Inline Hockey Performance

Welcome back for round 2 of the strength training round-table.

Roux: Since I got about 10 emails regarding our Abs training guide (thanks Steve)…Your top 3 ab exercises, name ‘em..

Volek: Since I am the reason for the controversy, here are my 3 home runs when it comes to ab training.

1)   An isometric physio ball squeeze. For this one, lay on your back, legs up and knee bent at 90 degrees. Then stick the physio ball on your stomach, and hold your arms straight up against the ball. Very slightly squeeze the ball with your right arm and left leg, then the opposite. Hold each squeeze for 3-5 seconds and do this 10 times for 3 sets. This is a great isometric exercise because your abs are not separate muscles, they are call connected and intertwined, and this hold works the entire core.

2)   Med ball Russian twist/ball toss against a wall. Stabilizing yourself while rotating and throwing a med ball against a wall is not easy and is great for core stability and overall balance.

3)   My third favorite would be an overhead inclined sit up. Get a glute ham, set it up on a box to give it an incline. Climb up there and try to do an incline sit up w/ a plate over your head. Now do 10 of them for four sets as a pairing with your set of bench…..it’s a good time.

Roux: Good start, I think we are introducing some new stuff to our viewers. Delo, what are you doing with your ice hockey players down in Virginia when it comes to abs training??
DeLorenzo: Well, when it comes to abdominal training in athletics the first thing that comes to mind is the word “stability.” In functional anatomy, it is important to know that each muscle has two functions…

1. Movement

2. Stabilization or Anti-Movement.

Therefore, two of my next three exercises are geared towards anti-movements. Assuming the program includes Squats and Deadlifts (which are great anti-flexion movements), I would include an anti-extension movement, and an anti-rotation movement into my program. Some great anti-extension movements are plank variations, including the roll-out, the body saw, and the basic plank (and its variations). When it comes to anti-rotation movements I think the pallof press is near the top of the list. Lastly, I am going to go with the reverse crunch. This is an ab exercise that reverses some of the effects of the continuous “rib cage to pelvis” movement that so many of us get when doing endless crunches (which once again does not help when we are already in a sport with a “hunched” posture, and a lot of shoulder injuries!).

Roux: The Pallof Press is one of my favorites as well, and I would have to say I would rank med ball throws and farmer’s walks up there too. Good stuff Luke. What do you have for us Johnny?

Macguiness: Top 3 Ab exercises would have to be

1) Planks and their variations

2) Hanging Leg Raises (Knees to Elbows)

3) Landmines/BB Rollouts

Roux: I’m glad to see you guys throwing in rollouts into this convo. These things are the underdog of ab training. 300 crunches are a breeze compared to 20 rollouts done PROPERLY. Extremely challenging, and what’s funny is the ab wheels that use to sell on tv are actually a great device. People just don’t usually use them the right way to notice the effects!

Keener, finish off abs for us..

Keene Core training?! Once again, I’m going to go by Lukes lead and say that core stability comes to mind – where anti extension, anti flexion, and anti rotation are key players.

1. Anti Rotation Variations
These include the Pallof Presses, Tall Kneeling, Half Kneeling, and Standing Belly Presses
2. Bunkie Variations
You’re probably thinking, “What on earth is a bunkie?” This is an exercise I was recently introduced to by performance coach Kevin Neeld, and it is a great way to train the functional diagonal line outlined in Anatomy trains which produces twisting movements when shortened (twisting movements include shooting).
3. Med Ball Throws: Throw it as hard and fast as possible.

Roux: Bunkie’s are a pretty cool ab exercise, and I agree that med ball throws are a must for any ab program.j Now, lastly.. I thought it would be a great way to wrap up all this awesome information with a your choice question. As a strength coach, imagine you have an athlete who has the perfect program on paper.

What is going to be the one minor thing you make them change in their lifestyle to see that 2-5% gain that might make the difference between gold and silver, or between a 300lb squat or a 250lb squat??

Volek: If I were the head strength coach somewhere, I would really pay attention to the athlete’s post workout nutrition. I think that sometimes this gets over looked and this is the most crucial time of the lift. I have had the experience working at a university where athletes only got post workout shakes after one out of the three lifts they had that week, and that was for only half of the season. I know that most of the time these post nutrition supplements come out of the teams budget and not all collegiate sports make a lot of money, but this should be a priority and the teams should make room in their budget to make sure that their team is recovering properly from training. A proper shake after a workout can you get ready for your next workout quicker.

Roux: Definitely agree with you Steve, how about you Luke?

DeLorenzo: This last question is very difficult because there are so many ways to answer. As much as I think soft-tissue work (to improve tissue quality) is important, I am going to go with nutrition. While at Penn State, we had the opportunity to use Dr. Kristine Clark. Dr. Clark is a top-notch sports nutritionist. She once told me that “what you do in the kitchen is as, if not more, important than what you do in the weight room.” This includes everyday nutrition, game day nutrition, pre/post workout nutrition, etc.

Roux: Once again, definitely agree with you there. Let’s wrap this up Johnny, what you got for us?

Macguiness: I would make my athletes pay better attention to their nutritional habits and diet!!! And no, organic candy doesn’t mean it’s healthy, and yes…. Fast food really is THAT bad for you!

Roux: Ha short and sweet again! Well personally I’m going to go off on a different route. After studying the physiology associated with heavy weight training and the long grueling hockey season, I feel that taking care of the immunological and endocrine systems will give you the biggest payoffs when it comes to recovering for workouts and games. To make sure your taking care of these 2 systems, clearly a healthy diet is optimal. However, something that contributes highly to the immune system, as well as keeping your body in an anabolic hormonal status, has got to be good ole fashioned sleep. Getting a good 7-8 hours of sleep a night is the best way to recover for any athlete. The best part about it? It’s free! Make sure it’s dark, so you can really get the full effects of REM sleep, and supplement with some ZMA or Melatonin occasionally if needed, especially during finals week or a stressful time at work!

Keener, let’s finish off this round table with your final tip for an athlete who already has every duck in a row..

Keene: Last question is tough. Since of course all of our soft tissue work, mobility and static stretching will be taken care of, I’m going to go outside of the physiological realm and go into the psychological realm and say that always have a positive attitude and be ready to work hard. Nothing promotes results like wanting to be where you are and believing you can get to where you want to be.

Thanks everyone for joining in on this roundtable. That’s all for now, but keep checking back this week for more great articles.

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