Exercise

Dry land exercises

Speed and strength are integral components in today’s game. To obtain your maximum potential on your skates requires work both on and off the ice. Doing off ice train helps in performing better on the ice during a game, it also helps greatly reduce injury during the course of a weekend of games or the season.

Plyometric training

Plyometrics can cause too much stress on the joints and therefore cause joint issues and in some extreme cases in younger athletes below the age of 10 or 11 can even cause damage to the growth plates. Most in the strength and conditioning industry agree, doing the exercise correctly in paramount in reducing your chances for injury.
Consider this, the most simplistic exercise is a jump (Up and down). Most inexperienced athletes do this simple exercise with little to no thought to the proper execution, and more importantly the landing. You should strive to land on your toes, causing little to no noise on the landing “land like a cat” or “soft landing”. If you land like a ton of bricks you run the possibility of injury. ALWAYS make sure you are landing in a controlled “cat like” way.
Also, consider the shoes you are wearing. Shoe technology has come a long way since my day, but there are cross training shoes that offer protection in reducing the amount of shock to the body during landing. You can also get an exercise mat to help reduce the shock. These are small investments that go a long way towards keeping your body healthy.

Give it a break

With so many players playing multiple sports, on travel teams or lifting weights in school there is a chance that you can train too much, not giving the body time to rest. If you are doing these exercises during the hockey season, you are on the ice 3 to 5 times a week, involved with other sports, or other training regiments, then you need to review your schedule to allow the body time to recuperate and heal. TAKE TIME OFF! If an exercise hurts, don't do it for a while.

Weights, P90, P90X and Insanity programs

Each player needs a little different exercise program. Hockey requires explosive stops and starts, great physical conditioning and endurance. As each program can deliver the desired results, lifting weights alone will not help. Weights works on slower twitch muscles and strength. My point is do not use weights as the primary exercise program, use it as a supplement to programs like P90 and Insanity.

Home Exercise

If you do not have access to off the shelf programs below is a simple exercise program. Each player should do each exercise marked with a #1 (circuit, stick handling and shooting) or #2 (circuit, stick handling and shooting) for that given day. follow the schedule below:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Exercise #1		Exercise #2		Exercise #1	Exercise #2

Exercise 1 :

Warm-up
Exercises	Reps	Wts (Lb)	Weeks	Frequency	Start
Run in place	3			1:00 min
Jumping jacks	3			1:00 min
Heisman	3			1:00 min
123 Heisman	3			1:00 min
Butt kicks	3			1:00 min
High Knees	3			1:00 min
Mummy kicks	3			1:00 min
Cardio
Exercises	Reps	Wts	Weeks	Frequency	Start
Suicides	3			1:00 min
Basket Ball Jumps	3			1:00 min
Ski Ab Burpies	3			1:00 min
Moving push ups	3			1:00 min
Cardio 2
Exercises	Reps	Wts	Weeks	Frequency	Start
Cones Forward/Backward	3			1:00 min
Cones Push-ups, sit ups	3			1:00 min
Wind sprints	3			1:00 min
Moving push ups	3			1:00 min
Strength
Exercises	Reps	Wts	Weeks	Frequency	Start
Pull ups	3			1:00 min
Push up jacks	3			1:00 min
Sit-ups (Partner)	3			1:00 min
Diamond push-ups	3			1:00 min
Squat Jumps(hands behind)	3			1:00 min
Timed Push ups	3			1:00 min

*example: Monday you should do all exercises marked with #1 (Circuit #1, Stick handling #1 and shooting #1)

USA Hockey Circuit #1