Dry Land Training for Ice Speed

Although hockey season in not quite here yet, dry land training season is. Many young players are taking part in strength and speed training clinics in order that they may perform better on the ice come September. You will see them outside on the fields using agility ladders, step hurdles and even speed chutes to improve their performance on the ice. Experts suggest that dry land training for hockey players should start when the player hits the 12 to 14 year age group. This is when they can benefit the most from a fitness regime both on and off the ice. It will not only improve their ice speed but also help them to develop a harder shot.

Anaerobic endurance is one of the benefits of dry land training. This can be done by including running, jogging, cycling or skipping in your workout. But one of the most effective benefits of dry land training would be for power, strength and speed. These would be exercises that focus on the legs and core, such as sprints, squats, lunges and any abdominal exercises such as sit ups. To increase an athlete’s power resistance training is also important, as well as exercises such as the jump squat.

SIRC has lots of resources on dry land training as well as drills specifically suited for hockey. So before you strap on those skates for the hockey season, strap on those cross trainers and get outside and run, sprint, squat, lunge and jump and before you know it you will be the fastest player on the ice.

• Jumping into plyometrics: 100 exercises for power & strength. Chu, Donald A. Human Kinetics, 1998.
• THE SECRETS TO EUROPEAN DRY-LAND WORK. DIXON, RYAN, Hockey News 2009 Special Issue, p7
• Training for high-performance collegiate ice hockey. / Entrainement pour la haute performance en hockey sur glace universitaire. Hedrick, A., Strength & Conditioning Journal Apr 2002: Vol. 24 Issue 2. p. 42-52
• Ice hockey/roller hockey: in-season resistance training. Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter Dec 1998: Vol. 7 Issue 4. p. 2
• Intensive Hockey Camps establish new training benchmark. Hockey News 2/7/2006, Vol. 59 Issue 20, pHS41