Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Newest NJ Devil Jaromir Jagr's Training Methods

Jaromir Jagr (and Martin Brodeur) will be 40- somethings starting the 2013-2014 NHL season, and in today's faster NHL game, training and physical conditioning are paramount to what has made them successful. 

Here are some excerpts regarding Jagr's training methods-

Old dog, new tricks
"Stars winger Jaromir Jagr just turned 41, but his unique take on training methods is spreading throughout the team. Here are three things he likes to do that teammates have followed:
Weighted stick: Jagr takes a barbell weight and places it on the blade of his stick, then works the stick back and forth to build strength in his wrists and forearms. Player reaction: “My wrists hurt after a minute, so I’m sure it works.” — defenseman Brenden Dillon.
Jump drills: Jagr participates in traditional jumping drills after a game when he has the time. Often, he goes from one end of a hallway to another jumping from one foot to the next. The drill builds leg strength. Player reaction: “A lot of the stuff he does, we have done in the off-season but we think it’s too intense for the season. But he does it anyway, and he’s played for 20 years and he’s still going strong, so it does make you think twice about how you’ve been doing things.” — captain Brenden Morrow.
Midnight practice: Jagr has his own key to the practice facility in Frisco and brings teammates in for midnight workouts every now and then. The practices are referred to as Jagr Hockey School. Player reaction: “Yeah, I’m not sure I’m going to be a part of that. I think midnight is a good time for sleep.” — center Jamie Benn." 
 
 
"As human beings, we admire when others have exceptional work ethics, and so we should. Sloth is the enemy, and those who put their heart and soul into what they do should be celebrated. That group of people includes the great Jaromir Jagr, one of the most hard-working supremely gifted humans in hockey. There’s a reason he’s still an effective hockey player at age 41.
Yesterday Elliotte Friedman of CBC wrote about Jagr and his aforementioned admirable work ethic, which shared some of the details about his regimen, which includes extra on-ice workouts with a weight vest…after actual games have finished. He uses a heavy puck, and occasionally weights his skates to make his muscles work harder. His place in Pittsburgh was rumoured to good for two things: sleeping and working out. Petr Prucha, who stayed with him for awhile, said “While the NHL is sleeping, he is working.”
*Portions reprinted from- http://blogs.thescore.com/nhl/2013/06/07/is-it-possible-that-jaromir-jagr-is-over-training/


Dedication to Training
"Another prime example of extreme dedication to training is Boston Bruins forward Jaromir Jagr.  At 41 years of age this future first ballot Hockey Hall of Fame freak of nature is still playing a lot of quality minutes at the highest level in hockey.  Recently during the overtime games in the 2013 Eastern Conference and Stanley Cup Finals, Jagr seemingly got better as the game went on.  In fact what happened was that Jagr’s play stayed the same while everyone else fatigued and slowed down.
Arguably Jagr trains more than any other player in the National Hockey League.   Early in his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins a strong commitment to training was instilled into him by Hall of Fame player Paul Coffey.  In 20+ years playing professional hockey it has served Jagr well as he keeps going in a game that punishes aging.
His workouts are legendary.  Following games Jagr will put on the weight vest and do skating drills (he recently did this after the overtime games in the Stanley Cup Final).  Sometimes he will perform a combination of plyometrics, quick feet drills, various leg exercises and sprints in the hallways while all his teammates have showered, dressed and left the building.  Other times he puts weights on the end of stick does a variety of dryland drills and movements to train the shoulders, wrists, and grip.  Consistently day in and day out Jagr performs workouts that leave many in the NHL shaking their heads at how dedicated he is with his fitness."