Players and coaches talk about the importance of core strength, but few have a comprehensive understanding of the muscles and function of the core.
Understanding The Core
The “core” refers to all the muscles that attach to the hip and spine. This is WELL in excess of two dozen muscles, contrary to popular belief that the core is composed only of the “six pack” and the obliques. These muscles serve several joint functions: 1) To control hip movement; 2) To create a stable platform for lower and upper body limb movement; and 3) To efficiently transfer force between the lower and upper body.
As an example of these functions, think about the forward skating stride. Every time you push off you’re creating a force that is pulling your pelvis into a forward tilted position. It is the job of your core to resist that pull, and limit pelvic motion so the muscles that attach to the pelvis have a stable platform to move your legs. Regarding force transfer, have you ever heard that shooting is mostly in your legs? Most hockey players have, and it’s true. Most of your shooting power should come from your leg and hip muscles. Because the puck is influenced by your stick, which is held in your hands, the only way that force from the lower body can impact the puck is if it’s efficiently transferred through your core. A strong, well-functioning core means a greater proportion of force transfer.
With the importance of the core established, it’s necessary to recognize that the core can also be a major area of injuries. Recently, hip labral tears, sports hernias, and “groin” tears have received a lot of attention amongst hockey players. Other than previous injury, muscle imbalances are probably the greatest injury risk factor. Muscle imbalances, luckily, are preventable.
Off-Ice Hockey Core Training
The goal of your in-season hockey training program should be to create and maintain appropriate muscular balance (e.g. in strength and range of motion) across joints (think quadriceps and hamstrings around the knee) and from side to side (right vs. left). Keeping this in mind, it is often necessary to use UNBALANCED training programs to create/maintain balance within the body. One great illustration of this concept is in rotational core training. For example, consider a “Side Standing Med Ball Shotput” which involves standing sideways and forcefully rotating to throw a ball at a wall. This is a great core exercise to work on hip power generation and core force transfer in a rotational pattern, which is one of the best ways to improve shooting speed.
In the off-season, assuming players are taking a break from the ice, a program would probably have 3-4 sets of 8-10 repetitions on each side. However, during the season, players are taking several dozen shots and making several dozen passes during practices and games each week. In other words, they’re making several high velocity movements in a rotational pattern to only one side. Over the course of the season this can create substantial imbalances and eventually lead to a decrease in performance (as your body isn’t able to stabilize joints effectively) and increase your injury risk. The key to avoiding this is to use an unbalanced core training program. Instead of doing 3-4 sets on each side, you’d do one set on your “dominant side” (e.g. rotating toward your left leg if you’re right handed), and 3-4 sets on your “non-dominant side”.
Hockey players are amongst the hardest working athletes in the world. As a result of this, most are beginning to follow hockey training programs. It’s important for players to remember that working hard is essential, but working smart guarantees your development and success. It may feel unnatural and awkward, but try using this unbalanced in-season core training technique from now on. It could be the simple change you need to improve your shot power and avoid a season-ending injury.
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