Early Spring Workout, Youth Training Phase 1, and Push/Pull Ratio for Contact Sport Athletes

 Hockey, Strength and Conditioning  No Responses »
Mar 162012
 

 

 

I hope you had a great week.

We had a good week here at HockeySC.com.  We had some excellent contributions from our coaches.

First up is Darryl Nelson’s Early Spring Off Season Workout.  This is a good 4-day strength program.  Like Darryl’s other programs, he really focuses on the basics.

Next ups is Mike Potenza’s Youth Training Program- Strength Phase 1.  This is actually a 2-day program with accompanying videos.  In the videos, Mike takes you through all of the exercises in the program.  I really like this about this piece. What I also like is that these exercises are pretty easy for a youth player to learn as many of them feature body weight as resistance.

Last is Anthony Donskov’s Push/Pull Ratio for Contact Athletes.  I really like this article and found it to be very informative.  In fact, I agree with him in that contact athletes should probably do more horizontal rowing.  Anthony does a great job explaining why this may be necessary in the prevention of shoulder injuries.

Also, on the forum, we have some discussions on hockey skill warm ups and planning for the playoffs.  Check out the forum when you log on.

Also, a quick reminder that we will be raising our monthly price in 23 days.  If you aren’t a member yet, you can still lock in the $1 for 7 days, $9.95 each month plan.

Have a great weekend and  happy St. Patrick’s day!  It’s definitely one of the best holidays of the year.

Thanks!

Sean

Slight Change to the Chin Up

 Strength and Conditioning  No Responses »
Mar 122012
 

I absolutely love Chin Ups and Pull Ups.  I think they are key exercises in developing upper body pulling strength.  They are featured in our program year round including at least once per week during the season and twice per week in the off-season.

Since my RKC cert back in August, I have certainly done more reading into the RKC system.  I am continuing to be really intrigued by some of the methods involved with some of the lifts.

One exercise that I really like is the Tactical Pull Up.  I am not saying or suggesting the Pavel and the RKC community invented the tactical or “RKC” pull up.  However, I first read about them through looking at the RKC 2 requirements.  The actual tactical version is a thumbless overhand grip with the pull up being performed to a position where the neck is touching the bar at the top.  As someone who is very average at pull ups, I communicated with Pavel on this exercise to ensure that I was doing them properly.  I had to make some adjustments as I really like pull ups in my own training and I am currently still following the Right of Passage program.  I have actually done the 24k kettlebell hooked onto my foot for 1-rep.

What kind of changes did we make?

When performing standard pull-ups, it seemed that athletes just grab the bar and do the required number of pull ups for the set.  While there is not a lot wrong with doing standard pull ups, I have found that some of the little coaching cues have made them easier and less painful in some cases.  When I say painful, I am referring to someone who can’t do a pull up because of a shoulder issue such as impingement.

One change that we are making is that we are asking the athlete to suck the arms into the sockets.  When we are grabbing the bar, we are thinking about driving the arms down and lifting the torso without bending the arms.  Doing this seems to turn on some of the scapula retractors and free up the biceps tendon from impingement.  We cue our athletes to do this first and set the scaps.  It is important that we reiterate this prior to every rep.

Here is a clip of myself doing 2 standard chin ups and then doing 2 of the newer version.

 

Adult Values + Childhood Activities, Leaning Tower, and All-Star Break Programming

 Hockey, Strength and Conditioning  No Responses »
Mar 092012
 

Hey everyone, I hope you are doing well.  I’m currently typing this in Dallas as we are on the road again.

We had another good week of content additions at HockeySc.com.

First up is Anthony Donskov’s Adult Values + Childhood Activities= Burnout.  This is a great informational piece that I think all parents and coaches of youth players should read.  It is very informational for the parent who thinks that their son may be the next NHL star.  Really good stuff from Anthony.

Next up is Mike Potenza’s Leaning Tower video of the week.  This is a video of an exercise the Mike originally learned from Physical Therapist Bill Knowles.  This is a great way to strengthen the musculature of the hip extensors in single leg stance.

Last is my All Star Break Program.  This is a program that I designed for a player who was going away for a few days over the all-star break.  When I think of who this would apply to, I would say anyone who is going to be away from their normal living/training environment for a few days.

On the forum, we have had some interesting discussions on planning for the playoffs, incorporating hockey skill work with strength and conditioning work, and concussions.

If you aren’t a member yet, you can access the site for $1 for seven days.  After that, if you don’t cancel, it is $9.95 per month.  On April 9th, we are going to be raising the monthly price.  So if you aren’t a current member and want to join, now is the time.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Sean Skahan

In-Season Phase 5, Medicine Ball Pitcher Throws, and Episode 3 of the Hockey Strength Podcast

 Hockey, Strength and Conditioning  No Responses »
Mar 022012
 

Hey everyone, I hope you all had a great week.  I can’t believe it is already March.  It is really unbelievable how fast these months go by, especially during the hockey season.

At HockeySc.com, we are still offering trial memberships for $1 for a 7 day trial.  If you still like it after 7 days, it is $9.95 per month.  However, as of April 9th, our monthly price is going up.  So if you are still thinking of joining, now is the time.  This site is jam packed with information from some of the best hockey strength and conditioning coaches on the planet.  Each week, there is more content added.  We are getting awesome contributions from coaches like Anthony Donskov, Jeff Cubos, Brijesh Patel, and many more.

Here is what has been added since my last update:

2-Day In-Season Training Program: Phase 5 by Kevin Neeld.  This is a great program where the emphasis is on sustaining strength and power while trying to manage fatigue.  At this time of year, it is all about recovery.  Getting in quality strength work can be a challenge and this program is a good way to get it done at this point in the season.

Next up is Darryl’s Medicine Ball Baseball Pitcher video.  This is an excellent variation of medicine ball throwing for power.  I like this one.

Last up is episode 3 of the Hockey Strength Podcast.  In this episode Ant talks to Kevin about his recent additions to the site and his thoughts on breathing.  I actually listened to this interview on the way to work today.  Kevin is a bright guy.

That’s it for the week.  I hope you all have a great weekend!

Thanks!

Sean

Metabolic Circuit, Work Capacity, and Kettlebell Swings

 Hockey, Strength and Conditioning  No Responses »
Feb 242012
 

Hi everyone, I hope you had a great week.  We are heading home from a very long, 16-day road trip.  The trip consisted of 8 games in 8 different cities.  Although it was 16 days, the time passes by pretty quickly especially when we played so frequently.

While I have been travelling, I haven’t been able to spend that much time on the computer.  With what is going on with our team right now, it seems like my brain and energy is focused on trying to help our guys be at their best so we can win.

I did get some time to check out the latest content additions at the HockeySc.com.

First up is Metabolic Circuit #2 by Darryl Nelson.  In this video, Darryl shows some different exercises done in a circuit like fashion.  What I like about this video is that it shows a large number of players working and doing the same exercises at once.  We use a variation of a plate circuit late in August with our players.  I think these are a great way to change things up a little and help create the team concept even better.  One thing you can also tell from the last exercise shown in the video is that the players are having fun.  I think having fun is a good thing during some aspects of a strength and conditioning program.

Next up is Mike Potenza’s Off-Season Pre-Camp Work Capacity Circuit.  In this program, Mike gives us a very detailed daily plan.  I really like how Mike sets this up.

Next up is my Kettlebell Swing video.  This is actually a clip of my new DVD, Kettlebell Lifting for Hockey.  In this clip, I talk about how I use the kettlebell swing in the programming of my athletes.  Then I show how we teach our players to do the swing properly.

Last is Eric Renaghan’s Help…I’ve strained my Groin, again. This is a great article that describes Eric’s and Mike Potenza’s philosophy and protocol for the prevention and treatment of groin strains.  This is very similar to the protocol that we follow with our team.  It is imperative that their is collaboration between the Strength and Conditioning Coach, Massage or Manual Therapist, and the Athletic Trainers.  This is a good piece.

When you log on to the site, please make sure that you check out the forum.  We have had some quality discussions on their recently.

Thanks for your continued support,

Sean Skahan

Directional Rolling, Warm Ups, and NHL Concussions

 Hockey, Strength and Conditioning  No Responses »
Feb 102012
 

I hope everyone has had a great week.  I am actually writing this post while flying from Orange County to Detroit.  The team is beginning an 8 game, 16 day road trip against Detroit.  It should be interesting as it is a long trip with very meaningful games.  Also, back in Boston, the first round of the beanpot was last Monday night.  It looks like it will be Boston College vs. Boston University for the championship next Monday night.  These are two great college hockey programs going at it.  Are we ever going to see a Harvard vs. Northeastern final?  I am hoping one of these years we will.

At HockeySc.com, we have had a good week of content additions.

First up is Kevin Neeld’s Directional Rolling.  This is a great piece that is very educational.  In this article Kevin talks about the importance of addressing locked-long and locked short muscles through self-myofacial release (SMR).  Kevin also talks about Upper and Lower Crossed Syndromes, which I feel are keys to address on a daily basis.

Next up is Darryl Nelson’s Stretching and Warm Ups.  In this piece Darryl outlines some of the stretching and warm up protocols that he uses.

Last is Jeff Cubos’ NHL Concussions: Have Our Players “Outgrown” Our Sport? .  Jeff is a frequent contributor to the site and a very bright practitioner.  We are always posting articles from professionals other than me, Mike, Kevin, and Darryl.   This is a great article that really makes you think.  To me, it really makes sense.  Players have become bigger, faster, and stronger over the past decade or so.  However, the ice surface size has remained the same.  Jeff suggests a strategy to help combat the concussion issue.

That’s it for the week.  Don’t forget to check out the forum as we have had some good discussions going on there recently.

Thanks!

Sean

Thoughts on Crossfit, Off-Season Phase 5, and Pilates Bench Assisted 1-Leg Squat

 Hockey, Strength and Conditioning  1 Response »
Feb 032012
 

Hey everyone, I hope all is well.  I am going to blog about the content that was added this past week at HockeySc.com.  Before I do, I just want to mention something about the link I posted to Charles Poliquin’s blog titled, Getting the Most Out of Crossfit .

I am asked quite frequently “What do you think of Crossfit?” by friends and others who have heard about it.  I was actually going to blog about answering that question, but then I read Charles’ blog the other day.  He did a really good job of saying what I was thinking.  It disgusts me to see exercises that should be performed with proficient technique done poorly.  There are tons of videos that are being shared on the internet showing this stuff that would be considered Crossfit.  People can get hurt pretty easily in the weight room and showing freak accidents doesn’t help promote the positive aspects of Crossfit.   However, you can’t disregard the fact that more people are actually going to these crossfit gyms.  I think it’s great that there are more people joining these gyms versus joining big box fitness gyms and not having a plan in place to help them achieve their goals.  People getting off of their asses, being competitive, strength training, and eating better are good things for our society. The most important concept to me is as long as it’s done properly.  I would imagine that there are some really good Crossfit trainers and gyms while there are also some bad ones.  It wouldn’t be fair to mention that there are some really good strength and conditioning coaches and programs and also some really bad strength and conditioning coaches and programs.

As far as what is going on at HockeySC goes:

I posted a program, Summer 2011 Strength Training Phase 5.  Phase 5 has always been the transition period from 4-day per week off-season training into our pre-season mode.  I would classify this as our circuit training phase.  We have been doing these types of phases for about 8 years now.

Next up was Mike Potenza’s Pilates Bench Assisted 1-leg Squat video of the week.  I’ve never seen this device/chair before.  What Mike is doing with it in the video is a really good 1-leg squatting regression.  I can definitely see this being used in a re-hab setting to help restore a player’s one-leg strength.  This is a great video from Mike.

Please enjoy the weekend and more importantly- Go Pats!

Sean

Single Leg Olympic Lifting, Integrating the Frontal Plane, and Managing Stress

 Hockey, Strength and Conditioning  No Responses »
Jan 272012
 

I hope everyone had a fantastic week.  I also hope you have a great weekend and hopefully get a chance to check out some of the NHL all-star game and festivities.  The all-star break is a great opportunity for me to spend some quality time with my family, shut it down for a few days, and re-charge for the rest of the season.

At HockeySC.com, we have had 3 great contributions since my last update.

First up is Single Leg Olympic Lifting by Darryl Nelson.  In this video, Darryl shows one of his hockey players performing the 1-leg/1-arm DB Push Jerk, and a 1-leg/1-arm DB Snatch.  These are pretty impressive videos.  I don’t know where I stand on these lift variations.  I truly can see the benefits of these in developing the neuromuscular system.  However, I am not sure how much load can be used in the long run, especially with great form.   I would have to try them out and experiment on my own.

Next up is a great piece, Integrating the Frontal Plane in Hockey Training, by David Lasnier.  This is a great article by David that thoroughly explains the need for training in the frontal plane in hockey training.  Since hockey is a multi-directional sport, training needs to take place in all 3 planes of motion.  We are so accustomed to training in the sagittal plane.   David points out how important the frontal plane is and gives us some good progressions.

Last is a video submitted by Anthony Donskov, Managing Stress.  I really like Anthony’s energy and enthusiasm for training.  This video won’t disappoint.

That’s it for the week folks.  I hope you enjoy your weekend, and thanks for reading.

Sean

Exercises for the Landmine

 Education, Strength and Conditioning  No Responses »
Jan 252012
 

I was very fortunate to get a copy of Exercises for the Landmine DVD by my friends Shawn Windle and Brijesh Patel.  Shawn is the Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Indiana Pacers while Brijesh is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Quinnipiac University.  They are both outstanding Strength and Conditioning Coaches who also collaborated and developed SBCoachesCollege.com.  This is a great site with lots of content including articles, videos, presentations, and products for sale.  What I really like and respect about these guys is that they are real-world Strength and Conditioning Coaches who are training athletes on a daily basis.  When they release a product, I know that there is plenty of knowledge and hands-on implementation with their athletes behind it.

Exercises for the Landmine is an excellent resource for those who want to learn about the Landmine device and implement it in their training.  Honestly, I have only used the landmine as a standing, anti-rotational exercise.  I have actually never thought about how many exercises are readily available with this device.  What I really like about the DVD is that there is a logical progression from kneeling to standing.  What is interesting is that there are several variations of other more common exercises that can be used with the Landmine.  I highly recommend this DVD.  You can get it on SBCoachesCollege.com.

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