Top 3 Hockey Off-Ice Questions Answered

There are so many myths out there it’s tough to know what to listen to and how to train properly. With that in mind we came up with our top 3 Hockey Off-Ice questions and provided our professional insight into how to focus in and get the most out of your hockey training!

Do I Train In-Season?

In season hockey training There is a common misconception that you shouldn’t train during the season. It’s too much on the body, you may get hurt, or you may be too tired. These all couldn’t be further from the truth! You should never stop developing, but you should adjust your training program to fit your In-season goals and schedule.

Adjust Training Schedule from 5-6x a week to 2-3x
Adjust program to a maintenance strength progression while adding an increase in mobility, stability and movement focus
You don’t have to restart every off-season when you train year round!

How to Prep for an Elite Game?

Hockey mobility for performance This question has many answers as it’s never one thing that typically dictates your performance. A few things to focus on are nutrition, hydration and mobility prep. This doesn’t just go for game day either, these essentials need to be focused on and prepped up to 2-3 days before!

Nutrition – Lean proteins and increased carbs 2-3 days before game day. Carbs should consist of complex carbs like pasta, rice, quinoa, potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Hydration – 100-128 oz of water daily 2-3 days before game day and on game day.

Mobility Prep – Light workouts and mobility specific movements are great to get the body primed and ready to go on game day and the day before.

When Do I Start Lifting?

Lifting for hockey performance The question that everyone wants the answer to!! The answer is as is the answer to most questions, it depends! We don’t necessarily go by your actual age but your training age! A 13 year old that has been crushing training for a year and understands his body and movements is probably more prepared to start lifting weights than a 15-16 year old with poor movement habits and no previous training. As an overall idea though, typically by 14 (assuming you’ve gone through movement specific training and understand your body) is a good starting point to start exploring weight training. Kettlebell and dumbbell movements are a much better place to start and learn then going right to barbells. Once proper movement habits are assessed with the kettlebells and dumbbells then a progression to barbells could be appropriate!

These questions could each be there own article with how in depth the answers are! We tried to keep the answers short, simple and informative but if you have any additional questions feel free to reach out and we’d be happy to help out!

Written by:

Rob Jost – ACE-CPT, NSCA-CPT

Suggested Article: Top 5 Elite Kettlebell Exercises for Hockey Players