| falls into either category, then I just hope they are on | | | | pain may be poor alignment. If your knees are pinching |
| your opponent's team. Try this 20-minute in-season | | | | inward each time you land and jump, you may need to |
| strength circuit. | | | | slow down and learn to jump with perfect alignment. It |
| I train enough hockey players to know that it is tough | | | | sounds full that you may have to 'learn to jump' but |
| to keep up with your off-ice training the way you did | | | | jumping with poor mechanics will lead to injury. |
| during the summer so here is your 20-Minute | | | | Planks to build endurance in your torso or core |
| In-Season Strength Solution. For this one you do not | | | | muscles. |
| need any equipment at all. Here is what to do: | | | | Keep your body in a straight line position for all plank |
| · Squat Jump x 15 | | | | variations. When performing the right side plank you will |
| · Right Side Plank x 30 seconds | | | | be balanced on your right elbow and the outside of |
| · Push Ups x 15 | | | | your right foot. Your feet are stacked one on top of |
| · Left Side Plank x 30 seconds | | | | the other. If you cannot hold a perfect straight line |
| · Jump Rope - alternating high knees x 30 | | | | position for any variation, then you may need to |
| seconds | | | | perform the plank from your knees. Just bend your |
| · Front Core Plank x 30 seconds | | | | knees and instead of balancing on your toes or the |
| · Repeat circuit as many times as you can in | | | | outside of your foot, you are now balancing on the |
| 15-minutes and then stretch your hip flexors and | | | | knees. |
| hamstrings for 30 seconds on each side. | | | | Jump Rope to get your hip flexors firing and to build a |
| Here are the key technical points for this equipment | | | | little shift stamina. |
| free workout: | | | | This is a running jump rope style where you will run |
| Squat Jump to improve your acceleration and agility. | | | | with high knees while jumping one foot over the rope |
| Bend your knees to at least 90 degrees each time | | | | per rotation. Go for max speed. |
| you land a jump, but then explode off the ground as | | | | To look at this workout it may seem easy. Don't |
| quickly as you can. Do not pause between jumps. | | | | confuse simple with easy! It is simple, but if you are |
| Also, make sure your sit back with your hips as you | | | | pushing yourself and moving from one workout to the |
| squat down. You will land on the balls of your feet but | | | | next without rest, you should find it extremely |
| then almost immediately your heels will come down to | | | | challenging. If you are not looking at your watch at |
| contact the floor. Do not stay on the balls of your foot | | | | 8-minutes and thinking, "This has only been 8-minutes?" |
| - this can lead to knee pain. Another source of knee | | | | then you are not pushing yourself hard enough. |