Training In-Season

Is there such a thing as in-season training?

Once the season starts there is no need to continue training in the weight room right? WRONG!!!!!

If you are a professional player, college player, or even a junior player chances are you have already heard what I am about to discuss in this article. This article is mainly for those players who believe that once the season starts there is no reason to continue training in the weight room. This article is for the players who know they should be training but have not gotten “around” to it. This article is for the players who believe that they will play just as good whether they are in the weight room or not. If you are one of these players then please read…this article may do you a world of good.

Think About It

Let’s look at this from a logical standpoint to begin. You have just finished busting your butt all summer. You have gained 5-10 pounds of muscle, your lower body strength increased multifold and you are faster and quicker than you have ever been. You go to tryouts and feel great. You feel strong and fast and your confidence level is through the roof. You play so well that you make the team and you are considered to be one of the top players on the team. Now the season starts and you are now skating 4-5 days per week in addition to going to school, homework, family life and social life. You find it hard to get into the weight room and you are even finding it hard to eat properly. Your team is doing well, you are playing well but you don’t seem to be as strong and fast as you were at the start of the season. As the season continues you notice you are losing weight, you don’t have as much energy as you did when the season began. The end of the season is fast approaching and you know you have the end of the season tournaments coming up, states, regional and maybe even nationals. This is what you have been waiting for…your time to shine…this is what you were working for all summer, to make this team and play for a state championship. So here it comes and basically everything you worked for all summer is gone. The strength, the speed, the muscle, it is almost all gone and for the simple reason that you could not, or would not take 2 hours a week to get into the weight room!!!!! Is it worth it to take two hours per week to maintain or possible even gain ground during the season? Is it worth two hours per week for you to be ready to play your best when the playoffs start? Is it worth two hours per week for you to help your team win a state, regional or national championship?

Do You Feel Like This…

One of the reasons I decided to write about this subject this month is for the simple reason that it keeps showing up right in front of my face.

Last night I was speaking over the phone with one of the players I have been training for the last 4-5 years. This is a player who is determined to succeed. He works hard not only in practice and in games but he trains very hard off-ice both in season and off season. His hard paid off when he was offered a full scholarship to play college hockey and it got even better last year when his team won the national championship. In addition to all that he was one of the leading scorers on the team.

As we talked he explained to me how difficult it was to find time to get into the weight room with practice, games, travel and school. He admitted to me that he had not been training and eating like he should and it definitely showed. Up until half way through the season he was one of the leading scorers on the team and now he told me he was “in the middle of the pack”. He told me that he felt as if he was not as strong as he would like, he was not as fast as he was at the start of the season. He told me that he was not eating like he should and it was starting to take his toll. His confidence was down which was obviously partly due to his performance on the ice but ultimately came down to the fact that he was maintaining the gains he had made in the off-season. As a motivator I tried to be positive about the situation but when it came down to it the bottom line was that he needed to get back to his “roots”. He agreed and with season ending tournaments just around the corner he said he was going to get started right away.

In another situation one of the local high school players I have been working with over the last 2 years showed up at my office. His team was playing fairly well but he told me he was not playing as well as he wanted. He went on to tell me that he was not able to “finish” like he could at one point. He then told me that he had not been in the weight room since the start of the season and that he felt that this was one of the major reasons for this problem.

Confidence As Well

One of the areas that is so often overlooked when it comes to training in the weight room is the confidence that it breeds. With out a doubt one of the most important aspects of being a great hockey player is to be able to play with confidence. With no exception, every player I have ever trained in the weight room one of the best “side effects” of training with weights is the psychological benefits and improved self confidence and self worth it brings. This is important not only in life but on the ice as well.

Many, many times I have had parents come to me and tell me that they see such a positive difference in their child. So consider that when the playoffs start for your team, when you play for the state championship, how improtatn is it for you to be playing with confidence rather than without.

This is what two hours a week will do for you in season. The progress you have made in the off-season, the confidence you have gained in the off-season can all be maintained by simply planning two hours per week to train off ice.

Some Simple Rules

Now that I hope you are convinced that you need to be training during the season I would like to give you some simple rules to follow to help make this task a little easier.

Plan to spend a minimum of 1 hour per week and a maximum of 2 hours per week that you can consistently spend in the weight room. Pick a time and stick with it. Let family and friends know that you will be busy at that time each week and then make sure you follow through with it. Do not allow trivial things get in the way. Sure some things do take precedent over training but know what they are before hand and with proper planning these “need to do” projects will not interfere with your plans to train.

• Don’t waste time while training. Get in and get out. So many times you get in the weight room with a couple of friends and instead of training you socialize. Don’t fall into this trap. Have a list of things you need to accomplish with a time line and then do it.
• Be careful not to over train. It is important to train however it is not so important that you injure yourself because your body is breaking down. Get a feel for your body and how it feels. If you feel like you need a break then take one but don’t take it because you feel lazy.
• Make sure to increase water and electrolyte intake. It is very important to stay well hydrated. Consume at least 4-5 glasses of water a day and include a good electrolyte drink after games and practices.
• Eat something nutritious every 3-4 hours. If you read last months article follow those guidelines, if you did not read them or need to be reminded of them go to our website, www.betterhockey.com

Build these good habits now because even if they are not that crucial now for some of you younger players it will become very important once you start getting a little older and the players become faster, stronger and more competitive.

Good luck.

Dr. Clint Steele