Ultimate Hockey Transformation is Here!

It’s been a long time in the making, but it’s finally ready! Since releasing my book Ultimate Hockey Training in 2011, I’ve gotten a ton of requests for training programs. Simply, people recognize that following the RIGHT training program can have an incredible impact on their career.

With this in mind, I’ve spent the last two years collecting my most effective off-ice training programs for players at different age groups. These exact programs have been used to help hundreds of players propel their game to the next level, and now they can do just that for you.

Introducing Ultimate Hockey Transformation…

Click here for more information >> Ultimate Hockey Transformation

Ultimate Hockey Transformation features:

In- and off-season training programs for players at the U-14, U-16, U-18, and Junior/College levels totaling 120 weeks of programming!
228 high quality videos demonstrating how to perform every exercise in the program with perfect technique
A 65-page manual outlining everything you need to know to successfully use the Ultimate Hockey Transformation system!
Specific warm-ups, corrective exercise, and cooldowns to help you maximize your training preparedness and recovery
A Performance Profiling Sheet so you can track your progress over time
The UHT Recovery Monitoring Log so you can prevent overtraining before it occurs!

For less than the price of a new hockey stick, you can get access to proven training programs that you can use every year for the rest of your career.

Click here for more information >> Ultimate Hockey Transformation

Hear from players that have used the system!

“Ever since I started working out with Kevin at Endeavor, I have done nothing but get better. He taught me the right way to train. Every goal I’ve set for myself to translate on the ice, I’ve hit, and I give 100% credit to my off-season program. I won’t train with anyone else!”

Anthony DeAngelo
Sarnia Sting, OHL

“After training with Kevin for several years now, I can say without a doubt that I would not be playing where I am without him. Hockey is a sport that is constantly changing and Kevin has mastered the ability to evolve his training programs to give each individual exactly what they need to perform at their best on and off the ice.

Kevin has pushed me to accomplish goals that I didn’t think possible. My speed and explosiveness, along with the conditioning on the ice were dramatically improved after starting with Kevin. Kevin’s knowledge has helped in my training in ways I didn’t know existed when first starting with him. Along with great weight lifting programs, he includes corrective exercises to meet each individual’s needs. These go a long way in keeping us healthy and injury free during a long season.”

Buddy Robinson
Lake Superior State, NCAA D1
Binghamton Senators, AHL

“As a professional athlete, training with Kevin has given me the guidance and programs to train at an elite level. Over the past 5 years I continue to learn more about my body and how far it can be pushed. Through his programs I have seen significant gains that I have noticed on and off the ice. His attention to detail has helped me maintain my body and prevent injuries. I can honestly say Kevin has been a major factor in helping me excel at the professional level.”

Eric Tangradi
Winnipeg Jets, NHL

What do coaches have to say?

“In my mind Kevin Neeld is one of the top 5-6 strength and conditioning coaches in the ice hockey world. It’s not often I turn to younger coaches for advice, but Kevin is a guy I count on to be on top of all the latest info, and to use it with his athletes. ”

Michael Boyle
Owner, Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning
Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, United States Women’s Olympic Team
Strength and Conditioning Consultant, Boston Red Sox

“As a former Junior A, Division I, and Pro hockey player, I’ve had my fair share of strength/nutrition coaches and I can honestly say none compare to the knowledge and care that Kevin Neeld brings to a team. Having the privilege to work beside Kevin for the past 4 years with Team Comcast, both at the U16 & U18 levels, I can truly testify that I have not come across another coach who has such an impact on athletes as Kevin.

His knowledge and expertise in strength training and nutrition are second to none. During his time with Team Comcast he has undoubtedly been a major contributor to helping our players achieving their goals of playing hockey at the next level.

He is a true professional who beyond a doubt cares about the development of young athletes and providing them with the proper foundation to take their playing career to an elite level. His constant drive to develop innovative training methods will undeniably keep his programs at the top of the training spectrum. “

Jeremy Hall
Former Player: USHL, Div 1 UMass Lowell, and ECHL
Head Coach Team Comcast U18
Director of Hockey Operations

Get your training program today>> Ultimate Hockey Transformation

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingMovement.com
UltimateHockeyTraining.com

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Iron Game Chalk Talk Interview

A few weeks ago I had an opportunity to do a video interview with Ron McKeefery for his show “Iron Game Chalk Talk”.

Ron just posted the interview today, so I wanted to share it with you. In the interview, we talked about:

My journey into Strength and Conditioning.
My assessment process.
My overall Methodology of Training.
My 4 Step process to establish optimal movement?
The 4 pervasive movement considerations that influence correct performance of almost every exercise.
How to integrate optimal movement into your training.
My favorite quote, Book/App/Website recommendation.

You can check out the video at Ron’s site here: Iron Game Chalk Talk or by watching below.

I’d strongly encourage you to check out some of the other videos on Ron’s site, as there are a TON of really great coaches that have been interviewed in the past. One of the things I really like about these interviews is that Ron always asks about a coach’s path into the industry. This inevitably provides invaluable insight into how coaches actually get to where they are and who has influenced them along the way. I think it’s easy to look at someone that’s successful and say “I want that” without appreciating how hard someone has had to work to get where they are.

As you’ll hear from the video (and recall from: Strength and Conditioning Internship & The Intern Ascension), I think internships, volunteering, and/or being a part of quality mentorship opportunities are absolutely essential to success in any industry, but especially strength and conditioning. Simply, it’s these experiences in addition to the quality of ongoing mentors you maintain that will dictate how you view the training and coaching process. With this in mind, I’m extremely excited to announce our new Performance Training Mentorship program at Endeavor.

I created the mentorship program after getting a lot of feedback from people that had a very strong interest in completing an internship with us, but simply couldn’t afford to spend 3 months volunteering there time. The mentorship is a 5-day opportunity to get a complete behind-the-scenes look at how we train our athletes, including the assessment process, how this influences our program design, and how we teach/coach the athletes. As you know, our system is constantly evolving, so this is an opportunity to learn exactly what we’re doing now! The first mentorship will run June 9th-13th, a time where we’re packed with off-season hockey players. If you’re interested in more information (including potentially scheduling a mentorship opportunity during a different week), check out the link below!

Get more information here >> Performance Training Mentorship

If you have any questions, either about the topics covered in the video above or about our new mentorship program, please post them in the comments section below!

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
OptimizingMovement.com
UltimateHockeyTraining.com

Please enter your first name and email below to sign up for my FREE Athletic Development and Hockey Training Newsletter!

Get Optimizing Movement Now!

“…one of the best DVDs I’ve ever watched”
“A must for anyone interested in coaching and performance!”

Click here for more information >> Optimizing Movement

Stuff You Should Read: Training and Recovery

Today I wanted to share a few articles I’ve read over the last few weeks that I think you’ll enjoy. As a quick reminder, today is the last day to grab a copy of Mike Boyle’s new Functional Strength Coach 5 for $50 off and win a free copy of his newest book Functional Strength Coach Reader. He’s also doing a live group video Q&A with everyone that orders so if you’re at all interested in FSC5, now’s your chance to grab a copy at a significant discount and get a bunch of other cool stuff too.

Grab your copy today here >> Functional Strength Coach 5

Check out the articles below that cover a wide range of topics from breathing to off-ice hockey testing to coaching like Bruce Springsteen. I especially liked the sauna article, as we just got a far infrared sauna for Endeavor. It’s nice to see the research-supported benefits of sauna use hitting the mainstream. Enjoy!

Diaphragmatic Breathing: Implications in an Exercise Program and On-Field Performance from Miguel Aragoncillo
5 Things I Learned in 2013 from Anthony Donskov
What do Off-Ice Hockey Tests really test? from Maria Mountain
Are Saunas the Next Big Performance-Enhancing “Drug”? from Rhonda Perciavalle Patrick, Ph.D
3 Tips to Perform Like “The Boss” in the Weight Room from Anthony Donskov

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
OptimizingMovement.com
UltimateHockeyTraining.com

Please enter your first name and email below to sign up for my FREE Athletic Development and Hockey Training Newsletter!

Functional Strength Coach 5: An Inside Look

A few days ago, I mentioned that Mike Boyle released his new Functional Strength Coach 5 DVD set. As part of the launch, Coach was kind enough to share his insight into the future of strength and conditioning in a quick interview. If you missed it, you can check it out here: The Future of Strength and Conditioning

I just found out that he’s throwing in a copy of his newest book “Functional Strength Reader” to anyone that buys this week, so if you’re interested in learning from one of the must accomplished strength and conditioning coaches in the industry, now’s your chance to grab a great resource and get a nice bonus along with it!

Grab your copy today here >> Functional Strength Coach 5

As I mentioned on Monday, I watched FSC5 from start to finish, as I do with every one of the products I recommend. The thing that stood out to me most about this set compared to his previous DVDs is the wisdom he shares about coaching, designing programs, and running a business in the private sector.

To be completely honest, I don’t always agree with everything Coach Boyle says. You may not either. But anytime I may not agree, I remember that he’s been in the field for longer than I’ve been alive. In other words, it’s probably not “what do I know that he doesn’t” as much as “what does he know that I don’t”.

One of the major selling points about Coach Boyle’s information is that it comes from “in the trenches” experience. In an era ruled by internet experts that don’t actually train anyone, you can always count on Coach to provide information based on his real-life experience. Over his 30 years in the field, he’s not only been a lifelong learner, he’s also worked with high levels athletes in almost every major sport, including winning two national championships with Boston University’s Men’s Ice Hockey Team, working with the Boston Bruins, training the US Women’s Olympic Team to a Gold Medal in ’98 and a Silver in ’14, and winning a World Series with the Boston Red Sox. All of this is in addition to his gym, Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, being voted the #1 Gym in America by Men’s Health. Not a bad resume!

In Functional Strength Coach 5, you’ll get:

An inside look into the MBSC system
The problem with the industry’s current infatuation with high intensity exercise and corrective exercise
The key to running a successful private sector business
The most important variable of periodization
The 4 keys to a successful training program
Regressions and progressions for the 4 fundamental exercise categories
How PRI and breathing work has changed the way his athletes/clients warm-up
More evidence of the bilateral deficit and how it’s changed his exercise selection
The 5 keys to being a great coach!

There was a lot of great content in these DVDs. The part I enjoyed the most was the end where Coach Boyle and Bob Hanson talk about the evolution of MBSC and give a real “behind the scenes” look at how their company has grown. As a coach working in the private sector, I think it’s easy to look at the size of and clientele at Coach’s facility and lose sight of the fact that it took several years to build up to that point. It’s great to hear about how MBSC started and how hard he worked and the compromises he’s been willing to make to run a successful business. To me, Functional Strength Coach 5 is not just a great training resource, it’s a great business one as well.

Grab your copy today here >> Functional Strength Coach 5

…and don’t forget, if you order this week, you also get a free copy of Coach Boyle’s newest book!

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
OptimizingMovement.com
UltimateHockeyTraining.com

Please enter your first name and email below to sign up for my FREE Athletic Development and Hockey Training Newsletter!

The Future of Strength and Conditioning

I’m extremely excited about today’s post. As you may know, Mike Boyle has had an incredible influence on my career (See: What it Means to be a Boyle Guy). Since we first connected in 2007, he’s taught me a lot about designing programs and coaching. I also appreciate the trust he showed in me at a young age by publishing some of my articles at StrengthCoach.com. Most recently, he brought me on board to work with him and the US Women’s National Hockey Team, an experience that I view as the highlight of my career. Needless to say, I’m thankful for everything he’s done for me, and when Coach talks, I listen.

Coach Boyle and I at a Perform Better seminar several years ago

Today, Coach Boyle is releasing the next segment in his Functional Strength Coach DVD series, which provides an inside look into the seminar he did last month in Ireland. I had an opportunity to review the DVD last week and came away with a lot of great information, not just about training, but about interacting with coaches and the business side of training. I asked Coach if he’d take a few minutes to provide us with his perspective on the future of the strength and conditioning industry, his current evolution, and advice for up and comers. Check out the interview below!

Grab your copy today here >> Functional Strength Coach 5

KN: Coach, thanks for taking the time to do this. Let’s jump right into it. How do you envision the training industry changing over the next 5-10 years?

MB: I think the next ten years will be the PRI decade. In fact we may be a year or two into it already. If the last 10 were the FMS decade centered around the pursuit of symmetry, I think the next 10 will be about correcting the asymmetry we all see around us. Postural Restoration and the Postural Restoration Institute will be the “next big thing”. It just makes too much sense to ignore.

In addition I think many of the ideas we have pushed forward in the area of unilateral training will become common place. We have already seen a group of strength coaches who were the “go heavy or go home” types slowly become functional training guys as their years in the industry and their injuries add up.

Team USA Captain Meghan Duggan RFE Split Squatting 160 for 10/sideKN: In addition to all the athletes that have trained at MBSC, you’ve had success working with college, professional and Olympic hockey players, professional soccer players, and this past year you won a World Series with the Red Sox. What do you think are the common factors in your programs that allow you to be successful across such a wide range of sports?

I think the most common factor is the ability I refer to as “speaking coach”. Being able to really understand a sport at a deep level allows you to convince both coaches and athletes why speed and strength matter. Sport at every level ( except endurance sports) is about speed and strength. The difficulty is getting coaches to break out of the “this is the way we have always done it” mode.

All players want to stay healthy and perform better. Our job is to show them that we can help. Understanding what they do and what their needs are is step one in the process. I think there are way too many “squats are king” meathead coaches who can’t get out of their own way. I want results. So much of results is meeting an athlete or coach where they are and taking them where you want them to go. Too many strength coaches are unwilling to compromise. I’ll compromise to get results.

KN: Good stuff. “Speaking coach” is definitely an important skill to be able to communicate effectively with the athletes and coaches. Your programs are constantly evolving. What are the more significant changes you’ve made to your own programs over the last few years and how do you see things changing over the next few?

I think the biggest change is the move to almost exclusively unilateral knee dominant exercises. Up until a few years ago we were still pushing front squats, but we are now doing exclusively rear foot elevated split squats and one leg squats with our advanced athletes.

The flip side is that we added Trap Bar Deadlifts. We will Trap Bar Deadlift and Goblet Squat as bilateral exercises but, do no conventional front or back squats.

Lastly we have begun to explore the Postural Restoration Institute work and see how it relates to our warm-up. There is a big emphasis on breathing in our warm-ups and an unbalanced approach that stems from PRI.

I think in the next few years we may see our strength program more influenced by what we know about PRI and breathing.

KN: It’s great to see the PRI and breathing emphases make an impact on your programs. With your experience working in the private, collegiate, and professional sectors, can you shed some light on the major differences between those situations and do you have any advice for young coaches that are unsure of what route they want to go?

The private setting is a business. You have to drive revenue to keep the doors open. You have to get clients, supervise employees etc. The private setting has the most upside and a large downside.

Men’s Health’s #1 Gym in America

The collegiate level is interesting. Athletes tend to be highly compliant if they are on scholarship. You get a chance to create a culture. You get to really experience wins and losses and see the fruits of your labor if you are in a good spot with good sport coaches. However the hours tend to be crazy and job security can be tied to the same wins and losses. In general you will be underpaid until you get to the high division 1 levels.

The professional level is the hardest in my mind. Salaries are increasing as teams realize the value of quality strength and conditioning, but you have to deal with a high number of games, limited training times and short or non-existent off-seasons. I think many of the best professional strength and conditioning coaches are under appreciated by their organizations. Again, the hours can be long and compliance is very organization specific. A good professional job in a well run organization can be very rewarding. A bad organization or a change in coaches or management can change everything.

The big thing is that the grass is never as green in the other guys yard as it appears. Every level has pluses and minuses. A private facility can be 12 hours a day for years, just as a college job can be. The difference at the private level is that at the end of that period you have built something that is yours. It’s not easier, just different.

KN: Thanks Coach. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and wisdom with us!

Functional Strength Coach 5 is now available, and if you order today, there’s a pretty sweet bonus in it for you. Coach Boyle is throwing in two spots (to different customers) to his upcoming Mentorship Program to randomly selected customers that purchase FSC5 today! This is a great resource for anyone in the training industry, so if you want some great information and an opportunity to go learn from Coach Boyle and the MBSC staff directly, take advantage of this offer today!

Grab your copy today here >> Functional Strength Coach 5

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
OptimizingMovement.com
UltimateHockeyTraining.com

Please enter your first name and email below to sign up for my FREE Athletic Development and Hockey Training Newsletter!