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August 23, 2010, 6:39pm
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It helps to know the demands of the game. I look at everything from the most simple to the more complex. My one player is a top rated 95 in the USA. He is 15 yrs old and we have worked together since he was 10. Back in the beginning he was doing bodyweight exercises and light dumbells with his older sisters. At 13, we started doing real resistance work. My goal was just to increase his organism strength. We did basic movements higher reps. He has always been emotionally mature, so we were building on things. He squatted weight so effortlessly that it was scary. He box squatted 225 for 10 easy in 7th grade. Going into 9th grade, he was squatting more than some of my college football players. This year, I peeled him back on lower body while getting him stronger through his upper body all while trying to minimize hypertrophy. He is 5’10" 175 and he benched 195x3 the other day. I don’t really care about numbers, just that the trend is up year after year. His rowing strength is of importance because I worry about shoulder injuries and posture due to nature of the sport. Under our program he has been the leading scorer every year in Tier 1 hockey on a national champion team. What I am most proud of is he has never missed a practice, game, or shift due to injury. God willing, he has the tools to go big time. His family advisor(agent) reps 20+ NHL players and think he will be an elite NHL forward. I know next year he will likely be on US team out of Ann Arbor so it may be my last summer with him.
Thats great work it is amazing how much improvement an athlete can make in a long trerm athelte developmet model I have 10 guys in a simular situation - been working with me for 3 - 6 years. One kid weighs 155 lbs - he squats 450 hang cleans 290 and benches 250 plays with the Kalona Rockets WHL. All 12 can squat over 450 lbs and hang clean 225 or better. 5 are in the WHL and the others are not yet 16. Most importantly they all run well - and skate well.