Conditioning not so important in hockey...

[A_Steeves12 0]

And most people are saying taht you have to work out sometimes. I would have to say , working out is ok and helps to build muscle, but it depends on what position you are. For me; i'm a defenseman so I and big and stronger than I am fast. if one was a forward, you would want to be average size, but fast. So it depends what aspects you need to work on to become a better player.

I'm a defenceman too. and i dont agree with waht you are saying. i mean sure you should be big and strong but you need to work on speed too. like if a someone on the other team dumps the puck in and gives chase you want to be win the race for that puck if you dont have good speed then what? you lose the race give up a possible scoring chance. so i guess what im saying it you should work on speed too even if your a defencemen.

sorry for the rant

[sherwood21 0]

what team does he play for?

Fort Saskatchewan Traders.

[gopens67 0]

I know about hockey being the second worst among college sports by percentage of athletes who drink, skiing is number one... because a motivational speaker/researcher, came to my school to show us tests done concerning the affects of alcohol on athletic performance....so thats my reference.

[Jason Harris 31]

Gopens, that's not enough information. Are hockey players drinking every day, which would definitely make it difficult to maintain prime condition, or are they binge drinking, which leads to different type of health risks?

Let me ask you a question which I don't intend to be as mean as it sounds. Are you trying to avoid doing the work of training? That's understandable. Properly performed exercise hurts the muscles and lungs while doing it, although the pain will subside quickly. On the other hand, the benefits to your body are immense. You'll create stamina, strength and speed at the very least.

Every professional sports team in America has a strength and conditioning coach, and I guarentee you it's not to help lower the unemployment rate.

[gopens67 0]

No, I have a great work ethic for a hockey player... i don't drink either. Its just surprising to me how many players can drink 3 to 4 times a week, workout a little, and still do well at the college level. The researcher said that a night of binge drinking roughly kills 2 weeks of training.....And college kids don't drink 2 or 3 beers, they drink to get drunk... thats just how it is..

[leafsrule1 0]

hard work beats talent if talent doesnt work hard

[Eazy_b97 1]

No, I have a great work ethic for a hockey player... i don't drink either. Its just surprising to me how many players can drink 3 to 4 times a week, workout a little, and still do well at the college level. The researcher said that a night of binge drinking roughly kills 2 weeks of training.....And college kids don't drink 2 or 3 beers, they drink to get drunk... thats just how it is..

College hockey isn't really a stepping stone for many players to the NHL. Not compared to Major junior at least. College for the other sports you mentioned are the main route, that may have something to do with it. As bad as it sounds, Drinking is part of Hockey's culture. Some of the other sports have a little different culture, Football has alot more hard drugs as does Basketball. In general if you're at a top flight US college playing basketball, football or soccer, you are the best playing against the best, but its not as much in hockey. The top athletes in every sport train hard, but I think being "in shape" for that particular sport as as necessary if not more in hockey than the other sports you mentioned.

[SB39 2]

Damn Theo, startin another ruckus.

OK, first off, what is this conditioning that everyone is spouting off about? I think part of teh reason it's such a debate is that everyone has a different concept/definition of it, thus arguments and general fun abound. Here is what I found:

Entry Word: condition

Function: verb

Text: 1 to bring to a proper or desired state of fitness <the length of time that it takes for runners to condition their bodies for a marathon>

Synonyms season, train

Related Words fit, prepare, ready; acclimate, acclimatize, break in, orient, orientate; accustom, familiarize, habituate; harden, inure

2 to change (something) so as to make it suitable for a new use or situation <an immigrant family that must condition its traditional attitudes regarding child rearing to the realities of modern American life

Entry Word: conditioning

Function: noun

Text: energetic movement of the body for the sake of physical fitness <the actor went through months of conditioning in order to play the role in the action film> (both words taken from Merriam-Webster Online).

So Theo, I assume you were referring to cardiovascular fitness and/or having a low bodyfat percentage. In my opinion, improving in either, and improving in either will almost definitely improve the other, will improve your game, if all other things such as weekly playing time remain the same. Some good points surfaced though, my favorite being that certain players, to try to bridge a talent gap, get their bodies in as great shape as possible to remain able to compete at the highest level. Theo, I think your concept of conditioning is entirely wrong, from the fitness aspect of the word and the word in general itself, which refers to a concept of psychology that I'm not familiar enough with to discuss. Conditioning, in this sense, includes the leg strength, both of the main muscles to power the process and the smaller stabilizors to keep you from falling, and cannot be separeated from excelling in any sport. So, to close another inordinately long post of mine, I find Theo to be entirely wrong in asserting that conditioning is less important in hockey than in any sport, even golf, as the rise of Tiger Woods can show.

As a small addin, conditioning for hockey is very different from other sports, though no less important. Conditioning for hockey is much like that of football, with more of an emphasis on cardiovascular fitness than football. Provided we keep to optimum shift times to maintain power, our cardiovascular systems come into play to replenish our muscles and lungs with oxygen to recover and, with the improved circulation and vascular efficiency that comes with improved cardiovascular fitness, to help flush the lactic acid out of our muscles so that we don't immediately lose energy on the next shift.

[hockeypunk3 0]

Well, i am naturally gifted with above average hands and a good shot, but i really developed my stickhandling and shooting through hours and hours of practice over the years. That being said when i was younger i tried to focus on the things i was good at so i could be recognized and get attention as most kids would at 6-9 years old. So my skating was neglected until i was ten and no longer would my hands and shot get me through to anything. So i started to run daily and go to power skating(around 12yrs old) and my skating improved, it still needs to get better. But to be able to skate hard does have alot to do with conditioning. You need good stamina so your not dead after the 2nd. But as been said before about Kovy and his hockey sense, the game has so much to do upstairs as well as in your body. So conditioning will improve your game and the harder you train/condition yourself the better you can perform.

[hockechamp14 0]

well to be a good skater, there are many biomechanical aspects of your lower extremities that affect skating, in that aspect i think you either have it or you dont.

I don't believe that. I used to skate on rails when I was a mite/squirt. Now I have some of the longest strides of anyone I play with. I also have great knee bend while skating and good balance.

[Cavs019 708]

What you said pretty much affirms that statement. When your a mite and squirt your legs aren't even close to being 100% developed.

[gopens67 0]

well I didn't say it was impossible to improve your skating, but I do feel that because of biomechanical features, there is a limit someone can have as far as reaching a skating potential...

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

well I didn't say it was impossible to improve your skating, but I do feel that because of biomechanical features, there is a limit someone can have as far as reaching a skating potential...

mmmmmm, practice....is everything. If you practice not too much(just your team practice and team games), you will have a max of skating techniques and speed... I'm very very good with the puck on my stick and my stickhandling is mesmerizing and I still practice a lot on it in the day plus the other training that I do. I think you can ALWAYS push the limit.

[Speed Demon 0]

Before any of you worry about conditioning, I would worry about learning about nutrition. I was always one of the fastest, and I could last quite a while, but definitely never justified the amount of training I did. At 140 lbs I sucked ass. I just picked up bodybuilding and this is a lot funner than hockey in my opinion because this is something I am good at. Gained 10 lbs in 5 weeks, now of course 150 lbs, and I am gonna go up to about 230 lbs and cut down to about 200-210 lbs of muscle.

If you all want to put yourselves at the top of your game, I suggest you take up studying some supplement science and sports nutrition. I guarantee this will elevate your game and perhaps you can even pack on a bit of muscle at the same time. If you play hockey all the time, training, running, lifting weights, and you don't have your nutrition in line, you'll never make it anywhere in this sport.

[Speed Demon 0]

I am being realistic. Obviously you know nothing about weight training and nutrition. It obviously isn't going to happen over night and it may take up to 3 years.

[Speed Demon 0]

Like I said, you don't know much about nutrition and weight training. With a set nutrition plan and hard training in the gym with a good split, you can put on 1-2 lbs per week. But any more than 2 lbs per week, it is more than likely some fat. However, to put on some serious mass comes with the side effect of a bit of fat. I just graduated by the way.

Also hitting 230 lbs in 3 years will be extremely hard but if you're consistent and have proper nutrition, supplementation, and weight training that involves mostly compound movements, along with many other factors, 230 lbs is definitely achievable.

And dropping 20 lbs is simple and could be done easily with 1-2 months.

Yes, long term goals are good and I also doubt that everything will go 100% to plan.

3 years = 156 weeks. I need to gain 80 lbs to get to 230.

Getting to around 190 lbs, I will easily be able to gain 1-2 lbs per week. So that will be at most 40 weeks. That leaves me with 116 weeks to gain 40 lbs. I will more than likely notice weight gains going down, but thats when our old pal food comes in and I will have to eat a ton of it to to get up to 230.

Its also comical that you have already concluded that I will fail when you do not understand bodybuilding. However, this is a hockey forum and since I saw the word conditioning, I looked at my past and realized how stupid I was for having "the best conditioning" yet not including proper nutrition. All I wanted to include is a tip for all the hockey players that nutrition should not be over looked and if you want to maximize your performance, look into it.

I don't care if you listen to me or not. I have actually been bodybuilding for 5 weeks, doing the training and the nutrition, but prior to that, I spent 2 months straight, sitting on my ass in front of the computer studying detail for detail of how to get big without using steroids or prohormones. And so far, its working.

[Pats 0]

I still disagree with taking most supplements as first many have not been around long enough to prove any long term health problems. That being said I don't disagree with vitamins and whatnot, but all of this junk that claims to help you get bigger and it's not a steroid is crap. Like Theo said with genetics and weightlifting I agree with completely. I've been training for around 5 years with weights and a trainer and I am still scrawny and can only lift decent weight with my legs, my arms on the other hand are clearly below average and I know guys who can bench 200 and never work out, a result of good genetics. As for the weight gain comments, I'm around 6'2 and 185 lbs, but like I said in 5 years of training I have only gained 30 lbs and that's been with a consistent weight training regiment all year round. I agree with gopens to an extent. IMO, the players who LIFT the most in fitness testing are rarely the best players on the ice. However, the best players are the one's who balance their training properly between weights, plyo's, cardio, etc.

[Speed Demon 0]

You're absolutely right in thinking that I may find that 190 is a good weight to stay at, however, if I want to stay at 190, then I will have to go up to 210 or so in order to cut down. Whatever weight I want to stay at for a good time, that weight will be 90% of a bigger number.

For instance, If I want to be 180 lbs, I must go to 200 lbs. This will leave me with around 10% bf. However, to impress someone, I would drop my bf to 7-9 to get in the "ripped state".

Genetics to have a lot to do with it and fortunately I am between an ectomorph and a mesomorph.

Ectomorphs require a lot of food to gain weight, that is why on workout days I will eat 3817.4 calories, and around 330 grams of protein (this much protein is equal to the amount of protein that you would find in 18.75 lbs of boneless chicken breast). This can be easily accomplished with protein supplements.

A mesomorph has good nutrient partitioning where most of the nutrients go to muscle rather than fat. This assumption has been made due to the fact that while eating massive amounts of food, my bf% has stayed around 12.5% and my weight is going up, so most must be going to the muscles.

As far as I am concerned, my genetics are pretty decent, however, expensive.

My goals are thought out, every day in advance. If you don't do this, you will find it hard to succeed in putting on a lot of muscle.

Max or plateau is something that most people hate seeing but there are always ways to combat this max/plateau. Whether it be more food, a new supplement, a different angle for your weights, a new exercise, there is always a way to to give you that extra edge, I am not saying that you won't hit your plateau because there is definitely such a thing, and I won't have to worry about hitting a pleateau till I am older.

Nothing is a strong word, but if you truly believe that 230 lbs is unrealistic, then you better pull out your books again.

Once again, you're right in thinking that I may settle with 190 but I don't think I'd be satisfied with that.

I think Brad Pitt has a good physique but I would want a bit more than that. He is more skinny and toned than lots of muscle. However, he is 6 feet tall and 203 lbs. I am 5'6 and would like to believe that I will gain another two inches. If I want to get bigger then brad pitt, my finishing weight should be around 210.

[Jason Harris 31]

SpeedDemon,

I was a trainer for many years earlier in my life, and I have worked out with high intensity for 25 years. I never was a bodybuilder, however, for one very important reason. It wasn't in my genetic coding -- and it might not be in yours. Just as neither of us could be seven feet tall even if we wanted to, the odds are quite high that neither of us will be 230 pounds healthily.

Having said that, I have put on 65 pounds since high school (although about fifteen is fat) but it took me 25 YEARS. Like you, I put on 5-7 pounds of muscle in the early part of exercising -- that's common. Then I didn't put on more than two to three pounds over the next nine years, and I worked out intensely the entire time. I honestly thought I'd never hit 150 pounds. However, just before twenty-seven, I started craving more protein. The next thing I knew, over a two to three month period, I was up 18-20 pounds.

I kept working out intensely until a similar thing happened about around thirty. I went up 25 pounds, although this time it was accompanied with some fat. I probably put on another five pounds throughout my thirties, and then seemed to hit another growth spurt about a year ago, since I'm up about five to seven pounds. Also, my strength seems it may have peaked about four years ago.

The point of all this is I've worked out intensely for twenty-five years, but my body grew at its pace, not mine. I'm quite convinced my body would have hit the growth spurts at the times it did even if I hadn't exercised; I just don't think I would have grown as much.

I wish you the best in your exercise routine. As I posted earlier, I believe the benefits to our health are great. I just think you may have to temper your expectations.

[sherwood21 0]

If you're 5'6" 230, I would be surprised if you could raise your arms above your head for a slapper :P

[Cavs019 708]

Good luck doing anything on the ice besides fighting at 230. I know a kid that did everything you said you're going to do, and the way he got to 245 was with steroids. Gaining 2 pounds at 160 is exponentially easier than gaining 2 pounds at 190.

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

If you're 5'6" 230, I would be surprised if you could raise your arms above your head for a slapper :P

lol,

Speed, Theo know a lot of things in training. :)

[AtlantaThrashers01 0]

i think that the sports suppliments do a great deal...such as weight gainers, protein shakes and such. Ive been taking shakes for like a month now and been weight training and i went from 125-140 in a month

[Speed Demon 0]

Steroids = easy way out.

230 lbs without steroids = I can do it.

Anyways, to anyone that couldn't gain weight, I am not trying to offend you, but go and read bodybuilding.com and learn how to do it correctly.

"SpeedDemon,

I was a trainer for many years earlier in my life, and I have worked out with high intensity for 25 years. I never was a bodybuilder, however, for one very important reason. It wasn't in my genetic coding -- and it might not be in yours. Just as neither of us could be seven feet tall even if we wanted to, the odds are quite high that neither of us will be 230 pounds healthily."

I could do 230 lbs if I wanted to, however, like Theo has mentioned, do I want to go this far/will I want to be that big?

Anyways, I am not playing hockey anymore so I don't care about being to big to play hockey. I just wanted to drop the comment that everyone should maximize their nutrition in order to get the best results.

I guess I could drop a few suggestions for some supplements that you guys may like...

Citrulline Malate - This will give you crazy energy, 6 grams before your games/practice. It is also extremely useful in reducing muscle soreness.

Caffeine Pills - I don't use them but they will give you energy. Robbie Schremp drinks like 6 cups of coffee before his games... Same with Tucker he drinks coffee before his games.

Arginine and Ornithine - Nitric Oxide boosters causing the veins to dilate causing more blood flow to the muscles. For bodybuilders it is good for us when we get the "pump" and we deliver more nutrients to our muscles for growth.

Creatine - Duh. Energy and muscle growth.

Glycerine - This one is really weird, elite runners will take this to "superhydrate" themselves. Basically they will drink a lot of water with this and it will cause their body to hold in more water.

Any questions... let me know.

If you're gonna be ignorant, don't say anything.

[Cavs019 708]

Nothing a good diet can't do. Put your money elsewhere. I went from 150 to 165 just by eating a ton of clean fuel ie) Chicken, steak, fish oils, etc. and working out on a strict routine.