In a hockey game, you hit the ice for about a minute or so, leave it all on the rink, and then skate back to the bench to cool down and get ready for the next shift. Exercise scientists have recently begun to train hockey players in a way that reflects their on-ice performance rather than as a general way to improve physical performance. This imitation of the sport is called hockey circuit training, spending as little as thirty seconds on a workout before resting and continuing on to the next workout.
The Importance of Speed in Hockey Circuit Training
Like many sports, hockey rewards those who can do actions faster than others. The faster you can see a play, read an opposing player, pass the puck, or deke out a goalie, the better your chances will be of winning the game. Hockey circuit training reflects this need for speed, dictating that a workout that takes longer than the time needed to get from the bench to the puck and back will ultimately be detrimental.
A typical weight-lifting circuit training would look like this:
- Five prisoner squats, rest, race to next station
- Five dumbbell curl to overhead press, rest, race to next station
- Five dumbbell RDLs, rest, race to next station
- Five cable chops each side, rest, race to next station
The hectic schedule is meant to imitate the various demands placed on a player when they are in a rink. At one second, they may need to overpower a defender to get to the puck. At the next, they may need to wind up and rattle off a blistering slapshot. Being able to transition quickly between muscle groups benefits those with training that dictates speed.
Mix It Up
While there is some debate about how best to weight train, a hockey circuit training exercise can allow for a more comprehensive experience. Blending together cardiovascular exercise with bursts of strength, a more complex circuit could look like this:
- Prisoner squats 30 secs
- Chin ups 30 secs
- Lunges 30 secs
- Sprint 30 secs
- Suspension cord pike ups 30 secs
- Jump rope 60 secs
This more accurately imitates the demands of a hockey game, given that players need to skate at full speed for parts of a shift and then stop and force their way through traffic at another.
Exercises for Position
Given that forwards, defensemen, and goalies all have different priorities, no two positions will have the same workout. For example, a goalie circuit will have far more reflex training, with hand-eye drills that mimic a barrage of pucks on the penalty kill. A defenseman drill may involve heavier lifting, such as truck tire flips, to simulate a check on an attacker. Forwards, finally, may rush through the drills and then end by taking shots on net to better hone their offensive skills.
