Off-Season Hockey Conditioning Progressions
Interval Training Progressions for Ice Hockey Conditioning
Nov 12, 2009
With that in mind, most hockey players and coaches are wondering, “Where do I start?”
Understanding Hockey Conditioning Demands
The key to developing effective hockey conditioning programs is to analyze the work intervals, and the work-to-rest ratios that hockey players perform during games. Most hockey players and coaches recognize correctly point out that the average shift lasts between 30-60s. What many people forget is that most of these shifts are separated by AT LEAST one stoppage of play and that within any given shift, you may only be moving at a maximal intensity for a few seconds.
This understanding will have a profound impact on how you condition. Don’t get me wrong, there will definitely be shifts that you’re going all out for 45 seconds straight (e.g. a penalty kill), but these only happen a couple times a game, and aren’t the norm. Hockey conditioning programs should be based around work intervals lasting from 10-20s (with a few 30 and 45s intervals mixed into the program), and work-to-rest ratios ranging from 1-1 to 1-4. These intervals at these work-to-rest ratios will create a slightly greater overload than the demands on the ice, allowing you to have a work capacity that exceeds the game-demands.
Hockey Conditioning Progression
In general, hockey conditioning programs should be written in 3-4 week intervals. Each phase should progress in some way. During the off-season, hockey players should condition at least twice a week (preferably three times). The first phase should include standard work intervals and work-to-rest ratios throughout. For instance, Phase 1 may have a short work interval day (12 sets of 15s work) and a long work interval day (8 sets of 30s work) with a standard 1-3 work-to-rest ratio. This equates to 15s on/45s off in the first example and 30s on/90s off in the second.
Phase 2 conditioning involves adding an external load to mimic that of equipment (a 10-20lb weight vest is ideal) and changing the work to rest ratios to better account for the recovery time your body needs between sets. Keeping the same work intervals as above, you could divide the work intervals into 3 sections and change the work-to-rest ratio within each section from a unanimous 1-3 to a 1-1, 1-2, 1-3. For example, you’d perform 4 sets of 15s on/15s off, 4 sets of 15s on/30s off, and 4 sets of 15s on/45s off. Adding more rest time toward the end of the session allows you to continue to perform the intervals at a high intensity.
Phase 3 conditioning is when things get fun. Now you begin to work in varying work intervals AND varying work-to-rest ratios. Instead of performing 12 sets of 15s on, you may perform a 10s, 30s, 15s, and 20s work intervals with work-to-rest ratios from 1-1 to 1-4. For example, a conditioning session may look like: 3 x (:30/:30, :10/:30, :15/:15, :20/1:00,). This means you’d do 30s on/30s off, 10s on/30s off, 15s on/15s off, and 20s on/60s off, three times through.
By varying the work interval and work-to-rest ratios you’re better preparing your body for the chaotic and varying nature of a hockey game. Following a well-designed conditioning program using these principles will help you get your season off to a better start than you ever thought possible.
 |
