Hockey is a demanding sport, and it requires players to be in top physical condition. What’s more, hockey players need to maintain that level of fitness throughout the season. What kind of workout regimen should you follow if you’re a hockey player? What are some exercises that will strengthen your core and balance? In this blog post, we’ll talk about 5 drills that will help improve your game! Most hockey players are well aware of the kind of hockey training that they’ll need to undergo if they want to be successful, but if you’re unsure about how you can help yourself you can always follow some of the advice on this list or even talk to your coach about it.
Everyone on your team wants nothing more than for you to be the best hockey player possible. If you’re good at the game that means that your entire team will get to experience more victories and more fun games when you’re up against tougher teams. That’s great for team morale because there’s nothing like taking on the toughest teams in your league and standing a fighting chance except for, of course, being the toughest team in the league. With the right kind of hockey training, you can be sure that your team is ready for just about any matchup, assuming that everyone is pulling their own weight.
1. Seated Box Jump
Box jumps are a popular workout among hockey players due to the fact that they help to strengthen the legs and abdominal muscles. Furthermore, box jumps will assist you in increasing your lung capacity, which will allow you to have more energy on the ice throughout your game. All of these traits are critical for a good hockey player to have because it allows them to be a little more competitive. Strength will help you be sure that you can stay on your feet and endurance will help you keep from tiring before the game is over.
In order to perform a seated box jump, you need to know exactly the correct form for the exercise. Knowing the correct form will ensure that your body is getting the maximum benefits from this exercise. We’re about to go over the proper technique, but if you’re confused or having a hard time visualizing it please search it up on Youtube. It’s worth the extra time to make sure that you don’t accidentally hurt yourself from doing it incorrectly. Without further adieu, here’s how to do a seated box jump:
- Sit with your back against a bench or chair.
- Engage your quadriceps.
- Drive yourself forward into a standing position.
- Jump up onto the box in front of you.
- Land with your knees slightly bent.
Many trainers recommend doing this about twenty times, but make sure to listen to your body. You could easily do more or less depending on your skill level. It’s better to do a shorter set than to accidentally injure yourself by pushing yourself too hard. Those kinds of injuries could end up costing you weeks of training.
2. Kettlebell Swings
A hockey player’s posterior chain must also be trained, which means that workouts such as kettlebell swings are essential for developing powerful glutes and hamstrings. Furthermore, this exercise will aid in the improvement of your shoulder stability as well as your core strength as well. A superb aerobic and strength-building workout, kettlebell swings are a great choice. To put it simply, they are a fantastic all-around exercise!
Like with every exercise, performing the kettlebell swing requires proper form and a knowledge of how your body works. If our description isn’t good enough, once again, please take a moment to look it up. There are plenty of people online that are happy to share their knowledge with you on this subject. Here’s how you can do kettlebell swings”
- Take a firm grip of a kettlebell with both hands while you push yourself into an upright posture
- Bend your knees slightly, tilt forward at your hips, and allow the weight to rest between your legs
- Shove your hips backward to drive yourself into an upright position.
- As you complete this action, take a deep breath in
- Exhale and swing the kettlebell between your legs with a powerful push of your hips to complete the movement.
Continue until you’ve completed a total of 20 repetitions, or until your body tells you that you’re done. Once again, it’s entirely up to you and what you’re capable of. This exercise is especially important for you to be limber for, so make sure you get a good stretch before you start your training. Limbering up can help you reduce the chance of injury while also maximizing the impact of your workout.
3. Squat-Thrusts
This workout will assist you in improving your acceleration on ice while also building all of the key muscular groups in your upper body and shoulders. Additionally, this practice is excellent for athletes who wish to enhance their overall endurance levels via repetition. This one might even be one that’s recommended to you by your coach.
The same things that apply to the previous exercises apply to this one. We can’t stress enough that if our description doesn’t work for you that you should look up a video of someone doing it. That’s the best and easiest way to be sure short of having someone show you in person. In order to perform a squat thrust:
- Take a few steps back
- lay your hands on the ground in front of you with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Check that they’re at a 45-degree angle from the point of view of your shoulders.
- Return to a pushup stance by jumping backward with both legs while maintaining your core tight to keep your balance throughout.
- Afterward, spring your legs back forward and rise to your feet.
20 reps of the exercise is what most people recommend, but you can do however many is right for you. You could even do multiple sets and keep going until you’ve had your fill. This is your training so it’s up to you and your body.
4. Medicine Ball Slams
This is another excellent drill that will help you increase your acceleration while simultaneously training your glutes, hamstrings, and shoulders! Furthermore, because this activity builds muscles across your entire body, it is considered a true total-body workout by many.
To perform a medicine ball slam:
- Pick up a medicine ball and hold on to it.
- Lift the weight over your head while inhaling rapidly and forcefully
- Swiftly lower it back down to chest level as you inhale.
Continue until you’ve completed a total of 20 repetitions, or until you’re satisfied with your set. You can do as many sets as you like. Remember to stay hydrated while you’re working out. Water is proven to help your body recover better while also allowing you to feel less sore the day after. Being hydrated and making sure that you’ve properly stretched before and after your workout are the best ways to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your workout.
5. Stability Ball Plank Row
This is another great exercise that will help improve your core strength. What’s more, this drill strengthens muscles throughout the back and shoulders to provide you with a well-rounded workout!
To perform a stability ball plank row:
- Get into the top of a pushup
- While maintaining your arms in a straight position, place both hands on top of a stability ball.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles to prevent your body from drooping
- Do a row by bending both elbows and dragging the ball toward you.
Continue until you’ve completed a total of 20 repetitions. Most people recommend taking a 15-30 second rest between sets. You can do this nearly every day, but make sure that you’re taking rest days to allow your body time to recover.
To summarize, in order to be successful on the rink, hockey players need to be in peak physical condition at all times. Furthermore, this implies that maintaining a consistent fitness regimen is crucial! What are some of the workouts that you incorporate into your daily routine? Some people find it useful to think a lot about this, while other people will just find something on the internet that best suits them. No matter which is your preference, it’s good to know exactly what you’re doing on any given day.
Make Sure You Get the Most Out of Your Training
There isn’t anything in this world that’s more effective for becoming a good hockey player than training. Try as you might, but you’ll never be able to hone your skills without training. The same is true of really anything. Musicians wouldn’t be able to play brain-melting solos without their practice, painters wouldn’t be able to create entire worlds on a sheet of fabric, even the car salespeople at your local dealership wouldn’t be able to do what they do without hours and hours of practice.
