Blogs

One of the things I’ve heard coaches mention frequently over the years is that a player “doesn’t move well laterally.” There are some key physical contributors to transitional patterns (e.g. range of motion, eccentric strength & rate of force development, effective use of range-specific stretch-reflex/stretch-shortening cycle), but skating technique and body control are also essential to […]

Last week I shared some research highlighting differences between acceleration and steady state skating, and between elite and sub-elite skaters through these two skating phases. In response to those posts, I was asked if I had any favorite exercises to improve acceleration and top-end speed. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I typically approach the training process […]

There are notable differences in skating stride characteristics between elite and sub-elite skaters in both acceleration and steady-state phases of skating. In the acceleration phase, elite skaters use a larger hip extension range of motion, and higher hip extension, hip abduction, and knee extension velocities. In steady state skating, the elite skaters used a larger […]

There are two general ways to approach linear speed training: 1) Improving the rate at which a player approaches top speed (e.g. acceleration) 2) Improving top speed It’s rare for a player to reach top speed with any regularity in hockey, whereas the ability to accelerate is integral to performance in every shift. However, the […]

One of the more consistent findings in determining what differentiates elite and sub-elite skaters is that elite skaters adopt a lower skating position. This study from Upjohn et al (2008) found that high caliber skaters had a deeper skating position, which translated into longer/wider strides with more extension range of motion through the knee/ankle. Ultimately, […]

I hope this finds you well, and that you’re as excited as I am for the start of the hockey season. Over the last few years, balancing my work responsibilities with family time and wrapping up my PhD has not left a lot of extra time for writing. When I started this site back in […]

I hope you’re wrapping up a great week. This is a FINAL friendly reminder that the launch sale for Optimizing Adaptation & Performance ends in 12 hours (midnight tonight). Get INSTANT Access and Save $50 Here >> Optimizing Adaptation & Performance James LaValle, Mike Potenza and I sought to create a learning environment that we […]

Mike Potenza (San Jose Sharks) recently shared an article on 3 powerful strategies he’s used to successfully return his players from injury. Unfortunately, it’s still extremely common for athletes to be told to rest for several weeks until the injury “heals”, and then receive a green light to fully return to sport. While time may […]

On Friday, Eric Cressey published an article I wrote on the biggest mistake people make when designing training programs. Before I get into that, I wanted to let you know that we’ve extended the launch sale for our new video series Optimizing Adaptation & Performance through this Friday (11/9) at midnight EST. With Halloween in […]

Today I’m excited to share another guest article from Mike Potenza, which he wrote for Mike Robertson’s site this week. How athletes address their in-season training can have a profound impact on their speed, power, strength, and overall energy throughout the season. This is particularly important as a failed in-season plan will lead to maximal […]