Flexibility vs. Mobility…Which is Better for Hockey Performance?
Flexibility and mobility, what’s the difference? These two words have very similar meanings, so determining which means what can get a little confusing. We’ll break it down for you! We’ll go over what each means in training terms, the difference between the two and how to get the best hockey performance benefit!
How We Define Flexibility:
Flexibility is typically referring to stretching or being able to get into a deep stretch. Think leaning over and touching your toes or sitting down and being able to grab your feet in front of you. These can be good indicators of having “flexibility” and not being overly tight. What the heck is mobility then??
How We Define Mobility:
Mobility is typically talking about the range of motion of our joints and how deep we can effectively get into movements. The TRUE difference between mobility and flexibility is mobility is about how strong you can be in those ranges of motion. It’s one thing to be able to stretch into a movement and a whole other thing to be able to be strong and explosive through those ranges of motion. Just because you can stretch into a range of motion does not mean you can control and be powerful through that range of motion! (More on this in another article about passive and active ranges of motion)
So Which is Better for Hockey Performance?
Both have there place in a well rounded sports performance program but when it comes to truly maximizing hockey performance and unleashing your potential, mobility is king! The benefits that come from increasing mobility are bountiful!
Mobility Benefits for Hockey Players:
Stronger on your Skates
Quicker Foot Speed
Increased Stride Power Production
Being Fluid and Explosive in every direction on the ice
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Training for performance or just for health is a great experience of growth, but when the excitement of progress begins to dwindle, it’s natural to wonder “Why the plateau?” I will uncover the top three reasons that might be thwarting your results. Let’s navigate the challenge of adapting to changing fitness levels, shed light on the risk of overuse injuries, and emphasize the pivotal role that variety in exercises plays in sustaining momentum. So, if you’re feeling stuck questioning why your gains have hit a wall, we’re about to delve into the intricacies of these common hurdles, providing insights and strategies to break through those plateaus and revitalize your fitness journey. Get ready to elevate your workout game and bid farewell to stagnation!
Adapting to Changing Fitness Levels:
Progress is the goal, understanding and adapting to changing fitness levels is the cornerstone of continued success. Through the journey we hit peaks and valleys, and acknowledging that your body evolves over time is paramount. Adapting to changing fitness levels are the notions that what once challenged you may no longer provide the same benefits. It’s very important to recalibrate workout intensity, duration, and techniques to align with your current fitness capacity. From tweaking your exercise routine to accommodating variations in stamina and strength, adapting becomes not only a strategy for overcoming plateaus but also a fundamental aspect of evolving. Embrace the fluidity of your fitness levels, and you’ll not only optimize your efforts but also set the stage for a sustainable and progressive approach to achieving your goals.
Overuse Injuries:
Ever felt all of a sudden each workout is getting more and more difficult or draining? That could be the burnout or overuse injuries forming. It’s like a reminder that our bodies are not getting the rest, recovery or nutrition we need. Find that sweet spot between pushing boundaries and giving your muscles the break they deserve. Because, let’s face it, nobody wants to hit a plateau or deal with nagging injuries. This part is all about learning to listen to your body by throwing in those rest days, keeping on track with your diet and keeping your workouts diverse. By overcoming these plateaus, you’re ensuring you stay on the smooth track for the long haul.
The Importance of Variety in Your Workouts:
The importance of variety in your workouts unveil the secret sauce to combatting plateaus. When your body gets too acclimated with the same old routine, the gains can start to fizzle. The power of switching things up in your workouts like trying new exercises and exploring different fitness styles keeps things interesting for the mental and keeps your body adapting to getting stronger. Your body will always get used to doing the same thing over and over again. There’s different ways and variations to workout on the same goals you have. This is the space to embrace the huge variety of exercises that not only elevate your fitness game but ensure that each session remains exciting and effective. It’s time to bid farewell to workout monotony and welcome the true benefits of a diverse and dynamic workout.
Written by:
Dan Aquino – ASFA-CPT
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If you’re a hockey player, these stretches are great for opening up the hip region, especially if you’re experiencing tightness in the groin, hip flexor, or hamstrings. From the constant grind of the skating motion, you may experience tightness in these areas, but don’t worry, you came to the right place. Here are 5 stretches to loosen up your hips and improve mobility, specifically tailored for hockey players.
Stretch 1: Kneeling Groin Stretch
Start in a kneeling position, with one knee on the ground and the other knee facing forward. Place both hands on the ground, slightly inside the knee, and hold there. For a deeper stretch, you can raise your back knee off the ground. Next, keep one hand on the ground and with the opposite hand, reach towards the ceiling and rotate the torso and eyes to look at the hand. Slowly lower the arm, place the arm on the ground, and then turn and repeat on the other side, staying on the same knee. Do not rush and remember to breathe through the stretch.
Stretch 2: 90-Degree Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
With one knee on the ground, turn the other knee 90 degrees while aiming to keep the shoulders squared and facing forward. Tuck your hips and lean towards the flexed knee, stretching as deep as possible. Hold the stretch for 10-15 seconds. Repeat for 1-2 rounds or as needed.
Stretch 3: Kneeling Quad Stretch
Start in a kneeling position, with one knee on the ground and the other knee facing forward. Lean forward about 45 degrees so that the chest is slightly over the quad, and with the hamstring relaxed, reach for the back foot. If you’re having trouble reaching the back foot, a resistance band can be used for assistance. Hold the stretch for 10-15 seconds, relax, and slowly lower the foot to the ground. Repeat as needed.
Stretch 4: Kneeling Hamstring Stretch
After lowering the back foot from the Kneeling Quad Stretch, lean backward to extend the front leg, toes flexed toward the ceiling. “Fold” your torso over the leg to stretch the hamstrings. Hold for 10-15 seconds and breathe through the stretch to avoid straining the hamstring. Perform 1-2 sets or as needed.
Stretch 5: Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
With one knee on the ground and the other facing forwards, keep the shoulders squared. Tuck your hips and lean forwards towards the flexed knee, keeping the core and glutes engaged. Hold the stretch for 10-15 seconds. Repeat for 1-2 rounds or as needed. Below is a Banded Assisted Kneeling Quad Stretch.
No Equipment, No Problem
You don’t need equipment or a lot of space to do these 5 stretches that will help loosen up your hips and make you a more mobile hockey player. Remember all the exercises shown were on one side of the body, so don’t forget to stretch the other side! If you have a foam roller and want a deeper stretch, check out this article if you missed it, 3 exercises for hip relief – Training Aspects. Stay tuned for next week’s article for more on these stretches specifically beneficial for hockey players.
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Written by:
Darrid Watson, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
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Training Aspects is the home of the hockey player. Training is not all the same. understanding the needs of the athlete and being able to create solutions for the imbalances and help develop the hockey athlete takes experience. The hockey player, whether a hockey forward, hockey defenseman or hockey goalie, go to a place that know the sport and can guide the hockey athlete to success.
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It’s hard to know what to focus on with all the noise in the hockey performance world now a days. You hear conflicting things from all angles…work on speed stuff, you need to be more mobile, do this program, this exercise is the best. How do you know what to follow? Although these all may be beneficial in some way, you want the most bang for your buck when it comes to your performance training. We’ll break down the #1 missing aspect in your hockey training program to maximize your results!
Using Weight as an Extension of your Body
Sounds cool…but what does that even mean? Everyone wants to lift huge amounts of weight to get stronger and be better on the ice, that can work to an extent but to truly maximize your hockey performance you need to be strong with your body moving in all planes of motion! To elaborate, you are only as strong as your body can handle that load in that plane of motion. Example: I can squat 400 lbs. But can you squat 400 lbs while stepping side to side or while you rotate? I’m going to take a wild guess and say…probably not!
Mastering your Weight Transfer:
Weight transfer is everything when it comes to hockey! Shifting side to side, rotating your hips and core, changing direction quickly…these are happening all the time on the ice. Mastering your weight transfer will help you flow effortlessly on the ice while saving energy and stamina!
Here is a more in-depth explanation of weight transfer
When to Add Weight:
So where does the weight come in? Once you master your weight transfer you can begin to add some weight, always go lighter first. The goal is to be able to control the weight as an extension of your body, as well as flow from movement to movement effortlessly. This can be done with kettlebells, dumbbells and even barbells. We recommend mastering kettlebells and dumbbells first, then progressing to barbells.
Here are some great exercises using weight as an extension of your body.
How Does it Increase Hockey Performance?
You only need to be as strong as you need to be for the demands of your sport. In hockey you don’t need to move 400 lbs up and down, you need to be able to throw your weight in the corners, shift your weight side to side, rotate explosively, be strong on your skates in awkward positions…the list goes on! The stronger you can be in any and every position on the ice, the stronger hockey player you’ll be! So train to be strong in all planes of motion!
Where do I go from Here?
You still need to build the foundation first but using weight as an extension of your body and improving your weight transfer can take your hockey performance to the next level! If you’re not sure where to start, always start slow and light! You can always progress up. Consulting with a Hockey Performance professional can be a great idea as well! These are advanced movements and they will know the best way to progress you properly to avoid injury and get the best results!
Written by:
Rob Jost – ACE-CPT, NSCA-CPT
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Training Aspects Personal Training and Sports Performance:
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Top 3 Ways to Stretch the Hips for Hockey Players Using Foam Rolling
If you’re a hockey player, for that matter. We understand the struggle of dealing with tight hips. Hours spent skating weekly, driving from game to game, and traveling across states can put your legs through a beating. Consequently, you may experience lower back tightness or tightness in the groin, often stemming from tightness in the hip region. Here are three quick stretches to help loosen up your hips and improve mobility, specifically tailored for hockey players.
Foam Rolling: Why It Helps the hockey athlete
Placing the foam roller directly under the tailbone/hips helps alleviate pressure on the hips and enables a wider range of stretching. This is particularly beneficial for hockey players, whose hips tend to be in Anterior Pelvic Tilt due to the skating motion and stance.
Stretch 1: Leg Sweeps
With the foam roller under your hips, keep the knee extended and toes flexed to emphasize the groin. Perform leg sweeps in a circular motion, gradually increasing the size of the circle with each rotation. You may feel tightness being released, often accompanied by a “cracking” sensation. Take your time with this stretch, aiming for 5-10 reps clockwise and counter-clockwise.
Stretch 2: Lying Knee Pull (Hug)
After completing leg sweeps, shake out your hips and keep one leg extended on the ground. Hug your other knee to your chest and hold for 10-15 seconds to feel the stretch and allow the joint to relax. Slowly extend the hugged knee, shake out your legs, and repeat with the other leg. Perform 1-2 sets or as needed.
Stretch 3: Lying Hip Tilts
Begin by lying on the foam roller with your stomach facing the ground. Tilt one hip at a 45-degree angle onto the roller, while the other hip faces the ceiling. Use your bottom leg and arms to roll up and down on the hip flexors, focusing on areas of tightness. Apply pressure to the roller for 10-15 seconds to release tension. Roll after releasing and repeat as necessary, then switch to the other hip.
No Foam Roller, No Problem
If you don’t have a foam roller, you can still try these stretches, although you’ll experience a deeper stretch with the roller. Additionally, there are other bodyweight exercises to loosen up the hip/pelvic area, such as the Figure 4 Stretch and Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch. Stay tuned for next week’s article for more on these stretches specifically beneficial for hockey players.
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Written by:
Darrid Watson, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
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Hockey is a game of speed! There is no doubt about that, but what is the best way to increase hockey speed? The typical go to’s include ladder drills, agility training or just doing exercises faster. These can have a benefit and increase speed but how much speed can you really gain with these? It all comes down to the 3 basic principles were going to break down for you to finally unleash the hockey speed you’ve been working so hard to achieve!
Hockey Speed Tip 1: Stability
Improve Stability to Increase Speed:
Everyone wants to get right into the fancy speed stuff to get faster, makes sense…but what you might not think about is how stable your body is that you’re trying to create speed with? Trying to create speed and explosiveness on a shaky/unstable frame will only get you so much faster, if at all, and will lead to limited results or potential injury!
Instead try increasing your overall stability first with these 3 exercises
Hockey Speed Tip 2: Weight Transfer
Learn how to transfer your weight effectively:
Weight transfer, sounds great…but what does it actually mean? It’s your body’s understanding of how to shift its weight in all planes of movement. This includes side to side movement, forward and backwards, as well as rotational. This sums up hockey, you are constantly changing direction and shifting your weight quickly in every possible direction you can imagine. If you train one dimensional in the gym, you’ll be one dimensional on the ice. Train to be strong and efficient in every direction and you’ll be faster in every direction!
Try these 3 weight transfer exercises to get faster on the ice.
Hockey Speed Tip 3: Movement Potential
Maximizing your Movement to Increase Speed:
Movement potential is maximizing your movements to get the most potential out of them! This means ensuring you get full extension through your strides and making sure every muscle fires properly to increase how much power and ultimately speed you can output! Not only will your movements be more powerful and speedier but also more efficient! Which leads to more energy saved, allowing you skate faster and harder for much longer!
Try these 3 Movement maximizing exercises.
Speed can be gained but only as far as these 3 principles will take you. If one of these are lacking, your attempts to increase speed will only go so far. Master your stability, weight transfer and movement potential to unlock endless speed gains!
#unleashthepotential
Written by:
Rob Jost, ACE-CPT, NSCA-CPT
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Training Aspects Personal Training and Sports Performance:
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As we stated in our last article the transition to barefoot shoes should be gradual! Many people have movement pattern issues that need to be addressed prior to making the transition. This will reduce the risk of injury and keep you moving toward your goals!
Common Movement Pattern Issues
Tight Ankles
This is one of the most common movement issues we see. Tightness in your ankles is typically from over-active calves and an under-active anterior tibialis (shin muscle). This will greatly reduce your dorsiflexion (your ankle bending forward).
Weak Hips
Weakness in your hips typically leads to your knees collapsing in and aids in your arches collapsing as well. This will come from weakness in your hip abductors and over-activity in the adductors.
Flat/Weak Arches
Almost everyone nowadays has flat feet. No matter if you’re born with it or have developed them over the years they can be strengthened! Just like any other dysfunction in the body it is a muscle imbalance of tight muscles and weak muscles. The right exercises can help bring balance back to your arch.
Tight Big Toe
When your range of motion (especially extension) in your big toe is reduced it will kill your balance and reduce your power when pushing off your foot. This is usually caused by your shoes squishing all your toes together. This not only causes bunions but will also greatly reduce the function of your big toe.
How To Improve Ankle Mobility
How To Improve Hip Stability
How To Improve Arch Stability
How To Improve Big Toe Extension
These exercises are a great start to increasing your mobility and stability. Once these exercises have been mastered, next you can transition to barefoot shoes in your daily activities. Start with walking, then progress to light jogging and eventually running. The transition should be slow!! Depending on the person this could take up to 6 months for a full and strong transition. Unsure if you’re ready for the transition? A movement specialist can assess you and ensure a proper program is established!
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Typically the feet are a forgotten body part when it comes to training but the health of your foot can be one of the most crucial aspects in how well you perform on the field or ice. Also the type of shoe you wear while training can play a huge role.
Types of Shoes
There are a ton of different types of shoes out there nowadays. You have running shoes, walking shoes, training shoes, basketball shoes, hiking boots, casual shoes, dress shoes and the list goes on. Why is there a different shoe for every little thing I do in life? For the most part the shoe companies are just trying to make money so they will “create” a shoe for every possible task in life. But aren’t our feet supposed to naturally do all of these tasks anyway? Yup…and BAREFOOT at that!
Foot Anatomy
Our feet are amazingly strong (or at least supposed to be) and they have one of the highest sensory outputs in the entire body! They contain 33 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments per foot!! So why in the world would we drown them and cover them with big bulky shoes that weaken our feet and reduce their sense of touch?
How The Feet Function
The feet have so many functions that can affect performance. The big toe is vital in how well you push off your foot. During activities such as sprinting this can make or break your explosiveness. The mobility of the ankle joint has a huge effect on your performance as well. Efficient dorsiflexion can help improve your speed and explosiveness by allowing your foot to act like a spring. Every time you hit the ground, your foot will propel you forward instead of pounding straight into the ground. This will limit the pressure on your joints and increase your body’s energy efficiency.
How Your Shoe Can Hinder Foot Function
Many shoes now have a raised heel so you’re walking around on this thick platform reducing your feel of the ground. The front of the shoe which is called the toe box is typically very narrow leading to the toes getting squished together. These two popular designs in shoes cause huge problems for your foot health and ultimately your performance. As stated above big toe push off and ankle mobility are vital to optimal foot performance. The raised heel can change your posture, how you stand, walk and run. This can lead to a heel striking running pattern. Increasing your risk for hip, knee and foot pain as well as decreased performance. Squishing your toes into narrower toe boxes will lead to lack of mobility and dysfunction of your big toe reducing power and explosiveness.
The Culprits
These are many of the most popular shoes “designed” for running, training and hiking. But wait….aren’t my feet already designed to do all of these things? Why do I need a specially designed shoe with extra support to help? All that extra support is like a cast for your foot, although it’ll feel better in the short term limiting any pain you have from your feet or hips being weak. In the long term you are actually just making the problem worse by reducing the movement of the hundreds of joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments in your feet. This will atrophy the muscles and stiffen the joints leading to more pain, dysfunction and potential injury.
“Barefoot” Options
Some may say the barefoot options are silly looking or not fashionable. Walking around dysfunctionally (which is visibly noticeable) and knowingly creating weak and painful feet sounds a lot more silly and unfashionable to me 😉 These shoes can wake up the sensory processors of the feet leading to huge changes in posture, function, performance and pain relief!
The transition to barefoot shoes must be gradual! Proper ankle mobility, arch strength, and hip stability are all musts before adding in barefoot wear to your workouts and outdoor adventures! Stay tuned, next week we’ll break down the most common movement pattern issues and how to get yourself strong enough to start transitioning to your new “barefoot” lifestyle!
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There are many muscles in the lower leg (knee down) but we’re going to focus on two specific muscles in this article. The Gastrocnemius (upper calf muscle) and the soleus (lower calf muscle). The gastrocnemius is the calf muscle that everyone sees and aspires to have a defined shape. The soleus is a little less know muscle and isn’t as well seen or defined. So how do you know which one could be causing mobility issues? We have a couple quick tests that will reveal which one could be causing the problem and mobility protocols to ensure you’re getting the most out of your mobility routine.
Lower Leg Anatomy
Here is a picture to give you a better idea of where each muscle is.
Lower Leg Function
Both the gastroc and the soleus have similar functions. They both plantar flex the foot (when you go up on your toes) while walking, running and jumping. The main difference between the two is when they activate. The gastrocnemius activates when the leg is fully extended at the knee and the soleus primarily activates when the knee is bent.
How This Affects Your Mobility Plan
Since these muscles activate in different body positions you will also have to stretch and mobilize these muscles differently as well. The gastroc will best be stretched and mobilized with a straight knee position and the soleus will get the best stretch in a bent knee position. But how do you know which one to focus in on to improve mobility?
Test Your Lower Leg Mobility
There are two different tests you can do to decipher which part of the lower leg is the issue. The bent knee lower leg and the straight leg lower leg mobility tests can show you which part of the calf is more of an issue based off of the dorsiflexion range of motion at the ankle. Optimal range of motion is around 40 degrees.
Straight Leg Ankle Dorsiflexion Mobility test – The focus of this test is to see how much range of motion you can get from the back ankle while in the straight leg position . Keep the toes pointed forward, heel down and back leg straight.
Bent Knee Ankle Dorsiflexion Mobility Test – The goal here is to assess ankle mobility in the front ankle while bending at the knee. You want to keep the toes pointed forward, knee bent, and heel on the ground.
Protocol to Improve Ankle Mobility
After we have discovered which position has limited range of motion then we can asign the more appropriate ankle mobility and performance protocol.
Gastrocnemius (upper calf) Mobility Performance Protocol – If your range of motion is more limited in the straight leg position than we need to reduce tightness in the gastroc through active releases, stretches, and mobilizations. Then strengthen the soleus to bring balance back to the lower leg muscles.
Soleus (lower calf) Mobility Performance Protocol – If your range of motion was worse in the bent leg position then we need to reduce tightness in the soleus through active releases, stretches and mobilizations. Then get the gastroc activating to bring balance back to the lower leg muscles.
Training Aspects Personal Training and Sports Performance:
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Could Your Shoulder Also Be Causing Your Elbow Pain?
As we learned in the previous article about the wrist and elbow pain, going right to the source of pain isn’t always going to be the fix. We have to think outside the box and examine what else could be causing the problem. The elbow joint is sandwiched between the wrist and the shoulder so if one of those two joints aren’t moving correctly the elbow will likely try to compensate and take on a workload it is not meant to handle. If this happens repeatedly over time pain is inevitable. So how could the shoulder actually affect the elbow?
Anatomy of the Shoulder
The anatomy of the shoulder is very complex and has so many muscles that attach to it, to keep this article simple we will only be referring to specific muscles that typically affect shoulder movement the most.
The Muscles Around The Shoulder
We usually think of the main muscles of the shoulder being the deltoids (the muscles that give our shoulders that round boulder look), which they are, but usually aren’t always the culprits when it comes to shoulder issues. It’s the muscles that are near the shoulder that can cause the biggest problem though. Muscles like the pec minor/major (chest muscles) and the biceps muscles attach to the bones that connect the shoulder joint. These muscles are very often overused and create tightness in the shoulder leading to a rounded shoulder look and movement dysfunction.
The Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Stability
The rotator cuff consists of 4 small muscles that are often overlooked and almost always undertrained. These 4 muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis) are responsible for efficient movement of the scapula and stability of the shoulder joint. When these muscles underwork your shoulders will lack stability and look to other muscles to take over the workload, leading to muscle compensations and poor movement patterns.
How Does This Relate To My Elbow?
When the rotator cuff is weak/underworking the shoulder will lack stability. When a large joint like the shoulder lacks stability, the body will need to compensate and create stability somewhere else. The elbow is the lucky one next in line to take on the grunt work. The problem is the elbow is not designed to withstand that kind of work, especially over long periods of time. In combination with the chest/biceps muscles over working and creating poor movement patterns, there is a recipe for elbow pain and potential injury.
How to Restore Shoulder Function and Stability
We will be taking a similar approach as we did in the last article about increasing wrist mobility. We will start with myofascial release and static stretching of the tight muscles which include the pec minor (chest) and the biceps.
Chest Release
Bicep Release
Chest Stretch
Bicep Stretch
Now that we have created more range of motion we can start restoring proper movement back to the shoulders and scapula with mobility drills.
Then finally after we have restored proper movement and mobility we can effectively use strengthening exercises for the rotator cuff and surrounding muscles to increase stability and function of the scapula and shoulder joint.
Training Aspects Personal Training and Sports Performance:
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