Embrace the Monotony

The athletes that SUSTAIN success commit themselves to doing the little things right, consistently.

They warm-up with intent before practice. They train regularly in-season. They hydrate, eat, and sleep with purpose, with a performance mindset.

Often times, these acts are monotonous. They’re repeated on a daily basis for months in a row.

The best athletes do them anyway. They commit to the process. They EMBRACE the monotony because it lays the foundation for consistent, long-term success.

And that means more to them than the perceived loss of the small sacrifices along the way.

These are all simple decisions, completely within the athlete’s control.

Make the right choices. Embrace the monotony. Succeed.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

P.S. One of the areas where “embracing the monotony” is especially crucial is nutrition. Fueling for health, performance, and recovery requires making good choices, consistently. If you’re interested in highly effective sports nutrition strategies, check out this manual from renowned nutritionist Brian St. Pierre: Ultimate Hockey Nutrition

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Improving Power from Low Positions Continued…

Lateral Bound from Pause w/ Drop Start

Similar goal as the Squat Jump w/ Quick Dip with maximizing transition speed except now the push is lateral, so the athlete should “push the turf away” to cover as much ground laterally as possible. The emphasis is on the push, NOT on reaching out with the lead leg.

Typically performed for 3-4 sets of 5 reps per side.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

P.S. If you’re interested in improving your speed on the ice, check out my book Speed Training for Hockey.

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Improving Power from Low Positions

The stretch reflex of the quadriceps is typically utilized from a low position in skating.

This is the first of two examples of simple modifications to commonly performed jumping exercises to emphasize the stretch reflex and power output from these “skating-specific” positions.

Squat Jump w/ Quick Dip

The athlete starts around skating depth, quickly dips, and then jumps as high as they can. The goal is to maximize transition speed and jump height.

Typically performed for 3-4 sets of 5 reps.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

P.S. If you’re interested in improving your speed on the ice, check out my book Speed Training for Hockey.

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Rate of Force Development

See below for a quick video on rate of force development.

Force output following a quick stretch (i.e. the stretch reflex) can be enhanced with INTENT and training.

INTENT to move quickly recruits high force motor units earlier and leads to faster rate of force development, both in the short-term and as a result of training.

INTENT matters.

Train with INTENT.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

P.S. If you’re interested in improving your speed on the ice, check out my book Speed Training for Hockey.

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

Stretch Shortening Cycle vs. Stretch Reflex

Different mechanisms. Different training implications.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

P.S. If you’re interested in improving your speed on the ice, check out my book Speed Training for Hockey.

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