working out for a rec player

[SydNap 25]

Unfortunately I only have time to play once a week, that's my only skate I get in. The day changes from week to week but I always make sure I'm not fatigued from any off ice training for when I have a game.

My first recommendation is to get a slideboard then. You'll need to strengthen / keep working your groin and hips. You can run/bike/row all you want, and get in get cardio shape, but that won't target your skating muscles. I would recommend doing 2 workouts on the slideboard a week, and then add in a day for legs, core, arms. On those days you can do some other fixed-time cardio (run/bike/row) to get yourself in better shape. As far as intervals go, I'm a big fan, but make sure you have a good base first. For example, don't go trying to do 1 minute sprints on the slideboard, bike, etc until you've build up some muscle for those exercises. Also, focus on building up the workouts, including the intervals. Your goal may be 1:1 (1 minute sprint, 1 minute rest), but start with 20 sec. sprints with 1 minute rest and build up over a few months (variety is good too...1:4, 1:3, 1:2, 1:1 with varying times).

[flyguy1 1]

My first recommendation is to get a slideboard then. You'll need to strengthen / keep working your groin and hips. You can run/bike/row all you want, and get in get cardio shape, but that won't target your skating muscles. I would recommend doing 2 workouts on the slideboard a week, and then add in a day for legs, core, arms. On those days you can do some other fixed-time cardio (run/bike/row) to get yourself in better shape. As far as intervals go, I'm a big fan, but make sure you have a good base first. For example, don't go trying to do 1 minute sprints on the slideboard, bike, etc until you've build up some muscle for those exercises. Also, focus on building up the workouts, including the intervals. Your goal may be 1:1 (1 minute sprint, 1 minute rest), but start with 20 sec. sprints with 1 minute rest and build up over a few months (variety is good too...1:4, 1:3, 1:2, 1:1 with varying times).

Thanks, I do have a good base but obviously I'm experiencing fatigue both muscular and anarobicly. I also am a fan of circuits and started doing a few to help with conditioning. I think I have the most fatigue anarobicly since my heart rate is already so high and only have that 1 - 1.5 min rest and have to right back out. When doing these sprint circuts on bike or slideboard at 1:1, how long do you recommend me doing this? 20 min? 40 min? 1 hr? 1.5hr? And how many times during the week? And as the slideboard workouts you recommend twice a week, do you mean just circuits of 1:1 or mix it up with endurance and sprint circuits?

[SydNap 25]

I would do intervals no more than once per week. How much also depends on your muscles and conditioning. Let's say you have a hockey game next Sunday night. I would target Wed or Thur as the day to do your intervals. So a sample weekly plan I use would be:

Mon-jog 1-2 miles, lift legs

Tues-Row or Elliptical, lift upper body, stickhandle

Wed-Slideboard intervals, core workout

Thur-stickhandle, hips, ankles

Fri-light cardio, stickhandle, forearms

Sat-balance, and what I call a day before workout...which in essense is really really light compound exercises just so I can stretch and protein up

[jlp15 13]

I would do intervals no more than once per week. How much also depends on your muscles and conditioning. Let's say you have a hockey game next Sunday night. I would target Wed or Thur as the day to do your intervals. So a sample weekly plan I use would be: Mon-jog 1-2 miles, lift legs Tues-Row or Elliptical, lift upper body, stickhandle Wed-Slideboard intervals, core workout Thur-stickhandle, hips, ankles Fri-light cardio, stickhandle, forearms Sat-balance, and what I call a day before workout...which in essense is really really light compound exercises just so I can stretch and protein up

That's a hell of a plan.

[flyguy1 1]

 

I would do intervals no more than once per week. How much also depends on your muscles and conditioning. Let's say you have a hockey game next Sunday night. I would target Wed or Thur as the day to do your intervals. So a sample weekly plan I use would be:Mon-jog 1-2 miles, lift legsTues-Row or Elliptical, lift upper body, stickhandleWed-Slideboard intervals, core workoutThur-stickhandle, hips, anklesFri-light cardio, stickhandle, forearmsSat-balance, and what I call a day before workout...which in essense is really really light compound exercises just so I can stretch and protein up

 

Awesome! I usually do full body stregth workouts in the gym 3 days a week, when I get the slideboard I will work them in with intervals and stickhandling. Im curious, what do you have in mind for hips and ankles? Stretching only? and the same goes for balance work? Looks like a great plan!

[SydNap 25]

I have bad hips, they're worse than my knees, which is saying a lot. I'm good as long as I keep them strong. I do lots of ankle adduction and abduction with bands simulating the strokes I make in the ice. For my hips I do a sort of "all of the above" routine. I do wide and lateral squats, and lots of adduction and abduction with circular bands as well. I really think the slideboard hits them as well, and I end all my workouts foam rolling my legs and then constrast showering...specifically on my hips.

[Kevin 5]

I would do intervals no more than once per week. How much also depends on your muscles and conditioning. Let's say you have a hockey game next Sunday night. I would target Wed or Thur as the day to do your intervals. So a sample weekly plan I use would be: Mon-jog 1-2 miles, lift legs Tues-Row or Elliptical, lift upper body, stickhandle Wed-Slideboard intervals, core workout Thur-stickhandle, hips, ankles Fri-light cardio, stickhandle, forearms Sat-balance, and what I call a day before workout...which in essense is really really light compound exercises just so I can stretch and protein up

I would not jog 1-2 miles the same day as lifting legs. I think intervals can definitely be done twice a week in addition to hockey, which is essentially another session of interval training.

[Sniper9 530]

I was a personal trainer from 2005-2012, and currently my routine is very simple. I workout 3-4 times a week depending on how often I have hockey. I try to stay away from traditional body builder style workouts like most men do, which imo, isn't very efficient/attainable for the average joe who has a ft job, family, and hockey.

day 1 (weights): 1 chest exercise of your choice 6 sets x 9 reps

1 leg exercise (squats usually, or weighted lunges) 6 sets x 9 reps

1 back exercise of your choice 6 sets x 9 reps

day 2 (plyometrics): plyo pushups 6 sets x 10 reps

plyo squats 6 sets x 10 reps

plyo lunges 6 sets x 10 reps

pullups 6 sets x max (not a plyo exercise, but bodyweight)

day 3 (body weight endurance) pushup 6 sets max reps

pullups 6 sets max reps

chop squats 6 sets x 20

I have an extensive foundation having lifted weights/exercised for the better part of 15 years. The workout I posted isn't rocket science, but works for me as it incorporates different types of training, provides variation, and is a full body workout.

day 2 and 3 workouts should only take about 45 mins and can be easily done at home. Day 1 would take about an hour or so depending how busy the gym you go to is. As you can see the only exercises are chest (push), back (pull), and legs. the leg exercises I posted works your whole lower body... no need to do curls extension, or any isolation exercises that target only ONE muscle group (ie abs).

If you are working out for the first time, you can just do day 3 but start with 3 sets, and do it 3 times a week for about a month... then slowly add an extra set, or try the more advanced days. The last thing you want to do is try to do too much too soon and burn out, or injure yourself.

There isn't really a "right" or "wrong" way of working out as long as you are doing them properly and safely... When it comes to exercising, there is only a "right for you".

[SydNap 25]

I would not jog 1-2 miles the same day as lifting legs. I think intervals can definitely be done twice a week in addition to hockey, which is essentially another session of interval training.

Let me see if I have this right. You would not do a 1-2 mile jog to warmup on days lifting your legs, but it's ok to do interval work (including hockey) 3-4 times per week? What is your recovery system like? It sounds like you're able to recover better than professional athletes. I am interested in this.

[Kevin 5]

I would not jog 1-2 for a warm up. Before legs, I do 5-10 min. of exercise bike, PVC/foam rolling,
stretching of hip flexors, glute activation exercises (bridges, bird dogs, etc)
and a quick dynamic warm up of lunges, duck walks, banded monster walks etc.

I think two intervals a week in addition to hockey is entirely feasible for
most people (three total interval training sessions, including hockey).
Intervals can me manipulated as to total time and the work to rest ratio.
A good training effect can be had with a 15 min interval exclusive of warm up
and cool down. Intervals with a 10:60 work to rest ratio will have a
different training effect than intervals with a 30:90 work to rest ratio. Keep in mind that I do zero steady state
cardio, which allows me to more interval work.

Your system seems to work well for you, but I and others do incorporate
interval training more than once a week.

I like your slideboard recommendation. Doing exclusively slideboard
intervals multiple times per week in addition to skating could overwork some
muscles, so in that respect doing multiple slideboard intervals sessions could
be counterproductive.

Other good methods of interval training are hill sprints, sled sprints, the
prowler, exercise bike, etc.

[MC6694 2]

Cardio, cardio, cardio. Put in time on the bike, treadmill or road and you will lose weight. Bikes and treadmills are an easy way in.

While cardio is important and does help with weight loss it is not the best option. Lifting heavy burns a lot more calories and on average a person that lifts will burn 100 more calories in the following 24 hours than the person doing only cardio. Now when I say lift heavy I don't mean load 300lbs on the bench and try to lift it. If you can do 10 reps of a weight easily you are going to light. Increase the weight until you can only do 8 or so. I like to do sets of 8-6-4 increasing weight with each set. You blast fat a lot faster this way and gains are much faster. Another common misconception is lifting light weight high reps will get you cut up... heavy weight will do this much faster.

I lift heavy everyday and focus a lot on power lifts which will really give your body a great workout. As I said cardio is important especially for us hockey guys but I prefer to get my cardio in on the ice. Also if you do a fast paced workout it is just as good for your cardiovascular system as running on a treadmill.

Ohh yeah and eat a lot of protein your body burns 30 percent of the calories of protein you take in just to digest it. So 100 calories of protein it would use 30 of them just to digest. This will also prevent you from burning muscle as you lose weight.

[smcgreg 81]

While cardio is important and does help with weight loss it is not the best option. Lifting heavy burns a lot more calories and on average a person that lifts will burn 100 more calories in the following 24 hours than the person doing only cardio. Now when I say lift heavy I don't mean load 300lbs on the bench and try to lift it. If you can do 10 reps of a weight easily you are going to light. Increase the weight until you can only do 8 or so. I like to do sets of 8-6-4 increasing weight with each set. You blast fat a lot faster this way and gains are much faster. Another common misconception is lifting light weight high reps will get you cut up... heavy weight will do this much faster.

I lift heavy everyday and focus a lot on power lifts which will really give your body a great workout. As I said cardio is important especially for us hockey guys but I prefer to get my cardio in on the ice. Also if you do a fast paced workout it is just as good for your cardiovascular system as running on a treadmill.

Ohh yeah and eat a lot of protein your body burns 30 percent of the calories of protein you take in just to digest it. So 100 calories of protein it would use 30 of them just to digest. This will also prevent you from burning muscle as you lose weight.

Yikes....

[hb4167 6]

I was a personal trainer from 2005-2012, and currently my routine is very simple. I workout 3-4 times a week depending on how often I have hockey. I try to stay away from traditional body builder style workouts like most men do, which imo, isn't very efficient/attainable for the average joe who has a ft job, family, and hockey.

day 1 (weights): 1 chest exercise of your choice 6 sets x 9 reps

1 leg exercise (squats usually, or weighted lunges) 6 sets x 9 reps

1 back exercise of your choice 6 sets x 9 reps

day 2 (plyometrics): plyo pushups 6 sets x 10 reps

plyo squats 6 sets x 10 reps

plyo lunges 6 sets x 10 reps

pullups 6 sets x max (not a plyo exercise, but bodyweight)

day 3 (body weight endurance) pushup 6 sets max reps

pullups 6 sets max reps

chop squats 6 sets x 20

I have an extensive foundation having lifted weights/exercised for the better part of 15 years. The workout I posted isn't rocket science, but works for me as it incorporates different types of training, provides variation, and is a full body workout.

day 2 and 3 workouts should only take about 45 mins and can be easily done at home. Day 1 would take about an hour or so depending how busy the gym you go to is. As you can see the only exercises are chest (push), back (pull), and legs. the leg exercises I posted works your whole lower body... no need to do curls extension, or any isolation exercises that target only ONE muscle group (ie abs).

If you are working out for the first time, you can just do day 3 but start with 3 sets, and do it 3 times a week for about a month... then slowly add an extra set, or try the more advanced days. The last thing you want to do is try to do too much too soon and burn out, or injure yourself.

There isn't really a "right" or "wrong" way of working out as long as you are doing them properly and safely... When it comes to exercising, there is only a "right for you".

Is this enough to keep your entire body pretty fit? I just always assumed, if you dont work the abs, then they wont be there. Im not talking about attaining a mega 8 pack or anything, but are you able to burn the fat off the core area just doing this workout?

[SydNap 25]

I have a dedicated core day, which includes some hips and groin work, but is basically just to strengthen my core. I was a strength coach for about 10 years and I think legs and core are the two things you have to do to perform and prevent injuries most efficiently. Upper body work is nice for protection (shoulders), but doing endless pushups is silly unless you're planning on playing offensive line.