“I don’t want to do strength training in-season, it’s going to make me sore and tired.”

This has got to be one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to working with girls hockey players. Most girls understand that off-season off-ice training is critical to in-season success, but very few are willing to commit the time, energy and effort to doing strength training during the season.

And that is a HUGE mistake.

Strength training in-season not only allows you to maintain the advantage you built up with your off-season training, but it will separate you from the rest of the players who can’t be bothered to train off the ice in-season.

You have no excuse not to strength train in-season. With body-weight training, you don’t need to go to the gym and the whole routine will take you less than 20 minutes.

Still skeptical?

This story will change your mind.

Sarah was a promising Midget AA player who was playing up an age group for the first time and doing quite well at that level. She was extremely motivated to improve and was willing to do whatever it took to get noticed on the ice.

To be honest, she reminded me an awful lot of myself at that age.

Sarah had been involved in off ice training for a few years and was already doing strength and speed training with her own team. Her father, Doug, and I met at a prospects tournament and he had a few concerns about Sarah’s development.

Doug thought it was great that she was so enthusiastic and committed to getting better, but was concerned by the fact that she always seemed to be tired, sore and injured. I immediately had flashbacks to my own experiences at that age.

Sarah was on the ice 5-6 days a week with her rep team, played on her high school team twice a week in addition to doing two days of off-ice training with her team. Add school and social life to that, and it was no mystery why she was so tired.

It may seem strange that I would recommend her doing the Total Hockey Strength program in addition to everything else she was already involved with. But with all the soreness and tightness she was playing through, I knew that just doing the program 3 days a week for 20 minutes (plus 10 minutes of stretching) would make a huge difference in how she felt.

Sarah started using the Total Hockey Strength program in January. She was not only loosening up the overworked and tight skating muscles in her legs and hips, but she was building strength and stability through her core and shoulders.

Within one week of starting the program, she was already feeling less sore and stiff. Her father commented on how her posture, both on and off the ice, looked remarkably different at the beginning of February - after only 4 weeks of following the program. Sarah continued to excel on the ice and felt better than ever. She continued on with the program through the end of the season. She even did the exercises on the days that she felt most sore and tired, and found that her diligence was rewarded with her feeling more flexible and energetic.

It’s never to late to get started on building strength in-season.

Pick up your copy of Total Female Hockey Strength now - there is still time to have your best hockey season ever.

And once you do, share you story of how the program works for you in the comment box below.

Your friend,

~ Coach Kim