Ice hockey requires a multitude of physical skills. An effective ice hockey training program should combine elements of strength, power, speed and endurance, according to the Sports Fitness Advisor website. Ice hockey is primarily an intermittent sprint sport, requiring short intervals of power output followed by periods of rest. However, cardiovascular endurance is important for recovery and prevention of fatigue late in the game. Hockey players should perform several injury-prevention exercises each training session as well.
Upper Body Strength
For general upper body strength, hockey players should target all the major muscle groups, including the chest, back, shoulders and arms. Effective exercises include the bench press, lat pulldown, row and curl machines. Perform variations of these exercises as well to promote variety. For example, use the standard bench press machine one day and the incline bench machine the next. To build strength, the National Strength and Conditioning Association recommends performing sets of six or less reps using greater than 85 percent of your maximum.
Lower Body Strength
Lower body strength exercises should be sport-specific and promote balance between the hips, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. The multi-hip machine is an effective way to for all-around hip strengthening, according to strength and conditioning specialist Travis Manners. The leg press and squat rack can be used to promote maximal strength in the lower body. The leg curl and seated calf raise machines are also suitable for muscle development in the legs. Use cable machines to connect weight to your ankles and perform hockey specific movements.
Power
Power is a combination of strength and speed, and is required for quick accelerations and explosive shots. Use free weight stations to develop all-around power needed for hockey. Power cleans, snatches and jerks promote total-body power. Use body weight to develop sport-specific power, Manners asserts. Single-leg jumps onto a box and lateral cone jumps can promote the explosive acceleration ability required for optimal performance.
Injury Prevention
Hockey can be associated with a high risk of injury if athletes are not trained properly. Injury prevention, especially in the neck, should be a point of focus for all hockey athletes, according to strength and conditioning specialist Derrick Wolynski. The four-way neck machine can build strength and prevent injuries in the neck. Quadriceps extension and hamstring flexion machines can build muscles that protect the knees. Use abdominal crunch machines to protect the lower spine. Hip extension and flexion machines develop musculature in the hip and heel raise machines can protect the ankle.
Cardiovascular Endurance
Cardiovascular endurance allows hockey players to maintain stamina late in games and recover quicker during rest periods. Just as with strength training, cardiovascular training should be sport specific to promote the greatest benefit to hockey players. Aside from skating, the elliptical machine, rowing ergometer and cross-country skiing machine provide the total-body endurance training needed for hockey. Perform intervals at a work-to-rest ratio of 1:1 to develop endurance, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
References
- Sports fitness advisor: Ice Hockey Training Section
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle (eds.); 2008
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Sport-Specific Training for Ice Hockey; Travis Manners; April 2004
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; The Use of Specific Exercises in Preventing Hockey Injuries; Derrick Wolynski; December 1998
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