Daily Training Tip #580

Be prepared to work when you show up in the gym. Have the right attitude and get after it!

Daily Training Tip #579

As we’ve said numerous times before, your core is the foundation of all athletic movements. There are so many different types of exercise that all train your core. Don’t get caught in the groove of doing the same exercises over and over again. Mix it up!

Daily Training Tip #578

Caffeine and coffee have been a hot topic of discussion lately. I believe, yes, coffee (caffeine) does have some positive affects on your performance. It might help increase your leg strengh to some extent. However, it is a quick fix and doesn't last. The only real way to improve over your entire year is through hard work.


Also, be aware of giving coffee to your youth or even high school athletes. There are so many more different things you can do as a parent to help your young hockey player out than driving them to Starbucks before a game!

Daily Training Tip #577

Using a balance board is a great way to help improve your balance. Using the board also brings you a lot of different training options. You can build strength by throwing a medicine ball while standing on balance board. You can build up your hands by stick handling and passing on the balance board. You can even build explosiveness by jumping on/off the balance board. Using the balance board brings you a lot of different training options.

Daily Training Tip #576

Keep your training routine in tact, even during a holiday break. If you are used to getting up and going to the gym first thing in the morning, continue doing that when your on break from your team. You might not be able to do the same exercises becasue of lack of equipment, but you can still keep your routine! This will help during your first game back.

Daily Training Tip #575

During the season, your focus shifts from off-ice training to on-ice training. However, as I've said before, in-season training is still very crucial to your development. With being on the ice more and having more practices and more games, you need to make the most of your gym time. It doesn't matter if you are in the gym for a workout, a warmup, a cooldown, a rehab session or anything else; make the most of it! Standing around, watching others isn't going to benefit you very much!

Daily Training Tip #574

Paying a price a in the gym, starts with you! Nobody can do the work for you. You need to be determined enough to complete exercises that you've never done before. Same holds true on the ice.


If you think you can, or you think you can't; you're right!

Daily Training Tip #573

Box Jumps are a great exercise for all age athletes to do. However, there is one (1) common error that you need avoid.


Make sure you land softly with your entire foot on top of the box. If not (like below) your toes have a greater chance of slipping off causing your shins to bang the side of the box.

Daily Training Tip #572

Use a stability ball during your workout today.


You can use a stability ball for the majority of your exercises; you can sit on it, lay on it, lean against the wall on the ball and balance on it. Adding the ball helps create balance and incorporates/activates your core in an additional way.

Daily Training Tip #571

Keep your heals flat when squatting! Keeping your heals flat takes the stress away from your knees and forces your quads to do more work.

Daily Training Tip #570

Your training program needs to have different phases. Which really means change. Your body reacts well to change. Each phase needs to be built with a different goal in mind. Typically, a year around program will have four phases; hypertrophy, strength, strength & dynamic effort, and lastly maximal strength & power. Then there also needs to be change with in each phase. Talk with your strength coach or trainer and discuss some of your options. Stear away from doing the same things over and over again!

Daily Training Tip #569

The faster you sprint, the faster you skate. Assisted and resisted sprint training both lead to faster sprint times, but in different ways. Assisted sprint training produces gains in the initial phase of the sprint, while resisted training produces gains in the later phases of the sprint. Both are important to hockey players.


Try the below today. Using bungees to "assist" you in sprinting/skating faster by getting pulled by a partner and using bungees to "resist" you while you are pulling your partner. This is a great way to build speed both at the start and at the end of your sprint. It is also very fun!

Daily Training Tip #568

As a strength coach, it pains me to watch young hockey players have their parents take their hockey bag out of the car, extend the handle and hand it to the player so he/she can roll it into the rink. It pains me even more to see mom or dad roll the bag into the rink while the player walks along side.




Every little thing you do, both as a player and as a person, will have an affect on you. When you show up to the rink today; take your bag out of the car yourself, take the wheels off and carry your own gear into the locker room. You will become a better player for it!

Daily Training Tip #567

Body weight exercises are a great way for youth hockey players to start off-ice training. You can start body weight exercises at any age and continue them until any age! Push-Ups, Sit-Ups, Squats, Pull-Ups, etc are great exercises to do on a regular basis for any age, any ability player.

Daily Training Tip #566

Injuries happen. Unfortunately, they are part of the game and sometimes happen at the worst possible time. What you do, after you are injuried will determine how quickly you return to action. You can do a couple of things to speed up the process.


1) Follow your rehab, as perscribed.

2) Make sure you continue to stay in shape. If you have an upper body injury, ride the bike. If you have an lower body injury, ride an arm bike. If able, you can also swim. Depending on your injury, there are other things you can do as well.

3) Continue to eat and sleep proper through your injury process. Don't stay up late eating chips on the couch!

Doing the little things, when injuried, can help you return to action quicker!

Daily Training Tip #565

Just like when you enter the rink, have confidence when you enter the gym. The more confident you are, the harder you will work and the greater your results will be.

Daily Training Tip #564

Breathing is a small, but important part of your training. When training or when competiting always breathe out during any "hard" parts. Doing this helps get a little more power and helps with your fatigue levels.

Daily Training Tip #563

If you live in the north country, there is no excuses why you can't lift, jump, sprint and skate together on a daily basis.


One of the greatest parts of living in cold climates is the amount of open ice that can be used for skating and pick up games!

Looking out my office window, Clark Lake looks a little different than it does during the summer months!

Daily Training Tip #562

Everyone has been told at one time or another to "think outside the box." Your training is no different. The movements you make while playing the game, aren't confined to a box. Your legs extend outside, your arms extend outside, sometime your arms are out one side while your legs are out the other side of the box. Your training needs to mimic this.


Train outside of the box!

Daily Training Tip #561

In 2010, emergency rooms treated almost 10 times more cases of reactions to energy drinks than in 2005. This increase is caused by a lot of different factors.


You need to be aware of what you ingest into your body. As an athlete, your body needs to be in top shape. Make sure you are eating and drinking properly!

Daily Training Tip #560

If you are trying to catch the person in front of you (or trying to pull farther away from the person behind you) you can not afford to to skip a workout or a practice.


If a coach told you "it is optional" you better take the option of the showing up and working hard. That is the only way you can catch up and bypass.

No matter how long you play the game of hockey, it is going to be too short. You can't afford to miss things!

Daily Training Tip #559

Soak up as much knowledge as you possible can. There are lots of resources out there that can benefit you and your career. However, the key is to sort out what works for you and what doesn't!