HOckey Off ice conditioning

There is a better way—high intensity interval training.

High intensity interval training (HIIT) is training at all out intensity for a short interval of time followed by an interval of rest or decreased intensity. It is effective for hockey specific conditioning because it simulates a shift during the actual athletic competition. If your players train to “go all out” for 30–45-second intervals, they’ll be able to replicate the effort on the ice for a full 30–45-second shift. This is because their central nervous system, legs, core, and the rest of their bodies are used to a strenuous workload for that specific period of time.

The Workout: “Hockey Game” Simulation Intervals
Here’s the deal. Split the team into three groups or three lines as used in games. The first “shift” will be the first line working while lines two and three rest. The second “shift” will be line two working while lines one and three rest and so on. There are three, 15-minute periods (or the duration of your periods/games).

Warm up
Start off with a warm-up lap or some light jump rope movements to get the blood flowing throughout the entire body. Continue the warm up with butt kicks, high knees, body weight lunges, and half speed sprints for 15 yards in order to prepare their muscles for the work to come.

Sample workout
All work should be performed at full speed. The “shifts” or intervals are 30 seconds of work with 60 seconds of rest.

Period 1
First shift (15:00–13:30 includes all three lines), prisoner squats
Second shift (13:30–12:00), mountain climbers
Third shift (12:00–10:30), burpees
Fourth shift (10:30–9:00), push-ups
Fifth shift (9:00–7:30), sit-ups
Sixth shift (7:30–6:00), squat jumps
Seventh shift (6:00–4:30), jumping jacks
Eighth shift (4:30–3:00), split squat jumps
Ninth shift (3:00–1:30), wide outs
Tenth shift (1:30–0:00), high knees with up/downs (football style)

Intermission, three minutes (or the duration of the intermission during your team’s games)

Second period: Repeat or switch exercises.
Third period: Repeat or switch exercises.

For some variation, allow the lines to “double shift” and go every other “shift” (work for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds) as your better players may do at the end of a game.

As the weeks/workouts go on and your players get in better shape, allow the shifts to go to 45 seconds to one minute. If your players aren’t ready for 30 seconds, start with a shorter interval and work up to a longer “shift.”

- Cole Clifford