Tag: speed training

Comprehensive Speed Development for Athletes

Speed is the most highly sought after physical quality in sports. It’s a key quality that separates athletes competing at different levels (i.e. higher levels of competitions have faster players), and a major determinant of what makes an elite athlete at a given level. As athletes and coaches attempt to improve speed, it’s important to understand which characteristics of faster athletes and which training strategies can positively impact speed.

Continue reading here >> Comprehensive Speed Development for Athletes

In this article for Metabolic Elite, I outline:
  1. All of the physical factors that impact speed development
  2. A diagnostic checklist to help you identify your primary limiting factors to faster speed
  3. 7 factors that will hold you back from expressing the speed you’ve developed

Check out the full article here >> Comprehensive Speed Development for Athletes

To your success, Kevin Neeld P.S. For comprehensive hockey training programs to improve your speed AND repeat sprint ability, check out: Speed Training for Hockey

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    Bruins Academy Feature: Off-Ice Speed Training for Hockey

    Speed training is critical for hockey players. While it’s important to emphasize traditional acceleration drills in an off-ice training program, speed is expressed in sport through a variety of transitional patterns. In this quick segment Tim Lebbossiere and I filmed for “Bruins Academy”, we go over 3 speed training drills youth hockey players can do that don’t require any equipment, but emphasize transitional patterns that will help transfer to speed on the ice.  

    If you’re interested, you can check out the full episode here: Bruins Academy (Season 9, Episode 8)

    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 Neeld

    P.S. If you’re interested in getting faster, check out Speed Training for Hockey.

     

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      Evolving Performance Podcast (Ep1): Speed Training for Hockey w/ Vicki Bendus

      In this episode, Vicki Bendus shares incredible insights into speed training for hockey, including:

      • Key findings from her research on identifying the most impactful physical factors and related off-ice tests for on-ice speed
      • Speed profiling strategies to identify where a player ranks relative to their peers and what qualities they need to improve to maximize their speed
      • Specific training strategies players can use to improve their speed
      • The difference between acceleration and max velocity, how each impacts the game and different training methods to improve each
      • Important age-specific considerations and how to maximize speed in older players
      • Impactful strategies to improve speed during the season

      Supporting High Performance

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      Wide Stance Lateral Push w/ Med Ball

      One of the many differences between goalies and forwards/defensemen in hockey is that they rely more on short, powerful pushes to move around the crease, whereas skating is characterized by longer pushes.

      Traditional jump training has a lot of value in improving lower body power in players at all positions, but when this work is prioritized in isolation goalies often report that they’re “over-pushing” on the ice.

      Integrating some work that emphasizes short pushes from a laterally extended position can help goalies learn to maximize speed through a small range to reposition quickly without overshooting their position.

       
       
       
       
       
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      The Wide Stance Lateral Push w/ Med Ball is one example of an exercise that helps emphasize these short pushes, using the med ball to reinforce a tall and quiet upper body during the movement.

      Typically performed for 3 sets of 5 reps per side.

      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 Neeld
      SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
      HockeyTransformation.com
      OptimizingAdaptation.com

      P.S. For comprehensive hockey training programs to improve your speed AND repeat sprint ability, check out: Speed Training for Hockey

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

        Speed Capacity vs. Speed Expression

        Despite this, many athletes succeed without possessing elite speed.

        Ultimately, speed serves to help create and close space.

        Making fast/accurate decisions with ball/puck movement can also create space. Being in the right position can minimize the need to travel excessive distances, allow players to win races without being faster.

        Speed development should be a key goal in all performance training programs, but athletes should be focusing on improving the other areas with equal emphasis.

        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 Neeld
        SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
        HockeyTransformation.com
        OptimizingAdaptation.com

        P.S. For comprehensive hockey training programs to improve your speed AND repeat sprint ability, check out: Speed Training for Hockey

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

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