Product Review: SPATS Skate Armour

Hi folks!

I was recently sent a product to review from the fine folks at SPATS — they make hockey skate foot shields to prevent injuries to players’ feet. As a former shot-blocking winger that was lucky to escape without any foot injuries, I wish these were available to me when I was playing hockey at a level where blocking shots was worth the bodily sacrifice and injury potential.

After installing them, and trying them out for a couple of games, here’s what I thought:

1. Installation — The process to install these onto your skates is moderately labor intense. You have to unlace your skates (if you have old laces with frayed ends that won’t fit back through the eyelets, you may want to pick up a new pair of laces), and then re-lace them through the plastic attachment. This moves two of your skate’s lace points closer to the middle, but did not seem to affect the tightness of my skate. You also have to nut and bolt the shield into your original eyelets — if you’re not all that handy with two screwdrivers at once, you may need an assistant. After that, all you have to do is stick the velcro piece on the bottom of your skate for the shield to clasp onto and lock. Once installed, the shields then easily open and close for skate tightening and loosening.

2. Game Play — My fear was these shields were somehow going to affect my stride, or my ankle flexion and extension. In all honestly, they did not in any way. I skated just the same as I did without them. I didn’t notice them to be a distraction in any matter. I barely noticed them at all, in fact.

3. Injury Prevention — Fortunately (I guess unfortunately, for the sake of testing), I did not receive any direct blows to my feet — that I was aware of. I can’t say definitively whether they prevented a foot injury for me, but as they say, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, right?

4. Aesthetics — Let’s be honest, many hockey players are concerned for their style on the ice, and how an supplemental additive outside of the standard 8 pieces of hockey equipment all  players wear like this will alter their look. The pair I demo’ed was clear, and were barely noticeable, visually. Other players noticed I had them on, and asked about them, so it’s not like they’re invisible. Personally, I wouldn’t choose to put on a colored pair, but they are available, and teams looking to match can take adavantage of that.

5. Price — SPATS are sold for $50.

All in all, this is a solid product. Its advantages far outweigh its disadvantages. Any hockey players looking to prevent future potential foot injuries, or any players who have suffered them in the past, and are looking for a way to beef up their foot protection would be smart to pick themselves up a pair of these.

Read below for some further reading on SPATS and foot injuries and hockey. Also, check out their website http://www.spats.ca/  , “Like” their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter .

-Dave

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Spats.ca is trying to prevent foot injuries and spread awareness by attaching a feather light guard directly over the skate laces. Spats are a revolutionary piece of ice hockey gear designed to stop foot injury. This lightweight armour attaches easily to the skate and allows for quick access to the laces. The high density polyethylene shield can absorb any impact directed at the laces or the inside of the skate boot. In a game where pucks can easily be moving upwards of 80 mph (108.8 if you’re in front of Zdeno Chara’s cannon fire), foot injuries are common.  The art of blocking shots is being taught at all levels. Spats will give you the confidence to make that game saving block.

Every year teams lose the services of players due to foot injuries, injuries that are now largely preventable. Many of today’s foot injuries in hockey could have been prevented with skate protectors. A recent list of NHL players missing games due to foot injuries includes:

James Neal – Pittsburgh Penguins (out for a number of weeks)
Devante Smith-Pelly – Anaheim Ducks (out 4-6 weeks)

Ville Leino – Buffalo Sabres (Missed a month)

Jay Pandolfo – New York Islanders (Missed 17 games)

Richard Park – Pittsburgh Penguins (Missed five weeks)

Colby Armstrong – Toronto Maple Leafs (Missed 23 games)

Bryan Little – Winnipeg Jets (Missed eight games)

Jeff Carter – Columbus Blue Jackets

Chris Pronger – Philadelphia Flyers

Hockey Foot Injury Statistics:

•     95% of hockey players have had an injury to their foot from a shot or a slash.
•     78% of players who reported a foot injury experienced bruising and 15% suffered a fracture.
•     23% who have had a foot injury have missed one or more weeks due to their injury.

“Injuries to the foot during hockey are often long standing with symptoms years after,” says Dr. Michael Ball, a leading Manitoban podiatrist. “In my practice, many of my patients who sustained injuries to the feet as children or young adults still complain of symptoms from these injuries to different degrees later in life. Unlike a fracture of the arm, you place two-and-a-half times your weight on your feet to walk and skate. I think that in order to prevent long term problems, any protection from injuries is very important.”

“You wouldn’t go on the ice without protecting your shin bone, so why do we play with the bones in our feet exposed?” says Lawrence Parrott, the inventor of Spats Skate Armour.

For more information: http://www.spats.ca/ 

“Like” their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter

Big Things Happening at World Gym Kelowna & West Kelowna!

World Gym in Kelowna and West Kelowna has some pretty good deals/promos going on right now. Worth checking out!

$5000 to refer new members? I'll take two.

World Gym Kelowna, 2339 Highway 97 North (in the Dilworth Shopping Center), Kelowna, BC, V1X 4H9, Phone (250)-869-8004, Fax (250)-869-8005

World Gym West Kelowna, #101-1195 Industrial Rd (on the corner of Highway 97 and Westlake Rd), West Kelowna, V1Z 1G4, Phone (250)-769-4808, Fax (250)-769-4809

www.worldgymkelowna.com

Kelowna & West Kelowna Hours of Operation:

Monday-Friday 5:30 am-10pm
Saturday 8am-8pm
Sunday 8am-6pm

Also, you can check out my friend Bjorn Torgerson squatting 505lbs at the gym if you catch him on the right day.

And of course, you can check out my trainer profile and book a free consultation or (not free) Personal Training sessions with me!

Top 5 Reasons New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Succeed, AND Their Avoidance Techniques!

Hi folks!

I was sent this list from Valerie Orsoni — world-renowned trainer,  best-selling author, celebrity coach, and nutritionist; amongst other things. Some more good advice on sticking with your resolutions!

-Dave

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Greetings!

  New Year’s resolutions are a great idea but most of us fail. About 45% of Americans make one or more resolutions each year. Only 8% of people are always successful in achieving their resolutions. 24% (one in four people) NEVER succeed and have failed on every resolution every year. That means that 3 out of 4 people almost never succeed. Among the top new years resolutions are about weight loss and exercise.

TOP 5 REASONS NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS DON’T SUCCEED AND HOW YOU CAN AVOID FAILURE

1. GOING IT ALONE 

Unless you have the thick skin of a shark and the crazy stubborn attitude of a mule, it is extremely hard to stick to a weight loss resolution by yourself. This is the #1 failure reason. If people are not aware you want to change, chances are their attitude towards you won’t change either and they will keep on offering you cakes, cookies and other weight loss resolution saboteurs.

By going it alone, you will also not feel compelled to make any effort and you might collapse half way to your goal.

SOLUTION: PUBLICLY DECLARE YOUR WAR ON POUNDS!   

Create a support group on Facebook, put sticky notes on the fridge, in your car, everywhere, enroll a few friends (not too many, just 2 or 3) who share the same goal so that you feel the support at all times and you have their back like they have yours.

You don’t have to publish your weight but you can publish how many pounds you lost or the % of goal you have reached etc.

2. DEPRIVING YOURSELF  – FOOD AS AN ENEMY 

You have gorged yourself for a few weeks, in fact you haven’t looked at the scale since Thanksgiving! The pounds have crept on your body and have added to your figure. So you starve yourself.  You look at food as evil.

Not eating or eating only one category of food (think high protein diets or mono diets), can lead to very short term good results BUT if you have read the research, the pounds almost always come back.

SOLUTION: REMIND YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE A FOOD LOVER!  

I know it is hard to know that you won’t lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks but think about the next few months. Would you rather lose it quick and see it come back quick? Or would you rather lose it forever? Then learn how to cook, learn how to love food and eat the one that’s good for you, learn one new recipe at least per week. Take a cooking class to learn about healthy recipes or watch online. Food is a positive part of your life, not the enemy.

3. TOO FAST AND FURIOUS  

You did not gain those extra pounds overnight. You won’t lose them overnight either. I know it sounds like a terrible wake up call but it is the truth! Expecting to change your eating habits and exercise routine drastically and instantly will shock not only your system, but your mind too and your stress levels will jump.

SOLUTION – SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE  

Change your habits slowly. Take one step at a time. Lose your extra pounds one day at a time. Make one major change per week and one baby change per day.

For instance:

Week 1: add a freshly squeezed lemon juice + room temperature water every morning on an empty stomach

Week 2: add a 30 min walk on an empty stomach (before breakfast, lunch or dinner, you decide)

Week 3: cut out that daily snack in between meals or stop eating the leftover mac n cheese or other foods on your kid’s plates! 

Week 4: have one 100% raw meal per day ( a raw breakfast could be 10 sprouted almonds, 1 banana, 1 pink grapefruit and unlimited seasonal berries)

Week 5: Try going without sugar for a few days (believe me, it’s not easy. Sugar is in everything!). 

Week 6: Add 2x1h cardio session per week

As for daily baby steps: try a 25th hour (or my version of integrative gymnastics) every day: squeeze your glutes while folding laundry or cooking, suck your stomach each time you go through a door, stand back up 5 times for your chair each time you sit, etc…

4. LACK OF CONFIDENCE   

I cannot do it. I have tried over and over. Or others repeating “you tried last year and it did not work. Or the idea of losing weight or exercising seems like such an incredible feat, you don’t even know where to begin, or maybe you might be genetically programmed to be fat”, etc.

SOLUTIONS:

a)   get rid of your diet saboteurs: don’t let them make you feel you cannot reach your goals because magazines and websites are covered with stories of former obese people who made it. Do respond to the saboteurs comments by “I am sorry if you don’t believe I can make but believe me I WILL and nobody will prevent me from reaching the goal I HAVE DECIDED I WILL REACH”. Chances are those people suffer from lack of confidence themselves or else they would not need to make you feel so bad.

b)   It is hard to stay highly motivated after years of trying BUT losing weight is like living in Hollywood. Only the highly motivated ones who never lose hope make it. You need to thicken your skin and not let others deprive you of your motivation and dreams. Write empowering messages everywhere and don’t you care about what others think: “I can do it”, “by February 14th I will have lost xxx pounds”

c)    Buy an outfit one size smaller and leave it in sight. By seeing it constantly your motivation will stay high and so will your self confidence that you can reach your goal. Try on the outfit each week. You will see your progress. You can also write on a piece of paper a treat, like getting a massage, as a monthly goal. You will be much more motivated when you have rewards.

5. USING THE WRONG MOTIVATION/TECHNIQUES 

Using the wrong tools will use a lot of your energy and yield no results. How frustrating can that be?

SOLUTIONS:

a)   Change your atmosphere! Don’t start your morning at Starbucks with a calorie-loaded drink. Your friends want to do Happy Hour at a fattening restaurant? Meet them for book night or a movie instead and don’t have food and drink be the focus if this puts you in your danger zone. Going to the same places is not motivating and makes it harder to change habits.

b)   Repeating the wrong mantra like “I don’t want to be fat” is not positive enough. Instead repeat “I want to be fit and healthy”

c)    Confiding in and counting on a naturally very thin person who constantly eats rich food in front of you will not help.

d)   Also, hanging out with highly overweight people who don’t care and eat too much for their health is not a solution either because you will be tempted to eat as much as they do. Countless studies have shown how obesity is socially contagious. The solution? Enroll the ones who want to be healthy with you and once your results start showing go back to hanging with your hard core overweight friends. You will even serve a motivation to these people and being so will empower you even more and motivate you to reach your goal faster.

Meet VALERIE ORSONI. Entrepreneur. Mom. Cancer survivor. World-renowned trainer. Best-selling author. Celebrity coach. Nutritionist. Valerie is a major inspiration to the over one million members worldwide on her site www.LeBootCamp.com. She is the first to create an online personalized coaching program which is now one of the leading programs in the world. Her book Le Personal Coach has many fans (including actress Michelle Rodriguez).

You can reach your goals this year by avoiding the most common traps. Valerie Orsoni has been the solution to many people’s health problems. Let her be yours.

To see Valerie talk about her tips, go to:
CLICK HERE!

 Check out her latest article: BodyChecklist is live. Here’s a link to one of Valerie’s stories:
CLICK HERE!

9 Tips to Keep Your Fitness Resolutions On Track

Hi folks!

Below are some good tips from Alexandra Jamieson (formerly married to film-maker Morgan Spurlock) and Topricin on keeping those New Year’s fitness resolutions that were sent my way. Enjoy!

-Dave

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Jamieson (left), not impressed.

While you can’t wave a magic wand and make your New Year’s resolutions come true, there are easy steps to take that will make it easier to fulfill your promise to yourself to transform your health, energy and body.

Topical BioMedics, the maker’s of Topricin Pain Relief and Healing Cream encourages wellness and has teamed with Alexandra Jamieson, celebrity health and nutrition counselor, chef and author of “The Great American Detox Diet”, “Living Vegan for Dummies” and “Vegan Cooking for Dummies” to provide some health tips for a delicious and vital 2012.

1. Get Clear

In order to transform your health, energy and body, you need to take stock of where you are now, what you’re eating and what you want to change.

Write down everything. How you feel when you wake up? What cravings you have? What your diet is like? What is your exercise routine (if any)? What do you like to feel and look like?

2. Get Support

Talk with someone who has been there before. Read the blogs of experts, watch inspiring movies online or listen to radio shows on the area of health that interests you the most. Find a “tribe” of people who are dedicated to making the same changes you want to accomplish.

There is power in joining forces – they’ll pull you along, and you’ll help them at the same time.

3. Make a Plan

Do you want to eat more vegetables? Eat less sugar? Kick your caffeine habit completely? Do you want to lose 20 pounds, or clear up your skin?

What is the first step towards your goal? If it’s eating less sugar, maybe it’s time to learn about natural foods that give you the sweet sensation you’re looking for without robbing your energy (more on that in a minute).

Or maybe you need to throw away the sweets or chocolates lingering from the holidays. Or maybe there’s something in your lifestyle that triggers your sugar cravings that you can address in a non-food-way.

Whatever the issue is, there are steps you can take to make it a non-issue: start brain-storming on what to do first, then what you can do tomorrow, and in no time you’ll be free and clear.

4. Be Seasonal

Use seasonal, local produce as much as possible.

When you eat veggies from a nearby farm, they offer you the energy and nutrients that support you where you are and when you are.

For example, eating iceberg lettuce and watermelon north of the 45th parallel in winter does not support your body in the cold, sunless months. Instead, choose winter squash, cabbage, other hearty wintergreens, and apples and pears that winter over well. These fruits and veggies give you great, fresh nutrition rather than arriving depleted from half way across the world.

5. Sleep More

The human body is built to follow natural rhythms. Our inner body clock, called circadian rhythm, triggers the natural impulses to wake up with the sun, sleep when it’s dark, as well as a host of other natural body processes.

When your natural circadian rhythm is thrown off, due to jet lag or just staying up too late night after night, your body and brain work at half-speed, and your body feels off balance. Years of staying up late and not getting enough sleep during the darker, winter months, makes caffeine necessary, and cravings for sugar more intense.

This winter, try an experiment: go to bed early and wake up early. Get into bed by 9pm and wake up at 4 or 5am. Even a few days a week of this pattern will help you feel more refreshed, healthier, and those intense food cravings will release their hold on you just a bit more.

6. Make Breakfast a Priority

Now that you’re sleeping better, you can wake up earlier and get a good breakfast in your body. Everyone is different and you might need something that your partner or child doesn’t like or desire. Experiment with different types of food for your morning meal, alternating savory, sweet, liquid or combination breakfasts.

You might notice that a protein rich meal keeps you filled longer. Or perhaps you find that a light meal of fruit and herbal tea is perfect.

Try it out and notice what happens during the day with your cravings. Your first meal can determine your energy for the rest of the day.

7. Skip the White Foods

Any white, refined food is going to steal nutrients and energy from your body. This includes white flour, white sugar, and white table salt.

All of these foods are stripped of nutrition, vitamins and minerals, and offer only the jolt of carbohydrate or sodium. Without any supportive nutrients, your body must draw on its own precious stores to metabolize the refined food, leading to depleted energy over time.

8. Sweeten the Deal

Use more naturally sweet foods instead of relying on white foods, candy, and soda for energy.

Include sweet root veggies, fruits and even whole grains to satisfy your sweet cravings.

Sweet potatoes offer carotenoid antioxidant and help your body respond to insulin better. Parsnips are high in silicon and fiber and are high in calcium. Beets are high in boron, a mineral critical for the production of human sex hormones.

Adding daily doses of sweet veggies, you’ll crave less sugary treats, and you’ll be giving your body necessary nutrients for long-term health.

9. Move Your Body Like Your Life Depends On It – Because it Does

Whatever form of exercise you choose: running, walking, swimming, biking, dancing, weight lifting or machines – just move. Daily. As if it were your last day on earth.

If you incorporate anything from the list above you will be on your way to preserving or regaining your health and vitality in the New Year.

Look for Topricin in pharmacies, natural food stores and other fine retailers nationwide, including Whole Foods, Vitamin Shoppe, Vitamin World, Fred Meyer, Wegmans, and other retail stores throughout the U.S., as well as direct from the Topical BioMedics’ online store. To learn more about Topricin, go to http://www.topricin.com.

Developing New Concussion Treatment Methods

Hi folks!

The following post on concussions was sent to me from Dr. Raymond J. Petras, B.E., M.A., Ph.D., who is a highly regarded Sports Performance & Injury/Pain Management specialist, and has been developing new techniques for treating and healing concussion injuries. As head injuries are a common occurrence and  conversation piece in hockey (and all sports) these days, it seems like a good fit. Enjoy.

-Dave

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Dear Mr. Cunning:

Concussions have been in the news a lot these days. You may be interested in this article.

The focus has been on education about concussions and tools for its diagnosis.  Rest and Tylenol® seem to be the only treatments. My technique appears to be another option. It has quickly, safely eliminated the headaches, nausea and dizziness and improved concentration. Contact me for more information.

Link: A recently published article on Dr. Petras and safely relieving symptoms from a concussion.

Benefit
How much benefit would it be for a team to have its best players available most of the time? What if an injured pitcher could come back safely, more quickly and at a high level of performance?

Medical Team
Once the medical team completes the diagnosis, prognosis and has the athlete on a treatment plan and schedule, I use eclectic techniques to help manage the athlete’s pain and injury. The athlete returns to play sooner and at a high level of performance.

Case 1-MLB Pitcher, Shoulder

During Cactus league spring training, a pitcher was referred to me by the team chiropractor. He had been in therapy for a shoulder injury, for approximately six months. He still had limited range of motion and was in a lot of pain. Using only mental techniques, in approximately 20 minutes, he was pain-free with complete range of motion.

Sports Performance & Non-invasive Injury/Pain Management
What I do, very effectively, is assist trainers, medical staff, athletes and coaches who have exhausted conventional, standard channels to enhance performance, safely speed healing and reduce pain from injuries [AZFoxTV10—Phoenix Suns use Alternative Therapies <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eau5SIpoTFc>]. My performance enhancement techniques have helped teams win championships and athletes advance on a world-class level. When all other avenues have failed, I have been able to effectively assist athletes with mental blocks inhibiting appropriate performance. Also, having an athlete mentally ready to return from an injury is misunderstood and often neglected. Why? Most staff members do not know how to answer the athlete’s question, “Will the ‘healed’ injury perform under game conditions?”

Case 2- Runner Injures First Baseman-Rapid Return

On Wednesday, June 23, 2010, a first baseman was knocked unconscious. He received a broken wrist, a concussion with amnesia and a cut in his eyelid and brow requiring stitches. While he was fielding a throw from the third baseman, the batter ran into him. Two days after his accident, June 25, I taught the first baseman visualization techniques to eliminate his pain and speed his healing. His pain immediately decreased. On June 29, the day before his appointment with an orthopedic physician, he had another session with me.  During this session, he practiced visualization techniques to further speed his recovery.

The next day, June 30, exactly one week after his injuries, the athlete saw an orthopedic surgeon. His mother said that when the surgeon saw the X-ray, he asked if the injury was a year to one and a half years old.  When told it was one week old, he could not believe it. The following week, two weeks after the wrist was broken, the orthopedic surgeon removed the player’s cast. He indicated that he had never removed a cast earlier than six weeks before. “It was amazing,” he said.

Case 3- Pitcher and Outfielder: Wrist & Shoulder

On Saturday (2/26/11), I worked with two college softball players, a pitcher and an outfielder, to prepare for their spring tour. Their AD/Coach asked if I could help with the players’ injuries. Both, under the care of the team trainer, had shoulder injuries with a lot of accompanying pain. The pitcher also had a painful wrist injury. After the initial session, which lasted approximately one hour each, neither experienced any pain. The trainer was amazed and pleased. Upon follow-up (four days later), neither felt any pain since the initial session. On Monday (2/28/11), the pitcher was strong, confident and able to pitch and do push-ups without any pain. By the way, the sessions were over the phone.

Out of State: Not a problem—Read these letters and article of reference at these links: Reference 1, Reference 2, Reference 3.

Sincerely,

Dr. Raymond J. Petras, B.E., M.A., Ph.D.
Sports Performance & Injury/Pain Management
P.O. Box 5295
Scottsdale, AZ   85261-5295
480.748.1287 cell
drpetras@reliefforyou.com
http://www.reliefforyou.com
http://blog.reliefforyou.com
http://YouTube.com, type in relief4u2, videos

“Give yourself permission to get better.”  Dr. Raymond J. Petras

Lake Country Fitness’ 2012 Fitness Challenge

Lake Country Fitness is hosting their 2012 Fitness Challenge, starting January 9. The event is 6 weeks long, and features a complete personal nutritional exercise program overhaul for all who participate. A nutritionist will be working with every person to monitor their intake, and I will be taking care of everything gym and training-wise. We’ll do initial measurements, working you hard for 6 weeks, and then tallying up all your gains at the end. If you made a resolution this year to get in shape, lose weight, or anything fitness related, THIS is a PERFECT opportunity to get on track right out of the gates! Are you up for the challenge???

Visit Lake Country Fitness’ Facebook page and follow them on Twitter.

Motivation Is Invaluable

When I was playing minor hockey in the 90’s, to see other players participate in off-ice training was a rarity. After all, hockey was all about having fun. As I got older, I realized I wanted to play as long as I could and at the highest level possible, and that to do that’d I’d have to take the game more seriously. As I progressed up through my junior, college, and pro career, it became pretty obvious that these higher level leagues were filled with players who had been devoting time to their off-ice fitness, as well as further developing their on-ice skills; and that the players who chose to rely purely on their natural talent to progress, rather than add any extra-curricular fitness methodologies to their repertoire, all seemed to vanish from team rosters. As the level of play I competed at elevated, my natural skills for the game seemed to average out compared to other players; mostly because the level of competition and talent I played against increased at every increment. Moves I could make and goals I could score at lower levels became progressively more inadmissible the higher level I played at. I had to find a way to adapt my game if I were to have any success, and advance further in the game, as I aspired to. Devotion to off-ice training became an absolute necessity, and without it, I doubt I would have made it as far in hockey as I did. One of the most inspiring and applicable quotes I’ve heard in regards to this transition is, “Hard work beats talent when talent refuses to work hard.” Just ask the 8th seeded 2010 Montreal Canadiens about this idea, after beating the talent laden 1st place Washington Capitals and the previous year’s Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in last year’s NHL playoffs.

The difference in hockey training that sticks out most to me when I compare my generation to the current one is that unlike when I was young and only a few players were committed to their off-ice training, it seems that nowadays any player that is remotely serious about furthering their hockey career has acknowledged the need to improve their physical fitness away from the rink. So now that the secret is out and the standard just to be average is set so high, the challenge for young hockey players hoping to move up the ladder is to decipher a way to rise above the already high median and stick out in a positive and attractive way.

My suggestion for accomplishing this task is the notion of training smarter. While it’s great to attend summer hockey camps, spring leagues, enroll in hockey academies, and explore other methods in getting ahead of the curve, those large group setting models may not be the most beneficial for player improvement, and can prove quite costly as well. Individual attention may be minimized, and a personalized program tailored to a player’s unique goals and attributes likely gets waived in favour of a general set of standards that everyone is expected to achieve. Whether you’re a centerman, left-winger, right-winger, defenceman, or goaltender; every position has a unique on-ice job description that requires different motions and actions to be performed, and different muscles to be activated in different scenarios. So how would a goaltender specifically benefit from partaking in the same program as a forward, when both will need to be strong in completely different ways in a game?

You may or may not be familiar with the term, “Periodization”. This is breaking a season up into smaller focus points: pre-season, in-season, post-season, and off-season. The concept helps to identify which training methods are most appropriate to a player’s development, and when. For example, the way off-season weight training focuses on heavy weight/low repetitions for maximum strength gains is nearly polar opposite to the post-season phase (playoffs), where players focus on simple maintenance of their strength and cardio, and may not lift more than their own body weight while weight training. Because different levels of hockey hold their playoffs at different points in the season, it is imperative that a player’s workout routine enables him or her to peak at the correct point in the season. Minor hockey will generally finish around March, while junior hockey can continue on until May, college hockey can last until late March/early April, and of course the NHL can take until June to complete. If a player’s body is not trained to adapt to and endure this changing but predictable schedule, they likely will not compete at their optimal level, at the time when their team needs them the most.

This is where a Personal Trainer can become an invaluable resource to a player. Often times, players will string together routines based on what others have told them, or perhaps on their own intuition. And more often than not, these workouts degrade into “beach workouts”, featuring chest, biceps, and abs exercises only. While they may indeed put on size and strength this way, their sport specific improvements will likely be limited. Working with a fitness professional can optimize a player’s development by maximizing their off-ice efficiency and gains, translating those improvements into a more effective on-ice product, showing you testable results, and navigating you down the quickest route to obtaining your fitness goals.

If you are a hockey player aspiring to advance to the next level and beyond, do yourself a favour and seek out a qualified Personal Trainer to keep you on track, no matter what phase your season is in. After all, the last day of the season is also the first day towards next season. Use your training time wisely and give yourself the best chance possible to be a stand-out player next year. If training smarter sounds like something you would benefit from, I’d be more than happy to work with you this summer to motivate, educate, and create a program that will spur you on towards being the best player you can be next season and beyond.

Blog: https://cunningathletics.wordpress.com Twitter: @CunningAthletix Email:davecunning09@shaw.ca Phone: 250 826 7489