. This is an easy way to help reach your 10,000 training hours.
I can't stress enough the importance of your core. Without a doubt, this area needs to be developed on a daily basis. So crucial to development, injury prevention among numerous other things.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Daily Training Tip #50
Working your way up to 10,000 training hours is training is some aspect on a daily basis! Both physical and mental training are important.
2-3 hours of training on a daily basis will help you elevate your career. According to the book "Outliers" 10,000 hours of training time is what is needed to help you become and expert. In order to reach the 10,000 hours there needs to be 2-3 daily training hours.
Training hours have a wide meaning. Training is in the gym, on the ice, in the classroom, etc. Train your body, your mind and your head. Watch other teams play and study your position. Work on the ice. Work in the gym. Work off the ice shooting pucks and stickhandling.
Two to Three hours on a daily basis.
2-3 hours of training on a daily basis will help you elevate your career. According to the book "Outliers" 10,000 hours of training time is what is needed to help you become and expert. In order to reach the 10,000 hours there needs to be 2-3 daily training hours.
Training hours have a wide meaning. Training is in the gym, on the ice, in the classroom, etc. Train your body, your mind and your head. Watch other teams play and study your position. Work on the ice. Work in the gym. Work off the ice shooting pucks and stickhandling.
Two to Three hours on a daily basis.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Daily Training Tip #49
Everyone is looking for improvement. Continue to do the little things to get that improvement.
The "little things" add up and create big things.
The "little things" add up and create big things.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Daily Training Tip #48
DREAM BIG! And believe BIG things can happen!
This is the time of the year when kids go to bed dreaming of what is going to happen in the morning, what is going to be under the tree when they wake up. I hope all of my athletes DREAM BIG and believe big things are going to happen for them.
Happy Holidays
This is the time of the year when kids go to bed dreaming of what is going to happen in the morning, what is going to be under the tree when they wake up. I hope all of my athletes DREAM BIG and believe big things are going to happen for them.
Happy Holidays
Monday, December 21, 2009
Daily Training Tip #47
Striving for 10,000 hours of training time. Working towards 10,000 hours will help elevate your game. Train in all aspects of development.
10,000 hours is a ton of time. Read the book "The Outliers" it goes into depth on 10,000 hours of training. Pretty interesting.
10,000 hours is a ton of time. Read the book "The Outliers" it goes into depth on 10,000 hours of training. Pretty interesting.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Daily Training Tip #46
When working off of the ice, pick exercises that work multiple muscle groups and multiple movements planes.
Time for training is usually tough to get. Doing exercises that work multiple muscle groups saves time and is better towards your development.
Time for training is usually tough to get. Doing exercises that work multiple muscle groups saves time and is better towards your development.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Daily Training Tip #45
"What you do today-Most people won't...What you do tomorrow-Most people can't"
This is one of my favorite quotes. Take from it what you will.
This is one of my favorite quotes. Take from it what you will.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Daily Training Tip #44
Continue working on your core. Remember all athletic movements originate from your core. It needs to be trained on a daily basis.
I have discussed the importance of your core before. However, I can't stress it enough. If you want to improve your athletic ability in any way, work on your core. If you want to prevent injuries, work on your core. I wrote an artcile back in November entitled 1,000 Abs. Re-read this.
You core can be worked in the gym or at home. You can work on your core with a partner or alone. There are so many different core exercises out there, you have no excuses no to train and develop your core.
I have discussed the importance of your core before. However, I can't stress it enough. If you want to improve your athletic ability in any way, work on your core. If you want to prevent injuries, work on your core. I wrote an artcile back in November entitled 1,000 Abs. Re-read this.
You core can be worked in the gym or at home. You can work on your core with a partner or alone. There are so many different core exercises out there, you have no excuses no to train and develop your core.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Happy Holidays from MHC
This email was sent out to all campers that have attended Minnesota Hockey Camps. Thought I would post this for all of you to read.
From us to you, and to your family and friends.
Dear All MHC Campers and Parents,
Every day our Minnesota Hockey Camps family is proudly working to serve customers like you. Without you, MHC wouldn’t be what it is today. We are offering a simple wish of peace, joy and prosperity that you can spread to your family, friends and teams throughout the hockey world.
Happy Holidays. We look forward to continuing to serve you this upcoming summer.
See you around the rinks,
The MHC Family
From us to you, and to your family and friends.
Dear All MHC Campers and Parents,
Every day our Minnesota Hockey Camps family is proudly working to serve customers like you. Without you, MHC wouldn’t be what it is today. We are offering a simple wish of peace, joy and prosperity that you can spread to your family, friends and teams throughout the hockey world.
Happy Holidays. We look forward to continuing to serve you this upcoming summer.
See you around the rinks,
The MHC Family
Daily Training Tip #43
Any form of development off of the ice and in the gym is a good thing. However, there are good and then BETTER things to do in the gym.
Anything is better than nothing. However, doing the correct and proper exercises will benefit you even more.
Anything is better than nothing. However, doing the correct and proper exercises will benefit you even more.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Daily Training Tip # 42
Training is not like riding a bike. After a long break, you will lose the improvements that you had previously gained.
Never take a long break from your training. There is off-season training, pre-season training, in-season training and post-season training. There is not...no training. Improvements can and do happen all year around. Always work hard in the gym.
Never take a long break from your training. There is off-season training, pre-season training, in-season training and post-season training. There is not...no training. Improvements can and do happen all year around. Always work hard in the gym.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Daily Training Tip #41
Continue doing one-legged exercises in the gym. Players of all ages need to improve on their single leg strength.
Skating happens from a player's belt line down. A player needs to have good leg strength to be able to skate properly. Too many youth players lack enough leg strength to skate properly. Because of this, they learn to skate usinig bad habits. Once a bad habit forms, it is hard to break and learn to skate properly. Developing enough leg strength in the gym, directly relates to a players skating performance on the ice.
Skating happens from a player's belt line down. A player needs to have good leg strength to be able to skate properly. Too many youth players lack enough leg strength to skate properly. Because of this, they learn to skate usinig bad habits. Once a bad habit forms, it is hard to break and learn to skate properly. Developing enough leg strength in the gym, directly relates to a players skating performance on the ice.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Daily Training Tip #40
You play games with pride and passion. You need to display that same pride and passion in the gym when you are training.
Hardwork will achieve you anything you want. Hardwork is a constent thing, you do it all the time. If you treat your training the same way as you treat a game, you will excel beyond your dreams.
Hardwork will achieve you anything you want. Hardwork is a constent thing, you do it all the time. If you treat your training the same way as you treat a game, you will excel beyond your dreams.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Daily Training Tip #39
Warm-up properly before all workouts, practices and games. You should have a sweat before starting your activity.
Go for a short jog, then a dynamic warm-up. Dynamic Warm-Up is one that is done while moving. You should have a good sweat going and should be starting get a little short of breath. Now you are ready for competition.
Go for a short jog, then a dynamic warm-up. Dynamic Warm-Up is one that is done while moving. You should have a good sweat going and should be starting get a little short of breath. Now you are ready for competition.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Daily Training Tip #38
Make sure you continue to eat well, do your situps and body squats. You can develope into as good of a player as you want to be.
I think it is pretty simple. You can develope into the type of player that you want to be. The harder and smarter you work, the better you will become. Continue doing the little things on a daily basis. All of the little things add up and create seperation between you and your opponent.
I think it is pretty simple. You can develope into the type of player that you want to be. The harder and smarter you work, the better you will become. Continue doing the little things on a daily basis. All of the little things add up and create seperation between you and your opponent.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Daily Training Tip #37
In terms of player development, 8 games equals 1 practice. Players get more development time from practice than from games.
Too much priority is on winning. The priority needs to be on player development. The better players become, the better teams become. The better teams become, the more games they win. Practices/Training time needs to be focused on player development.
Too much priority is on winning. The priority needs to be on player development. The better players become, the better teams become. The better teams become, the more games they win. Practices/Training time needs to be focused on player development.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Daily Training Tip #36
Listen to your trainers and team doctors before you return to play after a concussion. Concussions are not to be taken lightly.
Listen to someone that really cares about you. Listen to someone that will put your health/safety above the team. Sometimes, a player is forced to return to play before they are ready. If you have a concussion and are wondering when you can return to play, talk to someone that really knows.
Listen to someone that really cares about you. Listen to someone that will put your health/safety above the team. Sometimes, a player is forced to return to play before they are ready. If you have a concussion and are wondering when you can return to play, talk to someone that really knows.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Daily Training Tip #35
Concussions are a hot topic right now. Don't return to play until you are healed up. It is not worth the risk!
There are lots of discussions going on in all sports right now about the risks of concussions. Don't take the chance of possible future problems. Sit out of play until you are all healed up. You will be better for it in the long run.
There are lots of discussions going on in all sports right now about the risks of concussions. Don't take the chance of possible future problems. Sit out of play until you are all healed up. You will be better for it in the long run.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Daily Training Tip #34
When doing jumping exercises, land softly on your feet, reload and expload back up into the air. Let your ankles, knees and hips absorb the shock.
Landing softly requires some athletic ability. Stay on the "balls" of your feet. There shouldn't be much noise when you land after a jump. Practice this skill!
Landing softly requires some athletic ability. Stay on the "balls" of your feet. There shouldn't be much noise when you land after a jump. Practice this skill!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Daily Training Tip #33
Hardwork is just that. It isn't always easy, but it is what seperates you from the others. It is what keeps you ahead of the pack.
The great players work hard. That is the key to success; at any level, at any profession, in anyone life. Hardwork preceeds success. The harder you work, the better you become. Most people think they work hard, while few actually work hard.
The great players work hard. That is the key to success; at any level, at any profession, in anyone life. Hardwork preceeds success. The harder you work, the better you become. Most people think they work hard, while few actually work hard.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thanksgiving Message from a True Mentor
Below is a message from one of my greatest mentors. This was an email that he sent out on Thanksgiving. Thought I would share it with all of you.
Thanksgiving and Gratitude
All the best on a day we have a lot to be thankful for. Sports, like life, are a true test of a person's intangibles. Lifetime relationships are developed over a short period of time because of the dynamics of the sport, demands of the job and the people we have the opportunity to meet through our travels. You are one of those special ones.
The game of hockey, like life, is full of people in all capacities who know the value of validating and anointing themselves beyond other's beliefs, words, feelings and evaluations. We learn early on that we control our own destiny by acquiring the skill to express our skills.
Others do not validate our worth and success.
We all recognize the need for support systems in every person's life, but it still comes down to each of us just "getting it done". This process has a way of separating the strong from the Wannabe; people who believe they can make a difference versus people who just think they can be something. Only the strong will survive!
Keep supporting each other and the results will be dynamic. We are all part of something much bigger than all of us combined;
namely each person's life and career.
Thanksgiving and Gratitude
All the best on a day we have a lot to be thankful for. Sports, like life, are a true test of a person's intangibles. Lifetime relationships are developed over a short period of time because of the dynamics of the sport, demands of the job and the people we have the opportunity to meet through our travels. You are one of those special ones.
The game of hockey, like life, is full of people in all capacities who know the value of validating and anointing themselves beyond other's beliefs, words, feelings and evaluations. We learn early on that we control our own destiny by acquiring the skill to express our skills.
Others do not validate our worth and success.
We all recognize the need for support systems in every person's life, but it still comes down to each of us just "getting it done". This process has a way of separating the strong from the Wannabe; people who believe they can make a difference versus people who just think they can be something. Only the strong will survive!
Keep supporting each other and the results will be dynamic. We are all part of something much bigger than all of us combined;
namely each person's life and career.
Daily Training Tip # 32
Continue to do your one-legged squats. You should be able to do three sets of ten perfectly.
Remember to keep good form. Get your butt down and keep your chest up. Try hard to keep your other leg from touching anything, working on balance.
Remember to keep good form. Get your butt down and keep your chest up. Try hard to keep your other leg from touching anything, working on balance.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Daily Training Tip # 31
Use this Thanksgiving break to get caught up on your academics, sleep, training and to heal up any injuries you might have.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Daily Training Tip #30
Control your diet over the Holidays. Continue putting the proper fuel into your body.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Daily Training Tip # 29
Hockey is a one-legged sport. Start doing one-legged exercises in the gym, like one leg squats.
When skating on the ice, a player gets his/her power from one leg. You need to be able to support yourself on the other leg. Work on one-legged activities in the gym.
When skating on the ice, a player gets his/her power from one leg. You need to be able to support yourself on the other leg. Work on one-legged activities in the gym.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Daily Training Tip # 28
Mental training and development is just as important as Physical training and development.
You have to have a good head on your shoulders to play the game of hockey. Training the mental side of the game is just as important and the physical side. The mental side includes everything from knowledge of the game, to mental preparation, to quick thinking, to situational play etc. Don't forget to train your head!
You have to have a good head on your shoulders to play the game of hockey. Training the mental side of the game is just as important and the physical side. The mental side includes everything from knowledge of the game, to mental preparation, to quick thinking, to situational play etc. Don't forget to train your head!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Daily Training Tip #27
Make sure your exercises in the weightroom mimic the movements you do on the ice sheet.
These days training time is at a minimum. Once inside the gym, you need to maximize your time. Complete exercises that are hockey specific.
These days training time is at a minimum. Once inside the gym, you need to maximize your time. Complete exercises that are hockey specific.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Daily Training Tip #26
Complete an active dynamic warm-up before all workouts, practices and games.
Making sure your body is ready to perform is crucial. Physically preparing for a workout should be very similiar to how you physically prepare for a game. Making sure your body is ready to preform helps to prevent injury, maximize performance and helps with post workout recovery.
A dynamic warm-up is a warm-up that is done while moving. Static stretching is stationary and can be done after workouts. Dynamic warm-ups are active and reach all the major muscle groups and movement planes. Pick exercise warm-ups that are sport specific to the sport you are currently playing.
Making sure your body is ready to perform is crucial. Physically preparing for a workout should be very similiar to how you physically prepare for a game. Making sure your body is ready to preform helps to prevent injury, maximize performance and helps with post workout recovery.
A dynamic warm-up is a warm-up that is done while moving. Static stretching is stationary and can be done after workouts. Dynamic warm-ups are active and reach all the major muscle groups and movement planes. Pick exercise warm-ups that are sport specific to the sport you are currently playing.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Daily Training Tips #11-25
D.T.T.#11 Jump and Squat-Jump and Squat-Jump and Squat
D.T.T.#12 Hockey is a one-legged sport.
D.T.T.#13 Complete different exercises that focus on one leg at a time. This helps builds balance.
D.T.T.#14 Continue working on your core.
D.T.T.#15 Try completing 500 situps today. Mix it up between 5 different kinds of situps.
D.T.T.#16 Continue your 500 daily situps and add in 50 body squats. Continue keeping perfect form.
D.T.T.#17 The faster you sprint, the faster you skate. Add some sprinting into your daily workouts.
D.T.T.#18 Complete 40yd sprints today. Use the walk back for recovery.
D.T.T.#19 Post workout recovery is just as important as the workout itself.
D.T.T.#20 Drink water, it is your best "supplement."
D.T.T.#21 Just like a high performance sports car-your body needs the proper fuel to be able to compete at a high level.
D.T.T.#22 Along with diet and physical development, getting enough sleep at night will help improve your performance.
D.T.T.#23 How are your core workouts coming along?
D.T.T.#24 When jumping during a workout, land softly on your feet, reload and jump up again.
D.T.T.#25 Proper fuel means a balanced healthy diet and plenty of healthy fluids.
D.T.T.#12 Hockey is a one-legged sport.
D.T.T.#13 Complete different exercises that focus on one leg at a time. This helps builds balance.
D.T.T.#14 Continue working on your core.
D.T.T.#15 Try completing 500 situps today. Mix it up between 5 different kinds of situps.
D.T.T.#16 Continue your 500 daily situps and add in 50 body squats. Continue keeping perfect form.
D.T.T.#17 The faster you sprint, the faster you skate. Add some sprinting into your daily workouts.
D.T.T.#18 Complete 40yd sprints today. Use the walk back for recovery.
D.T.T.#19 Post workout recovery is just as important as the workout itself.
D.T.T.#20 Drink water, it is your best "supplement."
D.T.T.#21 Just like a high performance sports car-your body needs the proper fuel to be able to compete at a high level.
D.T.T.#22 Along with diet and physical development, getting enough sleep at night will help improve your performance.
D.T.T.#23 How are your core workouts coming along?
D.T.T.#24 When jumping during a workout, land softly on your feet, reload and jump up again.
D.T.T.#25 Proper fuel means a balanced healthy diet and plenty of healthy fluids.
Daily Training Tips
Let's get caught up on my past Daily Training Tips (D.T.T)
D.T.T. #1 Your core is the foundation of all athletic movements. Train it properly!
D.T.T. #2 Read "Hockey Conditioning" article titled "1000 abs" on our website http://www.mnhockeycamps.com/ to help yourself develope your core.
D.T.T. #3 Your core is a non-fatiguing area, which means you can train and develope it on a daily basis.
D.T.T. #4 Can't stress enough how important your core is. Foundation of all athletic movements.
D.T.T. #5 1000 Abs a day keeps the doctor away and helps you achieve your goals!
D.T.T. #6 Overall strength is important in the game of hockey, however leg strength is crucial.
D.T.T #7 Squat with perfect form first, then increase the weight
D.T.T.#8 Slowly increase your max squat so you are able to work up to 2.5 times of your body weight. This might take a long time to achieve.
D.T.T.#9 Work your lower body on a daily basis.
D.T.T.#10 Along with lower body strength, lower body explosive power is also crucial to your development.
D.T.T. #1 Your core is the foundation of all athletic movements. Train it properly!
D.T.T. #2 Read "Hockey Conditioning" article titled "1000 abs" on our website http://www.mnhockeycamps.com/ to help yourself develope your core.
D.T.T. #3 Your core is a non-fatiguing area, which means you can train and develope it on a daily basis.
D.T.T. #4 Can't stress enough how important your core is. Foundation of all athletic movements.
D.T.T. #5 1000 Abs a day keeps the doctor away and helps you achieve your goals!
D.T.T. #6 Overall strength is important in the game of hockey, however leg strength is crucial.
D.T.T #7 Squat with perfect form first, then increase the weight
D.T.T.#8 Slowly increase your max squat so you are able to work up to 2.5 times of your body weight. This might take a long time to achieve.
D.T.T.#9 Work your lower body on a daily basis.
D.T.T.#10 Along with lower body strength, lower body explosive power is also crucial to your development.
Friday, November 13, 2009
WHERE OUR FOCUS NEEDS TO BE
Being a multi-sport athlete and having an off-season is crucial to becoming a great hockey player.
Hockey players are so focused on playing on the best team, scoring the most goals, and making that select team in the summer time. They continue to neglect the most important ingredient for development. With today’s hockey players, where is the time for playing another sport or spending lots of time in the gym developing your body? It isn’t there! The focus is only on winning and playing games, all year long.
Young hockey players need to see the benefit of being a multi-sport athlete. They need to see the benefit of completing an off-season workout program. We need to learn from our European counterparts. Europeans spend fun time playing soccer, basketball and tennis to develop other skills related to hockey. While the other sports are not priority, they participate enough to develop other athletic skills related to hockey.
European players do not skate or play hockey games 12 months a year. European players spend their off-seasons playing other sports, and training off-ice to prepare for the hockey season. This means there is an off-season. It is safe to say that the European players train 2 ½ times more than North Americans.
Last month’s Olympic Games and the men’s hockey tournament are a prime example. Sweden took home the gold. They were followed by Finland (silver), Czech Republic (bronze), and Russia took fourth. The top four placed teams are all outside of North America. If we break it down even further, Slovakia beat the United States and Latvia tied the United States. There are no secrets. They simply have more quality training at an age where young people improve the most. No gimmicks; just a well thought out, quality training plan.
We have gone on record before saying, “We are creating generations of players who have distaste for training.” A 10 or 12-year-old player living in the United States is usually skating in a summer exposure tournament. While his European counterpart is either A) taking one month off B) playing another sport or C) training in a hockey specific off-ice workout program.
If we look at the National Hockey League there is not one US born player under the age of 26 in the top 100 in scoring. There are 13 Europeans under the age of 26 in the top 100 in scoring in the NHL.
There are 42 Europeans in the top 100 in scoring in the NHL. There are 9 Americans in the top 100 in scoring.
Sweden has 9 players in the top 100. There are 9 million people that live in Sweden. Finland has 5 players in the top 100. There are 5 million people that live in Finland. Czech Republic has 10 in the top 100 and has a population of 10 million people. Slovakia has 7 scorers in the top 100 and there are 5 million people that live in Slovakia. Statistically, there is one player per million of population in the top 100 in scoring in the National Hockey League of these small countries.
Let’s compare that with the US population. If we take out the non-hockey playing states and only look at New England, New York, Michigan, and Minnesota alone, there are more than 100 million people. Statistically, that would be 1 top 100 scorer per 10 million people. These smaller countries are producing 10 times more top 100 scorers in the NHL than the US is.
I go back to an earlier thought. We can either learn from our European counterparts and TRAIN & PREPARE for our upcoming hockey seasons, or we can turn to gimmicks and shortcuts to try and reach our goals.
Our philosophy at Minnesota Hockey Camps is to TRAIN & PREPARE for your upcoming season. We don’t want to leave anything to chance. We believe that a player is made in the off-season.
In the strength and conditioning field, when preparing a weight program, the off-season phase is the hardest, most demanding phase. Athletes need to work the hardest during this phase to maximize the benefits. Benefits come from time and energy in the weight room and dryland activities.
If a young player is always focusing on playing games during the summer time, when can he work through an off-season workout program? When can he improve and become a better player? What will happen next year when everyone passes him up? It is scary to think of the answers to these questions.
If we rated, 15 to 22 year old players, in each age group at the beginning of the season, that rating would change before the season concluded. NHL Central Scouting is a glaring example. Player rankings change from pre-season rankings to mid-term rankings to the final rankings with only a few months in between each ranking.
Being a multi-sport athlete helps improve your athletic ability. Becoming a better athlete will help you become a better hockey player. By playing other sports, an athlete can improve and strengthen muscles that are not used in the sport of hockey, therefore becoming a better hockey player.
American born players have the mind-set of being the best. Having this mind-set is a good thing. This mind-set can hinder your performance. Because of the mind-set most North Americans have, they want to play games and showcase their skills all season long. They want to go to every tryout, make every team and play every single game all year around. Where is the time for training? Where is the time for other sports? Where is the time for a summer camp, an important element of growth in any young person’s life?
Imagine having this mind-set of being the best. Imagine haveing 30 players in a group who all have the same mind-set. Imagine all of these players going through a plyometrics work out at the same time, each one trying to be the best. What a sight! Now imagine on the other side of the room another group of 30 players lifting weights. We have sixty players from all over the country, all working towards perfection at the same time, and all of them respectful of each person’s aspirations and goals. Each player is pushing his counterpart in life. Each player is trying to be the best, thinking towards next year and striving to meet their goals. This is what happens for ten weeks each summer at Minnesota Hockey Camps.
Think what each of these players brings back to their home town teams in the fall. All the improvements they have made, all the knowledge they have learned, and all the training they received. None of this would have happened had they spent their summer playing games.
Having an off-season workout program and being a multi-sport athlete works for the Europeans, why wouldn’t it work for us?
Minnesota Hockey Camps has developed a hockey specific off-season program like none other. It has worked for over 25 years with thousands of athletes. Minnesota Hockey Camps has been a summer destination to over 300 players that have played in the National Hockey League. Twenty-five of those players have won a major award. Those players dedicated themselves to furthering their careers through determination and hard work with no shortcuts.
We can line the walls with 8 x 10’s of successful athletes. More important, we can line the walls further with productive citizens in real life.
Summers spent at Minnesota Hockey Camps have proven to be the right thing for players who want to go to another level in the game. We are a time tested place that preaches “Hard work is fun!”
MHC – “Helping Others Help Themselves”
Hockey players are so focused on playing on the best team, scoring the most goals, and making that select team in the summer time. They continue to neglect the most important ingredient for development. With today’s hockey players, where is the time for playing another sport or spending lots of time in the gym developing your body? It isn’t there! The focus is only on winning and playing games, all year long.
Young hockey players need to see the benefit of being a multi-sport athlete. They need to see the benefit of completing an off-season workout program. We need to learn from our European counterparts. Europeans spend fun time playing soccer, basketball and tennis to develop other skills related to hockey. While the other sports are not priority, they participate enough to develop other athletic skills related to hockey.
European players do not skate or play hockey games 12 months a year. European players spend their off-seasons playing other sports, and training off-ice to prepare for the hockey season. This means there is an off-season. It is safe to say that the European players train 2 ½ times more than North Americans.
Last month’s Olympic Games and the men’s hockey tournament are a prime example. Sweden took home the gold. They were followed by Finland (silver), Czech Republic (bronze), and Russia took fourth. The top four placed teams are all outside of North America. If we break it down even further, Slovakia beat the United States and Latvia tied the United States. There are no secrets. They simply have more quality training at an age where young people improve the most. No gimmicks; just a well thought out, quality training plan.
We have gone on record before saying, “We are creating generations of players who have distaste for training.” A 10 or 12-year-old player living in the United States is usually skating in a summer exposure tournament. While his European counterpart is either A) taking one month off B) playing another sport or C) training in a hockey specific off-ice workout program.
If we look at the National Hockey League there is not one US born player under the age of 26 in the top 100 in scoring. There are 13 Europeans under the age of 26 in the top 100 in scoring in the NHL.
There are 42 Europeans in the top 100 in scoring in the NHL. There are 9 Americans in the top 100 in scoring.
Sweden has 9 players in the top 100. There are 9 million people that live in Sweden. Finland has 5 players in the top 100. There are 5 million people that live in Finland. Czech Republic has 10 in the top 100 and has a population of 10 million people. Slovakia has 7 scorers in the top 100 and there are 5 million people that live in Slovakia. Statistically, there is one player per million of population in the top 100 in scoring in the National Hockey League of these small countries.
Let’s compare that with the US population. If we take out the non-hockey playing states and only look at New England, New York, Michigan, and Minnesota alone, there are more than 100 million people. Statistically, that would be 1 top 100 scorer per 10 million people. These smaller countries are producing 10 times more top 100 scorers in the NHL than the US is.
I go back to an earlier thought. We can either learn from our European counterparts and TRAIN & PREPARE for our upcoming hockey seasons, or we can turn to gimmicks and shortcuts to try and reach our goals.
Our philosophy at Minnesota Hockey Camps is to TRAIN & PREPARE for your upcoming season. We don’t want to leave anything to chance. We believe that a player is made in the off-season.
In the strength and conditioning field, when preparing a weight program, the off-season phase is the hardest, most demanding phase. Athletes need to work the hardest during this phase to maximize the benefits. Benefits come from time and energy in the weight room and dryland activities.
If a young player is always focusing on playing games during the summer time, when can he work through an off-season workout program? When can he improve and become a better player? What will happen next year when everyone passes him up? It is scary to think of the answers to these questions.
If we rated, 15 to 22 year old players, in each age group at the beginning of the season, that rating would change before the season concluded. NHL Central Scouting is a glaring example. Player rankings change from pre-season rankings to mid-term rankings to the final rankings with only a few months in between each ranking.
Being a multi-sport athlete helps improve your athletic ability. Becoming a better athlete will help you become a better hockey player. By playing other sports, an athlete can improve and strengthen muscles that are not used in the sport of hockey, therefore becoming a better hockey player.
American born players have the mind-set of being the best. Having this mind-set is a good thing. This mind-set can hinder your performance. Because of the mind-set most North Americans have, they want to play games and showcase their skills all season long. They want to go to every tryout, make every team and play every single game all year around. Where is the time for training? Where is the time for other sports? Where is the time for a summer camp, an important element of growth in any young person’s life?
Imagine having this mind-set of being the best. Imagine haveing 30 players in a group who all have the same mind-set. Imagine all of these players going through a plyometrics work out at the same time, each one trying to be the best. What a sight! Now imagine on the other side of the room another group of 30 players lifting weights. We have sixty players from all over the country, all working towards perfection at the same time, and all of them respectful of each person’s aspirations and goals. Each player is pushing his counterpart in life. Each player is trying to be the best, thinking towards next year and striving to meet their goals. This is what happens for ten weeks each summer at Minnesota Hockey Camps.
Think what each of these players brings back to their home town teams in the fall. All the improvements they have made, all the knowledge they have learned, and all the training they received. None of this would have happened had they spent their summer playing games.
Having an off-season workout program and being a multi-sport athlete works for the Europeans, why wouldn’t it work for us?
Minnesota Hockey Camps has developed a hockey specific off-season program like none other. It has worked for over 25 years with thousands of athletes. Minnesota Hockey Camps has been a summer destination to over 300 players that have played in the National Hockey League. Twenty-five of those players have won a major award. Those players dedicated themselves to furthering their careers through determination and hard work with no shortcuts.
We can line the walls with 8 x 10’s of successful athletes. More important, we can line the walls further with productive citizens in real life.
Summers spent at Minnesota Hockey Camps have proven to be the right thing for players who want to go to another level in the game. We are a time tested place that preaches “Hard work is fun!”
MHC – “Helping Others Help Themselves”
1000 Abs
Everyone that has heard me speak on different training topics knows my views on training your abdominal muscles. These muscles are commonly known as abs, core, pillar, and many more, but they describe the area between your nipple line down to your mid-thighs. Both your front and your back are included in this area.
I view this area to be one of the most important areas to develop to become a better athlete and better hockey player. This is true because every athletic movement you perform originates in this area. If you want to shoot the puck harder, strengthen your core. If you want to skate faster, strengthen your core. If you want to have better balance, strengthen your core. Do you get the picture?
Your core also needs to be developed because it is the first area of your body that breaks down and gets fatigued during a game. As soon as a player bends over and rests his/her stick on their thighs and glides around, they are starting to get tired. This is the first sign of fatigue. In an average player, this happens late in the second period. With one entire period left to play, your core muscles may already be showing signs of fatigue. One quick and easy way to improve your stamina is to strengthen your core.
Your core is both the front of your body and the back. All four areas (red, blue, green, and purple) need to be exercised for your performance to be improved. There are different exercises for each area of your core. For instance, a regular crunch works your “red dot” area, trunk twists work your “blue dot” area, and supermans work your “green dot” and “purple dot” area.
My experiences show me, when you are training your core you can train it all the time. A general rule of thumb when in the weight room is to give yourself a minimum of eight hours of rest between workouts, or one workout daily. However, I do not find this to be true with your core. You can train your core as often as you would like.
Because your core is the foundation of all athletic movements, during a workout, a practice, or a game, your core is very involved and is always working. To insure your core is up to the challenge of all this work, we need to prepare your core. We prepare the core by doing sit-ups. I use the word sit-up for a generic term for all movements that work your core. A crunch is a sit-up, a leg lift is a sit-up, a bridge is a sit-up, etc.
The more you work your core, the stronger it becomes. To get the most out of your core, start slowly, but try to work up to 1,000 sit-ups each day with the exception of game days. The only thing you should do on game day is prepare for and play a great game. Every other day, if you complete 1,000 sit-ups you will be better preparing yourself for games.
One thousand sit-ups a day sounds like a lot, but if you break it down it takes no time and little effort. Start off by picking ten different types of sit-ups, two from each category. Do 100 of each one. There are four categories; two from each category makes 800 sit-ups. For the last 200, choose any of your favorite sit-ups. Spread your sit-ups out evenly through out the day. Complete them in increments of 100 or 200. Do 200 right when you wake up, 200 at lunchtime, 100 before practice, 100 after practice, 100 after dinner, 200 after homework, and 100 right before you go to bed. It should take you about two minutes to complete 100 sit-ups or 20 minutes to complete all one thousand of them. This isn’t a lot to ask to become a better athlete, is it?
When you break it down, it is easy to complete one thousand sit-ups daily, and become a better hockey player. It is the little things that make big players.
Good luck with your training! Any questions, please ask.
MHC – “Helping Others, Help Themselves!”
I view this area to be one of the most important areas to develop to become a better athlete and better hockey player. This is true because every athletic movement you perform originates in this area. If you want to shoot the puck harder, strengthen your core. If you want to skate faster, strengthen your core. If you want to have better balance, strengthen your core. Do you get the picture?
Your core also needs to be developed because it is the first area of your body that breaks down and gets fatigued during a game. As soon as a player bends over and rests his/her stick on their thighs and glides around, they are starting to get tired. This is the first sign of fatigue. In an average player, this happens late in the second period. With one entire period left to play, your core muscles may already be showing signs of fatigue. One quick and easy way to improve your stamina is to strengthen your core.
Your core is both the front of your body and the back. All four areas (red, blue, green, and purple) need to be exercised for your performance to be improved. There are different exercises for each area of your core. For instance, a regular crunch works your “red dot” area, trunk twists work your “blue dot” area, and supermans work your “green dot” and “purple dot” area.
My experiences show me, when you are training your core you can train it all the time. A general rule of thumb when in the weight room is to give yourself a minimum of eight hours of rest between workouts, or one workout daily. However, I do not find this to be true with your core. You can train your core as often as you would like.
Because your core is the foundation of all athletic movements, during a workout, a practice, or a game, your core is very involved and is always working. To insure your core is up to the challenge of all this work, we need to prepare your core. We prepare the core by doing sit-ups. I use the word sit-up for a generic term for all movements that work your core. A crunch is a sit-up, a leg lift is a sit-up, a bridge is a sit-up, etc.
The more you work your core, the stronger it becomes. To get the most out of your core, start slowly, but try to work up to 1,000 sit-ups each day with the exception of game days. The only thing you should do on game day is prepare for and play a great game. Every other day, if you complete 1,000 sit-ups you will be better preparing yourself for games.
One thousand sit-ups a day sounds like a lot, but if you break it down it takes no time and little effort. Start off by picking ten different types of sit-ups, two from each category. Do 100 of each one. There are four categories; two from each category makes 800 sit-ups. For the last 200, choose any of your favorite sit-ups. Spread your sit-ups out evenly through out the day. Complete them in increments of 100 or 200. Do 200 right when you wake up, 200 at lunchtime, 100 before practice, 100 after practice, 100 after dinner, 200 after homework, and 100 right before you go to bed. It should take you about two minutes to complete 100 sit-ups or 20 minutes to complete all one thousand of them. This isn’t a lot to ask to become a better athlete, is it?
When you break it down, it is easy to complete one thousand sit-ups daily, and become a better hockey player. It is the little things that make big players.
Good luck with your training! Any questions, please ask.
MHC – “Helping Others, Help Themselves!”
LOWER BODY, ONE-LEGGED SPORT
The game of hockey is like none other. It is played on a frozen ice surface and the only contact you have with that ice is by means of a 1/8 inch wide steel blade. Hockey is a game that is played from your nipple line down to your toes. It is primarily a lower body sport. Another unique characteristic of hockey is, it is a one leg sport.
Your “money makers” are your legs. Without strong legs, you will not be a hockey player. Hockey is played from your nipple line down. It starts with your core, your hips, and moves down to your gluteus maximus, through your quadriceps, through your calves, and ends up transferring to the ice through your steel blades.
Core – More commonly known as your abs, is the foundation of all athletic movements. Every movement an athlete makes, originates here. One of the easiest ways to become a better athlete/hockey player is to improve your core. If you want to shoot the puck harder, skate faster, have better balance, or have a quicker glove save, improving your core will help you.
Your core is also the first area that fatigues. As soon as you bend over and place your stick across your knees, you’re starting to fatigue. In a Division 1 collegiate hockey player this happens around the half way point of the game. You can extend your “fatigue point” by working on your core. If you core is in good shape, you will fatigue later in the game. You develop your core by doing 1,000 sit-ups daily.
Gluteus Maximus – More commonly referred to as your butt, (along with your quadriceps referred to as your “hockey muscles”) is what makes you a great skater.
Quadriceps – Is the name given to the front of your legs from your hip down to your knee.
Hips – Is the name given to the junction area between your legs and torso.
These muscles are the area that you should spend the majority of your training time on. The stronger your butt, quads, and hips are, the better skater, hockey player you will become, guaranteed.
You always hear of players that are never knocked off the puck, powerful skaters, unbeatable in the corners, have a good drive to the net, great balance, fast, and explosive. All of these characteristics of a good player are because of the butt, quads, and hips. The more you develop these areas, the better you become. You develop your Gluteus Maximus, Quadriceps, and Hips by doing back squats, front squats, weighted squat jumps, and plyometrics.
Calves – Is the name given to the back of your legs from your knee down to your ankle. These play a minor role with your skating power, but yet a crucial little detail. Your calves produce that last little push. When your leg is fully extended, you push from your heel through your toes. When you flex and extend your toes (for the last little push) your calves are doing the work. This is a minor detail that many people forget about.
Your calves do not need to be as developed as your butt, quads, or hips, but do need to be in shape. Stronger calves make for a stronger kick at the end of each stride, which will make you a more explosive skater. You can develop your calves by doing calve raises or by just walking on your toes for a while.
Steel Blades – Is the piece of equipment that transfers all the power your legs produce into the ice, which propels you in any given direction. Without this 1/8 inch thick piece of steel that is attached to the bottom of your skate, you wouldn’t be able to skate. Make sure your blades are shape for every skate. Dull blades will force you not to have powerful strides.
During an average shift, a player is on one leg around 80% of the time. This is another issue that makes hockey a unique sport. While skating, you get the majority of your power from one leg and then the other. The lead leg is supporting all of your weight, while the trail leg extends outward pushing you forward. If that lead leg cannot hold your body weight alone, for an extended amount of time, your stride will become shorter. It will become shorter because your back leg will hurry through the stride and get back to help support the weight. If your stride becomes shorter, you become a slower skater. However, if your front leg can hold the weight, your back leg can fully extend and produce a long powerful stride. This is another reason why hockey is played from the waist down and your “money makers” need to be strong.
When skating forward, sometimes a power turn is necessary to escape a defender. During a power turn, your inside lead leg might be exposed to 500 pounds of pressure. If your leg is not strong enough to withstand 500 pounds of pressure, it will collapse, causing you to fall and go sliding into the boards. How can you make a play when your laying flat on your back next to the boards? Power turns are a common ingredient for an escape move. If your legs aren’t strong enough to let you do power turns, you will not be a dynamic player and the power turn will not be in your bag of tricks.
The common theme when training for the unique sport of hockey is to train your lower body. Your entire body needs to be in good physical shape, but your focus of your training needs to be from your nipple line down. If your training time is limited, pick an exercise for each area of your lower body.
For all of this lower body training to be effective, you need to be flexible. To become flexible stretch, stretch, and stretch some more. You should be stretching before and after every practice and workout. This should give you four stretching periods a day. Stretching will improve on your training results and will help prevent injury.
The game of hockey is like none other. Training for hockey also needs to be like none other. The harder you work and prepare, the better you play. “Courage + Training = Success!” Pick a workout and workout schedule that works best for you and work as hard as you possibly can. GREAT THINGS WILL HAPPEN!
Good luck with your training! Any questions, please ask.
MHC – “Helping Others, Help Themselves!”
Your “money makers” are your legs. Without strong legs, you will not be a hockey player. Hockey is played from your nipple line down. It starts with your core, your hips, and moves down to your gluteus maximus, through your quadriceps, through your calves, and ends up transferring to the ice through your steel blades.
Core – More commonly known as your abs, is the foundation of all athletic movements. Every movement an athlete makes, originates here. One of the easiest ways to become a better athlete/hockey player is to improve your core. If you want to shoot the puck harder, skate faster, have better balance, or have a quicker glove save, improving your core will help you.
Your core is also the first area that fatigues. As soon as you bend over and place your stick across your knees, you’re starting to fatigue. In a Division 1 collegiate hockey player this happens around the half way point of the game. You can extend your “fatigue point” by working on your core. If you core is in good shape, you will fatigue later in the game. You develop your core by doing 1,000 sit-ups daily.
Gluteus Maximus – More commonly referred to as your butt, (along with your quadriceps referred to as your “hockey muscles”) is what makes you a great skater.
Quadriceps – Is the name given to the front of your legs from your hip down to your knee.
Hips – Is the name given to the junction area between your legs and torso.
These muscles are the area that you should spend the majority of your training time on. The stronger your butt, quads, and hips are, the better skater, hockey player you will become, guaranteed.
You always hear of players that are never knocked off the puck, powerful skaters, unbeatable in the corners, have a good drive to the net, great balance, fast, and explosive. All of these characteristics of a good player are because of the butt, quads, and hips. The more you develop these areas, the better you become. You develop your Gluteus Maximus, Quadriceps, and Hips by doing back squats, front squats, weighted squat jumps, and plyometrics.
Calves – Is the name given to the back of your legs from your knee down to your ankle. These play a minor role with your skating power, but yet a crucial little detail. Your calves produce that last little push. When your leg is fully extended, you push from your heel through your toes. When you flex and extend your toes (for the last little push) your calves are doing the work. This is a minor detail that many people forget about.
Your calves do not need to be as developed as your butt, quads, or hips, but do need to be in shape. Stronger calves make for a stronger kick at the end of each stride, which will make you a more explosive skater. You can develop your calves by doing calve raises or by just walking on your toes for a while.
Steel Blades – Is the piece of equipment that transfers all the power your legs produce into the ice, which propels you in any given direction. Without this 1/8 inch thick piece of steel that is attached to the bottom of your skate, you wouldn’t be able to skate. Make sure your blades are shape for every skate. Dull blades will force you not to have powerful strides.
During an average shift, a player is on one leg around 80% of the time. This is another issue that makes hockey a unique sport. While skating, you get the majority of your power from one leg and then the other. The lead leg is supporting all of your weight, while the trail leg extends outward pushing you forward. If that lead leg cannot hold your body weight alone, for an extended amount of time, your stride will become shorter. It will become shorter because your back leg will hurry through the stride and get back to help support the weight. If your stride becomes shorter, you become a slower skater. However, if your front leg can hold the weight, your back leg can fully extend and produce a long powerful stride. This is another reason why hockey is played from the waist down and your “money makers” need to be strong.
When skating forward, sometimes a power turn is necessary to escape a defender. During a power turn, your inside lead leg might be exposed to 500 pounds of pressure. If your leg is not strong enough to withstand 500 pounds of pressure, it will collapse, causing you to fall and go sliding into the boards. How can you make a play when your laying flat on your back next to the boards? Power turns are a common ingredient for an escape move. If your legs aren’t strong enough to let you do power turns, you will not be a dynamic player and the power turn will not be in your bag of tricks.
The common theme when training for the unique sport of hockey is to train your lower body. Your entire body needs to be in good physical shape, but your focus of your training needs to be from your nipple line down. If your training time is limited, pick an exercise for each area of your lower body.
For all of this lower body training to be effective, you need to be flexible. To become flexible stretch, stretch, and stretch some more. You should be stretching before and after every practice and workout. This should give you four stretching periods a day. Stretching will improve on your training results and will help prevent injury.
The game of hockey is like none other. Training for hockey also needs to be like none other. The harder you work and prepare, the better you play. “Courage + Training = Success!” Pick a workout and workout schedule that works best for you and work as hard as you possibly can. GREAT THINGS WILL HAPPEN!
Good luck with your training! Any questions, please ask.
MHC – “Helping Others, Help Themselves!”
“MAKING HOCKEY PLAYERS WITH NO EXTRA COST”
With new skates and sticks, the game of hockey is expensive enough. Why pay more than you have to during the season to become a better player?
The cost to rent an hour of ice is always increasing (also hard to come by), the cost of a gym membership is rather expensive, the cost to purchase a home gym is also expensive and sometimes there is no extra space inside your house, all of this and the price of gas to drive to and from the rink and the gym is rising daily. There is no more money to spare.
Parents ask me often enough how can I help my young athlete become a better player while keeping down the cost? This can be done by using things you probably currently have inside your own home or inside your home rink.
During the course of the winter I calculate a kid carries his/her hockey bag to and from the rink 4 times a week (two practices/two games) over the course of the season at 16 weeks long. 64 total times at the rink. A young player could carry his/her bag into the rink and back out to the car a minimum of 128 times. Most kids are probably going to the rink more than four times a week and the season is usually more than 16 weeks. So a player can become stronger just by carrying their bag. This costs you, as a parent, nothing. This trend is almost out the door because parents either carry the bag or the bag rolls on wheels. Why not help your son/daughter out, help them develop into a stronger athlete and make them carry their own bag?
As long as we are on the topic of the hockey bag, it can be used for another purpose. The hockey bag can also be used as a hurdle and jumped over. If a player can do 5 sets of 30 second lateral hops over their bag each day, they will become a better skater. Once a player masters the double leg lateral hop over their bag, they can try a single leg hop over it. A player can complete this either at home, in the basement or at the rink in the locker room before a practice.
If the entire team joins together and uses their bags, they can do multiple bag jumps. Space as many bags as you can two feet apart in a straight line and jump over one at a time until you make it through the entire line. You can either do forward jumps or lateral jumps, either way will help a young athlete improve their skating ability. This would have to be completed in the locker room either before practice of after practice. Either way it is free of charge and will help the team improve individually and will help build a little teamwork. The entire team can join in and have a little contest to see who can complete the most jumps during the given time. I recommend doing 3 sets of 30 seconds of both forward jumps and lateral jumps over 6-10 bags.
Another piece of training equipment that probably every young player has access to is a set of stairs. These stairs can be used in multiple ways to help develop leg strength. Just by walking up and down the stairs builds leg strength. Take this one step further and run up and down. A little more advanced run up and down skipping a step, then two, then three etc. For a change of pace, an athlete can hop up and down the steps, hitting every step, and then skipping steps. More advanced try it single leg.
Another leg strength exercise that costs nothing is doing body squats. Have a young athlete stand with their legs shoulder width apart, keeping their feet flat on the floor, squat down until their thighs are parallel to the ground and then stand up. If they could work up to completing 5 sets of 50 squats each day, they will see an improvement in their leg strength within 4-6 weeks.
A young player can complete all of these exercises for the lower body, become a better skater and cost you, as parents, no additional cost.
Along with improving the lower body, there are cheap ways to strengthen a young athlete’s upper body as well. Everyone knows of the body weight exercises that all young athletes should perform on a daily basis: push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups etc. These are all great but take it one step further and perform some hockey specific exercises.
Shoulders, core and backs are important to the development of a hockey player. Strengthening shoulders is rather easy. Take two carrying cases of six water bottles, one in each hand, standing upright, keep arms straight and lift your arms straight up in front of you until they are parallel to the ground. Slowly lower arms back to the starting position and repeat. Complete 3 sets of 10 on a daily basis. Holding the same water bottles, keeping your arms straight, lift your arms straight out to your side (forming a cross) until they are parallel to the ground. Complete 3 sets of 10 on a daily basis.
Using water bottles is a great thing for numerous reasons. One every team has a bunch of water bottles. Two, younger athletes can use half filled bottles for less weight while older athletes can fill them completely to the top and then add more bottles if need be. Three, when an athlete is done with the exercises they have water readily available to drink and rehydrate from. If an athlete needs more weight than the bottles provide, use puck bags.
An athletes’ core needs to be strengthened on a daily basis, for ideas read my article “One Thousand Abs.” To add some weight when strengthening a players’ core, including their back, hold onto the water bottles again or even the puck bag. Be creative, really anything will work.
These are all ideas to help athletes improve their strength, in a hockey specific manner, so they can develop into the player they aspire to be. All of these ideas cost you, as parents, nothing! There can now be no excuses why a player cannot be doing some sort of training. Hockey is a competitive game. Every advantage one player can get will help them out.
“Help Your Kids, Help Themselves”
The cost to rent an hour of ice is always increasing (also hard to come by), the cost of a gym membership is rather expensive, the cost to purchase a home gym is also expensive and sometimes there is no extra space inside your house, all of this and the price of gas to drive to and from the rink and the gym is rising daily. There is no more money to spare.
Parents ask me often enough how can I help my young athlete become a better player while keeping down the cost? This can be done by using things you probably currently have inside your own home or inside your home rink.
During the course of the winter I calculate a kid carries his/her hockey bag to and from the rink 4 times a week (two practices/two games) over the course of the season at 16 weeks long. 64 total times at the rink. A young player could carry his/her bag into the rink and back out to the car a minimum of 128 times. Most kids are probably going to the rink more than four times a week and the season is usually more than 16 weeks. So a player can become stronger just by carrying their bag. This costs you, as a parent, nothing. This trend is almost out the door because parents either carry the bag or the bag rolls on wheels. Why not help your son/daughter out, help them develop into a stronger athlete and make them carry their own bag?
As long as we are on the topic of the hockey bag, it can be used for another purpose. The hockey bag can also be used as a hurdle and jumped over. If a player can do 5 sets of 30 second lateral hops over their bag each day, they will become a better skater. Once a player masters the double leg lateral hop over their bag, they can try a single leg hop over it. A player can complete this either at home, in the basement or at the rink in the locker room before a practice.
If the entire team joins together and uses their bags, they can do multiple bag jumps. Space as many bags as you can two feet apart in a straight line and jump over one at a time until you make it through the entire line. You can either do forward jumps or lateral jumps, either way will help a young athlete improve their skating ability. This would have to be completed in the locker room either before practice of after practice. Either way it is free of charge and will help the team improve individually and will help build a little teamwork. The entire team can join in and have a little contest to see who can complete the most jumps during the given time. I recommend doing 3 sets of 30 seconds of both forward jumps and lateral jumps over 6-10 bags.
Another piece of training equipment that probably every young player has access to is a set of stairs. These stairs can be used in multiple ways to help develop leg strength. Just by walking up and down the stairs builds leg strength. Take this one step further and run up and down. A little more advanced run up and down skipping a step, then two, then three etc. For a change of pace, an athlete can hop up and down the steps, hitting every step, and then skipping steps. More advanced try it single leg.
Another leg strength exercise that costs nothing is doing body squats. Have a young athlete stand with their legs shoulder width apart, keeping their feet flat on the floor, squat down until their thighs are parallel to the ground and then stand up. If they could work up to completing 5 sets of 50 squats each day, they will see an improvement in their leg strength within 4-6 weeks.
A young player can complete all of these exercises for the lower body, become a better skater and cost you, as parents, no additional cost.
Along with improving the lower body, there are cheap ways to strengthen a young athlete’s upper body as well. Everyone knows of the body weight exercises that all young athletes should perform on a daily basis: push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups etc. These are all great but take it one step further and perform some hockey specific exercises.
Shoulders, core and backs are important to the development of a hockey player. Strengthening shoulders is rather easy. Take two carrying cases of six water bottles, one in each hand, standing upright, keep arms straight and lift your arms straight up in front of you until they are parallel to the ground. Slowly lower arms back to the starting position and repeat. Complete 3 sets of 10 on a daily basis. Holding the same water bottles, keeping your arms straight, lift your arms straight out to your side (forming a cross) until they are parallel to the ground. Complete 3 sets of 10 on a daily basis.
Using water bottles is a great thing for numerous reasons. One every team has a bunch of water bottles. Two, younger athletes can use half filled bottles for less weight while older athletes can fill them completely to the top and then add more bottles if need be. Three, when an athlete is done with the exercises they have water readily available to drink and rehydrate from. If an athlete needs more weight than the bottles provide, use puck bags.
An athletes’ core needs to be strengthened on a daily basis, for ideas read my article “One Thousand Abs.” To add some weight when strengthening a players’ core, including their back, hold onto the water bottles again or even the puck bag. Be creative, really anything will work.
These are all ideas to help athletes improve their strength, in a hockey specific manner, so they can develop into the player they aspire to be. All of these ideas cost you, as parents, nothing! There can now be no excuses why a player cannot be doing some sort of training. Hockey is a competitive game. Every advantage one player can get will help them out.
“Help Your Kids, Help Themselves”
In-Season Training
10/14/05
Tryouts are over. Teams have been picked. The time is now, the time for the games to begin.
As the 2005 hockey season begins, it is important that you have prepared. The better you have prepared, the better you will play. For those of you that have trained with us this summer, you are already one step ahead of the rest. You have trained smart and trained hard, so good things will happen.
However, just because the season has started does not mean your training stops. In-Season Training is just as important as Off-Season Training. The season is long, typically about 20 weeks. If you do not continue to train, you will lose the conditioning base that you worked so hard to build over the summer months in just 6-8 weeks! The season will not even be half way over yet and you could be starting to fatigue! The idea behind In-Season Training is two fold:
1) To maintain what you have built over the summer months (strength, speed, power, endurance, flexibility, and your mental edge)
2) To improve on the little things to become a better hockey player during the playoffs (speed, quickness, balance, hands, head, heart, and your mental edge) After all, the playoffs are what make a season memorable! The focus during the hockey season needs to be on your performance on the ice. In-Season Training should be short and focused. Keep in mind that games do not keep you in “game shape.” To stay in “game shape” you need to continue training all season long.
Because everyone’s seasons are different (number of games, amount of travel time, level of play, etc.) you need to develop an in-season program that works well for you and fits into your schedule. Here are a few guidelines to follow:
· Continue to work your “core” daily
· Do flexibility work before and after every practice, game, or workout
· Perform combination training 2-3 times a week (strength training-weights, power training- plyometrics, and speed training-sprints)
75% of your speed training should be done on the ice
· Do not train within 48 hours before a game
· Do not spend more than 1 hour for each workout
· Spend more time handling the puck, both on and off the ice
· Constantly study the game (watch NHL and college games on TV, listen to coaches, and watch your peers)
· Drink plenty of water each day
· Eat a balanced diet, especially the night before a game
· Get at least 8 hours of sleep, especially two nights prior to a game
Following these guidelines will help maintain what you have developed during the summer months; you might even see some improvements in your strength, speed, and power.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at hockeystrength@hotmail.com
Check the website every couple of weeks as I will be posting articles on “Plyometrics,” “Running Fast –vs- Skating Fast,” “Hockey is a 1 Leg Sport,” “1,000 Abs,” and others.
GOOD LUCK to all of you!
Yours in Hockey - Joe
Tryouts are over. Teams have been picked. The time is now, the time for the games to begin.
As the 2005 hockey season begins, it is important that you have prepared. The better you have prepared, the better you will play. For those of you that have trained with us this summer, you are already one step ahead of the rest. You have trained smart and trained hard, so good things will happen.
However, just because the season has started does not mean your training stops. In-Season Training is just as important as Off-Season Training. The season is long, typically about 20 weeks. If you do not continue to train, you will lose the conditioning base that you worked so hard to build over the summer months in just 6-8 weeks! The season will not even be half way over yet and you could be starting to fatigue! The idea behind In-Season Training is two fold:
1) To maintain what you have built over the summer months (strength, speed, power, endurance, flexibility, and your mental edge)
2) To improve on the little things to become a better hockey player during the playoffs (speed, quickness, balance, hands, head, heart, and your mental edge) After all, the playoffs are what make a season memorable! The focus during the hockey season needs to be on your performance on the ice. In-Season Training should be short and focused. Keep in mind that games do not keep you in “game shape.” To stay in “game shape” you need to continue training all season long.
Because everyone’s seasons are different (number of games, amount of travel time, level of play, etc.) you need to develop an in-season program that works well for you and fits into your schedule. Here are a few guidelines to follow:
· Continue to work your “core” daily
· Do flexibility work before and after every practice, game, or workout
· Perform combination training 2-3 times a week (strength training-weights, power training- plyometrics, and speed training-sprints)
75% of your speed training should be done on the ice
· Do not train within 48 hours before a game
· Do not spend more than 1 hour for each workout
· Spend more time handling the puck, both on and off the ice
· Constantly study the game (watch NHL and college games on TV, listen to coaches, and watch your peers)
· Drink plenty of water each day
· Eat a balanced diet, especially the night before a game
· Get at least 8 hours of sleep, especially two nights prior to a game
Following these guidelines will help maintain what you have developed during the summer months; you might even see some improvements in your strength, speed, and power.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at hockeystrength@hotmail.com
Check the website every couple of weeks as I will be posting articles on “Plyometrics,” “Running Fast –vs- Skating Fast,” “Hockey is a 1 Leg Sport,” “1,000 Abs,” and others.
GOOD LUCK to all of you!
Yours in Hockey - Joe
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