Blogs

Hip internal rotation has many important implications for athletic performance. ➡️ Loading through the stance phase to maximize the efficiency of push-off. ➡️ Creating power in cross-over patterns as the drive leg pushes under the body. ➡️ Improving single-leg stability by allowing the body to center over the foot/base of support. ➡️ Minimizing risk of […]

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 […]

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 […]

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kevin Neeld, PhD (@kevinneeld) 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 NeeldSpeedTrainingforHockey.comHockeyTransformation.comOptimizingAdaptation.com P.S. If you’re interested in year-round comprehensive hockey-specific training programs for players at different ages, check out Ultimate […]

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 […]

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 […]

Here’s another sample in-season off-ice training program for youth hockey players from ~15-18 years old (Bantams and Midgets). A few notes: ✅ This is Phase 2 of the in-season program, so the main exercises have been progressed to over the course of the previous few weeks. The program is designed so the whole team goes […]

Breathing patterns can have a significant effect on many aspects of an individual’s physical and mental performance, recovery, and overall well-being. As a result, “optimal” breathing has received a lot of attention in recent years, and there are several courses and certifications centered around teaching people how to breathe better. While teaching strategies to improve […]

Over the last few weeks I’ve gotten a lot of questions about training phase length and sequencing for youth hockey players. This image is of the periodization template I put together for a youth organization I worked with in the past. For that organization, we divided the teams into 3 groups by age: Group A: […]

I was fortunate to be featured in a new article that just went up on The Athletic. The article shares some insight into: ✅ The rigors of the NHL season and how it impacts recovery✅ A typical practice day for our staff✅ In-season monitoring strategies✅ How the performance field will evolve as a result of […]