How to Improve Your 1-on-1 Battles with
Muscular Strength and Endurance Training
by Greg Siller - Pro Learning Systems
No matter which position you play in hockey, winning the one-on-one battles is one of the most
important individual contributions you can make for your team. To win those battles, you need to
be able to read the play around you and, more importantly, be physically strong on your skates.
Being strong on your skates is very important for winning face-offs, positioning yourself in front
of your opponents net, controlling the puck along the boards or in close proximity to a defender,
and defending your crease (this is true both for goaltenders and defensemen). Muscular strength
also protects you from injury and will help you heal quicker if you do get injured.
Strong legs are important for powerful skating strides, starting, turning, and stopping. In
addition, leg strength contributes to a potent shot. Building strong leg muscles also lowers your
body's center of gravity, assisting your balance and stability; making it easier to battle past an
opponent to get toward the net. Upper body strength contributes to solid shooting and puck
control, as well as defeating opponents 1-on-1. Strength throughout the chest, shoulders, arms,
and back is required during contact with other players, to clear your slot (the area in from of the
net), and when battling for the puck along the boards.
Strength and Endurance
Muscular strength is your ability to exert maximal force (using maximum or near maximum
resistance) during limited repetitions. When focussing on strength improvements, you are
generally working to increase your power and muscle mass, with gains in muscular endurance
being secondary.
Muscular endurance is your ability to exert sub-maximal force (using less than maximum
resistance) during repeated repetitions. When focussing on endurance improvements, you are
generally working to increase your muscle's ability to work over a period of time, with gains in
power and muscle mass being secondary.
Strength and endurance training should not be just a one-dimensional improvement program. By
combining them with programs such as cardio and mental conditioning, you can develop into a
total hockey package.
My approach to muscular strength and endurance training is to start with a bottom-up approach-starting with you legs. The game of hockey is built on the fundamental of skating, and with a
solid base to start from, the rest of your game will prosper.
Three Ways to Improve
Your muscular strength and endurance program can begin using three exercise approaches;
body-weight, machine-weight, and free-weight exercises. You should consider working all 3 into
your program. Before beginning your program, however, you should consult a doctor and/or
certified personal trainer to ensure that your program is both safe and effective.
1. Body-weight exercises use the weight of your body as resistance. Exercises such as pushups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, chin-ups, and leg lifts are well suited for this type of program.
The advantage is that you can perform these exercises just about anywhere without the
need for equipment. The disadvantages are that it is difficult to increase the resistance
easily and target specific muscle groups.
2. Machine-weight exercises allow you to control resistance as well as isolate specific
muscles. The disadvantage is that you need special equipment.
3. Free-weight exercises allow you to control resistance, isolate specific muscles, and
improve your muscle balance using (at a minimum) a bench and some weights. The
disadvantage is that the risk of injury is higher than with machine-weights since the
resistance is not mechanically supported.
Factors that affect your training include reps, sets, weight, speed of exercise, rest interval,
sequence, range of motion, and frequency of exercise.
 Reps - one complete range of motion for your exercise (i.e., lifting/lowering of weights).
 Sets - the number of successive reps you perform without resting. Use 2 to 3 sets in your
program consisting of 6 to 10 reps for strength training and 10 to 15 reps for endurance
training.
 Weight - Using the proper amount of weight is key to physical improvement and
preventing injuries. To determine how much weight you should use, calculate your
maximum weight for 1 rep. This is done by performing your exercise with a weight that
will cause fatigue on the 10th rep. Once you determine this 10-rep weight, calculate your
maximum weight by multiplying your 10-rep weight by 1.33. For example, if you can
perform 10 reps of a particular exercise using 50 pounds, then your maximum weight for
1 rep is 67 pounds. For strength training, you will generally use more weight (greater
resistance) and less reps. For endurance training, you will generally use less weight and
more reps.
 Speed of Exercise - the amount of time to perform one rep. You should target 3-5
seconds for each rep; 1-2 seconds for lifting and 2-3 seconds for lowering. By keeping
your speed down, you will also help reduce your risk of injury.
 Rest Interval - the time you rest between sets. For endurance training, this should be less
then 30 seconds. For strength training, this should be between 1 and 2 minutes.
 Sequence - It is advisable to work with the larger muscle groups first. This allows you to
perform the most demanding exercises when you have the most energy. In this regard, I
generally (although not always) work in the following order: legs, hips, groin, gluts, back,
stomach, chest, shoulders, wrists, arms, and neck.
 Range of Motion - Initially, you should limit full range of motion exercises until you are
able to correctly and confidently perform each exercise. Once you reach that point, it is
important to gradually increase your range of motion. This will help strengthen and
stretch your muscles, while improving your localized flexibility.
 Frequency of Exercise - You should workout for 30 to 60 minutes, at least 3 times per
week to observe benefits of your strength and endurance training. Let your muscles
recover 24 to 48 hours before you exercise them again.
Your Program For Success
Your program should consist of three phases: (1) a warm-up phase (consisting of a few minutes
of stationary cycling or moderate paced walking followed by stretching exercises), (2) your
weight training phase, and (3) a cool-down phase (similar to the warm-up phase).
Below is a sample copy of an endurance/strength program that you can use as your foundation
(click here for a blank copy). You can modify the reps, sets, and weight to develop your specific
program for strength, endurance, or a combination program. To help you identify the location of
specific muscles, the following muscle charts are available back, front, lower leg, upper leg and
arms.
Activity
Warm-up
Stretching/Flexing
Leg Extension
Leg Press
Leg Curls
Standing Calf Raises
Groin Poppers
Hip Poppers
Back Extension
Sit Ups/Crunches
Torso Rotation
Arm Curls
Wrist Curls
Lat Pull Down
Shoulder Press
Rowing
Muscles Worked
Body and Mind
All major muscles/joints
Quadriceps
Quadriceps, Hamstrings,
Gluts
Hamstrings
Gastrocnemius, Soleus,
Plantaris
Hip Adductor
Hip Abductor
Spinae
Abdominals
Obliques
Biceps
Wrist Flexors/Extensors
Lattissimus Dorsi,
Rhomboids, Biceps
Deltoids, Triceps
Lattissimus Dorsi,
Rhomboids, Trapezius,
Deltoids
Pectorals, Deltoids, Triceps
Neck Flexors/Extensors
Reps
5 minutes
10 minutes
15
Sets
1
1
2
Weig
N/A
N/A
70 lbs.
15
2
100 lbs.
15
2
40 lbs.
15
2
100 lbs.
15
15
15
25
15
15
15
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
80 lbs.
80 lbs.
110 lbs.
Body
80 lbs.
60 lbs.
15 lbs.
15
2
100 lbs.
15
2
60 lbs.
15
2
80 lbs.
Bench Press
15
2
Neck-stension
15
2
Cool-down/Light
Body and Mind
5 minutes
1
Stretching & Flexing
Let me know how this program helps your one-on-one hockey performance. To find out more
information on this topic, visit the following sites; American Council on Exercise, The Body
Sculptor, or The Sports Asylum (books on the subject).
Contact Greg Siller - siller@prolearning.com
120 lbs.
10 lbs.
N/A