Blogs

In viewing the game demands for hockey goalies, it’s apparent they do not need the same focus on anaerobic capacity that is often essential for forwards and defensemen to integrate into their training programs. This picture is adapted from the “Performance Profiling as a Platform for Program Design” presentation I gave at our Optimizing Adaptation […]

The goalie position has unique physical demands compared to forwards and defensemen that should factor into the training process. This image shows heart rate data (courtesy of @dmcconnell29) from a goalie in a game and a practice. Clearly there are differences in the conditioning demands in how goalies are being utilized in practices compared to […]

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 […]

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, […]

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, […]

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 […]

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, […]

There are two main strategies for improving repeat sprint ability: Improve initial sprint performance Improve recovery between sprints If you’re interested in training strategies to improve speed, check out the previous series I did on Speed Training for Hockey (also available at my instagram account: @KevinNeeld) Clearly, training to improve speed requires maximum effort, high-intensity […]

One of the most common questions I get is “what’s the best way to condition for hockey?” Often times, people are looking for one prescription (e.g. “Do 12 sets of 15s of work with 45s of rest”). This review paper from Girard et al. (2010) details the factors that contribute to fatigue in repeat sprint efforts […]

There are many ways to analyze the physiological demands of a sport, but tracking heart rate (HR) is the most commonly used. When looking at the HR response during shifts of male Canadian university players, forwards had higher peak and average HRs compared to defensemen. This is consistent with my experience, and speaks to the […]