I’ve read so much about all the techniques that are used for sprinters. The fact is that skating uses different muscles. How can I train to power up my skating instead of my running?
The same as you would for sprinting: improve your technique and strengthen the muscles involved.
Where are you located?
Connecticut, I can get on the ice all the time.
I realize it’s simple to say stregnthen the different muscles, but it’s hard to stimulate the muscles that push back diagonally. Plyos are working well for me, but I can’t seem to help thinking there’s something better.
If you are near Stamford, there is a great training facility that would have everything that you need. It is called Bluestreak. They have a hockey treadmill that you actually wear your skates on. If you are looking for off-ice strength training, you can also check out my buddy’s website. I hope this helps, and if you need any more help I’m sure I can come up with some training advice for you.
Blue streak is pretty good. The only bad thing about them is that they base thier whole speed enhancement program on the frappier system. Which is improving speed thru a high speed treadmill. Not good…
Don’t downplay something you don’t know about. The high speed treadmill is also completely different from the hockey treadmill. The Frappier protocol is tested, proven, and garaunteed. Being the largest sports performance company in the world, they must be doing something right.
Here we go again. I’m half-kidding.
But seriously, it’s been said many times that to be fast on the ice you have to be fast on the ground. Don’t look for exact specs, but consider sprinting as GPP and skating as your SPP. It’s true that the skating action is different than sprinting but the explosive leg power generated in sprinting is difficult to match anywhere. It’s the same with most sports. I have defensive specialists in volleyball and they all ask me why we work on linear speed and vertical jump. The fact is that if you’re legs are super explosive (compared to max capacity) it will improve your other skills as well.
People have different opinions on the frappier system and I’m going to leave my opinions out on that one. And I believe it’s g-u-a-r-a-n-t-e-e-d. I’m just busting your balls firebird.
I agree with speed, we all know the opinions on Frappier on this site, so let’s stick to the topic (if you would like to discuss the Frappier system start another topic).
Speed is also correct in stating that explosive leg power is crucial for hockey. It is also hard to mimic the patterns of skating on ground. The force vectors are completely different from sprinting, so running provides nothing more than general prep. To get specific motor recruitment, and therefore strengthening the skate stride. Check out the webpage that I posted earlier for great off-ice training ideas (you’ll have to excuse the biased towards the fighting souix hockey team though).
Thanks for the link, but yes, I am still bitter the souix knocked out BC… :mad: haha.
Right now I’m doing a program like this for leg day:
Altitude drops (about 4-4.5 foot box) 4 sets of 6
Depth Jumps (2.5 foot box) 4 sets of 5
hockey stance on a bozu ball (flat side) 4 sets of 1 min.
Skating jumps 4 sets 12(12 for each leg, 24 total for each set, I alternate legs, so it mimics skating a little)
Power Cleans 135 4 sets of 3 reps
Jumping Hack Squats (machine) 4 sets of 6 (90 pounds)
Is there anything realy glaring about my leg workout? Any recomendations?
I asked Charlie about this exact topic when I met him and he mentioned how he helped Tie Domi improve his skating by working on his sprinting. He said there was a big carry-over with the speed at which the leg was moving at the hip.
As far as the guys I train, my best skater is also my best sprinter and has a massive vert.
At his first rookie training camp in Ottawa in 2002 he jumped over the same vert as Sami Kapanen who had an extremely good vert and has won fastest skater at the all-stargame. It was on some sort of machine that gave a numbered score.
I will say that I don’t give him any jumping squats or depth jumps. He just squats heavy. He’s 6’2" and did 455lb for 16 reps when he was 20 which is pretty decent for a guy that only worked out for a couple of years.
As far as your program goes, I’d keep a close eye on your knees for any sort of soreness or inflammation with all those jumps you’re doing.
All weight training puts you at some “risk” of injury or another but some exercises can be shelved for the fact that the benefits might be outweighed by wear on your joints.
Charlie also said that the best sport specific exercise you can do is actually playing the sport you’re training for. So if you wanna be a better skater, then skate more. If you want to gain strength and power then lift weights and also add sprinting and jumping.
Post your rest intervals as well so we can make sure your recovery levels are consistent with your goals.
I do the workout once a week:
Altitude drops (about 4-4.5 foot box) 4 sets of 6
rest: 45 seconds between sets
Depth Jumps (2.5 foot box) 4 sets of 5
rest: 45 seconds
hockey stance on a bozu ball (flat side) 4 sets of 1 min.
rest: 90 seconds
Skating jumps 4 sets 12(12 for each leg, 24 total for each set, I alternate legs, so it mimics skating a little)
rest: 60 seconds
Power Cleans 135 4 sets of 3 reps
rest: 90 seconds
Jumping Hack Squats (machine) 4 sets of 6 (90 pounds)
rest: 90 seconds
someone whill have to ask charlie what it was like to train the guy who suckerpunched one of my coaches. 
Correct. All the power is generated at the hip with skating and sprinting. There is a huge cross-over between the two. A fast sprinter = a fast skater, unless he has flaws in his technique.
Your rest intervals are way too short. I can’t imagine you training with any real intensity (not relative intensity) with such short rest. The jumping exercises should have at a minimum 3 minutes rest, the lifts should be around 3-5 minutes, and the depth jumps/drop jumps should be at a minimum 5 minutes rest.
I am surprized that you have not taken up track cycling as a cross over sport. There is a track in new york that it would be possible to get to. Chris Witty comes to mind as a successful athlete in both sports along with Eric Heiden.
This is not true. Skating and sprinting have different force vectors. The muscle recruitment patterns are different, so although power can transfer from one to the other, they are very different activities. The skating stance is vastly different from sprinting posture as well.
I hear a similar quote all the time from football coaches: “good cleans and snatches = good tackling ability”. If this was true, then you could take a world class OLer and they could tackle anyone in the world. Just because some actions are similar does not mean that proficiency in one equals proficiency in the other.
I wouldn’t call them “very different” activities. I would call them “very similar” activities. They all stem from hip power and use the same prime movers. Any gains I’ve made from sprinting have transferred over to skating easily. After years of playing hockey the skating pattern should be second nature, and any improvements in a very similar activity should transfer over to skating quite easily.
I would call biking a “very different” activity than skating because the prime movers are different.
I would think that top speed has almost no importance in training for hockey, that it should all be geared towards starting/acceleration. In my experience, this is pretty much all one does on a hockey rink. To me there appears to be room for technical improvement in many people’s starts.
I think the hip extension movements in sprinting and skating are very similar, in skating you merely add more abduction/adduction.
Also, why do hockey coaches spend so much time developing crossovers? How much work does this really need? I’m sure other players have spent hours on that crossovers around the circles drill.
What about backwards skating, how does one really improve speed here? Especially on dry land?
Top Speed in hockey is very important, you need that next gear to blow by defensemen or get to a loose puck, however power is more important. An explosive first step or the ability to be close to top speed in 2-3 strides is more important.
Skating requires ER as well as abduction at the hip to generate force from the skate in the ice. The recovery requires a combination of hip flexor/adductor. The stance requires approx 60 deg of knee flexion (more in better skaters) while skating, nothing like sprinting. As well as the fact that you have one leg in contact with the ice approx 90% of the time, just a little different than sprinting.
Crossovers allow you to maintain, generate speed while turninig, very important because there is quite a bit of diagonal movement.
Backwards skating is primarily quadriceps strength, and crossovers. The only way to truly develop speed in skating is skating. However, change of direction drills, power development activities, and to a point explosive lifts will assist in power development in the skating stride.
Running does 2 things for hockey, develops lactic acid tolerance, and helps with quick feet (if you are doing something other than running in a straight line). Your running should be tailored to the position you play, and how much ice time you get (special teams, etc). Remember that a shift is approx 45 sec to a 1 minute, so working longer than this is only useful for cardio work. Why do that? You will develop the cardio you need doing sprinting work and high intensity lifting.
Don’t forget change of direction exercises. Things like shuttle runs, man makers, or anyting where you sprint, stop or decelerate, and change direction will work.