Leg
strength and power play key roles in the ability to accelerate and react on
the ice. Look at any pro hockey player who is known for their speed, and you
will see strong, powerful quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteus. While
flexibility is important, strength and power are equally important as the
key for speed development.
Explosive power is a product of muscular force and the velocity at which
the muscles contract. Therefore, to best improve levels of power, one must
address the issue of muscular strength at contraction speeds similar to
those achieved during a sprint while skating. Because skating technique is a
multi-dimensional, multi-joint movement pattern, it is best to develop these
components through skating, or though skating-specific dry land exercises
such as polymeric drills. Training adaptations are highly specific to the
actual mode through which the muscles are training. Because of this, it is
critical that power and speed training take place on skates, or using
exercises that closely mirror actual skating technique.
One of the easiest ways to improve explosive power is though sprint
training. The high muscular force levels elevate specific strength, while
the emphasis on leg speed trains the nervous system. Short standing start
sprints (6-10 seconds in duration) are a good choice for improving strength,
power, and leg speed. Try 6-8 repetitions of 50-80m with 3 minutes rest
between. This long rest period is necessary to recharge the atp/cp energy
system which is responsible for producing high yield, short term energy
supplies. You can choose to emphasize maximal pushing force, maximal leg
speed (turnover), or both. In fact, it may be best to selectively focus on
one only one attribute at a time (i.e. pushing force vs. leg speed). After
several weeks of training then both can be combined in an effort to produce
maximal sprint speed and acceleration.
Another effective way to improve power and leg speed is to perform
acceleration exercises. From a very slow roll, accelerate up to target speed
(e.g. 80%) over a predetermined distance (usually 50-80m). The idea is to
gradually increase velocity (i.e. accelerate) while at the same time
increasing leg speed, or cadence, until the end of the repeat. As soon as
you reach maximum velocity and/or leg speed, maintain it for 3-4 seconds,
then terminate the interval. To recharge the necessary energy sources, take
2-3 minutes of active rest, then repeat anywhere from 2-6 times.
Whatever system or equipment
chosen, start out with an aerobic workout first to warm-up and to stretch
all muscles groups. Jog, bike or stair step. Then start strength training
with the largest muscles groups—the legs and buttocks. Do leg lifts, leg
pushes, quadriceps lifts and so on. Then move to the upper body’s muscle
groups. Be sure to alternate muscles groups—if you work the hamstrings be
sure to work the quadriceps and if you work the abdominal muscles be sure to
work the back muscles. These muscle groups complement each other and
working one group without the other leads to weakness, instability and
injury. |
