Strength Training Periodization for Hockey

Coaches' Corner, Off-ice Training, Useful Products
Use periodization as you structure your off-ice training program to avoid hitting plateaus, and to increase your gains throughout the entire year! A well-structured strength and conditioning program should not only develop sport-specific muscle groups and energy systems, but should also incorporate various forms of periodization to keep the athlete progressing both during the off-season and in-season. The S3 Formula is designed to do just that. The program develops the primary muscle groups used in hockey, and periodizes the workouts on both a macro and micro level... meaning "periodization within periodization." Athletes who follow the program faithfully see consistent gains in Speed, Strength, and Size all year long––whether during the off-season or in-season! Use this information to your advantage (very few of your opponents know about this stuff!), and make…
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“S” Warm-up Drill

“S” Warm-up Drill

Hockey Drills, Individual Skill Drills, Neutral Zone, Passing & Timing, Team Skill Drills, Warm-Up
Use this Hockey Warm-up Drill to get everyone moving at the beginning of your practice! This is a great little high-speed hockey warm-up drill that incorporates many different elements of the game, including skating, passing, and shooting. I typically have my defensemen acting as the passers, since that neutral zone "d-to-d" pass is something they will need to perform over and over in games. Make sure to push those defensemen to make quick, hard, stick-to-stick passes to each other, and then fire that cross-ice pass hard and accurately. "S" Warm-up Drill 1. Forwards line up in the corner, two defensemen on each blue line 2. On whistle, first forward in each line passes out to the near defenseman 3. Defensemen execute D to D passes while forward skates the "S"…
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3-Zone Timing Drill

3-Zone Timing Drill

Hockey Drills, Individual Skill Drills, Passing & Timing
The 3-Zone Timing Drill is one of my all-time favorite passing and timing drills! I've been using the 3-Zone Timing Drill for years as both a player and a coach. I love it because it simulates passing patterns that happen over and over in game situations––particularly in breakouts and regroups. This is a "classic" flow drill with lots of passing, timing, and shooting. Make sure you check out the One-Touch Timing Drill as a precursor to this drill. Here's the diagram and explanation: 3-Zone Timing Drill 1. To start the drill, 3 players leave from the corner (after that only 2 leave from then on) 2. First player shoots, picks up a puck from the circle, and hits the second player in the first green receiving zone 3. Receiver controls…
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One-Touch Timing

One-Touch Timing

Hockey Drills, Individual Skill Drills, Passing & Timing
One-Touch Timing is a great precursor to the 3-Zone Timing Drill If you've followed me at all over the past few years, you know I love to use progressions to develop new skills. This is a great example of a simple drill that can be progressed into a more complex version, the 3-Zone Timing Drill. As you begin introducing timing concepts to your players, remember to stress that it is better to be late and accelerating into the pass, than to be early and slowing down. Here's the diagram: One Touch Timing Drill: Designate a Passer (P) for the first time, just to start the drill. 1. first player from each line at one side of the ice leave together 2. low man swings to receive the pass, then one-touch…
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Slovakian Agility Race

Slovakian Agility Race

Half Ice Drills, Hockey Drills, Individual Skill Drills, Misc. Drills, Skating & Agility
  Slovakian Agility Race Drill Since I started this blog back in 2008, I have met a lot of really cool hockey folks. Believe it or not, it has made me a better coach! I have had the opportunity to exchange drills from coaches all over the world. I make a point to work my way through most of these drills, and pass the best ones on to my "readers" here on the blog. I usually try to credit the drill to the person who sent it to me. However, many times the drills that come in are in other languages... as is the case with this one from my good buddy Ján Bednár. Ján has sent me A LOT of drills over the past year or so! Since he…
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