Player Off Ice Workout & Drills
Player Workouts
The following player workouts are recommended by Coach Houck.
There are separate workouts for Mites/Squirts and for PeeWees and above.
Coach Houck Skills Session
USA Hockey Nutrition Guidance
Wall Sits
Wall sits are excellent for building strength and endurance in the lower body muscles and all you need is a blank wall.
Muscle Groups Worked:
Quadriceps, Gluteus Maximus, gastrocnemius, soleus, hamstrings, hip adductor.
Variation
If it is too painful to be at a 90 degree angle start higher up and lower once you have had more practice.
To make the wall sit more of a challenge hold a dumbbell in each hand down by your side or place a ball between the knees and gently squeeze to work those inner thighs a bit more.
Step by Step Guide:
-
Start by standing about 2 feet away from a wall with your back against the wall
-
Slide your back down the wall until your hips and knees bend at a 90 degrees angle
-
Keep the shoulders, upper back and the back of the head against the wall
-
Both feet should be flat on the ground with the weight evenly distributed
-
Hold for the required amount of time
Russian Twists
Excellent for building the core strength necessary for an explosive stride.
Step 1
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet placed flat on the floor about hip-width apart. You can place weights on your feet to help keep them rooted on the ground. Now sit about halfway up and place your hands directly out in front of you. Your arms are straight with palms together and your chin is up and off your chest. You can hold a dumbbell or a medicine ball to make the exercise even more difficult.
Take a deep breath and then exhale while slowly twisting your torso as far to the right as you can manage without changing the angle of your torso from the floor.
Now inhale slowly and rotate your torso back to the starting position. Repeat by rotating torso to the left side.
Russian Lunge