Month: January 2022

Repeat Max Effort Sprints

Short duration maximum effort sprints on the Assault bike is an example of a conditioning strategy to improve repeat sprint ability by “raising the ceiling” (opposed to aerobic strategies that “raise the floor”).

The Assault bike is a great tool for this purpose because it’s a low skill movement, so the athlete can focus exclusively on output, and it provides objective feedback (speed or wattage) on the intensity for each rep.

Typically performed for 1-2 rounds of 8-10 reps of 6-10s sprints, starting on the minute (e.g. 50-54s of rest).

A key point of emphasis here is not letting the intensity drop significantly from the first to last rep. As a general rule, speed shouldn’t drop more than 5%. If the athlete can’t maintain that speed, then end the session if the goal was to do 1 round, or end the round and take a few minutes (3-5) to recover before starting the next round.

In this case, this is the only time I’ve seen a player max out the screens wattage (1999) on every rep. Incredibly impressive.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

P.S. For more information on in- and off-season program design, training and reconditioning for injured players, and integrating sports science into a comprehensive training process, check out Optimizing Adaptation & Performance

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In-Season Training: Extra Work

During the season, there are time when players should perform extra “conditioning” work.

When making daily decisions on how to design this type of work, it’s helpful to ask these 3 questions:

· What does the player need?
· What has the player done recently?
· How long does the player have to recover?

This will help identify the most impactful training goal, appropriate training method, and volume of work to help the player make progress while not negatively impairing the ability to compete the next day.

Feel free to post any other comments/questions you have below. If you found this helpful, please share/re-post it so others can benefit.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

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Behind the B Feature

Quick segment providing a look at some of the elements of the Boston Bruins performance training program.

Full episode available here: Behind the B

Appreciate the Behind the B team (@penzy24_7) highlighting the work that goes on behind the scenes!

Feel free to post any other comments/questions you have below. If you found this helpful, please share/re-post it so others can benefit.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

Enter your first name and email below to sign up for my FREE Sports Performance and Hockey Training Newsletter!

Hockey Conditioning: Where to start

Different players will have different limiting factors to their conditioning. Answering these questions may help the player hone in on more specific strategies for their individual needs:

Can the player hold low positions for extended periods of time? (see previous post for target times)
Can the player generate speed? (see previous series for information on #SpeedTrainingforHockey)
Can the player repeat high speed efforts within a shift?
Can the player sustain speed within a shift?
Can the player sustain speed throughout a game?

While it’s possible to address each of these things at the same time, it’s more effective to pick a target and focus on that.

For example, lactic capacity work, which will help improve within-shift sustainability, will compromise gains in speed and power. As a result, it’s better to train these qualities on different days, and preferably in different phases.

In contrast, speed/power and repeat speed work can be trained on the same days, with aerobic work built into days between the higher intensity training sessions.

As a general rule, players will benefit from following this hierarchy: Low Position Endurance -> Speed -> Repeat Sprint/Aerobic -> Lactic Capacity

Feel free to post any other comments/questions you have below. If you found this helpful, please share/re-post it so others can benefit.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

P.S. For comprehensive programs to improve your speed AND repeat sprint ability, check out: Speed Training for Hockey

Enter your first name and email below to sign up for my FREE Sports Performance and Hockey Training Newsletter!

The Foundation for Hockey Conditioning: Split Squat Holds

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve shared some research underlying why I believe hockey should be viewed as a “repeat sprint” sport.

One thing I didn’t mention…repeat sprint ability should be built on a foundation of low position endurance.

Maintaining low positions provides an opportunity for players to develop maximal power through each stride, along with a number of other benefits in terms of angling, puck protection, and leverage to give and absorb contact.

It’s also simple to assess and train.

In my book Speed Training for Hockey, I outlined the below age-based standards for a Split Squat IsoHold:

U-14: 60 seconds
U-18: 60-90 seconds
18+: 90-120 seconds

Give this a shot and see how you do. If you can’t meet these times, building in holds 2-3 times per week is a great place to start.

Feel free to post any other comments/questions you have below. If you found this helpful, please share/re-post it so others can benefit.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

P.S. For comprehensive programs to improve your speed AND repeat sprint ability, check out: Speed Training for Hockey

Enter your first name and email below to sign up for my FREE Sports Performance and Hockey Training Newsletter!