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 […]
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