Hockey Training
Matt,
I am interested in starting a training routine for hockey, but I have heard that this will make me "bulky" and slower on the ice. There seems to be a lot of conflicting information out there about this topic and I don't know where to turn or what to do. What is your advice?
-Tom, 15, Troy, NY
Tom,
It's funny that some myths STILL exist out there, even in the year 2009. You will undoubtedly improve your hockey performance by incorporating strength training into both your off season and in season routine. I could go on for days about why you need to do so, but in short, here are the main reasons why:
1.) Injury prevention. By strength training in a full range of motion, stretching, and foam rolling, you will become more flexible, and less susceptible to muscle tears and strains. This reason alone should have you training!
2.) Increased lower body power. By increasing your lower body power (the ability to produce force QUICKLY) you will become faster, more explosive, and assuming your skills stay sharp, a BETTER hockey player. By getting your lower stronger, and incorporating dynamic effort movements like speed squats, box jumps, broad jumps, etc, you will definitely improve your lower body power.
3.) Increased shot velocity. Why do 16 year olds shoot the puck harder than 10 year olds? Because they are BIGGER, STRONGER athletes! Yes, it is that simple! By increasing your overall lean body mass and strength, you will have a much harder shot, which one would think would lead to an increase in performance!
Alexander Ovechkin: 6'2", 212 lbs....NOT afraid of getting "too bulky"!
If these 3 reasons are not reasons enough for you to stop reading this and head to the gym right now, I don't know what will get you going! Tom, don't worry about being "too bulky." No offense, but as a 15 year old athlete you have a loooong ways to go before that becomes an issue. Train hard, train smart, and watch the results come pouring in!
-Matt
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The Lean, Mean, Fighting Machine Diet
A few weeks back I posted about how to get "Jacked Up." I often get hit up with a lot of request about how to shed body fat, and here is what works in the REAL world.
RULE #1: To burn fat, you need a caloric deficit. You must burn more than you take in, BUT this difference can only be slight.
RULE #2: You need to eat a lot of Protein. Try and get AT LEAST 1/lb of bodyweight daily. Try and get as much protein as you can from natural sources (meat, eggs, nuts, etc) but definitely use a quality whey protein product to SUPPLEMENT (note I said "supplement" not replace) the quality proteins you are ingesting. Especially when in a caloric deficit, protein is of utmost importance, as it spares lean muscle tissue. A little trick I like to use is to have a double serving of whey protein after a workout, and a double serving of lean meat with dinner. Just cut your normal carb serving in your post workout shake in half, and do not eat any carbs with dinner. This will keep the calories in those meals "equal" but will change the macronutrient profile, which will make all of our other meals during the day more effective.
RULE #3: Since we are cutting calories, and keeping our protein intake high, we must be mindful of our intake of the other macronutritents (carbs and fat). I am not saying do not eat them, I am simply saying we must be conscious about how much we are putting into our body.
RULE #4: Eat a MEAL every 2-3 hours. A "Meal" has a protein source, and a carb source. If you are an endomorph (gain bodyfat easily) then stay away from carbs during dinner, and keep the meal "lean and green."
RULE #5: Cheat 4X/week. Go ahead, indulge yourself to something not on this list 4X/week, it will help you stay on track, and will even help "zig zag" your calories a bit.
RULE #7: SLEEP! I know this is not DIET related, but sleep is extremely important for optimizing hormonal levels, so get AT LEAST 8 total hours.
Rule #8: Perform a 30 minute brisk walk first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. DON'T do this on the same day that you train your lower body. Instead, perform sprints or some Interval Training immediately after your lower body sessions. Perform this type of training after lifting an additional 2-3X/Week, but just be aware of performing them too close to your lower body sessions.
Rule #9: Focus on WAISTLINE MEASUREMENTS NOT BODY WEIGHT! Measure your waist around the navel, and record it 3X/week at the same TIME of day. While the scale is an indicator, THIS is the number we really care about!
So there you have it, simple, effective, and time tested. Eat as many fruits and veggies as you want, and use condiments MODERATELY!
MEAL PLAN: EAT A PORTION OF PROTEIN & PORTION OF CARBS FOR EACH MEAL (Adjust serving portions to bodysize)
Proteins
Carbs
Eggs
Oatmeal
Protein Powder
Whole Wheat Bread
Natural Peanut Butter
Whole Wheat Pasta
Nuts
Bananas
Chicken
Raisins
Lean Beef
Boboli Pizza Shell
Fish
Wheat Tortilla Shell
Tuna Fish
Brown Rice
Muscle Milk
Gatorade (Post Workout Only)
Low Fat Cheese
Low Sugar Cereal
Skim Milk
SAMPLE DIET FOR A 240lb MALE TRYING TO LOSE BODY FAT:
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Splenda (for taste) with Sliced Strawberries, 3 Eggs, Water
Mid Morning Snack: Handful of Nuts, Banana
Lunch # 1: 6 Inch Grilled Chicken Sub, No Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Light Mayo, 1 Apple
Post Workout: 10oz Gatorade, 2 Scoops Whey Protein
Lunch # 2: 6 Inch Grilled Chicken Sub, No Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Light Mayo, 1 Apple
Dinner: 2 Grilled Lean Hamburgers, Side Salad with Oil and Vinegar
Dessert: Fruit or Fat Free/Sugar Free Jello Pudding
If you aren't losing fat, eliminate the carbs from the meal before dinner, and STAY disciplined!
Train hard, eat well, and get after it!
Matt
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