EASY Ways to Improve Your Hockey Speed!

Plyometrics is one of the greatest training techniques for hockey players because it promotes explosive power, which is KEY for strides as well as checking.

This exercise will REALLY get your legs in hockey shape!

1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart

2. Squat down to a full 90 degree knee bend and extend your arms behind you.

3. Jump as high as you can and thrust your arms to the ceiling for increased height. At the same time tuck your knees into your chest and wrap your arms around the knees.

4. IMPORTANT! LAND AS GENTLY AS POSSIBLE! You should barely hear the contact of your feet to the ground when landing. This is important for two reasons, 1) for safety and 2) to get the extra resistance from your weight being pulled down by gravity.

5. Immediately return to the 90 degree position and hold for 5 seconds. Then repeat from step 3. Continue to do this for about 1 minute.

If you would like more great exercises like this with minimal equipment required, then take a look at HockeySpeedNow.com

During my years of playing hockey, I had many different coaches. The one thing that they all had in common (aside from the pinstriped suit) was the emphasis they put on skating. There is a reason why hockey is called the fastest sport... SPEED!!

You can be the greatest puck-handler in the world, but you'll never get a chance to use that talent if you're never the first to the puck. It's important to have all these skills in hockey, but the most vital talent is the ability to beat your opposition to the puck and get away from them too!

There is a harmonious balance in the sport of hockey with strength and agility, not one can exist without the other. This is why I think that hockey players are the most "complete" athlete out there. Every player must be agile and have the strength to give a hit, or take a hit.

Every player must be able to move his or her feet at hyper-speed. Hockey is a game of mistakes, that means there is going to be a lot of change in direction and a lot of stopping and starting. The key to all of this is acceleration from one point to another.

Forget the long distance training. How often do you have a shift on the ice for over 10 min? Not likely unless you have a six person team! Focus on sprints (long and short) with minimal rest time (1 to 2 min) between sprints. This effectively simulates the flow of a typical hockey game.

Running stairs is another great way to improve stamina as well as strength in your legs. Think about it, all of your skating speed derives from your legs. That is where the source of power comes from!

For more information on a program that I would highly recommend please visit HockeySpeedNow.com.

This is a great manual written by Kevin Miehm, a former NHL player for the St. Louis Blues, and now professional trainer. So he definitely knows his stuff!"