Off Ice Conditioning?

[Tondog 12]

What do you all do for off-ice conditioning (if anything) to stay in game shape? I'm trying to work my way back in but I don't want to be on the ice every day and need to be able to do some quicker get in shape things than going to the rink and suiting up.

[Trooper 8]

What do you all do for off-ice conditioning (if anything) to stay in game shape? I'm trying to work my way back in but I don't want to be on the ice every day and need to be able to do some quicker get in shape things than going to the rink and suiting up.

Find a track or similar distance. Run 400s and 200s, start with work:rest intervals of 1:5. Increase volume and decrease rest as you go.

[xFortune 0]

Explosion based work outs. Plyometrics. HIIT. More cardio based work outs with emphasis on strength here and there(once again, taking in explosion as the key asset..especially in the legs.)

Everyone's different though. And just because it's off-season, doesn't mean to work out as hard as you can and then stop in season. Working out during the season will help you maintain and possibly increase your strength, cardio, etc. But, more emphasis on injury prevention big time during season.

[Vet88 674]

What do you all do for off-ice conditioning (if anything) to stay in game shape? I'm trying to work my way back in but I don't want to be on the ice every day and need to be able to do some quicker get in shape things than going to the rink and suiting up.

If you have a smooth concrete area (carpark, skateboard bowl etc) then get yourself a green biscuit puck (from IW or others), some outdoor recreational inline skates and a outdoor ABS blade and a cheap shaft. Skate, puck handle, practise training drills - you will find that after a few weeks (to get used to the skates) you will be skating at around 60% of game speed and consistently doing this for an hour. This builds an excellent anaerobic base (as well as improving your puck handling skills) that you can then supplement with running, speed work and aerobic exercises.

[Theo 1]

2 good books for this...

"Complete Conditioning for Ice Hockey" Peter Twist

"Total Hockey Conditioning" Tudor Bompa

[ktang 34]

Just about to start the off-season conditioning program. About 2 weeks to get back into the swing of things, May-June will be for hypertrophy, June-July will be for strength, July-Aug will be for explosiveness, and Sep will be for conditioning / anaerobic / explosiveness.

Another good book is "Strength, Conditioning, and Injury Prevention for Hockey" by Horrigan and Kreis. I like this one better than the Twist and Bompa books because it emphasizes multiple-joint exercises, and differentiates them from assistance exercises.

[Trooper 8]

The books recommended by Theo and ktang are excellent. Read them. Plyometrics isn't conditioning.

[BarDownGinos 3]

The books recommended by Theo and ktang are excellent. Read them. Plyometrics isn't conditioning.

The hell they aren't. I've got a stack of plyo workouts that will have your head in a trash can after an hour.

[frankie56 0]

Are you talking cardio conditioning? or strength conditioning?

I would put plyo's more in the strength category. I think many trainers would say if you want to get the most out of them you should be rested between sets and stop if your form falls apart. More like strength training. Depending on the plyo exercise you can put 2-3 times body weight stress on a muscle group. Again, more like strength training. Of course, if you train like a madman you will end up with your head in a trash can from just about anything!

The most unusual approach to cardio conditioning I have heard is by a well respected track coach named Barry Ross. He has his runners (these are world class runners) walk as fast as possible 15 minutes a day, 3 days a week for 4 weeks. The only catch is that they must increase the distance (not the time) each day and they are not allowed to run.

[BarDownGinos 3]

Are you talking cardio conditioning? or strength conditioning?

I would put plyo's more in the strength category. I think many trainers would say if you want to get the most out of them you should be rested between sets and stop if your form falls apart. More like strength training. Depending on the plyo exercise you can put 2-3 times body weight stress on a muscle group. Again, more like strength training. Of course, if you train like a madman you will end up with your head in a trash can from just about anything!

The most unusual approach to cardio conditioning I have heard is by a well respected track coach named Barry Ross. He has his runners (these are world class runners) walk as fast as possible 15 minutes a day, 3 days a week for 4 weeks. The only catch is that they must increase the distance (not the time) each day and they are not allowed to run.

There are different kinds of plyo exercises. Doing speed plyos is definitely a cardio workout. Power plyos while done at a slower pace can still add to your cardio.

[Trooper 8]

The hell they aren't. I've got a stack of plyo workouts that will have your head in a trash can after an hour.

I didn't say you couldn't do plyos until you are tired, that's not conditioning. Plyometrics are intended to train the CNS to most efficiently bring already developed strength to bear, not build endurance. They should be highly regulated as far as volume and rest. Overvolume in plyos leads to injury and decreased performance.

[dayroc 0]

Martial arts. Specifically Muay Thai 2-4 days a week for cardio, poly, and just over all quickness.

I dont weight train, i dont believe in that anymore, one summer i've gained about 10lbs of muscle and i was slow and clunky.

I will probably supplement my martial arts with kettlebell work outs.

[MatthewRoach7 130]

I have been woking with weights in my upper body bc I am getting the puck knocked off of my stick all the time. I have also been doing the bike for long distances bc I feel fatigue in the 3rd in my legs. I guess some of it would depend on what you want to improve on specificly or just better your self over all?

[NYRalan 0]

Shuttles are the best for hockey conditioning.

[jjmills22 0]

Shuttles are the best for hockey conditioning.

This is correct. Work on acceleration, not speed. When do you reach top speed (ie 400) in a game? Also, cardio is not for hockey players. If you play explosively, train the same way. Slow training makes slow athletes.

[illinidave 1]

P90x to start, then Twist's conditioning methods. Do 400's once or twice a week at track.

[adam14 182]

Hill Sprints. It's the total package. Sprint to the top of the hill, the steeper the incline the better, to build your leg muscles. Rest at the top, sprint down the hill, focuses on balance and elongating (sp?) your stride. as well as building cardio. Take the interval exercise on a track, and modify it slightly to fit.

[Trooper 8]

Hill Sprints. It's the total package. Sprint to the top of the hill, the steeper the incline the better, to build your leg muscles. Rest at the top, sprint down the hill, focuses on balance and elongating (sp?) your stride. as well as building cardio. Take the interval exercise on a track, and modify it slightly to fit.

Look up downhill running. What does "elongating the stride" mean. What does it do? How does it relate to hockey? Downhill running should be done on a very slight grade. Artificially increasing stride length in an uncontrolled manner is a recipe for injury.

I'm not sure why so many people look for the Holy Grail here. Hockey is anaerobic, train anaerobicaly (sp?). Hockey relies on acceleration, train your acceleration.

[NYRalan 0]

Everything you need to know about off ice hockey training:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=126222593

[Trooper 8]

Everything you need to know about off ice hockey training:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=126222593

Good link, although his affinity for aerobic conditioning and VO2max is not a settled subject. Also remember he trains elite athletes, plyos like altitude drops are an advanced exercise, not an introductory one. Great to see Westside methods and dynamic warm-ups.

[Konig von Kuhlem 0]

I've been using the "Vertical Jump Development Bible". It's not very hockey specific, but I can jump higher now. And I've heard that the best jumpers are usually the best skaters.

The workouts are twice a week and are mainly for strength and explosiveness. I found the programs to be easier to follow than doing some of the workouts in the Twist books which I have. I seriously can't see myself tugging on a towel ...