Dry Land Ice Hockey Training

In the past, ice hockey players train entirely on the ice and hockey training is not an option. This is the complete opposite when it comes to training presently used by coaches and trainers. There are many reasons why ice hockey training now includes dry land training. Some of these reasons are to build muscle mass, develop speed and agility, increase stamina and slapshot power and also to avoid injuries.

Unlike other sports, is played on the most demanding surface, ice. This is why ice hockey training requires a different kind of athlete conditioning. An excellent hockey player should have great stamina and lower body power needed for good skating, quick and agile hands for handling the stick, strong arms for power shots and a well-built upper body for taking and giving hits. All of these can't be attained by an ice hockey player if he only trained on the ice. The balanced combination of on-ice and dry land training will result in a well-rounded player. Any player who wants to reach their maximum potential, and become a dominant force on the ice, absolutely has to embrace training.

Coaches know the importance of training and also the benefits that it gives to the players. Ice hockey improves muscular endurance, speed, power and agility without the need for ice time. It is true that the movements are different between the two surfaces but the benefits are the same. Ice time does not come cheap while training virtually costs nothing. If a team will depend on their ice time, then they won't have enough time to train and condition. Hockey training doesn't require much more than somewhere to go and the player's willingness to train. Sticking to a dry land ice training routine will make players more disciplined during their training. This is because training is more grueling and many players hate it compared to their training.

Training is the perfect place to work on the player's conditioning with tailor-made cardio workouts to directly benefit their on-ice game. During a hockey game, a player hits the ice for a quick shift at maximum capacity then goes back to the bench to rest for a few minutes. Cardio workouts in dry land ice hockey training should be structured the same way as the player's play the game. Plyometrics is used to develop and enhance balance, speed, power and agility. This is because plyometric exercises focus around fast, explosive movements and plyometrics exercises can make a player run and skate faster, jump higher, hit harder, shoot harder and improve just about all aspects of a player's game.

Training with specific focus on gains that will translate to on-ice performance is of the utmost importance.

Gregory Evans is the author of this article on Dry Land Ice Hockey Training Find more information about Ice Hockey Training here.