Month: April 2022

Training Around Injuries

When an athlete suffers an injury, the early decisions made around their training can have a profound impact on their reconditioning timeline.

Research has shown that training the opposite limb can result in up to 77% of the gained strength transferring to the untrained (injured) limb. This is a result of adaptations in the nervous system that allow for a strong neural drive and coordinated contraction to be maintained in the injured side, despite it not actively moving.

Focusing on multi-joint exercises with slow eccentric and rapid concentric phases will maximize the transfer effect.

These positive neural adaptations accompany desirable hormonal responses to heavy resistance training, which may positively impact tissue healing.

If the goal is to optimize injury healing, and expedite a return to full performance, complete rest is rarely the answer.

Feel free to post any comments/questions 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 more information reconditioning injured athletes, check out Optimizing Adaptation & Performance

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Integrated Mobility Work: Posterior Diagonal Sling

Last week I shared an integrated mobility exercise that opens up some range of motion along an anterior sling connecting the front of one hip with the opposite shoulder.

This variation addresses the same concept on the opposite side of the body, now focusing on the connection between the glute and the opposite lat.

This video is of a “Diagonal Hip Rock w/ Opposite Reach”

A few notes:

✅ Set up on hands and knees and either reach one leg back on ~45° angle or bring one leg up into a “pigeon” position to feel a big stretch in the back of that hip

✅ Sink into the stretch while keeping your hips square to the floor (e.g. don’t open up as in a seated 90-90 position). Holding this position, reach with the opposite arm across your body, side bending through your torso to feel a stretch through the lat.

✅ Each rep, attempt to reach slightly further with your hand, and every few reps try to sink slightly deeper into your hip.

Typically performed for 6-10 reps per side.

Feel free to post any comments/questions 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 more information on how to assess movement and integrate specific strategies to improve mobility and movement quality in training, check out Optimizing Movement. Don’t have a DVD player? Send me a note through the contact page after you checkout here Optimizing Movement and I’ll get you a digital copy of the videos!

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Early Off-Season Training

Feel free to post any comments/questions 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. If you’re interested in year-round comprehensive hockey-specific training programs for players at different ages, check out Ultimate Hockey Transformation.

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Integrated Mobility Work

Many movements in sports rely on diagonal myofascial “slings” that create a connection between one hip and the opposite shoulder.

Influencing mobility at individual joints is extremely important, but including “integrated” mobility work along these diagonal slings can address limitations that may not appear at the single-joint level.

This video is of a “1/2 Kneel Hip Flexor w/ Opposite Pec Mob” that taps into emphasizes the fascial connection through the front of the down-side hip, the obliques, and opposite pec.

A few notes:

✅ Set up by pushing the down side knee into the ground, rolling the tailbone under and shifting the hip forward to feel a deep stretch through the hip flexors.

✅ Grab the pole with the bottom hand palm down and the top hand palm up. Use the bottom hand to push the top back at ~45° angle above horizontal until you feel a big stretch through your pec.

✅ Each rep, attempt to push slightly further back to increase length/tension across the entire pathway. You can “take up slack” by sinking the hips further forward, and/or adding rotation through the t-spine.

Typically performed for 6-10 reps per side OR for 3-6 reps of alternating periods of 10s of holding a stretch, and 10s of pushing against the stretch (1-2mins of total tension).

Feel free to post any comments/questions 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 more information on how to assess movement and integrate specific strategies to improve mobility and movement quality in training, check out Optimizing Movement. Don’t have a DVD player? Send me a note through the contact page after you checkout here Optimizing Movement and I’ll get you a digital copy of the videos!

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

Lateral Line Mobility

I was fortunate to come across Thomas Myers book Anatomy Trains (@anatomytrainsofficial) early in my career (great recommendation from @michael_boyle1959), and it continues to influence how I view movement.

In the book, Myers breaks down the anatomy of 7 important fascial pathways. The lateral line extends from the foot through the peroneals, IT Band, hip abductors, lateral obliques, lateral intercostals up through the splenius capitis and SCM to the lateral aspect of the cranium.

This video shows a “Lateral Wall Lean w/ Triceps Stretch” that emphasizes stretching the lateral line from the ground up. While the triceps aren’t included in Myers lateral line, actively flexing the elbow adds tension along the pathway.

A few notes:

✅ Slide the inside leg under the outside leg and roll the ankle so the outside of the foot is on the ground

✅ Sink the hips toward the wall to feel a stretch through the lateral hip, obliques, and rib cage.

✅ Think of reach your elbow slightly up the wall to increase the tension through the lateral line and through your lat.

✅ Keep this position while you bend your elbow to reach down your back.

✅ Every few reps, see if you can reach your leg further or sink your hips closer to the wall to “take up the slack”

This quickly becomes a favorite with the athletes that try it, in part because it’s addressing areas typically overlooked with more common mobility routines.

Feel free to post any comments/questions 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 more information on how to assess movement and integrate specific strategies to improve mobility and movement quality in training, check out Optimizing Movement. Don’t have a DVD player? Send me a note through the contact page after you checkout here Optimizing Movement and I’ll get you a digital copy of the videos!

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