Even the most skilled hockey players in the world would not have much success without the proper conditioning. Good conditioning allows players to perform at a high level throughout the game. While much of this conditioning takes place on the ice, including off-ice activities such as skipping in your program can improve your overall fitness level.
Skipping a Rope
Skipping a rope can contribute to your conditioning because you exercise many different parts of your body at once. Begin with a normal two-footed jump and then add in jumps where you go side to side or twist right to left. You can then skip on one foot while alternating steps to complete the workout. Use high-steps and skater hops throughout these exercises as well. This increases your heart rate and gives you a more complete workout than sitting on an exercise bike.
Skipping on the Ground
When skipping without a rope, begin by standing with your feet together. You then start a walking motion, except as your left leg touches the ground, your right arm should touch your left leg. Slowly build up your speed from a walking speed to a running speed by using this technique. This helps you eliminate unnecessary movements from your sprinting mechanics, which improve your balance, coordination and body awareness. These attributes remain vital for battling for the puck along the board during a hockey game.
Interval Skipping
Skip the same way that you would do any other interval training. Skip hard for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds. This mimics the average length of a hockey shift during a game, although it provides you with less rest between shifts. Coaches should watch their players skip because it shows the player's level of fitness.
Recovery
An increasing number of coaches have their players work on strength, explosiveness, speed and cardio every week, but they go through peaks and valleys of focus on each. For example, in a week in which you do less strength-training, you might skip and run more often. During a week where you skip and run less, however, you should do more strength-training. This prevents you from compromising your ability to recover physically, keeping you healthy throughout the season.
References
- HockeyOT.com; An Underestimated Training Tool: The Jump Rope; September 2010
- "Strength, Conditioning and Injury Prevention for Hockey"; Joseph Horrigan, et al.; 2002
- "Total Hockey Conditioning: From Pee-Wee to Pro"; Tudor Bompa, et al.; 1999
- "Complete Conditioning for Hockey"; Peter Twist; 2007
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