Excellent Hockey Training Article

[Trooper 8]

From EliteFTS, a site everyone should visit to increase their knowledge of training anyway.

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/training_for_hockey.htm

[Kevin 5]

Good article and good advice on there. The only thing I question is the following:

"As far as the upper body goes, the lats are where it’s at when it comes to hockey training. Chin up and row variations should be the focus of the upper body training."

Hockey players should def. work the back muscles, but I don't see why it should be the focus. There's not a lot of hockey movements using the upper back. Pressing strength is more important for checking.

[willy0314 0]

leg and ab strength are important for checking. If you throw a good check your arms shuold be barely involved if at all.

Edit: unless you are a scummer and crosschecking is your thing.

[Trooper 8]

Hockey players should def. work the back muscles, but I don't see why it should be the focus. There's not a lot of hockey movements using the upper back. Pressing strength is more important for checking.

Not sure how pressing strength is used for checking, a movement driven by the legs and executed with the arms down.

Don't forget that because of the way the shoulder is structured, the back muscles contribute to pretty much all the planes of rotation of the shoulder, so they are inportant in shooting as well.

[Kevin 5]

Cross-checking for certain is a pressing movement. Any pushing movement invloves pressing, whether in front of the the net or along the boards. I'm not saying that pressing is that important--it's not needed for hip checks or shoulder checks, but I don't see the great importance of lat strength for hockey.

Thighs, lower back, abs, and glutes are the keys to hockey.

[hockechamp14 0]

lats are important to prevent injury, and for pulling stregnth in your shot. I can't think of anything else right now, but besides the shot, there isn't much of a reason to prioritize it instead of having a good general upper body base of stregnth all around.

[Trooper 8]

Realize that muscles don't work alone. Lats come into play in many movements, working in concert with other muscles. The rotation during a shot involves the lats, shoulder stability involves the lats, etc. Stronger lats also equal a bigger bench and bigger deadlift and bigger squat, and these all contribute to more overall strength and enhanced performance in hockey. Think of the bigger picture rather than just how strengthening one muscle (in this case the lats) directly transfers to on-ice movements.

[Kevin 5]

Realize that muscles don't work alone.  Lats come into play in many movements, working in concert with other muscles.  The rotation during a shot involves the lats, shoulder stability involves the lats, etc.  Stronger lats also equal a bigger bench and bigger deadlift and bigger squat, and these all contribute to more overall strength and enhanced performance in hockey.  Think of the bigger picture rather than just how strengthening one muscle (in this case the lats) directly transfers to on-ice movements.

I agree and that is why I take issue with the statement in the article regarding the lats as being paramount for hockey specific upper body training. They are important, but I think the point is overstated in the quote below.

Most trainers don't worry about guys working on pressing movements, because most trainees spend too much time focusing on the muscles they can see in the mirror. Consequently, the trainers must force them to focus on the muscles they can't see that are just as important. I'm sure he needs to tell his trainees to do pull-ups, but does not have to tell them to bench press.

"As far as the upper body goes, the lats are where it’s at when it comes to hockey training. Chin up and row variations should be the focus of the upper body training."

[Gongshow11 1]

Good article and good advice on there. The only thing I question is the following:

"As far as the upper body goes, the lats are where it’s at when it comes to hockey training. Chin up and row variations should be the focus of the upper body training."

Hockey players should def. work the back muscles, but I don't see why it should be the focus. There's not a lot of hockey movements using the upper back. Pressing strength is more important for checking.

If you dont work back as much as chest, there will be an imbalance, causing improper skating technique

[Trooper 8]

Most trainers don't worry about guys working on pressing movements, because most trainees spend too much time focusing on the muscles they can see in the mirror. Consequently, the trainers must force them to focus on the muscles they can't see that are just as important. I'm sure he needs to tell his trainees to do pull-ups, but does not have to tell them to bench press.

"As far as the upper body goes, the lats are where it’s at when it comes to hockey training. Chin up and row variations should be the focus of the upper body training."

I agree with that point, and it's probably valid as far as why he stresses it. Also realize this is just an interview and some things can be taken out of context. He said they should be the focus, not the only thing trained. You can e-mail him if you want and I'm sure he will be more than happy to talk more about it, or I will and will post the exchange.

[hockechamp14 0]

Realize that muscles don't work alone. Lats come into play in many movements, working in concert with other muscles. The rotation during a shot involves the lats, shoulder stability involves the lats, etc. Stronger lats also equal a bigger bench and bigger deadlift and bigger squat, and these all contribute to more overall strength and enhanced performance in hockey. Think of the bigger picture rather than just how strengthening one muscle (in this case the lats) directly transfers to on-ice movements.

I was thinking the same thing, but couldn't quite explain it well enough and didn't want to give misinformation.

How do lats equal a bigger squat though? More trunk stability?

[Trooper 8]

How do lats equal a bigger squat though? More trunk stability?

Absolutely, when you are putting a lot of weight on the bar and squatting, there're arent a lot of muscles not doing something to stabilize a load that high above your feet. The lats tie into the spine along a great deal of its length so they are an important part of maintaining the proper posture when squatting.

[Storm 0]

Thanks Trooper.

Great article.

[TBLfan 25]

always work opposing muscle groups, if you work on your core that INCLUDES your back. Leg and core strength is probably the most important in hockey... which basically means every muscle group except in your arms and face. In prevention for injury in hockey you need to work your arms(to help prevent shoulder and elbow injuries), basically this means work everything out but your face... unless you like to talk shit. :D

[usahockey22 0]

Any sport-specific training should make sure to focus on legs and core strength before anything else, which this article is right in making clear. And the upper body muscles should be trained equally, according to their size/use, such as chest and back, then shoulders, then arms. Like others said, I think the lats are emphasized here, because most people who go in and lift don't think about their lats when training, and just do bench, dumbell presses, curls, etc. Lats are very important, and if you have underdeveloped lats, it will effect the overall strength of your upper body, and can hurt your bench or other lifts. The back muscles are also used more than any other upper body muscles for generating shooting power, or basically doing anything.