Tag: continuing education

4 Hockey-Specific Mobility Exercises

I played hockey for 15 years before I made the transition into coaching.  Throughout that time I rarely played other sports.  Soccer for a few years when I was very young.  Baseball for a season.  But that was about it.  Last night I went bowling for the first time in a while.  A huge fan of the Big Lebowski, I thought I could add bowling into my repertoire.  If the dude can throw strikes a couple white russians deep, why can’t I?  Last night I found out might logic might be somewhat flawed.  Needless to say, it was basically a 2 hour reminder of why I stuck with hockey my whole life.  

Getting back to dynamic warm-ups…Yesterday I showed you a sample dynamic warm-up that hit all the essentials, but included a lot of common/well-known exercises.  Today I just want to show you a few mobility drills that can be included into any dynamic warm-up routine that really focus on areas typically restricted in hockey players.

It’s far from ideal, but if you’re crunched for time, performing these 4 exercises will give you a decent warm-up before you start your training.  As always, feel free to post comments below or email me directly.  

 

Rectus Femoris Mobilization

Adductor Mobilization with External Rotation


 

Lying Internal Rotation Mobilization


 

Hockey Stick Dislocations

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Hockey Dynamic Warm-Ups Continued

After 18 hours of weeping following an embarrassing Eagles performance, I’m ready to get back to talking hockey. Last week I started talking about the importance of setting up a well-designed dynamic warm-up before every training session, practice, and game. Let’s take a deeper look into that area.

When I put together a warm-up, I always try to:

  1. Take the hips through a full range of motion
  2. Incorporate something to activate the psoas, hip abductors, and hip external rotators
  3. Take the shoulders through a full range of motion
  4. Incorporate something to activate the scapular/shoulder stabilizers (specifically, the serratus anterior and lower trapezius)
  5. Incorporate movements to put a slight stretch on the hip flexors and glutes
  6. Incorporate forward, backward, lateral, and diagonal movements
  7. Incorporate something to activate the “core” musculature, including the glutes and abdominals
  8. Keep the warm-up around 10 minutes

That may seem like a lot, but many of those things can be accomplished simultaneously.  Here’s an example of a program I’ve used with high school and college players (of both genders for the female hockey crowd out there):

  1. Walking Knee Hug with High-Knee Hold
  2. Walking Lunge with Overhead Reach
  3. Inchworm
  4. Walking Inverted Reach
  5. Diagonal Walking Lunge
  6. Butt Kickers
  7. High Knees
  8. Side Shuffle RIght
  9. Side Shuffle Left
  10. Carioca Right (Quick feet emphasis) 
  11. Carioca Left (Quick feet emphasis)
  12. Carioca Right (Long stride emphasis)
  13. Carioca Left (Long stride emphasis)
  14. Straight-Legged March
  15. 50% Sprint from Push-Up Start
  16. Back Pedal
  17. 75% Sprint from Push-Up Start
  18. Back Pedal

I hope that all makes sense.  Tomorrow I’ll post a couple less familiar dynamic warm-up exercises that I think all hockey players would benefit from performing regularly.  In the meantime, feel free to post any comments or questions you may have or email me directly at kn@kevinneeld.com.

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Training to Shed Fat: Week 2 Results

Another week down.  Here’s a copy of my training program.  As always, feel free to send any questions my way at kn@kevinneeld.com.

Jan 12, 2009
A1) Hang Clean: 135 x 5; 175 x 1; 185 x 1; 195 x 1
A2) Med. Handle Low-Pulley Row: 140 x 5; 210 x 3 sets of 2
B1) Deadlift: 225 x 5; 315 x 3; 405 x 1; 455 x 1; 425 x 3 sets of 1; 405 x 1
B2) 1-Leg Glute Bridge Hold: 3 x 15s each
C1) Back Leg Raised Split Squat Iso-Hold: 2 x 40 DB 3 x 30s each
C2) Glute Ham Raise: 3 x 12

Jan 13, 2009
A1) Bench Press from pins just above chest height: 135 x 8; 185 x 5; 225 x 4; 235 x 4; 235 x 4; 225 x 4
A2) Scap Wall Slides (Facing Wall): 4 x 10
B1) Chin-Up: BW x 3; BW+55 x 3; BW+65 x 3 sets of 3; BW+55 x 3
B2) Incline DB Triceps Extension-to-Close Grip Press: 2 x 40 DB x 5 sets of 6
C1) Standing Pallof Iso-Hold from High Pulley w/ Rope: 50 lbs x 3 x 30s each
 C2) Face Pull w/ External Rotation: 100 lbs x 3 x 12 

Jan 15, 2009
A1) Back Squat: 135 x 5; 225 x 4; 275 x 4 sets of 8
A2) Front Plank: 3 x 60s
B1) DB Reverse Lunge: Alternating: 4 x 6 each 2 x 65 DB
B2) DB Swing: 4 x 10 20lb DB
B3) SB Hamstring Curl: 4 x 12
 B4) 1-Leg Squat: 4 x 8 each

Jan 16, 2009
A1) Push-Press: 105 x 4; 125 x 4; 135 x 4 sets of 4
A2) Blackburn Hold (I, Y, T): 1 x 30s each
B1) 1-Arm DB Row: 75lb DB, 1 x 8, 2 x 10
B2) Standing Cable Chop: 50lbs 3 x 10 each
B3) Stability Ball Push-Up: 3 x 12
B4) DB Hang Clean-to-Curl Eccentric: 2 x 35 DB 2 x 10; 2 x 30 DB 1 x 10
B5) Bird Dog: 3 x 8 each

I have to say…after two weeks of decreasing my caloric intake to around half of what I’m used to, the thing I’m looking forward to the most is my “re-feed day” coming up on Monday.  Don’t leave any food out that day, I’ll be eating everything in sight!

What most people don’t realize is that calorie restriction works…but only for a limited time.  If you stay on a very low calorie diet for a long time, your body adjusts and becomes better at storing the limited energy you provide it.  

The take home? If you’re training hard and limiting your calories, try two things:

  1.  Monitor the quality of your calories.  In other words, make sure you’re consuming high quality protein and fats regularly throughout the day and that ALL of your carbohydrates are in the form of fruits and vegetables.  The exception to this could be oatmeal or whole grain bread, if you eat it within an hour of your training.
  2. Keeping the quality of your calories in mind, increase your total caloric intake back to a normal level.  What’s normal?  Your BW (lbs) x 15-20 is a good place to start.  For example, I’m around 170 lbs right now.  170 x 15 = 2550.  170 x 20 = 3400.  So my range would be 2,550-3400.  I realize that’s a pretty big range.  Where you’d want to fall in that range depends on your activity level.  If you’re highly active and train at a high intensity, you can probably get away with the higher end.  If you train at a lower intensity and only a few times a week, stay toward the lower end.

You may put on a couple pounds when you return to a higher caloric intake, but don’t be discouraged.  Your metabolism will soon stabilize, and you’ll start dropping weight again.  

Alright, I’m off to go watch the Eagles game!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

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FINALLY, A D1 Hockey Coach Speaks Out!

My high school english teachers would hate me for this, but the current state of youth hockey can only be characterized by one word: ridiculousness.  Hockey has a higher burnout rate than any other sport.  The parents are the most crazed. Even worse, many times the coaches have the shortest tempers and very little actual teaching ability.  Not a good situation if you’re looking for a healthy indulgence in the greatest game on earth.  

Mike Boyle brought this to the public eye.  Brian St. Pierre stressed its importance.  

If you’re in the hockey world at all, you need to watch this.

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The First SIMPLE Step to Improving Your Hockey Performance

On Monday I posted 13 questions every hockey player and coach should have the answers to if they’re serious about training to fulfill their hockey potential.  

The list is extensive, but not all-inclusive.  From consulting with coaches and players throughout the years, I know considering all those forms of training can be a bit intimidating.  

The most logical first question is, “Where do I start?”

The most effective first step in developing a successful hockey training program you can make is to add a well-designed dynamic warm-up  before EVERY off- and on-ice session (yes, every one-this means before games AND practices!).  

What’s a dynamic warm-up?  

I’ll tell you what it’s not!  It’s NOT a slow jog around the rink and 15 minutes of stretching.  That’s similar to how I prepare for bed at night…not for high-intensity training.  

A dynamic warm-up should increase your heart rate, improve range of motion around “activity-specific” joints, increase body temperature, and increase the neural drive to working muscles.  

I know it’s Friday so I won’t drag on too long here.  Start to think about adding a dynamic warm-up to all of your training sessions, whether they’re in the weight room, on the track, or on the ice.  Start by considering the movement requirements of ice hockey.  A couple hints:

  1. The range of motion the shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles go through during a game
  2. The directions of the movements and directional changes involved in the movements
  3. The speed and intensity of the movements

Stay tuned over the next couple weeks. I’ll walk you through exactly how I design my dynamic warm-up programs.  

Have a great weekend!

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