What is the single most important exercise in the entire Complete Off-Season Training Program?

With well over 50 exercises to choose from, it is hard to narrow it down to just one.

So instead of picking just one exercise, I will pick the most important concept for player’s to focus on…

It isn’t their single-leg balance.

It isn’t their foot quickness.

It isn’t their single-leg strength.

The most important concept is the CORE.

Core stability and core strength are the 2 most important things for players to focus on this summer. A strong and stable core will allow you to develop better single-leg balance, foot quickness and single-leg strength. Without it, you will not be able to maximize your speed, power and performance on the ice.

The Front Plank
Of the 3 core exercises included in your Complete Off-Season Training Program, the front plank is one that most players are familiar with and are likely to have done before in gym class or in previous team training.

But are they doing it right?

There are a whole host of ways to perform the front plank - but there is only one RIGHT way.

Players MUST keep their body in a perfectly straight line. In order to achieve this, players must be able to:

1) Hold their belly button in (like they were bracing for someone to punch them in the stomach)
2) Squeeze (contract) their butt
3) Squeeze (contract) their quads (front of their legs) to keep their legs straight

It is this 3rd point that hockey players find most challenging. The tightness in their hip flexors, from 7-8 months of skating, makes maintaining a contraction in their quads difficult. Many of the other exercises in Total Hockey Strength will help to alleviate this tightness, which will make keeping the legs straight much easier as the summer goes along.

In the meantime, squeeze those quads as much as you can.

Until next time,

Kim