| Hockey fitness training for goalies is extremely | | | | Always maintain flexibility: |
| important, yet far too often goalies ignore the gym and | | | | If you train to the point of becoming bulky, you'll risk |
| take the fitness side of the game far less seriously | | | | losing some of your flexibility, which is something |
| than they should. Goaltending can be one of the single | | | | goalies can't afford to do. The key to avoiding this is to |
| most demanding positions in any given game. The | | | | train for strength and power, not necessarily just for |
| demands on the body of a goaltender absolutely | | | | size (there is a difference). Also, the more you train, |
| require training if any goalie wants to truly reach their | | | | the more you should be focusing on your stretching |
| full potential. Here are three general rules goalies should | | | | and maintaining and improving your flexibility. Strength |
| follow when training. | | | | and power are exceptionally important for goalies, but |
| Lower body and core should get priority: | | | | never at the cost of flexibility. |
| Sure everyone wants to work on their beach muscles, | | | | Follow a good program: |
| but for goalies, it should be obvious that have an | | | | Rather than just hit the gym and workout without any |
| incredibly strong lower body, and a strong core are the | | | | real plan, you should consider following a workout plan |
| most important factors when it comes to fitness. A | | | | designed specifically to meet your goals as a hockey |
| strong lower body and core will allow a goalie to move | | | | player. Consider investing in a good program that is |
| explosively from point to point faster and with more | | | | designed with hockey in mind rather than just going |
| control and will also help minimize the chance of injury. | | | | with a generic program. You can either have a trainer |
| Remember though, when you work your legs, your | | | | design your program, or go with an existing training |
| whole body gets a boost, so you'll still see gains in your | | | | manual. |
| upper body. | | | | |