Workout Wisdom #6 - Training the Core

Training the Core
 
Core training often is an overlooked component of a hockey player's off-ice training regiment. This is not to say that core training is completely ignored since pretty much any workout program you see includes some form of core exercises such as crunches, planks or even old-fashioned sit-ups.
 
But the core rarely is a focus, and frankly the more widely performed tradtional exercises for the core like sit-ups and crunches are a bit dated and may not be the best exercises for hockey players. They also focus on only on small area of the core. Of course, doing something is better than nothing. 
 
Core strength has an impact on almost every movement a hockey player makes on the ice, so to put it very simply, having a strong core can make you a better overall player. It can help you be faster and more exolposive as a skater, increase the velocity of your shot, improve your balance and help prevent injury. Every aspect of your game - stops and starts, acceleration and explosiveness, ability to win battles, shooting, transitions and agility - can be improved with increased core strength. 
 
When most people think about the core, the first group of muscles that come to mind are the abdominals, but the core incorporates much more than just the abs. It is comprised of the muscles that go all around the body from the center of the stomach (abs), around to the sides (obliques), to the glutes (butt) and lower back (lumbar spine). Core muscles are all of the various muscles that attach to the hips.
 
Because the core attaches to other muscle groups that facilitate full-body movement, it has a direct impact on rotational and anti-rotational movements, which allow muscles to accelerate and decelerate thus generating the force and power to perform such actions as skating at high speeds and shooting pucks at a high velocity. It creates a stable base to assist in the movement of extremities and allows for the efficient transfer of force from the upper to the lower body - and vice versa. When people talk about getting your legs into your shot, this is what they mean. The core helps transfer the strength and energy in the lower body to the upper body to assist in movements such as shooting a puck or throwing a ball in other sports. 
 
The core musles also contract to help brace and stabilize the body when it is placed in unusual positions as a result of competition. In hockey this might include being checked or bumped off the puck, battling in the corner for a loose puck, trying to avoid contact with a quick lateral or upward movement and boxing out in front of the net. The stronger these muscles are, the more stable or balanced a player will remain when other muscles are taxed to levels beyond what they are accustomed to or the body is forced to move in abnormal ways. The core braces and activates with almost every on-ice movement a player makes.
 
For hockey players, the best way to begin training the core is by doing front planks, side planks and glute bridges. Once you can hold each of those for three 30-second sets with perfect form then it is time to start getting a little more advanced with your core training. That's when the real fun starts and the real gains are made. 
 
HockeyTraining.com has a great video that you can find below detailing the five-best core exercises for hockey players. One interesting thing about the core is that it can be trained daily without needing time to recover, so these five exercises can be done as part of any other daily workout routine you are already doing, or if your strength-training routines already include core work, you can perform these five exercises on days when you are only working on cardio or on your hockey skill and shooting days. 
 
The hockey core workout consists of the five exercises below, which also are demonstrated and explained in the video at the bottom of the page. 
  1. V-Ups to work the abdominnals.
  2. T-rolls to develop rotational core strength.
  3. Plank variations to improve deep core and improve hip mobility - includes traditional planks, side planks, foot-elevated planks and planks with lower-body rotations. 
  4. Stability-ball skiers to train the abs, deep hips and deep core (medium-sized ball).
  5. Medicine-ball chopper variations to train muscles to assist in deceleration and balance out muscular acceleration that takes place when shooting or skating - this should include training the muscles horizontally, diagonally and vertically and will assist with shot power, agility and speed. 

VIDEO - Best Core Exerciss for Hockey Players

 

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