Off Ice Summer Drills

[BCheetham93 0]

Hey guys, just want to start off by saying I've really enjoyed my time since joining MSH. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful, friendly people on the site.

So basically, I want to know what are your favorite drills or things to do during the off -season (summer) to help you maintain/prepare for the next season.

My daily ritual (besides sundays, i just play some shinny at the rink on sundays) and mondays i sleep til noon (i deserved it haha)

*Daily I have about 150-200 grams of Protein and 5,000mg of Creatine

I'm 5'11 170 and 16 - is this the proper amount?

I take the protein my trainer says is a good amount but I just follow what it says on the bottle for creatine

*Obviously this list is only on normal days when I'm not working or have a game*

-Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Protein and Creatine and cereal for breakfast

Get the hands going with some basement stick handling

Head out to my personal trainer (4:30 pm)

Protein, Creatine, and recovery meal

Shoot pucks for about an hour in my driveway

Dinner w/ Creatine

Relax

Stick handle in the basement for an hour

Creatine and Protein before bed

-Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

Protein and Creatine and cereal for breakfast

Head to the rink for some public hockey 12-4pm

Lunch w/ Protein and Creatine

Stick Handle for an hour

Creatine/Recovery Drink

Dinner w/ Creatine

Protein and Creatine before bed

-Sunday

Relax

Maybe play public hockey if I'm not too beat

Any drills you guys do while stick handling/shooting pucks?

I usually just try and practice back hands, toe drags, hand speed, and accuracy

Thanks in advance!

[Jsmells 0]

Running lots of running and Weightlifting along with plyometrics. Also some outdoor roller twice a week and some drop-in and sticks and pucks if I find the time.

[BCheetham93 0]

Running lots of running

Long distance running?

I started that for about a week, my trainer told me that it's worse for you than it is good. If you're trying to gain weight then running just strips all of that off of you

[Jsmells 0]

I'm not trying to gain weight just keep up my stamina my coach has us do parachutes and stuff for practice so we have to be in pretty good shape.

[shooter27 116]

Plyometrics, agility drills, and shuttle run intervals for conditioning. In college we used to do a lot of (and be tested on) the 300yd shuttle 25yds - up and back 6 times for a total of 300 yards. Try to do it in under 55 seconds, rest 2 minutes, repeat. That'll get your conditioning up without stripping your weight like long distance running.

[BCheetham93 0]

Plyometrics, agility drills, and shuttle run intervals for conditioning. In college we used to do a lot of (and be tested on) the 300yd shuttle 25yds - up and back 6 times for a total of 300 yards. Try to do it in under 55 seconds, rest 2 minutes, repeat. That'll get your conditioning up without stripping your weight like long distance running.

Yeah, interval training is what my guy said is really good for hockey players. My juniors team has a 300yd test in august for training camp. Thanks

[Law Goalie 147]

Consult Maria Mountain's website - http://urbanfitnesscoach.com/wordpress/ - if you want a good, easily accessible grounding in off-ice conditioning. Her best features are that she really keeps up with the academic journals and what other hockey trainers (eg. Mike Boyle) are doing, and presents it all in a fairly balanced, objective way with nearly zero gimmickry and self-promotion. Smart lady.

[BarDownGinos 3]

Long distance running?

I started that for about a week, my trainer told me that it's worse for you than it is good. If you're trying to gain weight then running just strips all of that off of you

Just gaining weight without keeping up your fitness is a disaster waiting to happen when you show up at camp weighing 205 but are spent after the first 20 minutes of skating. You have to find the proper balance.

[BCheetham93 0]

Just gaining weight without keeping up your fitness is a disaster waiting to happen when you show up at camp weighing 205 but are spent after the first 20 minutes of skating. You have to find the proper balance.

The proper balance is the interval running to keep you in shape, not long distance running

[puckhoggy 0]

Stick handle in the basement for an hour

Any drills you guys do while stick handling/shooting pucks?

I usually just try and practice back hands, toe drags, hand speed, and accuracy

what do you use to stickhandle with in the basement? are you using a bad, or do you have an unfinished basement/room where you just use the concrete?

[BCheetham93 0]

little bit of both, I have a skill pad that i use pucks on, and a weighted ball (forgot what they were called) on the concrete. I want to get a green biscuit for the concrete

[puckhoggy 0]

little bit of both, I have a skill pad that i use pucks on, and a weighted ball (forgot what they were called) on the concrete. I want to get a green biscuit for the concrete

exactly why i asked. was going to recommend the green biscuit. got mine today and enjoyed the little time i had with it so far. how large is your skill pad by the way? I have a shooting pad and am thinking about using that. would like to "grease" it up a bit, but dont know what to use for the job.

[BCheetham93 0]

i just use the skill pad because it doesn't beat up my stick as much as the concrete, I'm using my backup x60 right now so i dont want any wear and tear on the blade

[BarDownGinos 3]

exactly why i asked. was going to recommend the green biscuit. got mine today and enjoyed the little time i had with it so far. how large is your skill pad by the way? I have a shooting pad and am thinking about using that. would like to "grease" it up a bit, but dont know what to use for the job.

Don't know what your shooting pad is made of, I used to use a strip of linoleum and grease it down with Armor All, worked like a charm.

[puckhoggy 0]

Don't know what your shooting pad is made of, I used to use a strip of linoleum and grease it down with Armor All, worked like a charm.

is there a specific ArmorAll product I should look for? thx

[BarDownGinos 3]

is there a specific ArmorAll product I should look for? thx

Pretty sure it was just the spray on dash cleaner. It's been a while.

[Dare to Dream 1980 0]

also for stickhandling try putting on a stick weight to the bottom of your stick.. I read an interview with Pavel Datsyuk and they asked how he got to have such great hands and he said when he was younger they put stick weights on their sticks and that gave him strong wrists/forearms which essential developed his quick hands. I've been doing this for about a week now and i already feel a difference. I do it for about 15-30 minutes a day 1-3 times a day everyday and it's golden. http://totalhockey.net/Product.aspx?itm_id=3421&div_id=2 that is the one i use

[BCheetham93 0]

For weighted stickhandling i just tape 3 pucks on either side of an old stick, works the same basically. I've heard that Datsyuk interview, I think it was on youtube somewhere, I don't remember

[biff44 0]

It is a fine line on the running aspect of it all. You know they are going to do a 1 1/2 mile run during training camp, and you had better not be bringing up the rear if you want to make the team. But really long distance running has very little to do with hockey. You want to be developing explosive strength in your legs, not endurance. So shuttle runs. Agility ladder. Run up and down small hills--especially with some weights in a backpack. Go climb some 5000 foot mountains. Run/bound up/down stadium stairs (but pick stadium stairs that are either wood and give a little, or get REALLY cushiony shoes!).

[Quintin 16]

What type of training are you doing with your trainer?

[BCheetham93 0]

What type of training are you doing with your trainer?

Mostly olympic lifting (power cleans, dead lift, hang snatch) squats, regular lifts such as benching. And then we have a interval run (300 yard dash mostly)

[Scotty 8]

The suggestion of running, weightlifting, and plyometrics was a great one.

For the running, avoid long distance, as it will do very little in helping you with hockey. And as far as gaining mass, you already know that it will hinder gains. Do some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) sprints or just plain rest sprints. They'll build the explosive power and quickness/agility that you're looking for when combined with on-ice training and weightlifting.

Plyometrics: Anything that will achieve the same thing the sprints will: agility, quickness, and explosiveness. Box squats, platform jumps, etc.

Weightlifting: Compound movements. Forget the little things like bicep curls and shrugs. Go for the movements that will recruit more than one muscle group at a time and promote full-body strength. The big three lifts are squats, deadlifts, and bench press. Some would argue that the standing shoulder press is as beneficial as bench, but that's another argument. Do those along with weighted dips and pull-ups, various forms of rows (barbell or dumbell) and some core movements and you're golden. Just remember to go HARD. Not so hard that your form struggles, but hard enough to get nervous as you step foot in the gym before a workout. Do no more than 8-10 reps per set and around 3-4 sets per exercise.

And at last: NUTRITION. This is what the vast majority of people neglect and something that even many athletes overlook. What you put in your body can determine how you act, feel, and perform. I used to eat like crap growing up like everyone else until I realized the power it holds for weightlifters and athletes and now I've been researching it heavily for years. I could write a manual on how to eat properly, but I'll try to sum it up: Eat clean. Eat what you know is healthy, not what some box or package tells you is healthy. What does this mean? This means lots of lean meat (chicken, lean cuts of beef, turkey, tuna, and fish), vegetables (green/yellow/orange ones to keep it simple, avoid tons of empty carbs like potatoes), nuts (almonds, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, natural peanut butter), and some fruits sparingly (berries are preferable). Aim for 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight and be sure to take in lots of good fats (poly and monounsaturated). Try to consume the majority of your carbs around your training and lifting times. If you're looking to add mass, you're going to need to eat a ton calories in excess of the amount you expend each day. Especially since you'll be burning plenty of energy by training, weightlifting, and playing hockey. For your size, I'd say you're going to need at least 3,500 calories per day, if not more. I'd recommend looking into John Berardi's "Massive Eating" plan for a rough estimate. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me or refer to Berardi's information.

[Quintin 16]

Mostly olympic lifting (power cleans, dead lift, hang snatch) squats, regular lifts such as benching. And then we have a interval run (300 yard dash mostly)

Are you using olympic lifts for explosiveness?

For explosiveness, it's better to incorporate some dynamic training into your training. Correct me if I'm wrong but are you lifting for size and strength?

Have you tried Westside for Skinny Bastards by Joe DeFranco? If you haven't heard of him, youtube him. From what I've heard, it's an incredible program that a ton of people have seen incredible gains with. I'm starting it this week so I'll let you know how it goes. Here's a link:

WS4SB

Nutrition wise, you seem to be spot on. Remember, if you feel discouraged/forgot to count, 3 meals plus 3 snacks each day, all with high protein values. If you're going for muscle growth, eat around a ratio of 40 40 20 (protein, carbs, fat)

Supplementation wise, I'll keep it short because a good nutrition will always trump any supplementation. This is just to give you that extra boost!

Fish oils - Not only does it aid heart health but helps reduce inflammation after a heavy training session which'll help you recover quicker. The quicker you can recover, the quicker and better you can train again. Sounds good yeah?

Vitamin C - also has inflammatory properties and will help your body's immunity. You can't train/play when you're sick right? Take up to 500mg three times a day, once being 30 mins before a training session.

Zinc - along with fish oils, this will aid in recovery. But a better reason is you WILL sleep better! Sleeping well will always be more effective than any supplementation ever could so let's add to it. I'd recommend you take around 50mg minimum per day.

[biff44 0]

The suggestion of running, weightlifting, and plyometrics was a great one.

For the running, avoid long distance, as it will do very little in helping you with hockey. And as far as gaining mass, you already know that it will hinder gains. Do some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) sprints or just plain rest sprints. They'll build the explosive power and quickness/agility that you're looking for when combined with on-ice training and weightlifting.

Plyometrics: Anything that will achieve the same thing the sprints will: agility, quickness, and explosiveness. Box squats, platform jumps, etc.

Weightlifting: Compound movements. Forget the little things like bicep curls and shrugs. Go for the movements that will recruit more than one muscle group at a time and promote full-body strength. The big three lifts are squats, deadlifts, and bench press. Some would argue that the standing shoulder press is as beneficial as bench, but that's another argument. Do those along with weighted dips and pull-ups, various forms of rows (barbell or dumbell) and some core movements and you're golden. Just remember to go HARD. Not so hard that your form struggles, but hard enough to get nervous as you step foot in the gym before a workout. Do no more than 8-10 reps per set and around 3-4 sets per exercise.

And at last: NUTRITION. This is what the vast majority of people neglect and something that even many athletes overlook. What you put in your body can determine how you act, feel, and perform. I used to eat like crap growing up like everyone else until I realized the power it holds for weightlifters and athletes and now I've been researching it heavily for years. I could write a manual on how to eat properly, but I'll try to sum it up: Eat clean. Eat what you know is healthy, not what some box or package tells you is healthy. What does this mean? This means lots of lean meat (chicken, lean cuts of beef, turkey, tuna, and fish), vegetables (green/yellow/orange ones to keep it simple, avoid tons of empty carbs like potatoes), nuts (almonds, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, natural peanut butter), and some fruits sparingly (berries are preferable). Aim for 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight and be sure to take in lots of good fats (poly and monounsaturated). Try to consume the majority of your carbs around your training and lifting times. If you're looking to add mass, you're going to need to eat a ton calories in excess of the amount you expend each day. Especially since you'll be burning plenty of energy by training, weightlifting, and playing hockey. For your size, I'd say you're going to need at least 3,500 calories per day, if not more. I'd recommend looking into John Berardi's "Massive Eating" plan for a rough estimate. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me or refer to Berardi's information.

Unless you are in great shape, you should not be doing plyometric box jumps. You need to work up to them over a couple months--preferrably with a good trainer, or you might tear something you are going to need later!

[BCheetham93 0]

Unless you are in great shape, you should not be doing plyometric box jumps. You need to work up to them over a couple months--preferrably with a good trainer, or you might tear something you are going to need later!

I do box jumps with my trainer, I've been with him for about 3 years now, I'm pretty flexible. But yeah, I do see where you're coming from with the injury factor