A well-designed training program during the season is structured to maintain or slightly improve summer fitness; it should not be as intense or exhausting as a summer session, having minimal impact on practice or games.
'The order or sequence of exercises in a training session can have an impact on the effectiveness of the workout. Exercises should be arranged in an order that minimizes the impact of fatigue from exercise to exercise, allowing you to complete the workout...'
'It is not necessary to spend hours in the gym to get a good workout and achieve your goals. Many people try to do too much, believing that if one exercise is good more must be better, this is untrue...'
"Stop the screaming...If you can't get yourself psyched up to do a lift without screaming you should consider picking up a sport psychology book to help you with this problem..."
It doesn't matter how much time is spent with a skating coach, they won't improve their skating until they have the strength they need to do the skill properly.
Speed is not as important as acceleration for a hockey player.
Although many people dislike math or the thought of math, numbers are your friends when it comes to developing power.
While focusing on hockey all year round may seem like a great idea, there are a limited number of skills and movements experienced in hockey and the rigid design of most camps does not allow kids to just try things.
The average maximum bench press for NHL players is about 280 lbs with some of the guys able to bench press close to 400 lbs.
Conditioning is the icing on the cake for hockey players; it can either make or break a season. There is a way to get the jump on the competition without even hitting the ice: bike sprints.
Ed McNeely is the head Physiologist and Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Peak Centre for Human Performance. He has been a consultant to hockey players at all levels from Pee-Wee to the NHL.
