I am really honored to be a part of this again:
BSMPG is proud to announce Sean Skahan as a speaker within the Hockey Specific Training Track for the 2012 BSMPG Summer Seminar, May 19-20, 2012 in Boston MA.
Jan 242012
Jan 232012
Here is a guest post by my current intern, Seth Munsey. Seth does a real good job. He recently attended the Perform Better 1-Day Seminar in LA. I asked him to let me know how it went because I couldn’t make it. Seth gives a great review here:
Perform Better One-Day 1/14/2012
On Jan. 14th, I had the pleasure of attending the Perform Better One-Day Learning By Doing seminar at the LA Convention Center. This particular seminar is one of the many great events that are put on throughout the year by Chris Poirier and the Perform Better crew. If you have yet to attend a Perform Better event, I highly suggest that you get to one soon.
Coach Boyle is a strength and conditioning giant, and I am sure that if you are taking the time to read this, you’ve probably heard of him. Fortunately, I was able to hear Coach Boyle speak a few times in the last couple of months, and he has yet to under-deliver. The first half of his talk really focused on the attendees, and he challenged us to take a look at ourselves, and figure out who we are as coaches and whether or not we are ready to challenge the status quo. Coach Boyle went through a lot of information, which would make this review long enough for you to stop reading half way thru, so I am just going to hit on some key points that I thought were really good takeaways.
He presented us with a list of questions early on that really opened up many minds;
Am I Really Teachable?
· Am I open to other people’s ideas?
· Do I listen more than I talk?
· Am I open to changing my mind based on new info?
· Do I readily admit when I am wrong?
· Do I ask questions?
· Am I willing to ask a question that will expose my ignorance?
· Do I act defensively when criticized?
Now that many of you quickly skimmed that list, I challenge you to really go back and re-read each question carefully. Stew on each one for a bit and think about how honestly you could say yes to each question. I have always considered myself to be very teachable, yet after reading that list, I realized there are definitely areas that I could set goals to improve on.
Some other key points from the talk are:
3 Goals
· Prevent injuries in the actual training process
· Reduce incidence of performance or work related injury (keep people healthy)
· Feel better and/or improve performance
Knee Dominant Patterns
· Master the squat pattern and static supported patterns first!
· Lunges are not for beginners
· Don’t worry about functional, worry about safe
· 20 bodyweight squats in a minute before getting into single leg work
As you can tell, there was a lot of information, and I had to leave out a ton. Like I said in the beginning, if you have yet to hear Coach Boyle speak, it definitely needs to be put on your list of goals.
Alwyn is always a very entertaining presenter who juggles jokes with personal challenges. We as the audience always erupt into laughter at one of analogies, and then we go silent as we quickly realize that the joke is on us. He isn’t making fun of us, he is trying to challenge us; to make us realize that if we want to be successful, we have to start acting and thinking success.
Alwyn layed out his “Five Secrets for Fitness Business Success.”
1) Have a success mindset
2) Understand the mindset of the client
3) Practice the principle of the slight edge
4) Mastermind/Mentor with like-minded successful individuals
Alwyn also laid out some “Action Steps” that we can take to be more successful:
· Be the best
· Understand the mindset of the client
· Repostion yourself as a consultant
· Introduce semi-private training to increase your income and leverage your time
· Establish your training philosophy for the 21st century market
· Continue to “sharpen the saw” by investing in yourself on an ongoing basis
· Commit to working with a mentor and being in a mastermind group
He also included a great quote by Jim Rohn, “Your level of income will rarely exceed your level of personal development.
If your sitting in a room with Todd Durkin and you’re not inspired and motivated, then immediately check your pulse. Todd is the owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego where he trains the like of Drew Brees, Ladanian Tomlinson, and many more.
Todd’s talk was titled “Core & Cuff” and he spent the hour outlining many of the exercises he uses to strengthen the shoulder complex and core with every person who trains in his facility. He made it a point to say that these routines were not just for the Drew Brees of the world. They are great for fitness enthusiasts, weekend warriors, young and old athletes, elite athletes, etc… Basically, everybody that has a shoulder complex that isn’t torn apart.
Most of Todd’s talk was a video montage of many of the different exercises his clients do, so I will stick with giving you his “10 Secrets to Success.”
1) Feet to Fingertip emphasis
2) Understand myofascial slings
3) Bilateral vs. unilateral movements
4) Frontal and transverse emphasis
5) Different hand positions (he has his clients do most exercises using many different grip positions)
6) 2:1 backside to front-side emphasis
7) Dis-association of shoulder and hips
8) Core is 60% of your power
9) Build joint integrity FIRST!
10) “Flex T” is your home position
Gray’s talk was titled “Mobility, Motor Control, Movement.” Gray is a great speaker who always keeps me engaged, even when I don’t fully grasp what he is saying! Some of the key points of Gray’s talk were;
· Our profession needs to develop Standard Operating Procedures. Every pilot, every surgeon, every firefighter has SOP’s, why not us?
We need a rating and ranking system that will;
· Provide SOP
· Improve communication
· Improve collaboration
· Elevate education
· Improve safety
· Create a system that yields consistently better results
· Categories create clarity for the consumer
And five final points;
· Establish a SOP for identifying dysfunction within fundamental movement patterns
· Separate painful movement patterns from dysfunctional movement patterns whenever possible
· As a general rule do not manage or treat painful movement patterns with exercise
· Within dysfunctional movement patterns identify impairments
· Establish minimum levels of mobility followed by minimum levels of motor control
Overall, it was a great day of learning and networking with like-minded professionals. I always enjoy attending these events and hope to see all of you there in the future!
Jan 202012
We had another good week at HockeySC.com
First up we had the second episode of the Hockey Strength Podcast. In episode 2, Anthony speaks with Darryl Nelson of the U.S. National development program team. This is a great interview as it gives some insights into what Darryl does on a daily basis. Darryl also discusses some of his recent articles that he has posted. You can listen to this at Hockey Strength Podcast.
Next up is Kevin Neeld’s 2-Day In-Season Training Program Phase 4. This is a good 2 day program that is very detailed in what Kevin’s athletes are doing in the weight room. With the accumulation of fatigue due to the amount of games and practices, Kevin backs off on volume a little bit, but still gets some quality strength work in.
Up next is another contribution from Kevin, Youth Hockey Training Program Phase 2. In this group of videos, Kevin highlights some of the exercises that he is using. There are some good speed and change of direction exercises in this group of videos.
Last up is Mike Potenza’s Establishing a Foundation: Leg Strength for Young Goaltenders. This is a good article which gives an excellent progression for a goaltender (or anyone else) to establish the proper foundation of squatting and then progressing to other single leg variations. This is a really good piece.
On the forum, we have some good discussions going on such as low back pain in females and conditioning tools. Make sure you check out the forum when you log on.
We believe that this site is the best resource in hockey strength and conditioning on the internet. You will not find anywhere else where you can get access to all of the programs and ideas that some of the best in hockey are currently doing with their players. If you’re not a member, you can try it out for 1 dollar. You will not be disappointed.
Thanks!
Sean
Jan 132012
I hope everyone is doing great. I am actually typing this post from Edmonton. This is the first of 2 trips up to the province of Alberta, Canada where we also visited the city of Calgary and then we will head over to Vancouver (which is the province of British Columbia). Although it is much colder than Orange County, it is actually not too cold for this time of year here.
At HockeySC.com, we have had some good contributions this week.
First up is The Mechanistic Connection Between the Trunk, Hip, Knee, and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury by Timothy Hewett and Gregory Myer. This is actually a study that was published by the American College of Sports Medicine in its Exercise and Sport Science Reviews. This is an interesting study that discusses how the control of lateral trunk motion is associated with hip abduction muscle recruitment and strength in females. What was also interesting is the mention of the difference between males and females when they’re skeletal growth process is occurring. Research has shown previously that males experience a neuromuscular growth spurt that females don’t. This would indicate that males would have greater neuromuscular control. This would make sense when looking at the whole study.
Next up is Mike Potenza’s Muscle Endurance Workout for Goaltenders. This is a good program submitted by Mike. Goalies need to have the endurance to sustain the motions that they do over and over again during the course of a game. They need endurance of the muscles of the legs and hips. With the butterfly style being the most preferred method of current goaltenders, the importance of endurance in the hip abductors and adductors is huge.
Next up is my Chin Up video. In this video, I show the difference between the chin up technique that my athletes were doing previously to me learning the RKC/Tactical version. I’ve found that athletes who may have had shoulder issues which prevented them from doing chin ups or pull ups in the past can do this version of the chin up without issues. I also think once you engage your core and lats better; there is less stress on the shoulder joints. I will be blogging about this later on as I have been trying this out on myself.
That’s it for the week. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Thanks for your continued support!
Sean
Jan 112012
I have seen many of these types of articles written by other strength and conditioning professionals and personal trainers. These are just 4 thoughts that popped into my head while thinking about things that I have come across in the strength and conditioning field. A few of these thoughts might be common sense or re-affirmations, but they are thoughts that I thought to myself “Why couldn’t I think of this sooner?” These are also my opinions only.
1- Too Much Load Will Result in Poor Technique and Possibly Injury
This is probably under the “common sense” category. I have seen many sets of exercises where reps 1 and 2 look perfect, but reps 4 and 5 don’t. Watch your athletes perform a warm-up set with a lighter weight. Their technique should be perfect. When the heavier load is used, the only difference in the reps should be the speed of the movement. If that isn’t the only difference, then the load is too heavy for the reps prescribed. This is when injury has the best chance of occurring.
2- Hang Cleans and Front Squats May Be Better Choices than Power Cleans and Back Squats
The timing of this “thought” is funny as I am actually posting this right after an article by Jim Reeves- The Front Squat/Back Squat Debate: Part 1, was posted on StrengthCoach.com). I am loooking forward to part 2.
This one has actually been part of my philosophy for some time. The number 1 reason that I prefer Hang Cleans and Front Squats is because they are safer. Number 2 is that I don’t think that the perceived advantage of the power clean and the back squat is better than the hang clean and the front squat.
Earlier on in my career when I was an intern or a Graduate Assistant, I would see many versions of the power clean and the back squat. What I would sometimes see is far too many athletes performing pulls from the floor and back squats incorrectly. For example, some athletes may have been rounding their back or the bar may have been too far from their body.
What I noticed is that not many people are built to pull from the floor. For example, there is difference in proper body alignment at the start of a pull from the floor for a 7 foot basketball player versus a 5 foot 9 hockey player.
Hang Cleans are more consistent as we coach the lift to start right above the knees. Everyone looks good across the board as the arms are straight and the hips are back. Also, when you look at the Power Clean, specifically the 2nd pull, how different is that from a Hang Clean? By Olympic lifting from the hang position, we are taking away the deadlift-pull out of the exercise. I am sure the Olympic weight lighting supporters will definitely disagree, but the key is that I am referring to athletes who aren’t Olympic weightlifters. This doesn’t apply to just hockey players, but all athletes in general.
The Front Squat has been a safer alternative to the Back Squat for us. I continue to see good technique with my athletes- consistently. Upright torsos, proper elbow positioning, depth, and proper load on the bar, allow us to get our double leg strength work in. With the addition of the Goblet Squat to the program, we are not even considering implementing any versions of the back squat.
Another note about Hang Cleans and Front Squat is that the Front Squat compliments the Hang Clean. Using heavier loads with the Front Squat will help athletes when they use higher loads in the clean. They will be stronger in the catch position, especially if they have to drop under the bar to a low position.
3- Using the F.M.S. in a Team Setting isn’t Complicated
This is something that has taken me a while to figure out. For a few years, I was trying to make all of our players’ assessments become “3’s” with the total result of all of the screens being a “21”. I tried to ensure that each movement of the screen was corrected.
Now we will focus on one part of the screen where an individual needs to improve. For example, if a player exhibits an asymmetry, we are going to add corrective exercises to help improve that. If a player shows no asymmetries, but shows a “1” or a “2” on a movement such as the deep squat or trunk stability push up, we will then focus on that correction. We have applied one aspect that is specific to their movement screen on a daily basis. Combined with our preventative core program, the results have been positive.
4- When Evaluating an Athlete, His/Her’s Efficiency of Energy Expenditure Needs to be taken into Consideration
This was a big Ah-Ha for me. I have recently been re-reading Joel Jamieson’s book Ultimate MMA Conditioning. Although the title does technically make it an MMA conditioning book, most of the books’ principles can be applied to any athletes’ conditioning program. In the book, Joel talks about 6 components of conditioning which are: rate, duration, total potential of energy production, central governing control, efficiency of energy expenditure, and neuromuscular contractility (1). He talks about the importance of each one in their role in conditioning.
When I read the description of the efficiency of energy expenditure, I immediately thought of several hockey players that I have had the opportunity to work with. Some players never looked fatigued in comparison to their teammates. It was honestly mind boggling when some players would have less amount of sweat on their equipment in comparison to their teammates after a game. They were also among the league’s fastest players.
Often, people would be intrigued about some of our elite players’ physical abilities. How do they train in the off-season? What are their VO2 max scores? What about vertical jumps? These are questions that were always asked. Actually, some of the better players exhibited average scores on all of them. How was this all possible? After reading about the efficiency of energy expenditure in Joel’s book, my answer finally hit me. Some players’ skating skill is superior than everyone else’s. Some players in the NHL look effortless in comparison to others. Other players may have better physical components such as strength, power, speed, and conditioning, but they did not have the elite skating efficiency that some of the best players have. The other players are going to “gas out” way before them.
Reference- Jamieson, J. (2009). Ultimate MMA Conditioning. Performance Sports Inc.
Jan 062012
I hope everyone has had a great week!
Recently at HockeySC.com, we have had some great content additions.
First up is Kevin Neeld’s Vertimax Exercises For Hockey Players. This is a good video from Kevin. I also like to use the Vertimax in the off-season for some of my older athletes who may get some back issues from some of of our Olympic lift variations. What I really like about the vertimax is the eccentric loading when the athlete lands on the platform after jumping. The Vertimax, along with kettlebell swings have given me more explosive exercise choices.
Next is Darryl’s Return From Holiday Break program. Darryl doesn’t disappoint with this program. Like I have said about Darryl’s programs in the past, they are simple. Yet, they are very effective. I also like the incorporation of barefoot training during the workouts. Reading Darryl’s program helps enforce to me that simple is better. Through my RKC experience and reading of Easy Strength, I am reminded that training can be simple.
Next is my own Using Kettlebells in Professional Hockey. Check it out if you haven’t already.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. Thanks for your support.
Sean
Dec 302011
I hope everyone had a merry Christmas. My family and I had a great few days of just hanging out together.
Recently at HockeySC.com, we had some good content additions to the site. On the forum, we also have some good discussions ongoing about CNS in-season training and team heart rate monitoring. Don’t forget to check out the forum when you log on.
As far as new content goes, here is what has been posted since my last update:
Youth Hockey Training Blueprint Part 3 by Kevin Neeld. In this article, Kevin looks at the thought process behind designing the workouts. I really like how he explains his template and how you can substitute exercises if you don’t have a piece of equipment for another exercise. You must design workouts that make sense in your facility.
AC Joint Injuries in Hockey by Anthony Donskov. This is another good piece submitted by Anthony. AC joint injuries are common in hockey and can be very painful. Anthony brings this common injury to our attention and explains how we can work around a separation and also how we can prevent them from happening.
Off-Season Phase 4 Strength Training by myself. Here is an example of what I have done in the past during phase 4. You can print the 4 phases and have a good 12-weeek off-season program. A reminder that these are just what I have done in the weight room. They don’t include our speed, plyo’s, and conditioning.
TRX Core Exercises video by Mike Potenza. Mike provides us with some core progressions from a frontal plane and anti-rotation perspective. There are some good movements in this video.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy new year’s eve!
Reminder to check out my Products page to get yourself a copy of my 2 new DVD’s- Kettlebell Lifting For Hockey and Slideboard Training For Hockey
Thanks!
Sean Skahan
Dec 282011
Here it is folks, the top 5 posts of 2011! I know everyone has bee anxiously waiting for this list.
In all seriousness, I am truly aware that if it wasn’t for some of the other websites that these articles get read on such as FunctionalMovement.com, some of these articles wouldn’t be read. However, I enjoy the writing process and sharing some of the information that has helped me in the training process of my athletes.
Also, a reminder that my 2 new DVD’s, Kettlebell Lifting For Hockey and Slideboard Training For Hockey are now for sale on the Products Page.
Here are the top 5 posts of 2011:
5- Improving the Crossover Step For Hockey
4- Scouting the NHL Scouting Combine
3- 5 Exercises that Hockey Players Should be Performing in the Weight Room
2- Alternatives For the Hang Clean
1- Improving Shoulder Mobility
Moving on to 2012, I am excited to write and share more with you, the readers. If anyone has any suggestions or something you would like me to write about, please leave a comment below. Thanks!
Dec 222011
I am really excited to announce that I have 2 DVDs for sale on the site. These have been 2 projects that I have been working on over the last 2-3 months during my somewhat free time. I really think that they will benefit any strength and conditioning coach or personal trainer, especially those who work with hockey players.
The first one is Kettlebell Lifting For Hockey. This one was made because I really feel that that there is often misguided information on kettlebell techniques and exercise selection for hockey players today. Since I have been using kettlebells with my athletes for over the last 3 years or so, I felt that producing this DVD would be beneficial to anyone who wants to use Kettlebells with their players succefully.
I had an article about Kettlebells and hockey that was recently published on the DragonDoor.com website. You can check it out here- Using Kettlebells in Professional Hockey.
My 2nd DVD, Sllideboard Training For Hockey, was made in collaboration with Barry Slotnick from UltraSlide. Like the Kettlebell DVD, I am truly honored to produce a DVD that talks about another tool that I frequently use with my athletes. The slideboard is a versatile tool that can be used for many different strength exercises and progressions as well as a lateral conditioning tool. In this DVD, we talk about how and why we use the UltraSlide slideboard.
I hope you like them!
Dec 202011
I hope everyone is doing well, especially with the holiday season amongst us.
We have had some more great content additions at HockeySC.com.
First up is Kevin Neeld’s 2-Day In- season Training Program phase 3. This is a continuation of the previous 2 phases that Kevin has posted. I like how Kevin sets up his workouts with adding in some corrective exercises and progressions that almost hockey players surely need at some point.
Next up is Mike Potenza’s In-Season Workout: Rate of Force Development. This is a 3-day program that includes core training, Olympic lifting, strength, plyo’s, and assistive movements assuming that there are no restrictions. This looks like a solid, 3-day program. Looking at this, this would be a program that Mike would use with guys who don’t play as much.
Next up is Eric Renaghan’s The Joseph Pilates Method: Contology. This article gives a brief history on Joseph Pilates and his methods. What I really like about this article is that there are some exercises provided which don’t require any special equipment. Really educational piece from Eric.
Up next is the first ever HockeyStrengthandConditioning Podcast episode 1. In this first ever episode, Anthony interviews Mike Potenza of the San Jose Sharks. In this interview, Mike talks about his approach to strength and conditioning at this time of year for his team. I am really excited about this new feature on the site. This kind of content is really what makes Anthony really good at what he does. Look for more episodes in the future.
Last is a video of How Diet Soda Causes Weight Gain. This is a really interesting educational video. It is more like an entertaining chemistry lesson. You may need to watch this more than 2 times or so. What it looks at is the levels of acidity and alkaline and how much is included in nutrients and where they are on the scale. This is really interesting and is honestly a little over my head which is why I need to watch again.
Look for an announcement for the release of my 2 new products that will be available soon on my blog. You will be able to purchase them right here through a PayPal account. I can tell you that I created 2 DVD’s that were made based on my thoughts and experience from coaching thousands of high level athletes including hundreds of hockey players. You will not be disappointed.
I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a great holiday season!
Sean