Off-Ice Training for On-Ice Fitness

Hockey is a game of short but very intense and explosive bursts of activity and your off-ice training for on-ice fitness should mimic your game activity. Typically, hockey shifts are from 40 to 50 seconds in length followed by about 120 seconds resting on the bench. It follows that high intensity interval training will work the best to provide the strength, power and endurance required for on-ice performance.

Interval training is best described as any activity lasting from 15 to 30 minutes with alternating periods of high intensity and low intensity exercise. The beauty is you can do this either running, biking or rowing. You can even use running, biking or rowing machines. For variety you can alternate your chosen activity day to day. For even added strength and power, consider wearing ankle and wrist weights while you exercise.

As with all training and exercise programs you need to consult a doctor first. Start out slow and work your way up to the more intense workouts as your fitness level improves. Interval training will burn more calories and increase fitness over a shorter period of time than just steady training. During hockey's off-season or if you only play on weekends, off-ice interval training will keep you fit between games.

Beginner Interval Training

Warm-up - 5 minutes prior to start of intervals.
Sprint - 40 seconds
Rest - 120 seconds
Repeat this five more times for a total of six sets. Sprinting means flat out, as fast as you can.
Duration - 21 minutes

Intermediate Interval Training

Warm-up - 5 minutes
Sprint - 50 seconds
Rest - 120 seconds
Sets - 7
Duration - 25 minutes

Advanced Interval Training

Warm-up - 5 minutes
Sprint - 60 seconds
Rest - 120 seconds
Sets - 8
Duration - 29 minutes

Work out hard and you will feel the difference on the ice.

Cardio & Calorie Blaster

Once you are comfortable with interval training then try this workout once a week to burn lots of calories and really jack-up your fitness level.

Warm-up - 15 minutes
Sprint for 3 minutes at 90% of maximum heart rate and then take 3 minutes of active rest (keep up the activity but at a reduced rate). Repeat for 4 sets.
Duration - 39 minutes

Sculpting Muscles & High Octane Cardio

Great off-ice training for on-ice fitness. Try this sprint interval for a fast and fun workout. After each burst of hard work, you'll recover for the same amount of time.

Warm up - 15 minutes. Add three or four 20 second bursts at the end to prepare for the workout.
Sprint - 30 seconds / rest - 30 seconds
Sprint - 1 minute / rest - 1 minute
Sprint - 2 minutes / rest - 2 minutes
Sprint - 4 minutes / rest - 4 minutes
Sprint - 2 minutes / rest - 2 minutes
Sprint - 1 minute / rest - 1 minute
Sprint - 30 seconds / rest - 30 seconds
Finish with a 10-minute cooldown.
Duration - 32 minutes

One of the best things about interval training is there are no hard and fast rules. You can vary different lengths of work and recovery times resulting in different benefits. Interval training is tough but the results are all good. Another benefit is you will spend less time in the gym with greater results. With intervals your off-ice training for on-ice fitness will be fun and increase your game performance.

For more information on Off-Ice Training for On-Ice Fitness and other hockey tips please visit http://www.hockeyhistorynews.com. The author's website and other hockey articles are written from a long time hockey enthusiast's and fan's perspective. Enter your e-mail address to subscribe for upcoming newslette