CB ATHLETIC CONSULTING TRAINING REPORT - www.cbathletics.com

ISSUE #102

INSIDE THIS ISSUE…

• "Top 10 Tips to Improve Your Health"
• "More Tips on Training for Hockey"

Sponsored by:
www.grrlathlete.com - "Training support you won't find anywhere else".
www.workoutmanuals.com - "Get Lean! Lose fat and gain muscle."

Useful Stuff From Men's Health Magazine

Men's Health magazine staff put together 100 tips for men to improve their health. You can read this article in the July/August 2003 issue or online at this link: www.menshealth.com/cda/article/0,6916,3-0-0-531,00.html

Here are the top 10 tips…

1. Eat Macadamia nuts. These nuts reduce bad cholesterol and increase good   cholesterol because of their monounsaturated fat content.
2. Eat an apple a day.
3. Drink 2 cups of tea per day.
4. Consume a variety of fruit each day, including grapefruit, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, and strawberries. All of these were identified in studies to help heart health.
5. The American Heart Association recommends that you eat fish twice per week.
6. Snack on 1 ounce of pumpkin seeds each day.
7. Include tomato sauce and salsa at your meals.
8. Be physical every day. Go for a walk on the days that you don't go to the gym.
9. Meditate - Find a way to incorporate meditation into your daily schedule.
10. Read for half an hour each day, preferably out loud, perhaps to your kids.

Secrets of Strength & Conditioning for Female Hockey Players

www.grrlAthlete.com sat down with the coaches of a University hockey team to find out how these athletes should train. The lessons are applicable to all hockey players. Read the whole interview, including equipment recommendations for females, here: http://www.grrlathlete.com/issues/issue3.asp#two

Greg Leatherland and Chuck Wight are the coaches of the University of Guelph Gryphon's women's hockey team. The Gryphons have been to the CIS championships twice, both times finishing 5th in Canada.

grrlAthlete: Can you talk about in season and off-season training programs, and things that you think are most important to focus on?

Greg: Our off-season is broken down into 3 main parts.

Part 1 - weight training/conditioning; basically a light program to have the muscles get used to the heavy training that will follow in the next phase. Usually 3 sets of 12-15 reps on all muscle groups, and light conditioning of running and biking. This phase is approx. 2-3 weeks.

Part 2 - Heavy weight training and hard conditioning; 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps to increase overall strength on all muscle groups. Hard conditioning days of sprints, and explosive power exercises. Also in this part is a concentration of exercises on core strength - sit-ups, medicine ball, twists etc. This phase is approx. 6-8 weeks

Part 3 - Maintenance weight training and conditioning. 3 sets of 10 reps on all muscle groups to maintain the strength that was gained during the previous phase. Conditioning consists of lower intensity explosive power exercises, some biking and running.

Continue with the core strength exercises but just to maintain what has been achieved in previous phase. Phase is approx. 2-3 weeks, and this phase is timed so that it ends just as training camp or the formal season begins.

Total: 10-14 weeks (3 months)

GA: And what about the in-season?

Greg: There are no distinct phases. Weight training is devoted to maintaining the strength that has been gained during the off-season. More of a focus on conditioning trying to devote exercises that last 35-50 seconds in duration (i.e. sprints, agility drills, biking intervals, etc.) to simulate 1 shift in a hockey game. Then having a rest, and performing the exercise again.

GA: Do you do any testing to help direct the training?

As for what to focus on, each player is individually tested, and evaluated. It usually is a case of not having the upper body strength, and we have the player focus on that area. If it is a skating or quickness issue, we have them focus on explosive power exercises (box jumps, step-ups).

Chuck: We have a post-season rest and rehab that will last up to 6 weeks before our off-season starts. We also have a playoff season that lasts 2-3 weeks. It involves a peak and taper. We increase the intensity of our on ice workload and the mental intensity. At the peak, 10 days prior to playoffs, we decrease the workload but keep the mental intensity at a maximum.

We give two full days off prior to competition so the body is at its peak. All athletes are asked to maintain the highest quality nutritional regimen possible during the playoff phase.

GA: Are there any considerations girls need to make when training for hockey compared to guys?

Chuck: The most obvious difference is the upper body strength that tends to come to males easier. We focus on upper body strength, endurance, and wrist strength.

The biggest consideration is how the female body is designed in relation to skating. The inner Quad muscle (vastus medialis) does not get developed like a male due to the pelvis alignment. This causes a lot of knee and hip flexor problems for female hockey players.

A girl's hips are wider than their knees causing the femur to slant in on an angle to the knee. In contrast, a male's femur is more vertical with the knee directly below the hip.

Our off ice training uses specific exercises to develop the vastus medialis. This season we have already seen a decrease in hip flexor problems with our returning players. Team Captain Rachel Harrison researched this last year and applied her findings to our off-ice training.

GA: What coaching and or training strategies have you noticed your players benefit the most from?

Chuck & Greg: There have been a number of strategies that we've implemented at Guelph with positive results. Strength training programs have had the largest impact. Once a player has had the opportunity to go through an off-season on our program the results are quite noticeable. Their ability to fend off checks and shoot the puck is the most noticeable.

We've also invested in some parachutes, where the player is required to skate for a timed interval (simulating 1 shift) with a resistance parachute attached to them. We've found this lengthens the skating stride, and the athlete generates more power in order to maintain their speed. When the parachute is removed, the athlete feels like they have "light" feet and their quickness and speed is enhanced.

Our off-season training package has given some great results in our testing. Our on-ice attention to sport specific skill training has also benefited us a lot. The use of steel pucks in training and developing upper body strength endurance through power blocks has improved our athletes.

GA: Are there any myths or misconceptions about girl's hockey that you would like to comment on?

Chuck: The intensity of the competition and the speed and physicality of the game are the biggest misconceptions. These girls are excellent athletes.

Greg: There are some misconceptions that it's "not real hockey", or that they don't "compete" at the same intensity level as male players. I'll tell you just the opposite is true. Our players compete as hard or harder as their male counterparts at this level.

They devote a considerable amount of time to their sport, and train long hours in the off-season. This is the highest level for most of the players before their careers are over. Other than the Canadian National Team, and a small league called the NWHL, the CIS is the highest level of organized women's hockey in Canada.

GA: Thanks a lot guys for the interview. Visit www.grrlAthlete.com for many more interviews with female coaches, players, and strength and conditioning experts.

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The information on cbathletics.com is for education purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health-care professionals. Consult your physician before beginning or making changes in your diet or exercise program, for diagnosis and treatment of illness and injuries, and for advice regarding medications. CB Athletic Consulting, Inc.

www.cbathletics.com
www.grrlathlete.com
www.workoutmanuals.com

The information on cbathletics.com is for education purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health-care professionals. Consult your physician before beginning or making changes in your diet or exercise program, for diagnosis and treatment of illness and injuries, and for advice regarding medications.