Overlooked Essentials to an OUTSTANDING Off-season Workout Program

1) FLEXIBILITY

Flexibility is important in any exercise program. It is essentially important in hockey where players use many different muscles to help them speed up, slow down, skate backwards, and change directions rapidly. A hockey player should get a warm up before a game, practice or workout. This warm up should include stretches which are hockey specific (focus on hamstrings, calf muscles, lower back, and hips). A well-planned stretching routing helps a player prepare his muscles for action, hence preventing injury. Flexibility allows a player to react more quickly. So do take the time and STRETCH!

2) Long Distance Cardiovascular Conditioning-

For a hockey player to get up and down the ice effectively during their shifts, an entire game and season, they must build up their aerobic and anaerobic systems. The aerobic system is used for long stretches on the ice while the anaerobic system is used for quick bursts of speed. Each important for its own reasons. Building an aerobic base gives players greater energy to play longer and helps them recover faster from lactic acid build up. An anaerobic base gives players the ability to perform quick energy surges. Start first in the early months of your off-season by building a core base of cardiovascular health (running of 2 miles, cycling of 5 miles, or the eliptical machine for 30-45 minutes).  As your system adjusts you will build, and be able to perform these activities with greater speed or resistance.  Within the last 6 weeks of off-season conditioning start to incorporate anaerobic activities to develop quick bursts of speed.  Yet, remember, you need the foundation before you can build the house!

3) Nutrition-

Nutrition is perhaps the one element that we as hockey players are most forgetful of. We must remember it is the fuel that makes our bodies go! Many of you will feel that your summer is you “down time,” a time to have a few pops and eat cheeseburgers while watching women’s beach volleyball on the couch. Wrong! You are entering adulthood. It is now time that your body must be worked harder and more often if it wishes to maintain shape. Think before you eat and make sure you are always drinking plenty of water. The best way to build muscle is to focus on eating large amounts of protein heavy food in the off-season.  During the regular season, you will need to replenish lost energy so carbohydrates will come more into the picture... but a carbohydrate heavy diet in the off-season can result in unnecessary weight gain.  An 8oz. glass of water before your meal is always the best start.

4) Supplements-

I am in no way endorsing steroids or performance enhancing drugs, but a well balanced regiment of essential and safe vitamins and minerals will improve your overall health.  These can be purchased right over the counter at your local CVS or GNC.  Here are 3 essentials-

1. Multi-vitamin- Taking a multivitamin/multimineral supplement like Centrum daily can help ensure you get recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals important for overall health and well-being.

2. Glutamine- Athletes take glutamine supplements in order to prevent muscle breakdown and to improve immune system functioning.

3. Fish oil capsules (Omega- 3 Fatty Acids)- Essential fats, Fish Oils are promoted to help support a healthy heart. This dietary supplement is used to add to a healthy diet.  Recent studies have shown that these may even help the prevention of concussions.

Extra Edge Academy- Facility Review

On Tuesday, April 19th, I had the opportunity to tour the Extra Edge Academy with head instructors Devin Edgerton & Grant Marshall, and for any hockey coach, player, parent or trainer, I highly recommend this unique and outstanding facility.

Foremost, what sets Extra Edge Academy apart is it's attention to detail, and sport-specific hockey training.  This place isn't Gold Gyms with a Synthetic Ice surface.  Every activity is carefully planned to develop the body to perform better on the ice.  In the process of setting themselves apart, they use modern technology ( like a synthetic ice treadmill, computer- based read & react stickhandling, and synthetic ice shooting range with computer functionality) to accelerate the process.

I find it inspiring to be around opened minded people who challenge themselves to push the limits, to see how good they can become.  When I was a kid, my Father would travel to my hockey camps, practices and skill clinics, and take notes in order to further develop his coaching philosophy.  Many of these ideas became the basis for his 3 part "Ultimate Hockey Drill Book".  Coaches have to be a student of the game, and not seek like-minded people, but rather people who think outside the box and challenge the accepted practices.  In my half- hour interaction with Devin Edgerton I saw a coach/ trainer who not only shared a lot of my same viewpoints, but also implemented my Father's teaching in making "Extra Edge Academy".  Over the course of Devin's decade long pro career, he took bits and pieces of training programs from his coaches (in the US, Canada, and Europe), expanded and developed what he learned to create his own Optimal Program.  Here is his philosophy-

The Extra Edge Academy  is a training facility for hockey players  designed, managed, and staffed by hockey players. We believe that our trainers  understand the sport at a granular level to provide a focused program that’s proven and successful.

Our goal is simple – push our students to become the best hockey players they can be. To accommodate this objective, The Academy  is staffed with some of the best hockey trainers available. Our trainers are hockey players that have collegiate to pro-level experience and have a deep knowledge of what it takes to succeed on and off the ice. They have developed and trained  youth, high school, club, minor and major league hockey players.

Our programs encompass a wide range of training techniques taking the best from both North American and European styles. This synergistic approach gives our students an edge that’s unique and effective.

In conclusion, I was amazed by this place.  The facility is currently almost booked out to capacity, as it is quickly becoming THE HOCKEY TRAINING facility in NJ.  As my wife knows, it is my dream to one day open up a similar facility in New Hampshire, using many of the products and services that Extra Edge provides... So in many ways I truly thank Devin and Grant for allowing me in to their building, making my mental notes and giving me the VIP tour.  This is a hockey place for hockey players, and I wish I had discovered it 20 years ago when I was playing.

There is no question that if you have the desire and commitment, Extra Edge will make you a better player.  If you are willing to work hard, this facility is the BEST place to make your skills and strength dramatically better.

 


Contact Extra Edge Academy for how to join-
973-276-0600
20 Chapin Rd, Pine Brook, NJ, 07058

Improve Foot Speed Off- Ice

Power and Foot Speed make skaters dynamic.  As a kid I went to a number of Laura Stamm clinics and camps, and her system has become the backbone of what I teach to my students.  Dave Andreychuk is the prime of example of the Stamm foundation, "It's not how fast your feet are moving, but rather how much ice you are pushing".  Yet, to be a DYNAMIC hockey player, and dynamic skater, the truth lies somewhere in between.  You need BOTH powerful strides, and quick feet.
Most players think that this can be accomplished strictly when they are skating, but the reality is that strength and power, as well as, foot speed are traits that are transplanted onto the ice, from off-ice development.
Here are some pointers for players who are already good skaters, but want to train off the ice to become dynamic skaters.

1) Speed Training with Ankle Weights-  People lift weights to get stronger and run to get faster. Training with ankle weights can combine both of those concepts. By using these weights in your speed workouts, you will become faster without having to alter the drills you are comfortable with.  Wearing the weights when going through different speed drills forces your body to work harder than normal because you are carrying extra weight. Thus, when you finish your training, your speed will have improved because of the added weight you were carrying. By wearing the weights around your ankle, instead of elsewhere, such as a weighted vest, you are ensuring that your legs get the added workload.  In addition, Ankle weights are simple to use, and inexpensive.  Most use Velcro to keep the weight in place. Once attached, the weights will be effective in any speed training that you do. Running while wearing them will improve your long-distance speed as well as your foot speed through sprint drills. The key to successful use is commitment, they will not be effective if used sparingly, and while effective, ankle weights do have their downside. The workouts can be strenuous on different areas of the leg, and can cause pain if used for too long The knees are an especially delicate area for these workouts.   My recommendation is to use these for long distance runs not exceeding 35minutes, and to use them on smooth surfaces.  Start off with very light weight and gradually build up.  I even use these on-ice with my private lesson students.

2) Sand or Beach Training- My recommendation is to do this at off-peak beach hours so that you don't annoy sunbathers.  Beach training (either running for distance, up hills, change of directions, using ladders, or doing plyometric exercises) adds an amazing amount of resistance to basic cardio exercises, and has been the foundation for the Junior Program I coach with's tremendous success.  Performing the exercises in the below video will challenge you to go beyond what you as an athlete think you can handle, and utilizes stability and balance muscles that you probably didn't even know you had.

3) Plyometrics- Simply put the combination of speed and strength is power.  Throughout this century and no doubt long before, jumping, bounding and hopping exercises have been used in various ways to enhance athletic performance. In recent years, this distinct method of training for power or explosiveness has been termed plyometrics. Whatever the origins of the word the term is used to describe the method of training that seeks to enhance the explosive reaction of the individual through powerful muscular contractions because of rapid muscle contractions.  My first encounter with plyometrics was an a kid when I attended several summer hockey schools, and we performed bounding, leaping, or explosive muscle movements that were designed to improve your leg strength and skating ability.  I've incorporated many of these movements and added others to use with the teams I coach.  If practiced twice a week for the length of an entire season, a team's overall speed will increase at least 10%.  Your players will be better conditioned and better athletes as well.  Below is a chart with some basic movements you can perform to enhance your speed.  Just pick a field or track and give it a try...

4) Treadmill Workouts (Hill Training)- Treadmills have always been boring to me, but when used as a devise to make hills, they can be an amazing way to increase your speed.  Hill training is great for athletes engaged in sports that involve running, because hill training enhances running economy, and functional strength. However, outdoor hill workouts can be problematic under windy and wet conditions - or for athletes who live in flat regions of the country. Fortunately you can carry out your 'hill training' indoors on a treadmill - and often get a better workout than would be the case outside!  Although most athletes recognize that treadmills can simulate hills and that it is possible to get a great workout on a treadmill, they are often stumped by two key questions: how fast should the treadmill speed be set? How much of an inclination should be utilized?   For starters, try a hill speed and incline that you can sustain for 2 to 3 minutes.  Although that is longer than the average shift in a hockey game, it will build up for strength, and be a good indicator for which you can build a program around.  Challenge yourself each week to slightly increase both the speed and incline, and also combine the incline with interval training, so that you develop the long distance cardiovascular fitness that can sustain you for the 60 minutes of a hockey game.  Before you know it, you will have dramatic success.

We all know some players are born faster than others... but that is NO excuse for not becoming as fast as you can become!

Add Amazing Accuracy and 25% more Power to your shot in 1 Summer

2 Shots a minute. 25 Minutes a day.  5 Days a week.  2 Months of the year (July & August). 4 weeks in July & 5 Weeks in August.  Total Shots taken for the Summer... 2250.

Clear a 10X10 ft. space in your backyard or driveway (get your parents permission first), and set up your own personal Shooting range.  All you need is a street hockey goal, but even spray paint and a pad or sheet of plywood (to serve as the target) will do.  Several products can be purchased online as the surface to shoot off of, but I have always found that pieces of boards, glass or dasher taken from the scrap heap of rinks work just fine.  As long as the surface is flat, and provides a gliding surface, your shooting board can be created with almost zero financial outlay. 10 pucks and your favorite stick are the only other tools you'll need.

Once the range is set up, it's time for you to go to work.  Set goals for yourself, including minimum time, types of shot, and targets to hit, so that you can exceed your ability rather than settling for the path of least resistance.  I always found that bringing friends into the mix can create a level of competitiveness that brings the best out of the both of you.

Use a golf ball to warm up your hands before shooting (60- 180 seconds), and pump out body weight (push ups or chin ups) or resistance exercises before and after shooting, to complete your program and strengthen your arms and shoulders.  Wear your hockey gloves when shooting, and most of all... DON'T FORGET YOUR BACKHAND!!!!

BOSU Ball Training for Improved Hockey Balance

The BOSU ball was created in 1999 by an innovator named David Weck. He intented the BOSU ball to be a safer alternative to the traditional exercise ball, as he himself had an accident on the regular ball, and desperately longed for a unique product that could prevent injuries and yet still provide difficult balance training.
The BOSU ball is a very effective tool for hockey players. It allows them to enhance their balance, core strength and even power.  By inserting several exercises with the ball into their regimen, hockey players of all levels will be better prepared to turn on a dime and make explosive moves without losing their balance.   As we have discussed in my earlier article on dynamic edge control, being able to balance and maximize your power capabilities will make you a more explosive skater.  It also will benefit you when you are handling the puck under duress.

The following exercises should be essential for every hockey player, and can be easily added to an existing weight training program, because they strengthen essential muscle groups that are difficult to strengthen in controlled exercises.  Try these three, and do so by adding 1 a day to your current strength training program.-

Side To Side Lunges:

This exercise is done with the flat portion of the BOSU ball on the ground. Start with both feet on the ball. Take your right foot out and into a side lunge, then explode up, replace your left foot with your right, and repeat on the opposite side. Do three sets of 8-10 reps for each leg.

Squats With Overhead Press:

This exercise should only be advanced to when you feel comfortable with basic squats. Take a pair of dumbbells, about half of the weight of your sitting shoulder press weight, and hold them at ear level as if you were about to perform dumbbell presses for the shoulders.

When you push back up on the squat press the dumbbells overhead and make sure you keep your back straight. 8-10 repetitions and 3-4 sets should be performed although you may need to take an additional minute of rest after working two muscle groups together.

Push-Ups:

 

This exercise is performed with the bubble side down. Place your hands on the outer edges making sure they are directly under your shoulders. Keep a flat back and tighten your abdominals throughout the workout.

 

Descend until your chest is very close to the platform, and then slowly push back up. Perform one set until you cannot go any more, making sure to keep proper form the entire time. Once you complete your first set, rest for one minute, and repeat. Try 3 sets to failure.

 

 

 

If you incorporate these exercises you will greatly improve your balance and functional athleticism.  Incorporating these activities into your current weight training program will be an exciting challenge, and you will be amazed by the dramatic results!

 

 

Some text and pictures were provided by- http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw78.htm

Improve Puck Control- Off- Ice

One of the first things that I try to teach all my athletes, in particular my high school kids, is that you do not need ice to improve your hockey skills.

I am going to challenge my players this off-season to make their puck handling abilities the best they have ever been without even stepping onto the ice.

Make a goal of taking 10-15 minutes, 3-4 times per week to practice the following

exercises-

Exercise 1: Very simply lay down two bricks and lay the broomstick or a piece of wood across the bricks forming a tunnel. Only one rule, be creative. Move the ball around the bricks, under the wood or over the wood. Jump over the wood on two feet or one foot, to improve total body training. Try to move as fast as you can and try to move the ball as fast as you can. Be sure to use your forehand, backhand, toe drag and more. Remember be creative and have fun. Start with sets of 30 seconds and work your way up.

Exercise 2: This exercise will require a partner. You will need the broomstick, ball and hockey stick for this drill. Your partner starts by dragging the far end of the broomstick across the ground. Drag the stick in a half circle trying to keep the same pace. As your partner moves this stick your job is to move the ball around the broomstick without letting the broomstick touch the ball. You can do this by moving the ball under the broomstick, by using the toe drag to pull the ball back towards you out of the reach of the broomstick or even by lifting the ball up and over the broomstick. Once again practice using your forehand, backhand and toe drag. Keep your head up and practicing being quick. To make the exercise more difficult allow your partner to move the broomstick as he/she wishes instead of at a set pace.

Exercise 3: The Obstacle Course. You can use pucks or cones or any type of obstacle you like for this drill. Set the obstacles up in any fashion you like but I would recommend that you start with a straight line. Practice moving the pucks through the obstacles while moving as fast as possible. You can practice going around the obstacles with your whole body or practice keeping your body in between the obstacles and just moving the ball around the obstacles. Practicing on forcing the puck as wide as possible. Work outside your comfort zone. Practice using only one hand when going wide on your backhand. Be sure to keep your head up and work on moving as fast as possible.

In addition to being creative and utilizing different drills, there are an amazing amount of tools to help you improve your puck control skills off the ice.  Some of these include-

1) Golf Balls- improves fast-twitch muscles and reflexes.

2) Puck Socks- You can purchase these online or in pro-shops.  They are a sleeve that fits over the shaft of your stick and allows your to add weight to your stick.  Great way to build up strength.

3) Tennis Balls- Improve athleticism, hand-eye coordination, and reaction time, by dribbling a tennis ball up and/ or down with your stick.

4) Wrist Rollers-   Great for strengthening your forearms, and a very easy tool to make.  All it requires is a rope, 24' stick or bar, and a weight (5-10lbs).  Roll it up and back down to develop forearm and hand strength.

If you work 10-15 minutes, 3-4 times per week from now till next season, you will greatly develop your puck skills, and in the process never even have to pay for a lesson, ice time, or entry fee.  All the tools are at your disposal. Give it a try and see what happens.

Out of Comfort Zone Skating- Part 1

Dynamic Edge Control- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdyXZPH6XTw&feature=related

Whether you are an experienced skater or not, you are aware that a strong grip against the ice is necessary for balance, speed and power.  You get this grip by using the edges of your blade, shifting your weight onto the outside or inside.  Dynamic edge control is vital to achieve quick starts, explosive turns, puck possession mastery, and rock-steady balance.  This article will explore some of the basic mechanics and technical aspects of edge control, and give some unique drills that explore C-Cuts and balance in ways that many coaches have never tried.

COUNTERBALANCE

            As you can see from the video above, to get the most out of your edges it is vital that you work on being able to roll your ankles each way to an angle of 45 degrees.

Believe it or not, when attempting to improve your skating, falling down is an extremely beneficial tool.  It shows you exactly when you have gone too far and where you have lost control.  This is commonly known as out of comfort zone training.

Thus, it is very important that you begin to use your edges the way they were intended.  To do this, you will definitely need to have an understanding of what I like to call Counterbalance.

            Counterbalance, in skating terms, means to shift your upper bodyweight in the opposite the direction of your edges.  For example, when edges roll properly in one direction, you must counter this action by shifting your upper bodyweight in the opposite direction (still keeping your shoulders level and parallel with the ice).

If you lean too much of your upper bodyweight in the same direction as your edge and the angle of the edge becomes too extreme, it will almost certainly slip out from under you and cause you to lose power or fall down.

THE OUTSIDE EDGE:

Most important for dynamic edge control is where you place your bodyweight over an edge that holds the key to how it will perform for you.  And, quite often it is the upper part of the body that is creating the most problems for you …especially when it comes to the outside edge.

Of the two edges, the outside edge, rolled halfway to the ice at the proper 45 degree angle (or more), is a more difficult edge to lay down in the ice.  In order to get on an outside edge, you must have the confidence to be able to roll your ankle outward…and turning the ankle out is a much less natural movement than turning the ankle in.
Body Positioning:

Is your ankle going to cave in?  If you feel like this, then it is more likely than not that you are forcing too much weight on one side of the edge.
            Instead, when you put the outside edge down in the ice, it is important that you have your hips and knees move past the edge and toward the ice.  But at the same time you will want to counter that push in with the lower body, by maintaining your upper body as parallel with the ice as you possibly can.
            As you gain more confidence and improve using the outside edge, you will be able to push the edge harder and with more consistency, and the way you adjust your body will become more natural.  When you get to this point, you know that your muscles are beginning to learn the lessons that you are teaching them… this is called “muscle memory.”
Placement of the Blade on the Ice:

How you place any edge on the ice is a vital factor in your ability to use it efficiently.  This is especially true in regards to the outside edge, where you have less margin for error than on the inside edge.

To help you better understand where and how to put the skate properly down on the ice, it is good to think of the blade as three separate parts:  Front-Middle, Middle-Middle and Back-Middle.  Given these terms, think of the blade divided into 3 sections.

You will use all these parts of the blade depending on what skating maneuver you are doing.  For example, a quick start comes from the front-middle of your blade.  As well, a quick turn in a short area (especially at lower speeds) can come from the back-middle or back third of the blade.

But for the best success in improving and holding an outside edge, you will want to use the middle-middle of your blade.  This gives you the most stability, strength and control.

Try this by building up speed around a circle and then glide only on your outside edge (one foot).  Place the skate down incorrectly, with too much weight toward the toe, and you will see how this will cause you to come off the edge and lose your balance forward.Then, skate around the circle again and this time land the outside edge correctly in the middle of the blade getting as much of it as possible in contact with the ice and it should be clear to you where the most stability will come from…. directly in the middle of the blade.

UNIQUE DRILLS

1) Puck C-Cuts-  To develop dynamic balance after learning the basics, try this drill. Gain a slight amount of momentum heading up ice, then step on a puck, using the middle of your blade, with one leg.  Assert your balance and stabilize yourself.  Then to propel yourself, use the forward C-Cut with the opposite leg to power yourself down the length of the ice.  After trying with one-leg, try again with the other.  At first this drill will feel impossible, but as you gain confidence, you will be able to GAIN a tremendous amount of speed and also develop the stability muscles within your legs that allow elite players to maintain control of the puck at top speed while dekeing and/ or being checked.

2) Horsepower Circles- Tell your kids to look a thoroughbred, and ask them why they think the horse is so fast?  I'm sure you will get some strange answers, but once the kids realize its the gigantic muscles located in the horses rear thighs and butt, they will be able to visualize the horses power.  To focus on developing these muscles, make the kids do all 5 circles, starting out of the corner, with no sticks and with their gloves constantly touching the ice.  This drill focuses on perfect inside and outside edge control, leg drive and placement, and dynamic power pushes.

3) 1-Legged C-Cut Propulsions- Have your players start at the goalline and instruct them to (with one leg) propel themselves down the ice without ever taking a stride.  Can't be done?  With one leg you can C-Cut inside, then outside, then back to inside, then back to outside and so on... propelling yourself down the length of the ice and gaining a tremendous amount of speed and momentum.  Oftentimes I call this the ballerina drill.  It takes balance, power, form and technique to sustain the movement, and will drastically improve confidence.