Developing your core

[Capt.Hook 23]

I struggle with back pain. Not during play usually too much but especially after I play and especially after I sleep for a while when things tighten up.

I have self diagnosed that it is probably from strong quads, tight hamstrings, and a weak core. It is not the type of pain that I struggle with from lifting heavy things at all. That gives me no problems. I

I would like to get some advice from those of you for some good excercises/sports/activities that I could use to develop my core and loosen up my hamstrings.

Many thanks ahead of time!

[shooter27 116]

Planks and Side Planks. As long as you can hold them

[peteloaf 0]

Planks and Side Planks. As long as you can hold them

+1 on the planks. I've also done this Insanity workout program you've probably seen advertised on tv. No joke, it's really tough. It's all core workouts, no weights, only your own body weight. As far as loosening up the hamstrings you just have to stretch them out, in fact you should be stretching everything: quads, hamstrings, calves, hips, glutes, etc. A foam roller will help loosen things too. But if your having back pain you should definitely get it checked out by a professional.

[adalbort 1]

Maria Mountain has a free, really good workout programme for the core. I suggest you check it out, its called 'Ultimate Core Training for hockey'.

[chippa13 1844]

The trick to get a good stretch is to have the muscles warm first. Stretching cold muscles can do nothing but harm.

[hunt3rsean 44]

Planks and Side Planks. As long as you can hold them

This. They suck and they hurt, but you get results from doing them.

[Capt.Hook 23]

Where can I see the Maria Mountain "Ultimate Core Training" deal. Is it on You Tube or does she have a website?

[adalbort 1]

Where can I see the Maria Mountain "Ultimate Core Training" deal. Is it on You Tube or does she have a website?

I am subscriber to her email list (hockeystrong.com), and I received the Core Training manual after a few weeks. Eventually I bought the whole programme, but I do remember the Core one (its over 80 pages) was free of charge.

[shooter27 116]

Google it, easy to find. Its an ~80 page pdf

[dalelewis22 0]

I would suggest the P90X workout. But I would not get all of the dvd's. The ones (dvd's) I feel would be most beneficial would be the 1) polymetric workout, 2) yoga X , 3) legs and back. With the legs and back dvd there also is a 16min abs workout which they suggest you should do three times a week and if you can do that in its entirety (ab workout 3x's a week) you will definitely be strenghting your core. Should be able to find dvd's on ebay. Good luck.

[jds 20]

Don't neglect hip mobility.

[vectoranalysisgo 3]

Capt Hook- I experience what sounds like the exact same thing- I have really strong quads and generally tight hamstrings. When my back gets tight, it's not a matter of strength but more a tightness, connected a bit to the hips.

There are two things that seem to help out- core/back exercises like Good Mornings, and then also yoga. Before you sneer, I'd encourage you to check out Bikram yoga. It's the hot kind- 105 degrees, 60% humidity, 90 minutes. Definitely good stuff. I've never been into any yoga I've ever tried before but this I like. And I feel like I've had a deep tissue massage at the end of every class.

I also definitely have a lot less back stiffness when I'm being more diligent about rolling around on the foam roller after games, but I get lazy, and then I suffer for it later. I try to go to Bikram yoga as often as I can, but when I haven't been able to get there for a while, the stiffness returns. So the moral of the story is, strengthening the core is one thing, but if you know you have tight hamstrings and maybe also IT bands or hips (that contribute to the back strength/stability), making sure to work on stretching and flexibility really ends up being key.

[hunt3rsean 44]

Capt Hook- I experience what sounds like the exact same thing- I have really strong quads and generally tight hamstrings. When my back gets tight, it's not a matter of strength but more a tightness, connected a bit to the hips.

There are two things that seem to help out- core/back exercises like Good Mornings, and then also yoga. Before you sneer, I'd encourage you to check out Bikram yoga. It's the hot kind- 105 degrees, 60% humidity, 90 minutes. Definitely good stuff. I've never been into any yoga I've ever tried before but this I like. And I feel like I've had a deep tissue massage at the end of every class.

I also definitely have a lot less back stiffness when I'm being more diligent about rolling around on the foam roller after games, but I get lazy, and then I suffer for it later. I try to go to Bikram yoga as often as I can, but when I haven't been able to get there for a while, the stiffness returns. So the moral of the story is, strengthening the core is one thing, but if you know you have tight hamstrings and maybe also IT bands or hips (that contribute to the back strength/stability), making sure to work on stretching and flexibility really ends up being key.

Guys can laugh at yoga all they want, but I agree with you. It helps if you need to target a specific area of the body. I have lower back stiffness/pain from years of snowboarding and crashing. I've been doing yoga exercises that target the lower back and it helps out tremendously. And these are just simple yoga exercises that can be done at home while watching hockey so you can balance out the manliness.

[farhanshak 1]

Guys can laugh at yoga all they want, but I agree with you. It helps if you need to target a specific area of the body. I have lower back stiffness/pain from years of snowboarding and crashing. I've been doing yoga exercises that target the lower back and it helps out tremendously. And these are just simple yoga exercises that can be done at home while watching hockey so you can balance out the manliness.

+1 on yoga, especially while watching hockey. its helped my flexibilty tremendously.

i also try use a foam roller 2x a week and stretch after every workout (including upperbody as well).

if possible i try to strech a bit after hockey as well while my muscles are still warm.

as far as core exercises go, i train my core 3x a week, and do exercises targeted towards my lower back 2-3 a week.

i do the p90x core workout once a week, my own core workouts the other 2 times (a mix of exercises that target upper, lower, obliques, and i incorporate twising/shifting core exercises as well).

as jds stated above, hip mobility is huge as well (yoga, stretching, and the foam roller will help with this).

hope this helps.

[shooter27 116]

I've done Yoga on and off since I played in college and it definitely helps a ton. Especially if you're looking for core strength and balance.

[vectoranalysisgo 3]

Plus, if you're worried about losing your man points doing yoga, I've noticed two things about Bikram yoga in particular:

1) The men in the room (usually outnumbered) usually look pretty athletic, so it seems to be as close to 'yoga for athletes' as possible, and,

2) its in a super hot room designed to make you sweat, so most people wear next to nothing (sports bra, bike shorts), and a lot of the women doing this kind of yoga are in pretty good shape so it's probably easy on the eyes (when there isn't sweat dripping into them).

[wrangler 157]

Interesting to see some of the comments on yoga in this thread. I didn't know it was considered feminine. My only exposure to it was at tae kwon do classes, and our instructor was most definitely masculine.

[voxyledbetter 9]

+1 on the planks, We have added them into out work outs on the same day that we do legs we include the core. Planks, Back extensions, and bicycle (not the one you ride)