See below for a quick video on rate of force development.
Force output following a quick stretch (i.e. the stretch reflex) can be enhanced with INTENT and training.
INTENT to move quickly recruits high force motor units earlier and leads to faster rate of force development, both in the short-term and as a result of training.
P.S. If you’re interested in improving your speed on the ice, check out my book Speed Training for Hockey.
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Understanding the Stretch Reflex in Skating
See below for a quick video outlining the influence of the stretch reflex and stretch shortening cycle in skating.
Major Take-Away: The stretch reflex should primarily be trained in positions of deep hip and knee bend, with less focus on the more upright posture, short contact time exercises applicable to top speed sprinting OFF the ice.
Give this a shot, and post any feedback in the comments section below!
The goal is to stay tall and centered over the foot.
When someone is performing this exercise, there are several things I’m looking for:
Foot stability: Do they maintain 3 points of contact with the heel, ball of the foot and 5th metatarsal (base of the pinky toe)? Some movement is expected, but the foot shouldn’t collapse inward or roll so far to the outside that the big toe peels off.
Hip positioning: As the ball moves, does the pelvis rotate, sway excessively side to side (this can also drive the foot to roll in or out), or dump forward?
Core control: Does the rib cage stay stacked above the pelvis? Most typical deviation from this position is to allow the pelvis to tip forward and rib cage to flare up, which is a sign of an posterior (low back) stabilization strategy, but some will also excessively crunch/brace which will cause them to “lose height”.
Head/Neck position: Does the head stay stacked above the rib cage and pelvis or does it drift forward?
Positioning and control in all of these areas are inter-related, (e.g. a foot collapsing inward can drive a hip tilt and loss of rib/pelvis stacking), so it’s important to observe up and down the chain.
As with the other variations, this can be progressed by adding range of motion to the “8”, adding speed, or adding load. In certain cases, I’ve also progressed athletes to doing this with their eyes closed, to remove the visual contribution to balance.
Give this a shot, and post any questions/comments below!
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Core Training Variations for Dynamic Stability
Following up on a previous post, over the next few days, I’ll share other core variations we use to reinforce stability across a variety of different positions.
The video below is of a Split Squat Med Ball Figure 8.
As with the last video, the goal is to maintain depth and a forward lean/shin angle, and to control the momentum of the ball to maintain the pelvis/torso within the base of support.
The “Figure 8” (really an “infinity” symbol) pattern adds a diagonal component, in comparison to the “tight rotation” variation that is straight side to side.
This serves as an end-stage progression from dynamic cable chop and lift patterns.
With longer durations, a key point of emphasis is on “breathing through the brace.”
Give this a shot, and post any questions/comments below!
