Daily Training Tip #844

Pool workouts, such as aqua jogging, are a great way to stay conditioned while injuried. Also help improve condition and can build explosive power by completing plyometrics in the shallow end of the pool.
Add a little variety to your workout today, find a pool!

Daily Training Tip #843

It takes a minimum of 15 minutes of training a day for 4-6 weeks to start to see improvement. You need to work more than that to reach the goals you have set for yourself, but 15 minutes a day isn't asking too much. Work Hard and Work Smart!

Daily Training Tip #842

We all had coaches tell us to 'practice the way you play.' Same thing holds true when you are training off the ice or off the filed. Train the way you expect yourself to play. Don't take a single rep off! Always competing with yourself, Striving for Excellence!

Daily Training Tip #841

Knowledge is Power. Especially in the gym. Work Hard and Work Smart and you are well on your way to reaching all of your goals!

Daily Training Tip #840

The Holiday Season is the most traveled time of the year. With all the family visits, vacations, hotel stays; who makes time to work out? Where ever you are this Holiday Season, make sure you get some sort of workout in. Skate with your old team, skate together with family on a frozen lake, go for a run, hammer out some abs and some squats. You owe it to your body to not miss a day of training!

Daily Training Tip #839

It's your career. It belongs to you, no one else! Make sure you are doing everything possible to advance it and put yourself in a position to succeed.

Daily Training Tip #838

Knowledge is Power! Know why you are completing each exercise/routine that you are doing. This allows you to change things up in order to better reach your training goals.

Daily Training Tip #837

You can build explosiveness by simply adding speed to each lift you do. For instance, if your 'normal' back squat takes three (3) seconds to complete, cut that time in half to 1.5 seconds and you will be building explosiveness. Be quick, be fast, be good!

Daily Training Tip #836

Your pregame 'warmup' starts way before a half hour before the game. The physical part might be 30 minutes before, but the things leading up to that start happen in the hours, days, weeks and even months before the big game.

Daily Training Tip #835

Improve your balance by completing any exercise you do on an unstable surface. An unstable surface is a swiss ball, a bosu, a balance board or even standing on one leg.

Daily Training Tip #834

Sprint, Sprint, Sprint!

Doesn't matter what sport you are in, SPRINT! To build areobic endurance, sprint often with short rest in between. Get your body use to sprinting, not running slow.

Daily Training Tip #833

It takes two (2) cups of water to rehydrate after one (1) cup of coffee. Other caffeninated drinks take more water. The more coffee you drink, the more water it takes. If you can't drink that much water, you shouldn't drink that much coffee!

Daily Training Tip #832

As schedules get busier this time of the season, make sure you continue your training routine. There really is no need to spend hours in the gym each day. You can increase the intensity and shorten the time and see better results! High Intensity training is something that everyone can do.

Daily Training Tip #831

Athletes can't fit into 'Skinny Jeans.' They spend the majority of their training time developing their legs. Most athletics are played from the nipple line down. Your legs are the foundation of your body and need to be trained that way. With the added work, they will increase in size, strength, power and explosiveness. Put the dumbbells away for awhile and get into the squat rank!

Daily Training Tip #830

Start your workout with exercises that engage multiple muscle groups. These exercises such as power cleans and squats use more energy, strength and power to complete. Then end your workouts with simplier exercises like bicep curls.

Daily Training Tip #829

The best pieces of equipment and/or exercises that are in the gym are the ones that you don't know how to do. Learn how to do everything in the gym. Your body reacts well to change and like to do new exercises and new workouts. Get out of your comfort zone!

Daily Training Tip #827

If doing a normal push up is getting too easy, then build on it! Add in an explosive clap every five (5) pushups or complete three (3) pushups and explode up into a squat jump and explode into the air. Making your 'everyday' exercises more advanced will produce more positive results.

Daily Training Tip #826

Your training needs to be geared towards preparing yourself for gameday. Are you ready for Gameday?

Daily Training Tip #825

There are many ways and many ideas on how to train your core, however, the best approach is core training through functional movement exercises.

Daily Training Tip #824

We all know about getting prepared for your game before the game. However, some of us are missing doing the proper things the night before the game. Eating, Drinking and Sleeping properly the night before your game will directly affect your performance during the game.

Make sure you are always doing the little things properly.

Daily Training Tip #823

Wear the proper clothing when you are working out. You won't get the most out of your workout if you are wearing jeans!

Daily Training Tip #822

If you want to improve body control, muscle strength and overall fitness level; then increase your jumping abilities. Add in plyometrics to your daily workout routine.

Daily Training Tip #821

Your workouts should become so ingrained in you that it becomes a ritual. You know that before (or after) every practice you are going into the gym. You know that before work (or school) you are going into the gym. You keep doing this each and every day, so much that it becomes something you have to do. Getting to this point will really get the results coming!

Daily Training Tip #820

Prepare yourself for your workouts before you leave the house. Make sure you received enough sleep, eat the proper diet, get the right amount of fluids and be in the proper mind set. Then leave the house and head into the gym.

Daily Training Tip #819

As we are starting the Holiday Season, make sure your Holiday Traditions are filled with healthy habits. Eat healthy and stay active!

Daily Training Tip #818

Be consistent. Improvements do not happen over night. They start to show 4-6 weeks down the road after a solid month of 'paying the price' working out. Be consistent and show up to the gym on a regular basis.

Daily Training Tip #817

Your Strength is your foundation of all other athletic movements. Without Strength, you can't sprint, jump, skate, shoot, stickhandle, bike, tackle, etc. Build your strength from the ground up!

Daily Training Tip #816

Everyone has heard a coach say "it takes him a couple of shifts to get going." Don't let that happen to you. By completing the proper dynamic warmup before a game (or practice) you will be ready for the puck drop.

Daily Training Tip #815

Injury Prevention helps you stay on the field. Rehab helps you get back on the field.

Daily Training Tip #814

As discussed before, testing is completed to show progress. After a test, when you see the results, you can only look in one direction. Look yourself in the mirror and think about what you have been doing leading up to the test. If you have been honestly working hard and working smart, you are well on your way!

Daily Training Tip #813

Everyone has a busy schedule. Make time time for your workouts, even if it has to come during your lunch break!

Daily Training Tip #812

We understand there are days you have a ton of homework to complete. Academics need to come first, however, there is no need to put training on the back step. Bring your homework to the gym with you. Get a math problem done during your rest periods of your workout. Read a page or two of your book in between different exercises. There is plenty of time to complete both your homework and your workout!

Put your academics first, but not at the expense of your training!

Daily Training Tip #811

Push Ups can be done by everyone regardless of age/ability/goals/etc. Push Ups can easily be made more difficult/intense or easier/less intense. Push Ups can be done anywhere; in the gym or at home or even in a hotel! Make push ups part of your daily workout routine!

Daily Training Tip #810

Your core is a Non-Fatiguing Area. Which means you can work/train/develop it all the time. You do not need any "rest days" for your core, you should be training it all of the time!

1000 Abs!

Daily Training Tip #809

Purchase yourself a medicine (or weighted) ball. There are so many different workouts you can do with them at the gym, at home or even on the road.

Daily Training Tip #808

Ten minutes is better than none! Everyone has a busy schedule, sometimes it is hard to fit a workout in, however don't skip it completely. Working out for ten minutes is better than nothing. There are plenty of things to do in your own home for those ten minutes; body squats, push ups, situps, all can be done in under ten minutes and with no equipment. There is always time for improvemet!

Daily Training Tip #807

You will get more out of a workout by going as hard as you possibly can. Train at your highest intensity. When you have nothing left to give, leave. You will get much more out of going 45 minutes hard than you will going a hour and a half at half speed.

Daily Training Tip #806

Moving your feet is as simple as your head telling your feet to move and then your feet actually moving. Training will keep your feet moving fast and let your head think about another part of the game.

Daily Training Tip #805

Make sure you are aware how your body tracks during your exercises. For example; during a squat, make sure your knees stay in line, stay behind your toes, chest stays & head stay up and your back stay arched. "Caving" your knees in during a squat can be harmful.

Daily Training Tip #804

Stay light, Stay soft, Stay quick on your feet.

Daily Training Tip #803

If you are failing to see results one of two things is probably true 1) You are not working hard enough 2) You are not working smart enough. So change it up! Change up your work ethic or Change up workouts. It takes 4-6 weeks to start seeing positive results from your workouts. If you haven't seen any results, it's time to change it up!

Work Hard and Work Smart!

Daily Training Tip #802

Great article came out yesterday. "Of theAthletes that get 8 hours of sleep or more a night, 68% are less likely to sustain injury." Another great reason to make sure you get enough sleep at night!

Daily Training Tip #801

Make sure your workouts are specific to your needs. We've spoke about sport specific needs, but also general health needs. There are so many different types of workouts out there, some help you reach your specific needs, some do not. Make sure you put yourself on the proper path for your success!

Daily Training Tip #800

Your body reacts well to change. Make sure you are changing up your workouts on a monthly basis to produce the best results!

Daily Training Tip #799

If you are a fast twitch muscle fiber athlete (quick/fast athlete) it is more important to train anaerobically, not aerobically. Every anaerobic workout can be made aerobic by shortening your rest. Shortening your rest inbetween sets/reps will help build your aerobic performance. Stay away from long, slow runs or bike rides.

Daily Training Tip #798

Buy yourself a resistance bands (a big heavy rubber band). This single piece of equipment can be used in so many different ways to create a great workout for yourself. These bands can be easily put into your suitecase when traveling so you can continue your workouts on the road!

Daily Training Tip #797

It's much easier for you to Stay in Shape then it is to get back into shape. Don't quit what you have already started!

Daily Training Tip #796

Athleticism is being big, strong, quick, fast, agile, adaptable, explosive, powerful, etc, etc, etc. A good athlete is a combination of raw athleticism and sport specific skill. You have to be an athlete AND shoot pucks on a daily basis. Shooting pucks daily is a good thing, but it is only half of the battle! Become an Athlete!!!!

Daily Training Tip #795

A short (5-7 minutes) dynamic warmup is the best thing for you to do before a workout. Make sure your body is prepared for your training!

Daily Training Tip #794

Daily repitition of motion makes things natural and fluid. Daily repitition helps you do things "without thinking." This is cognitive training. Do it daily!

Daily Training Tip #793

Make sure you are working all 4 areas of your development; Skating, Lifting, Sprinting and Jump. Make sure you are doing all 4 on a daily basis.

Daily Training Tip #792

If your core is the foundation of all athletic movements, shouldn't your core get exercised during each workout?

Every single movement you do, weather it be a sport specific movement or an every day simple movement your core is activated. So yes, every exercise you complete does train your core. However, to see an improvement in the condition of your core (which leads to better results) you need to specifically focus on your core, even if just for a bit!

Daily Training Tip #791

Functional Training is known and completed worldwide and is a great thing. However, there is a lot of confusion about what this is. Functional Training is training with a logical progression towards becoming a better athlete. It's NOT just throwing exercises 'in a hat' and pulling out the 'hardest' lifts. It's a great way to become a better athlete!

I've been saying this for years, it's about working hard and working smart! If you need some help in designing and/or implementing a program, just ask!

Daily Training Tip #790

A good off-ice warmup is crucial to the outcome of the practice and/or game. The warmup should be 15-20 minutes in length and get your heart rate elevated, get a good sweat going and loosen you up. Time it correctly, so the warmup ends 7 minutes before you have to be on the ice. Quickly get your gear on in 7 minutes and get on the ice!

Daily Training Tip #789

Completing the same workout, but varying the amount of rest in between each exercise can have a positive affect on your body. Shorter rest can help improve your strength. Varying that rest slightly helps 'keep your body' fresh!

Daily Training Tip #788

There is always a fine balance between your strength, power, explosiveness and balnce. Which means you need to be completing a complete workout program that improves on each of those four categories. Improving on one and not the others will yield less improvements. Improve on all four equally!

Daily Training Tip #787

You always make sure you put the proper gas in your car when you fill up? Why don't you always put the proper 'gas' in your system when you fill up?

Working out by itself is only part of the puzzle. What you put into your body is the other piece. Make sure you are eating a proper well balanced diet for your meals and for your snacks inbetween meals.

Daily Training Tip #786

Nobody cares how 'funny' you think you look when you are doing certain exercises. Nobody cares if you drop a little bit of sweat on the gym floor. If everyone did the same as you, worked as hard as you, sweated as much as you, then everyone would get the same results as you. Don't worry about what everyone else thinks, just go do it!

Daily Training Tip #785

Lunges are an important exercise that every workout program should have. There are four different types of lunges that you can do; front lunges, skater lunges, side lunges and reverse lunges. Feel free to mix it up and/or complete all four different types.

Make sure you take a big, long step so your knee ends up straight over your ankle, sink your hips down so you lead thigh ends up parrallel to the ground. Breath out on the hard part!

Daily Training Tip #784

A swiss ball is a great piece of equipment to add to your home gym or to add to your daily workout routine. A swiss ball can be used for building strength, power, stretching, balance and conditioning. Swiss balls are a cheap piece of equipment that can really add to your program.

Make sure to purchase an 'anti-burst' ball!

Daily Training Tip #783

I've covered this one before, but it is important enough to touch on again. Breathing is easy, it is something we do without thinking all the time. However, while training breathing does take a little skill. Remember to breathe out during the hard part of the lift/exercise. Continue practicing this skill until you master it!

Daily Training Tip #782

Being a multi sport is a good thing. However, you need to be doing something hockey specific on a daily basis. That can include; hockey specific training, shooting/stickhandling pucks, skating, etc. Your hockey career is too short to take 3 months completely off of hockey while you play another sport.

There is plenty of time to complete a fall sport AND to become a better hockey player!

Daily Training Tip #781

Physical testing is nothing more than measuring your improvement. The older, more advanced, more elite you become; the harder it is to improve on certain tests.

First, this is why it is so important to pay a price early on and improve when you get the chance.

Second, a test is just that. It isn't going to decide what happens on the rink or the playing field. Make sure you are continuing to pay a heck of a price so you put yourself into the best possible position to succeed on the rink!

Daily Training Tip #780

It's really as simple as this..."You get what you put in"

Daily Training Tip #779

I completely understand that things come up and sometimes you aren't able to make a workout. However, don't make excuses on why you can't attend. If you are out of town, workout in some way, shape or form while you are on the road. If you are injuried, if possible, workout a different part of your body. If you can't attend at a certain time, make time during a different part of the day. Don't make excuses! #JGID

Daily Training Tip #778

Step Ups are one of the easiest exercises that you can do anywhere, while having enough different options to keep things fresh and still having enough benefits.

Step Ups can be done anywhere; in the gym on a box, in your house on a step or even in a hotel on a chair. The accesss to step ups is everywhere.

You can complete step ups fast (to build speed), jumping (to build explosiveness), hold weight (to build strength) and you can even do step ups backwards for another change of pace.

Add Step Ups to your workout today!

Daily Training Tip #777

If you workout early in the morning and you have a certain routine you complete before each workout, you need to arrive earlier to make the time to complete it. Think Ahead!

Daily Training Tip #776

One of the major keys to weight loss is longetivity. The longer you stick with your training program, the greater your results will be. It's not a week long program, it is a daily program that runs each and every day.

Daily Training Tip #775

If you or your team is on the road, you still need to find the time to complete your workouts. While it might not be possible to complete your workout exactly as written because of lack of equipment, space, or even time on the road; it still needs to be compeleted. Make the time and come up with an alternative workout that can be completed!

Daily Training Tip #774

When completing a circuit, while it is your turn, you never stop moving. You can rest when your partner is going. You need to work as fast as you can for as long as you can. If your circuit runs for an extended amount of time, start off hard and keep that pace as long as possible, then start slowling down slowly and fight for the end of the station.

Daily Training Tip #773

Working hard is something that ONLY you can control. It doesn't matter who your parents are, who your coach is, what team you play for, how much $ you have, it matters what you and only you do! If you haven't figured that out yet, you better soon, or else your career might be cut a little short!

Daily Training Tip #772

It's very important to have 'Good Posture' while training in the gym, we all know that. However, why stop there? Continue throughout the rest of your day with good posture; if it's walking, sitting at your desk or lifting a box for your co-workouts.

Daily Training Tip #771

Injuries are sometimes part of the game. It's what you do after you become injuried that will help you get back on the ice sooner. How well you follow the rehab program will help in the recovery process. Your trainer/doctor developed your specific rehab program for you and your specific injury. Follow it exactly and you will be back on the ice in no time.

Daily Training Tip #770

'Spotting' is helping another person complete a heavy/hard lift or exercise. If you do not know the proper technique, find out before you attempt to spot your partner. There are different spotting techniques for different exercises. All are effective, however, if done improperly, all can be harmful as well. Ask your instructor before attempting to spot your partner.

Daily Training Tip #769

Water...Drink More of It!

More that half of us do not get enough water, especially on heavy training days. On average we need .6-.7 ounces of water per pound of body weight each day. You do the math and see if that is what you are getting or not?

You can't wait until you are thirsty to drink. Thirst is the first sign of dehydration. Dehydration is the leading cause of a 'sluggish' workout. If you have an early am workout, you need to start preparing the night before and start getting those fluids into you earlier!

As the Waterboy says, "Now that's high quality H2O"

Daily Training Tip #768

Get yourself into a routine of heading into the gym on a regular basis. However, when in the gym, get yourself out of a routine. Your body reacts well to some change. Mix your workouts up every few weeks. There are so many good exercises out there that are a benefit to you, too many to incorporate all at once. Slowly change and mix things up!

Daily Training Tip #767

I've said this before and will say it again, stay away from gimmicks. Gimmicks are not time-tested, once they are, the majority fail. Pick a training program that is time-tested, has proven results and is fun to do. Then the rest is up to you!

Daily Training Tip #766

Make sure to include the opposite exercise when training. For example, for every 'push' exercise, make sure you follow that up with a 'pull' exercise. This helps with keep everything in the proper balance.

Daily Training Tip #765

Pickles and pickle juice help aid in the recovery process. Studies have shown that picke juice helps reduce inflammation. Add pickles to your daily diet!

Daily Training Tip #764

Improve your quickness, reaction time and competitiveness by completing mirror/shadow drills. Helps you, helps a teammate and are really fun!

Daily Training Tip #763

Making your workouts "hockey specific" is easy.

Complete 1 legged exercises. Add in balance drills. Add in reaction drills. Hold a stick during certain exercises. Stickhandle while completing quick feet exercises. Add rotation to certain exercises.

It's easy to make your current workout a little more hockey specific!

Daily Training Tip #762

If you haven't already done so, get out of bed and get to the gym. The morning is the best time for a workout!

Daily Training Tip #761

Because of the sport(s) you play, sometimes strength imbalances and motion imbalances occur. A sound off-ice/off-field training program will prevent these imbalances and keep everything uniform, which will lead to a decrease in injuries.

Daily Training Tip #760

Depending on when your actual season starts, you should be switching from your "Off-Season Program" to your "Pre-Season Program."

Your pre-season program should be 3-5 weeks before your actual season starts. It should consists of smaller, more intense amounts of times in the gym. Increase your weights, decrease your reps/sets and shorten/speed up your sprints. This will all allow you more time to spend on the ice as you prepare for the start of the season.

Daily Training Tip #759

Your 'Grip Strength' is a general indicator of your overall strength. You don't want to do simple, small exercises to improve on your grip strength. You want to complete complex, larger exercises to improve your overall strength, thus improving your grip strength.

Daily Training Tip #758

For fast twitch sports, such as hockey, the best type of cardio training is sprinting a lot of short sprints with minimal rest time in between each one. Example, you will see a much bigger benefit if you sprinted 32-fifty meter dashes instead of running a mile. The distance is the same, however, during your sprints, your fast twitch muscle fibers are activated, react better and improve more.

Daily Training Tip #757

Get your training on a 'regular schedule' and stick to it! Best results will come with being consistant in your training schedule.

Daily Training Tip #756

Always be aware of the "Push then Pull" movements when you are in the gym. Complete exercises that you push and then move right into ones that you pull.

Same holds true with jumping. Push off of the ground, then pull your knees up towards your chest.

Daily Training Tip #755

Make sure you are doing everything you can, properly, so you heal all of your injuries before the season starts.

Daily Training Tip #754

Training the cycle speed of your feet, "Quick Feet," is nothing more than your head telling your feet to move and your feet actually moving. Once your fee move without thinking about it, then create a harder movement pattern. Be Creative and Move!

Daily Training Tip #753

Sleep is needed for a lot of different reasons. One reason that isn't as much know about, is sleep can help build muscle. While training, your muscles get slightly ripped. They are healed and grow while you are resting and sleeping. Just another reason to get the right amount of sleep at night.

Daily Training Tip #752

A single weight plate can be used for your entire workout! If you are traveling or have limited space or don't have any extra money to spend, you can still develop into a better athlete! Completing a 'Weight Plate' circuit is a full body workout that requires only the use of one weight plate. Our Plate Circuit will eliminate all of your excuses.

Daily Training Tip #751

Make sure you are working smart so you over come any strength/muscle imbalances that you might have. Imbalances can lead to injury, avoiding them will prolong your season/career.

Daily Training Tip #750

You will be offered a lot of opportunities if you are willing to pay a price. I don't mean money. I mean, if you are willing to work hard and work smart you will put yourself in position to, not only get an opportunity, but to capatilize on that opportunity!

Daily Training Tip #749

I read a great article yesterday by Mike Boyle. He said “Training Slow = Being Slow” We’ve been saying this at MHC for years for you. The focus of your training needs to be short quick bursts. Doing short, quick bursts over and over again will improve on your aerobic endurance. There is no need to run a 5K if you are training to be a sprinter! Hockey is a sprint!

Daily Training Tip #748

One of the keys to a successful off-ice training program is to always continue your progress. Always build on the previous day’s/week’s/month’s workout and keep progressing towards the future.

Daily Training Tip #747

After an intense training day, your body needs some down time. Make sure you are getting the proper amount of sleep each night. This depends on you, not on anyone else. Some athletes need 7 hours of sleep, some need 8 hours of sleep. There is no magical number, just figure out what amount gets you ready for your next day and continue with that.

Daily Training Tip #746

Testing should only be done to show improvement, to monitor programs and to give you an idea of where you fit according to your goals.

Daily Training Tip #745

Bringing your workout outside today allows you to do a couple of things: 1) enjoy the beautiful August weather 2) complete some different exercises that you might not be able to do inside 3) have a little fun

Daily Training Tip #744

I’m a firm believer in the fact that lifting belts are to be worn only when doing maximal lifts. They help support you and aid in the lifting process when using max loads. However, when doing submaximal lifts keep the belt off. The belt can take away from the work that core can do. Keep the belt on the shelf and improve your athletic performance.

Daily Training Tip #743

It's your career. It doesn't matter what anyone else is doing. It matters what you are doing.

Daily Training Tip #742

Wear the proper clothes when you are working out. It’s pretty tough to workout in jeans!

Daily Training Tip #741

Holding onto a hockey stick while running through MHC's Speed Plyos causes your hands, head and feet to all work together. While holding onto your stick, work on hand/shoulder drops, head jerks and keep your wrists rolling all while continuing to keep your feet moving as fast as possible.

Daily Training Tip #740

Keep your Technique perfect! If unable to, then lower the weight or increase the rest. Completing certain lifts with poor technique can be harmful and can lead to injuries.

Daily Training Tip #739

Landing lightly on your feet is an acquired skill. While jumping, you want minimum time on the ground. This is accomplished by landing lightly on your feet, not pounding your feet through the floor. If others can hear you land, your not landing lightly.

Daily Training Tip #738

Everyone uses weight plates during their workouts. They load up the bar with them before they do a squat or a bench. Every weight room is filled with them.

Think outside the box and use those same weight plate and complete a weight plate circuit. You can then reproduce that same circuit in any gym that you are at. A great way to get a workout in, improve on your development and work towards injury prevention.

Daily Training Tip #737

Only you know what is inside you. Only you know what you are capable of doing. Only you can achieve your goals!

Daily Training Tip #736

Give your routine a slight shake up, take your workout to the pool today. Or if you live in Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes, take it to the lake. You can complete most of your dryland training in the water. It is a nice change of pace, fun and less impact on your body. Get in water that is waist deep and complete some squat jumps, the water adds resistance.

Always make sure you are completing your water workouts with a friend or coach, just to be on the safe side.

Daily Training Tip #735

Breathing is such a simple thing that sometimes while we are working out, we forget how to breathe.Just remember this; Breathe out during the hard part of each exercise. Then of course, Breathe in during the easy part.

Daily Training Tip #734

Make sure you are the hardest working athlete in your gym. However, keep in mind, there are thousands of other gyms across the world. Each of those athletes are training to compete for the same spot that you are. Keeping working hard and smart to gain your competitive advantage.

Daily Training Tip #733

Incorporate Bath Towels into your workout today! They can add intensity to your workouts. Examply, drape a towel over your pull up bar and grab the towel to do your pull ups with! A great at home way to improve on your grip strength!

Daily Training Tip #732

Make sure you use the proper size/strength Rubber Band when you are using them in the gym. The Lifting “Rubber” Bands are a great addition to your workout. They can also assist during some exercises such as pull ups. However, the proper size/strength band is crucial. If too heavy of a band, full extension will not happen. If too light of a band, not enough resistance will occur.

There are a wide varity of bands, make sure you pick the proper one.

Daily Trainnig Tip #731

Most times your rest intervals are just as important as your work loads, lifts, etc. Certain exercises require more rest in between sets, while others require less. Sometimes you are asked to start your next work set on more or less rest. Follow the Rest Intervals closely. Don't over or under rest.

Daily Training Tip #730

Doing what everyone else does, will get you the same results as everyone else. You need to seperate yourself from everyone else by out working and out training everyone else!

Daily Training Tip #729

There are so many different people out there that each tell you different amounts of water to drink. It gets a little confusing. Easiest thing, be drinking water all day long. You should never 'feel thirsty.' Your urine should be clear. There isn't a need to count how many ounzes of water you actually drink, just drink water!

Daily Training Tip #728

Quality is much better than Quanity, in terms of training. (1 rep the proper way is better than 2 reps incorrectly)

Daily Training Tip #727

In today's world, everyone's schedules are jammed packed with activities. You are getting pulled in every direction. Your training time is to short. I've said this numerous times before, you have to traing hard and train smart. Someone else, somewhere else is and they will pass you up. Keep your competitive advantage!

Daily Training Tip #726

Sometimes you don’t need to get into a gym to have a good workout. Your house and garage are usually filled with great workout ideas. As I pulled out of my garage this morning, I saw enough things laying around that I could have came up with a great workout.

I saw a sledge hammer for Overhead Chops. I saw a couple of gallons of paint for Front/Side Raises. I saw a rope and a lawnmower I could have tied together and done some Rope Pulls. I saw my tool box I could have done Curls and Tricep Extensions with.

Be creative, there are so many things you can use to help you improve your conditioning levels.

Daily Training Tip #725

Every single On-Ice Movement can be reproduced off-ice in the gym. You need to train to be a complete hockey player and improve on each of your on-ice skills, however, you can spend more time improving on your on-ice weaknesses off of the ice.

Daily Training Tip #724

Spend a portion of your training time each day focusing on your weaknesses. It doesn’t matter what you did before or what you are going to do the next day, work on your weaknesses. If your shot is an area that needs work, improve on it. Or stickhandling. Get the idea?

Daily Training Tip #723

Staying in shape is much easier than letting yourself get out of shape and having to start all over. Continue to pay a price ALL season/year long!

Daily Training Tip #722

Hitting the Heavy Bag is part of a workout. We’re training to be better athletes. We are not teaching fighting. Try hitting the heavy bag as hard as you can and as fast as you can for 30 seconds.

Daily Training Tip #721

Having a routine is a good thing, if the routine you follow is a good one. If you are sprinting, lifting, skating and jumping on a daily basis all year around, continue and keep going. If that is not your routine, you better change your routine!

Daily Training Tip #720

As we progress closer to the start of the hockey season, you should soon be switching to a new phase of your off-season program. Your weights should be increasing as your reps should be decreasing. Its also a good idea to switch up some of your lifts as well as your body reacts well to change.

Daily Training Tip #719

I’ve said this numerous times before, hockey is a 1 Legged sport. A good portion of your training needs to be on one leg. One leg activities should be strength, explosive, power, quickness and balance activities, same as your two legged activities.

Train on 1 Leg!

Daily Training Tip #718

There are a lot of different exercises you can complete using Nothing But You. Body weight exercises are very good for your development. For instance, you can add to your leg strength by completing Body Squats (a squat with no resistance) on a daily basis. Pull Ups are another good exercise that uses no resistance.

Body weight exercises let you use perferct form and are less taxing so they can be performed them all the time.

Daily Training T ip #717

Be creative when designing your own ‘home gym’ or home training center. Most hockey players have an area at or around their house that is used for stickhandling and shooting pucks. Well, use that same area to get some extra strength training done as well.

Strength equipment is usually big, bulky and expensive. Be creative in your design of your home gym. Take a trip to your local hardware store and pick up some PVC piping and make some hurdles to jump over. Use your hockey bag to complete lateral jumps over. Fill your school backpack with your school books and complete squats with it. There are so many creative ways to build your home gym so you are able to train at at home and get in some extra work after everyone else is in bed.

Daily Training Tip #715

I skipped DTT #715 yesterday, so I’ll make it up today.

There are no rest days! Your body has a habit of being active and working hard. It doesn’t react well to “rest days.” Your program needs more intense days and less intense days, but no rest days. Your less intense days can be active rest days, which are being active on your own. Your career is way to short for you to be having days completely off from training.

Daily Training Tip #716

In a world where people seem to be handing off their work loads to others to complete, this can’t happen in the gym. ONLY YOU can complete your work in the gym. There are no excuses, no one else included, only you. You either work hard and work smart or you don’t. It is really that simple.

Daily Training Tip #714

Getting up early for one workout really doesn't do too much for you physically. The best results start to happen 4-6 weeks (and beyond) into a good, sound, structured workout program. Training needs to be a part of your life for the 'Long Haul' and not just for a day or a week.

Daily Training Tip #713

There is a science behind the training program that you are on. Certain exercises with different sets/reps are designed specifically according to your goals as an athlete. There is very minimal benefit into coming into the gym each day and completing random exercises. Best results happen after 4-6 weeks of consecutive training. Stay the course, complete the entire program.

Daily Training Tip #712

A well-trained core is essential for optimal performance and injury prevention. There are so many different core exercises that you can do. Pick a few different kinds each day and complete 1000 daily sit ups!

Daily Training Tip #711

From a development standpoint, your body doesn’t know what a holiday is. Let your body continue doing what it always does. Enjoy the holiday with a great workout today. This gives you a competitive advantage on your opponent.

We are expecting a lot of fireworks in the gym today!

Daily Training Tip #711

Along with training your core, you need to develop your lower back. Back Extensions and their opposite, Hypers, are a great way to train your back. There are numerous ways to complete both exercises; on a machine, on a swiss ball or even on your bed at home. These two exercises are so easy to complete, there can’t be an excuses of no doing them.

Daily Training Tip #709

Everyone has an equal chance at success. It doesn’t matter where you life, who your parents are or how much money you have. It matters how hard and how smart you work. You will determine your own success. You need others in your corner that are able to help you along the way, but ultimately, you determine your own success.

Daily Training Tip #708

Just like in school, physical testing is done to see improvements. Have a professional test you to get a mark on your explosiveness, strength, speed and power. This helps you see that your hard work is paying off and helps your professional make sure the program is doing what it is designed to do.

Daily Training Tip #707

Completing the Bench Press isn’t the key to your success. Squatting is! Your lower body strength/explosiveness is the key that can unlock a lot of different doors for you. Squat on a regular basis!

Daily Training Tip #706

Being on time is being five (5) minutes early. If you’re not five minutes early, then you are late. A workout is scheduled to start on time. Showing up five minutes earlier gives you an opportunity to get organized; shoes on and tied, water bottle filled, maybe a little foam roll, etc.

Be on time for workouts and carry that over to your life as well. Be five minutes early for everything you do!

Daily Training Tip #705

After an intense workout, it is a good idea to ‘ice’ and cool off certain areas of your body. If you still have any soreness, make sure you ice that area and/or if you have a little ‘tweak’ you should ice that area. Ice bags are your friend and help aid in the recovery process.

However, don’t abuse the icing process. If you don’t need to ice, don’t!

Daily Training Tip #704

As we progress into the dog days of summer, the tempertures will continue to climb. As an athlete, you need to drink plenty of water. Sip on water all day long. Water helps cool your body down during and after an intense workout.

Daily Training Tip #703

Make sure you pull your knees up towards your chest when you are doing hurdle jumps. This helps build up your hip flexor strength.

Daily Training Tip #702

Training your feet to become quicker is nothing more than your head telling your feet to move and then your feet actually moving. So you need to pick quick feet drills that your head can understand so it can relay the message down to your feet. The quickness ladder, for example, can be done a thousand and one different ways, some more complex than others. If you can’t understand one way, pick another and just DANCE your way through the ladder.

Daily Training Tip #701

As an athlete, there is nothing better for you than water. Just plain water. You need water! Different studies show different amounts of water is needed, which means there is no cure all. Just drink enough water all day (especially on heavy training and competition days) so your urine is clear. Your body likes water that is room tempertuare the best and without flavor or anything added to it.

Make water your best friend!

Daily Training Tip #700

As an athlete you need to avoid the trends of the world. The training and fitness industry is filled with trends and gimmicks that are developed to raise a buck. As an athlete, you need to be aware of this.
No matter how far you go or what level you reach in your career, it is going to end before you want it to. Your training needs to be geared to help you reach your athletic goals, not help someone raise a buck.

As an athlete your training program is designed to develop specific attributes to improve your performance and decrease your risk of injury. Your program needs to work on your specific movements, planes of motion you use during competition, proper anaerobic conditioning, etc. Your program needs to be developed specificially for athletes, for you.

Without naming any names, beaware of programs that aren’t athletic specific. If you attend a class at your local gym that is filled with non-athletes, it should raise a red flag for you. There is not a program that is ‘one-size fits all.’ Attend classes that are are time-tested, results proven, athlete driven, etc. Your career will thank you in the end!

Daily Training Tip #699

Your lifting program is designed for you to be slowly increasing your weights. Push yourself and constantly increase your weights. Adding weights for each set will help your development.

Daily Training Tip #698

If done properly, power skating shouldn’t take up more than 7-10 minutes of each practice. You become a better skater off of the ice by building proper lower body strength, power and explosiveness. Then spend 7-10 mintues each day refining a few things with your skates on.

Daily Training Tip #697

Every hockey player needs to be Lifting, Sprinting, Jumping AND Skating each day on a regular basis. By completing all four (4) your body improves on each area together. Just lifting isn’t enough. Just skating isn’t enough. Complete all four!

Daily Training Tip #696

We all know what Full Extension is and what it means on the ice. However, when told to have full extension in the gym, few actually do. Having full extension in the gym is something that can be done by everyone. There is a direct correlation between what we do in the gym and what we do on the ice. Training your body to have full extension off the ice will condition your body to have full extension on the ice.

Daily Training Tip #695

There will be a lot of sore bodies at Minnesota Hockey Camps today. Reason being, athletes sometimes let themselves get out of shape. Without a doubt, it is by far much easier to stay in shape than it is to get back in shape. STAY AT YOUR BEST! Athletes are always at their peak!

Daily Training Tip #694

Shin Splints can be prevented by the way you jump/run. You need to focus on a soft land or foot strike, land with the balls of your feet first and spend minimum time on the ground.

Being too heavy on your feet disagrees with your shins, causing them to hurt. So keeping good form and doing things properly will keep shin splints away.

Daily Training Tip #693

There really is no such thing as an ‘off day.’ Active Rest is a crucial part to your overall development as an athlete. There are days where you do not need to show up at the gym or the dryland area. These days are active rest days. Active rest is usually done on your own or with a teammate and is something fun. Going rollerblading, playing basketball, swimming, etc. Your body does need some down time, but it doesn’t like ‘nothing time,’ so keep working!

Daily Training Tip #692

As most of us are progressing into the heart of your off-season training program, you should be beyond the ‘soreness’ stage. At this point in the season, soreness should be an after thought. However, some of you may experience some soreness as you change from different phases within your program. If soreness does appear; make sure you cool down properly, foam roll, ice and drink plenty of fluids.

Daily Training Tip #691

You need to plan your workouts ahead of time.

You can’t just show up at the gym and pick and choose exercises that you want to do. You need to think ahead and put each piece of the puzzle together. There are plenty of certifited people around that are willing to help you plan out your training.

Daily Training Tip #689

Athletes ask their bodies to do much more than a normal person does. Therefore, athletes can not train their bodies like normal everyday people. An athletes body, needs to be developed in a specific, scientific, focused way. Train hard and train smart!

Daily Training Tip #689

A big part of your training regiment needs to be geared towards injury prevention. No matter how much you improve, injuries cause a big setback.

Daily Training Tip #688

Youth need to master body weight training before they are able to add any further resistance. This helps build a strength base and give youth athletes a chance to learn specific exercises without any added resistance.

Daily Training Tip #687

Foot placement when you are sprinting (even jogging) is crucial to the success of run. Your heals stay off of the ground, the outside of your foot becomes in contact with the ground, foot rolls and your big toe is the last to leave the ground. This helps keep you light on your feet and minimizes your ground contact time.

Daily Training Tip #686

If done properly, foam rolling, can be a great post workout activity. Roll out the area you just worked. Start rolling the areas that was worked the most intense and ‘roll on’ from there.

Daily Training Tip #685

Your off-season training program needs to have periodization or simply change. Your body reacts well to change, but you need to have consistant change. Which mean, spend 3-4 weeks completing the same cycle and then change. Each change, or period, should build off of the previous one. Too much change too fast, will not produce the best results.

Daily Training Tip #683

Your grip strength is a minor, but important part of your on-ice performance. Grip strength does need to be trained and can be improved.

There are numerous exercises that help improve grip strength. Wrist curls, wrist extensions, wrist rollers, heavy ropes, plate catches, DB catches, etc. All will add a benefit to your training program.

Daily Training Tip #682

When you’re completing off-ice workouts; it’s what you do when no one else is looking that matters the most!

Daily Training Tip #681

Building off of yesterday; on average 1.5grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is what an athlete needs.

I’m not a math guy, but here we go. A 200 pound athlete equals 91 kilograms. 1.5g X 91kg = 136.5 or 140grams of protein on a daily basis. Spread this out over the entire day. There is not much need for more protein than this as it will be eliminated by your body through your urine.

Daily Training Tip #680

Your body can only use 20grams of protein every two (2) hours. Which means, if you intake more than 20g of protein in a two hour block your body can’t use it and eliminates it through your urine.

All athletes need protein. The best way to intake protein is slowly over the entire day. Drinking a choclate milk directly after your workout is a great start!

Daily Training Tip #679

Become an athlete first, then work on sport specific skills.

Shoot/Stickhandle pucks everyday, yes! However, in the gym all athletes need to do the same basic exercises. Once you excel at those, then add in some hockey specific exercises.

Daily Training Tip #678

Training on unstable surfaces helps build your balance. Any exercise can be done on a balance board, swiss ball, bosu ball, etc and can increase your balance.

Daily Training Tip #677

Don’t forget to develop your smaller muscles. Your smaller muscles do play a significant role in the performance of the larger muscles. Example; your calf muscles can’t perform to their best if your soleus muscles are under developed.

Daily Training Tip #676

If you are getting sore after a specific workout, you’d better start focusing on that area for improvement. At one time or another you are going to need all of your muscles! Make sure you work the ‘weaker’ ones.

Daily Training Tip #675

Not sure who started the words ‘physical burnout.’ But they don’t happen. Those words are just an excuse to not workout.

If you are in-shape, it takes you 8 hours to recover from an intense workout/game. 8 hours! That’s it. That means, if you have a game at 7p tonight, you have to get your workout done by 11a this morning. If you can get up in time to get your workout done by 11a, then you have other issues!

Daily Training Tip #674

Today’s D.T.T. is more of a simple question. Since your season has ended, what have you done to assure you have a better season next year?

Daily Training Tip #673

We always preach on the development of your core. Don’t forget that your lower back is included as part of your core. The time when you bend over, rest your stick on your knees and take a deep breath; is the first sign that your core is fatigued. Typically, your lower back is the first part of your core that fatigues.

Daily Training Tip #672

In youth sports, usually the team that has the best athletes will win the game. So why not spend your time becoming a better athlete? You can easily make yourself into a better athlete on a daily basis!

Daily Training Tip #671

When running stairs, you have a lot of different options. You can (and should) run up the stairs with; one foot on each step, running while skipping steps, hopping on both feet, hoppping on one foot, hopping sideways, running sideways with crossovers, hopping three stairs up with one stair down, etc. There are so many different ways to do stairs training. Mix it up, change it up. Your body reacts well to change and all will benefit you!

Daily Training Tip #670

When doing hill sprints (not stairs) make sure you sprint both UP the hill and sprint DOWN the hill. Both up and down have a different training element and both up/down build off of each other. Start with sprinting up the hill with a walk down recovery and then move onto walking up the hill and sprinting down the hill. Both will aid in your improvements.

Daily Training Tip #669

Hockey players are athletes, not power lifters. Hockey players need to train on all aspects of the training board; they need to be powerful, explosive, strong, quick, fast, agile, etc. There is more to being an athlete than just being strong.

Daily Training Tip #668

This one’s for you “Lil Archie” and all the other MN hockey players that are going to participate in the MN Fishing Opener this weekend.

Either get your workout completed before you leave, or else you’ll need to workout in the boat. There’s plenty of room to lay of the boat floor and hammer out some crunches, some pushups and complete some body and 1-leg squats.

You can’t afford an off day!

Daily Training Tip #667

Your amount of rest in between reps is just as important as the reps themselves. Keep your rest 30-45sec between reps for most lifts.

Daily Training Tip #666

Reaction Time can be quickened! Just like everything else, to see the best results, work at it!

Daily Training Tip #665

Improvements need to be happening all year long!

If you Pre-Test directly before your season starts and then Post-Test directly after your season ends, your physical scores (at minimum) need to be the same. If not the same, should be better during your post-test at the end of the season.

Think about it this way; you train all year long to be in the best shape and perform your best during the playoffs. Then during the week after your last game, you post-test. If your scores improved, then you were playing at your best ability late in the season. If your scores declined, then you didn’t do everything you could have to win.

Training needs to happen on a regular basis, both in-season and off-season! Start your off-season training now, to assure you are in the best possible shape during next season’s playoffs!

Daily Training Tip #664

Dynamic Warm Up, Lift, Sprint, Jump, Skate and then Cool Down. That is as simple as it gets!

Daily Training Tip #663

The ‘story’ of training is always changing. New gyms with the latest gimmick are constantly opening up. They claim they have the greatest fad. Don’t fall into any training pitfalls.

Complete a training program that is time tested. Complete a training program that has the results to back it up. Complete a training program at Minnesota Hockey Camps!

Daily Training Tip #662

Pull Ups are a great body weight exercise that all hockey players should be doing on a regular basis.

Change your grip from pronated to supanated to hockey stick grip regularly. Use bars, ropes and rings to give your pull ups some varying degrees of difficulty.

Daily Training Tip #661

The only fear you should have in the gym is that you aren’t working hard enough and someone else is getting better than you.

Sometimes athletes have fears of getting injuried in the gym; pulling a muscle, messing up your knees, or some females fear turning into the ‘hulk.’ None of those fears are true if you are taught properly and are doing the proper movements when in the gym. Put your fears aside and get after it today!

Daily Training Tip #660

We all know your eyes are important inside the rink. Your eyes are also important inside the gym. Keeping your eyes looking in the proper direction/spot, helps assure the proper technique.

For example; when squatting keep your eyes looking straight ahead, about 20 degrees above parrallel. This helps keep your head up, which keeps your back flat.

Daily Training Tip #659

As discussed before, Active Rest (AR) is an important part of a year-around training program. AR is sometimes misunderstood. AR is ACTIVE. It is playing basketball, tennis, racquet ball, swimming, etc during a structured ‘off day’ of training.

AR is NOT sleeping in until noon because you don’t have to make your 6a workout. It is NOT playing video games all day.

AR days are placed in a stratigic spot(s) during your training program. They are to be taken just as serious as your intense workout days.

Daily Training Tip #658

Hockey is a complex sport. It requires a lot of training in a lot of different capacities. In a sense, hockey is an anaerobic AND an aerobic sport. However, if done properly, anaerobic training becomes aerobic after a certain extended amount of time.

So there isn’t a need to take a “long slow run” or a “long bike ride” to ‘build up your cardio.’ Do some more explosive anaerobic training for an extended amount of time and you will be hitting both areas and improving more.

Daily Training Tip #657

Hard work breeds good results. Good results breeds confidence. Confidence breeds everything. So everything starts with Hard Work!

Daily Training Tip #656

This one is for you Andres boys!

It is easy to catch up and pass everyone that is in front of you. You have to do two simple things; out work and out smart everyone while you are training and you will be well on your way to a successful career.

Daily Training Tip #655

One of your goals when entering the gym each day; is to stay injury free. One way to prevent injury is to land with your foot completely on top of the box when doing box jumps. Keeping your entire foot on top of the box will prevent your foot from slipping off of the box.

A healthy athlete is one that can improve!

Daily Training Tip #654

The 40yd dash (in terms of football) is the most respected test, sometimes worth millions of dollars in a better contract or college scholarship if test is performed to perfection. Football players know they can improve on their 40 times with some hard work on the track and in the gym.

If the above is true, why are hockey players afraid of the track? There is a 90% direct correlation between sprinting speed and skating speed. Hockey players (in some sense) need to train like a sprinter!

Daily Training Tip #650, #651, #652, #653

#650 This one’s for you Chas!

Workouts can really happen all over the place. Watch a construction worker complete his daily job. Constantly lifting, twisting, swinging, etc. Always try to keep you lifting technique perfect, you will be less prone to injury. Lift with your knees, not your back!

#651
When asked to answer honestly, around 90% of athletes say they work out hard. When witnessed working out, only around 50% of athletes are actually working out hard.

Why is this? How hard you work out and train is 100% up to you. Only you can control that. While others say they work hard, you just go out and actually work hard!

#652 Turn every exercise you do today into a balane exercise. Stand on one foot during every upright exercise you complete today. Alternate feet during each set.

#653
Don’t get tangled up in gimmics and fads. Yes, doing something in the gym is better than doing nothing at all. However, if you are an athlete, doing everything you can to reach your goals; there are certain things that are better than others.

Find a workout program that is time-tested, has a positive track record, has the results to back up the findings and is specific to your needs as an athlete. Weed through all the junk and do what is best for your career!

Daily Training Tip #649

We all know that technique is very important in the gym. While doing plyometrics, your landing technique is just as important (if not more important) than any other technique you will be doing in the gym. Make sure you; land on the balls of your feet, spend minimum time on the ground, land softly, explode back up quickly, keep your knees in line and keep you head/chest up.

Daily Training Tip #647

To complete the vast majority of athletic movements, you need lower body strength. You have to continually develop your lower body first, then work on everything else. Improvement in leg strength equals improvement in everything else; isn’t that right Madison?

Daily Training Tip #646

Off-ice training is something that you can do completely on your own. If the team is done with practice and you don’t feel like you’ve worked enough, get back into the gym on your own. Spend another hour getting extra work done, do some squats in your basement or do some core at home in your bedroom. The question is; what are you doing to seperate yourself from the rest of the pack?

Daily Training Tip #645

You don’t need a fancy gym filled with fancy equipment to make yourself a better hockey player. You need a commitment level! If you don’t have a commitment level to yourself and your career, you can’t expect to play near your best.

Daily Training Tip #644

Hockey is a lower-bodied sport. That doesn’t mean that your upper body can go untrained! You need to train/develop your chest, shoulders, back and arms as well. At a minimum, you need enough upper body strength so you can create seperation between you and an opponent.

Daily Training Tip #643

Workouting out without Resistance Training, is like riding a bike with no wheels. It doesn’t matter what your athletic/training goals are, resistance training needs to be involved. Resistance Training comes in many ways/shapes/forms but you have to get stronger in order to improve!

Daily Training Tip #642

When you are training, keep in mind each and every day is important. There are certain days that “mean” a little more than others, but each day is important. Each workout should progress from the previous workout and slowly get more intense and complex. Your entire training program is like a 365 page book. If you only read the first page of each chapter, you are not going to understand the book!

Daily Training Tip #641

I’ve said this numerous times before, (like a lot of things!) part of your conditioning program is designed towards preventing injury. It doesn’t matter how well conditioned you are, if you are on the “IR” you aren’t helping your team. Part injury prevention means pushing your body to the extreme, just like you would during competition.

Here’s and easy example; if you are a 100m dash sprinter, you need to make sure your body is pushed to it’s max sprinting speed during practice before a meet. If you’ve only done ‘jogging’ in practice, when the gun goes off, you aren’t ready to go and something negative might happen.

This same example is happens in all sports. Push your body to the extreme so you are ready for all competitions!

Daily Training Tip #640

This one is for you, Kevin! You show that watch who the boss is!

You’ve heard us talk about ‘mindset’ well the same holds true for your training. Your mind is always right. If it says you can run an extra mile, you can. If it says you can jump the highest box, you can. However, if it says you can not do something, it is also right. When you enter the gym (or your training session, wherever it may be) make sure you have the proper mindset.

Daily Training Tip #639

A lot of times, shin splints are in a players head. However, an easy way to help prevent shin splints is to train your soleus muscles. Easy to develop by flexing your toes up towards your shins. You can do this; with resistance from a partner, adding weights or just under your own power.

Daily Training Tip #638

When it comes to improving strength, the squat rack is very important. However, you also need to train “outside the box,” outside of the squat rack. There are so many different exercises that need to be completed in order for your lower body strength to reach it’s max strength. Start in the squat rack and then move “outside the box” and complete other strength lifts on a daily basis!

Flipping tires is one of those “outside of the box” strength workouts!

Daily Training Tip #637

As discussed before, take a couple of weeks off at the end of your season. Once you begin training again, make the focus be on strength. The first 4-6 weeks of your off-season program should be designed to build as much strength as possible.

Daily Training Tip #636

You are only an athlete once! You can’t take days back, you can take games back, you can’t take workouts back. Don’t leave anything to chance. Make sure you are prepared for your games/competition. If others don’t work, you will have to put in extra work on your own. There is nothing wrong (in fact recommended) with going into the gym on your own after practice and getting a little extra work in. You will get out, what you put in!

Daily Training Tip #634

Spring is the time of year where it is nice to take your workouts outside. However, if the weather doesn’t allow you to go outdoors on a specific day, take your workout into the pool. There are a couple pool workouts that can really benefit you as an athlete.




First, do your land based plyos in the pool. Find a spot in the pool that is chest depth and do all of your jumping in the pool. This lessens the impacts on your joints and adds resistance to each jump. This is also a good workout if you have a minor, lower body injury.



Second, aqua jog. Very similiar to jogging/sprinting on dryland, except less impact and great resistance.



Sometimes the pool is a nice change to your daily workout routine.

Daily Training Tip #633

Body weight exercises are a great exercise for all ages, all levels and all abilities of hockey players. Body weight exercises put a lighter load on your joints, so they can be completed each and every day; including game days! There are way too many different body weight exercises to name them all. Complete your favorites on a regular basis.

Daily Training Tip #632

All portions of your off-season workout program are important. Your body reacts well to change. Your program will have changes in it, even if you don't realize it. Which means, you have to pay a price in all aspects of your program.

Daily Training Tip #631

"Sport Specific" is the new marketing buzzword when it comes to training programs. Sport specific training is NOT playing more games! A lot of sport specific training can be done on your own. Grab your stick and some pucks and stick handle, pass and shoot pucks in your own driveway. Put on your skates and find the nearest frozen lake (or rollerblades in the summer months).


Games are a time to have fun and showcase your skills. Games are not for development!

Daily Training Tip #630

Progression is the key to any off-season workout program. You need to pre-test and you need to post-test. You should also complete certain tests at certain midway points during your off-season program. This is not to judge you, this is to track your performance! Your off-season training program is a long process. Keep in mind, you are preparing to be at your best during the later part of your season next year!

Daily Training Tip #629

Don't let yourself get out of shape!


I've said this a few times before, but now that your season is over, you can't let it happen. Take a couple (2) of weeks off and relax. If you are injuried, you might have to take a few more off depending on certain issues and what your doctor says. If you are not injuried, two weeks off is just fine.

Once that two week period is over, next season starts. A good off-season training program will run from now until the start of your season. If you take off too long, negative effects may arise. Your body has been used to being in top shape throughout the entire season, it wants to stay in top shape. Staying in shape is much easier (and much more beneficial to you) than trying to get back into shape.

Daily Training Tip #628

There is no such thing as a quick fix! Be aware of someone that is telling you about a quick fix or the latest trend. Nothing beats working smart and working hard.

Daily Training Tip #627

Be aware of gimmicks! There are so many gimmicks out there that don't work, that aren't time tested, that are a waste of money. Your money is hard earned, spend it wisely!

Daily Training Tip #626

Remember your core is the foundation of all athletic movements. It needs to be trained on a daily basis.


Change up your core training! There are so many different types of core exercises. There are ground based core exercises, core exercises on a swiss ball, resistence core exercises, dynamic core exercises, etc. You need to be doing more than "regular crunches" to develop your core strength enough so you can play at an elite level!

Daily Training Tip #625

When training for First Step Quickness, you also need to complete read/react drills.


The quicker you read and react to a certain situation, the quicker your legs can get you there. Think about it like this. Player 1 runs a 40 yd dash is 5.0 seconds. Player 2 runs a 40 yd dash is 4.8 seconds. Player 2 wins right? However, if it takes player 2, three tenths of a second to read and react to the starting gun, then player 1 wins. Read and React skills can be developed!

Daily Training Tip #624

What you do the day after your last game of the season is just as important as what you did the day before your first game of the season.




Take a little bit of time off and heal your injuries. After that, it’s time to get back at it. From a development standpoint, the off-season, starts right away.

Daily Training Tip #623

One legged exercises are so crucial to your development. The majority of the ground based exercises that you currently do, can be done with one leg. Spend one workout a week and turn it into a "One Leg Day!"

Daily Training Tip #622

I've said this DTT before, but today is a great day to bring it up again (at least in the midwest). Shoveling  snow is a great workout. Don't let anyone else shovle your driveway. You shovle and then head into the gym!

Daily Training Tip #621

Keep in mind, you are working towards the end of the season. Your "training year" should be geared towards the end of the season and the start of the playoffs, where you need to be in prime shape. Hockey season, is nearing that time. Put your hard work to good use!

Daily Training Tip #620

What you do shortly after a big game, is just as important as what you do before the big game! Make sure you replace the proper nutrients that you lost during the game, make sure you cool down properly and make sure you recieve enough sleep before your next game.

Daily Training Tip #619

If you eat properly before your competition (and/or workout) you do not need to eat anything during your competition (or workout). In a lot of cases, taking time/energy to eat during competition actually hinders your performance. Shakes/Energy Bars/Gel Packs are all considered "eating." Take the time to eat properly leading up to your event. When it's "go" time, make sure you are prepared.

Daily Training Tip #618

Strength is the foundation of all athletes. All great athletes are strong. However, not all strong people are great athletes. Make Cents?

Daily Training Tip #617

Functional Training truimphs all other training methods. Functional Training is most other training routines put together.

Daily Training Tip #616

This one's for you Josh,


I've always said that hockey is a lower body sport. That the game is played from your mid-line down. While this is true, you still need to develop your entire body. You can't focus your training on just one area. All of your muscles are used at some point during a game, so all of your muscles need to be developed. Example; your hamstrings can hinder the performance of your quadriceps. If your quadriceps are developed at a faster rate than your hamstrings, your skating speeds are going to be slower and injury could happen. So your hamstrings need to be developed as well!

Daily Training Tip #615

As discussed on Friday, Pre-Game Meals help bring the team a little closer together. Pre-Game Meals are designed to add the proper nutrients to your body, so your body can perform better during competition. Pre-Game Meals should...


1) Be rich in Carbohydrates, low in Fats and low in Proteins. Meals should be 60% low glycemic carbs and .5-1.5 grams of protein per KG of body weight.

2) You should eat your meal 3-4 hours before the start of your game.

3) Meals should be easy to digest foods. These might be different for different people. So a "generic" meal for the entire team might not work.

4) Stay away from foods/drinks with lots of sugar within an hour of the game.

5) Drink small amounts of water very frequently. Small amounts more often is much more beneficial for you than one large amount of water.

6) Stick with familiar foods. A Pre-Game Meal isn't the time to try new foods.

Daily Training Tip #614

Pre-Grame meails are a not only a great way to put the right nutrients into your body before a game, but they also get the entire team thinking together before a game. Bringing the entire team together gets everyone's thoughts on the same page and lets everyone focus on game specific situations.

Daily Training Tip #613

Most of you are nearing the end of your season. So when do you stop doing your “in-season training” and start your “off-season training.”




Your in-season off ice training program should be designed to be getting less and less. Your focus should be more and more on your game performance. Once your season is all done, let your injuries heal up. If you are not injuried, take 2 weeks off after your last game and then start you off-season off ice training program.

Daily Training Tip #612

In all reality, you are the only one that knows your own body. You know what your body can do and how hard you can push it. You are the only one that looks yourself in the face in the mirror each morning. So in all reality, you are the one that decides how good you are going to become.

Daily Training Tip #611

Injuries, unfortunatly, do happen and are a part of the game. What you do during your injury will determine how fast your recovery is. Follow your rehab program. Sometimes, one of the hardest things to do, is to just rest. That might mean taking a day or two or more and stay off of the ice!

Daily Training Tip #610

Recently read an article “Improving Endurance through Power Training.” While this article was geared towards endurance runners, it hold very true for hockey players as well. I hate hearing a hockey player tell me their coach :told them to go for a long slow run or a long slow bike ride because they look fatigued during the 3rd period. ” This is the exact opposite approach. Hockey players need to do explosive, power training, which is anaerobic in nature. However, if done properly, all anaerobic training becomes aerobic after an extended period of time. So hockey players, get off of the bike and into the gym!

Daily Training Tip #609

I had a different tip all set for this morning, however, I had to get this off of my chest. After a discussion with a coach this morning on athletes and academics, I felt there was a need to address this.


Athletes (regardless of sport) are hardworking, smart individuals. They have to be. If they aren't hardworking, they will get passed by. If they aren't smart they won't be successful at their sport. It takes smarts to make split second decisions on the ice or on the field. It takes smarts to memorize an entire playbook. It takes smarts to study game film and know what your opponent is going to do next. If you are a good athlete, you are hardworking and smart.

So my question to you is, why do some athletes not reach their full potential in school? By nature, athletes are hardworking and smart!!! Put forth the same effort in the classroom as you do on the playing field and you will be better for it. Your athletic career is only going to last so long. Put yourself in a position to succeed after your playing careers are over!

Daily Training Tip #608

Hockey players are the best athletes in the world. The athletic skills that are developed on the ice sheet are like no other sport. Which means, your off ice training needs to be like no other sport. Hockey players need to develop every single phase of athletic ability; strength, explosiveness, speed, quickness, balance etc.

Daily Training Tip #608

Sport Specific Training


Specific or precise training is the final touches of the never ending training process. Sport specific training is learning how to throw a curve ball, perfecting how to draw a golf ball or practicing your slap shot. Sport specific training helps you become better at one specific sport, however, don’t mistake sport specific training with becoming a better athlete.

In order to throw a curve ball better or take a better slap shot, you need to practice that skill, but you also need to become a better athlete. Becoming a better athlete is really similar for all athletes, regardless of sport. The better your athletic skills are, the better you will become at your sport of choice. If your shoulder, back, core and lower body are stronger, you will throw a better curve ball. Also, if your shoulder, back, core and lower body are stronger, you will have a better slap shot! So why not work on becoming a better athlete?

What football coach wouldn’t want a lineman that has great explosive power? What basketball coach wouldn’t want a point guard that has great jumping skills? What track coach wouldn’t want a sprinter that is lightning fast? What hockey coach wouldn’t want a forward that can change direction on a dime? What coach of any sport wouldn’t want an athlete that is able to do all of the above?

With proper training all athletes regardless of sport should improve on all the skills of athletic ability; explosive power, first step quickness, lateral speed, strength, stamina, reaction time, balance, etc. These words are used in the gym all the time. They are used in the gym all time with different sports and different athletes. Improving on these above words, improves your athletic skills, regardless of sport.

Off-ice or off-field training is compatible to athletes off all sports. Becoming bigger, faster, quicker and stronger are the objectives of all athletes. These objectives can’t be accomplished without hard work in the gym. Workouts need to replicate athletic movements. It doesn’t matter if you are a linebacker taking your first step to the right to make a tackle or if you are a tennis player taking your first step to the right to hit a forehand winner. Improvements happen by completing the right workouts off the field.

Competitions/Games are used to showcase your skills and see how you compare against others. Games aren’t for improvement, practices/workouts are for improvement. Brainerd Warriors High School Coach Jim Archibald says; in terms of development, 1 practice/workout is equal to 11 games and he is right on!. If you want to improve on your abilities, then practice and workout more!

Minnesota Hockey Camps has developed a unique training program that works for all athletes by improving athletic ability. This program is time tested and has the results prove it. The athletes that train @ MHC leave better hockey players, but also better athletes. A lot go on to star in fall sports before the hockey season starts. Come train with us this summer!

Daily Training Tip #606

Physical improvements start being seen 4-6 weeks after workout has been completed, ONLY if continous work happens. Taking time off, delays the onset of improvements.

Daily Training Tip #605

You have to have proper technique/form while you are in the gym working out.


There are times during competition that uncontrolable factors force you to break your technique. An opponent might trip you and force you to take a shot off of your knees. So during competition, you should keep your technique, but also be able to perform in a "killer instinct" fashion.

However, while in the gym, your techniqe is more important than everything else.

Daily Training Tip #604

I've said this many times before in some way, shape or form. It's only up to you how hard you work. It's not up to your coach. Only you know if you have a heavy enough weight on the bar during your squat. Only you know if you are jumping over the biggest hurdle you can. It's up to you. If you don't have a good work ethic, you aren't playing the game at the next level.

Daily Training Tip #603

There are three muscle groups that play a big roll in your skating stride, that some hockey players never train. Your Hip Flexors, Hip Adductors and Hip Abductors. All are easily trained and developed, however, often overlooked. Your career is way to short to over look an area that is a big part of your on-ice performance.

Daily Training Tip #602

I read an interesting article yesterday about the sleep habits of hockey players and how the "pregame nap" is a way of life for professional hockey players. I found the article very interesting. I thought about one thing while reading it. If an All-Star NHL player thinks he needs a pregame nap to perform well, then he better take one. If the nap is productive for him or not, if he mentally feels better, he better continue his naps!

Daily Training Tip #601

We've said this many times. There is a 96% direct correlation between your off-ice sprinting speed and you on-ice skating speed. The faster you sprint, the faster you skate. You should be training more like a sprinter than a lineman.

Daily Training Tip #600

Muscle Imbalances lead to injuries which can lead to extended amounts of time not playing.


Not one wants to get injuried. But we all know that sometimes injuries happen and really can't be prevented. However, some injuries can be prevented. Muscle Imbalance injuries fall into that category.

Your body is a machine. The same as a race car. If one part of your body gets stronger and more developed, while another part of your body stays the same, there is going to be some "breaking point." That breaking point is going to keep you off the rink. Example; ALL athletes need to be doing squats to develop as much leg strength as they can. However, ALL athletes also need to develop as much hamstring strength as they can. If you focus on your quads and forget about your hamstrings, you are going to have muscles strains, pulls and tears. Imagine a race car that has two high performance racing tires and two monster truck tires. We all know this car isn't going going to be very fast. Your body is the same way!

Your training program needs to be functional.

Daily Training Tip #599

You need to be self motivating! It isn't up to your parents, your teammates or even up to your coaches to "push you." It has to come within! Only you, can get yourself in the proper position to achieve your goals.

Daily Training Tip #598

More times than not, it is the little things that you do during your training sessions that make the difference. Something you do on a regular basis, BREATHING, can effectively increase your performance.


A couple of breathing guidelines...

-Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.

-Exhale during the "hard" parts of each exercise.

Daily Training Tip #597

A strength circuit is a great way to keep (and increase) your strength during in-season workouts!

Daily Training Tip #596

There are so many positive examples out there of what hard work does for a person/athlete. Hard work is really one of the only things you can control within your athletic career. Your career is way to short to not work hard!

Daily Training Tip #595

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”

Daily Training Tip #594

I recently read an article on ways to improve your confidence and get yourself out of slump.




One of the easiest things you can do to improve your confidence is to “pay a price” off of the ice. By outworking your opponent you gain a physiological advantage over them. You know you deserve to win the battle/game. Paying a price in the gym fuels your confidence!

Daily Training Tip #593

If healthy (no concussions or illnesses) a skater that is struggling to keep their balance could have a lack of leg strength. Increased leg strength will improve your game in many, many ways.

Daily Training Tip #592

Lowfat chocolate milk naturally has many of the nutrients that most commercial recovery drinks have to add inside the lab before they hit the store shelves. Make chocolate milk your recovery drink of choice!

Daily Training Tip #591

What you do after a game is just as important as what you do before a game! After an intense game (or workout or practice) you need to do a proper cool down. After a not-so intense game (one in which you didn't play to many minutes, or sat in the penalty box too long) you also need to do a proper recovery.


A proper cool down should be active. Don't just shower and leave the rink, get a flush on a bike or jog a few laps around the arena. Then eat the proper foods!

A proper recovery after a not-so intense game, is the same as the above, but might have to be a little more intense. If your body is accustomed to performing at high levels, you need to have a more intense bike ride after your game.

These things vary person by person and day by day. Find out what works best for yourself!

Daily Training Tip #590

If you don't already, add Cherries to your diet. Cherries, Cherry Juice, Frozen Cherries should all be a part of your regular diet. They help aid in the recovery process.

Daily Training Tip #589

Box jumps are one of the easiest exercises to complete, yet they are one of the most effective plyometric exercises. You should be completing box jumps on a regular basis. If you don't have a box at home, find a set of stairs and jump up those.

Daily Training Tip #588

I've said before, to gain an advantage on your opponent you can train smarter than them and you can out work them. A third component of this, is to train/work when they aren't.


-Set your alarm 10 minutes earlier each morning and do some extra situps. Others will still be sleeping.

-Before you leave the rink after a game, shoot 50 more pucks. Others will be showering up.

-Head into the gym on an "off day" and get an extra workout in. Others will be relaxing.

Every little advantage you can give yourself will pay off in the long run.

Daily Training Tip #587

It takes 21 consecutive days to break a bad habit. If you have a habit of being in the wrong place on the breakout or have a habit of spinning a circle instead of stopping/starting or coasting back on the back check, you need to spend 21 consecutive days trying to break that habit.


Making yourself a better player is easy to do. It just takes time and hard work!

Daily Training Tip #586

Keep your routine and keep your ultimate goal in mind!


On Friday, the Alamaba football team had a mini-weightroom constructed on the road, so after their practice they could have a "training/development" session. Their goal was to keep things as normal as possible, leading up their big game tonight. Three days prior to the national championship game, they were still paying a price in the gym.

Something all teams and all athletes should do regardless of sport. Keep your routine and keep your ultimate goal inmind!

Daily Training Tip #585

I read a great article last night "Too Many Athletes Warming Up the Wrong Way." The article backed up what we have been saying for years. Static Stretching is not a warmup!


The idea behind a warmup is simple, get your body ready for practice or competition. A dynamic warmup is much more effective at getting your body ready for performance.

This article found dynamic warmups increase a players jumping ability by 3% when static stretching decreases it by 8%. We know that the higher you jump, the faster you sprint and the faster you sprint, the faster you skate. So do something before your games that benefits you!

Daily Training Tip #584

Make sure your workout are high-intensity! You will get much more out of a shorter, high-intense workout than you will out of a longer, less-intense workout.


As hockey players, you hear it all the time; practice like you play! Well the same holds true in the gym; train like you play!

Daily Training Tip #583

Push Ups are a great exercise that you can complete anywhere. You don't need any equipment or outside help. Just find a spot on the floor. There are so many different types of push ups you can do; you can do normal push ups, you can do jumping (clapping) push ups, you can do one arm push ups, you can do hand stand push ups, then you can also alternate your hand positions to give you other numerous different push ups. Make push ups a regular part of your workouts.

Daily Training Tip #582

You need to train and develop both your anaerobic and aerobic energy systems to become a better hockey player. However, spend the majority of your time doing anaerobic training, as over time, anaerobic training becomes aerobic training.

Daily Training Tip #581

Hockey is a one-legged sport. You are on one leg 80% of the time. Because of this, you need to do your training on one leg as well. Box jumps are one of the easiest exercises you can do with one leg!