Plyometric Exercises For Ice Hockey Players - 3 Great Exercises to Improve Your Speed and Power

Plyometric exercises are one of the top ways that ice hockey players can improve their speed and power on the ice while in the gym. Plyometrics focuses on jumping and bounding explosively, and is one of incredible value to hockey players. Despite the fact you don't need any special equipment to do plyometrics, many players ignore it. Here are three great exercises you can do at home or in the gym to make you faster and more explosive on the ice.

Squat Jumps:

Squat jumps are probably one of the simplest types of plyometrics exercise, and you can do them almost anywhere. To perform a squat jump, simply lower your body into the position you'd be in for a normal squat, and then explode upward into a jump, raising your arms above your head. When you land, immediately lower yourself back down and repeat. The key is to not hold the squat position but to be constantly going up and down.

Tuck Jumps:

Tuck jumps are done by starting from a standing position and jumping into the air and tucking your knees up to your chest. Land on the balls of your feet and immediately spring back up again. Once again, the goal is constant, explosive movement. Try and land softly and use the energy you store from landing to help you push back into the air. Keep your feet on the ground for as little time as possible.

Box Drill with Rings:

The box drill is a great one because it has you jumping back, forth and side to side. For this one, set up four rings (or any kinds of markets) in a box pattern. Stand in the first ring (or on the first marker) and with your feet kept together, jump from one market to another, never stopping in between, until you've completed the entire box. Once again, never keep your feet on the ground.

Doing these plyometric exercises will help greatly increase your foot speed and the explosive power of your muscles. The results you'll see on the ice will be noticeable. To check out an more plyometrics exercises specifically designed for hockey, go to www.tophockeytraining.com and get Hockey Speed and Power by Kevin Miehm. An ex-NHL'er and career pro, Kevin's hockey specific training manual contains an entire section on plyometrics for hockey, as well as a full fitness plan designed specially to improve on ice performance.

Speed Training Drills For Ice Hockey Players - How to Get Faster and Stay Faster

Speed training drills are often times not incorporated into hockey practices. There will always be skating drills, but speed is often something simply attributed to nature. The thinking goes that any player who isn't naturally fast, probably won't ever be. This is completely wrong. Like anything in sport and fitness, speed can be improved through proper training and practice. Here are some tips to help in that improvement.

Firstly, form is of great importance to speed, and a lot of players don't skate at their maximum speed purely because of bad form. If form has been identified as a problem, it's time to hit the power skating classes. No one is too old for power skating if their stride is in need of some tweaking. The simple corrections to minor imperfections in a player's stride can have huge impacts.

Secondly, watch how the pros do it. In the NHL skills competition, the fastest skater competition tends to feature some of the same faces each year. One thing you'll notice if you watch them is they all have a similar strategy. They'll start off with very short, powerful strides to get them up to speed as fast as possible, but once they've reached speed, they stop taking the short, bursting strides, and transfer into longer, smoother ones. This is something many players ignore, instead opting to keep their feet moving as fast as possible, as if they were running on the ice. This is a mistake. Start your strides short, get up to speed, and then maintain the speed by smoothing and lengthening your stride.

Following these tips will help improve your skating, but remember, a big part of speed is your physical fitness level. You need to also be training off the ice for speed and power. Consult a trainer or invest in a good book on hockey specific fitness programs. Go to www.tophockeytraining.com and check out Hockey Speed and Power by Kevin Miehm. Written by an ex-NHL player and career pro, this hockey training manual provides a complete hockey fitness program designed to take hockey players to their maximum potential.

Hockey Speed And Power Training

Hockey Off-ice Training Manuals. These manuals are made by a former Nhl player and have been used by Olympic Gold Medalists, Stanley Cup Champions all the way down to 8 year old players.

Check it out!

Hockey Speed And Power Training

Hockey Off-ice Training Manuals. These manuals are made by a former Nhl player and have been used by Olympic Gold Medalists, Stanley Cup Champions all the way down to 8 year old players.

Check it out!