Suspension Training for Hockey Players

I’m always saying that part of my job is to do the research for my hockey members (and I also like to do it selfishly, for myself). 

Anyway, I’ve always subscribed to a number of strength training magazines and newsletters, just so I can keep-up with the very latest in training methods.  So, along came a new ezine one morning, this featuring an article on “suspension training”.

Hmmmmmm, “suspension training”…  I kinda knew what the title meant, but once I got into that article, I knew I had to share the concept with you…

Basically, suspension training involves hanging an athlete from a harness, this so that a certain body part (or parts) can be truly isolated in a given movement.

Ugh…  I know I’m not going to do this subject justice, so I kinda hope that members might review the above video as often as necessary…

My mind was racing as I read the online magazine, and it raced again when I watched a different video on that subject.  Why?  It’s because I was trying to figure how I could rig one of those contraptions in The MOTION Lab.   (Oh, boy, would some of my older students find that a treat!)

Appreciate that I have lots of great drills for core muscle training, and I’m pretty resourceful when it comes to isolating different muscles or muscle groups.  However, I like variety in my players’ training, for two very important reasons:

1) as soon as boredom starts trickling in, an exercise loses its effectiveness;

2) any given exercise tends to tax a muscle (or muscle group) in one way, while a slightly similar exercise tends to call more or slightly different muscles into play, or it tends to tax a muscle in a slightly different way or at a slightly different angle.

I also feel the need to point-out that our game calls for frequently wrestling against resistance  — as in tussling with opponents under all sorts of conditions.  So, I like strength building exercises that call for a player to deal with resistance while having to move his or her body through all sorts of (contorted?) positions.

For that reason (and as shown in the above photo), you’ll see me constantly adding a stability ball, an under-foot air cushion, a teeter-totter or some other like aid to an exercise.  Ya, we have to help our players learn to deal with wrestling against resistance, because our sport calls for movements far removed from the typical machine-type exercises.

Then, just in case you’re considering getting a devise like the one featured in the above video…  The TRX system is just one of many now out on the market.  So, while my understanding is that it’s a really good one, I’m also guessing there are others that will meet anyone’s needs (and pocketbook).  And, if you’re anything like this old coach, you might even find a way to build your own.

As a final note…  I know that every member’s schedule is different, and that information like the above is usable at different times for different members.  I’m not going to worry about that, however, but instead I’ll be loading these pages with all the information I can.  Hopefully, then, what you need is going to eventually be here when you do need it.