What's your weight training regimen?

[RangersMoogle]

I'm curious as to what other hockey players do in regards to weight training. Let's not include how much weight's on the bar, I don't want this to turn into a competition.

I do Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and alternate these two sets;

Barbell Squat 2x3
Barbell Row 2x3
Behind Neck Barbell Press 2x3
Barbell Curl 2x3
Weighted Sit-up 2x8

Bench Press 2x3
Bent Knee Deadlift 2x3
Millitary Press 2x3
Triceps Extension 2x3
Calf Raise 2x8

Light load, but I make gains with it, so I got no complaints. I usually do weighted sit-ups three times a week, abdominal muscles recover fast enough to let me do so. Might be detrimental to making gains doing it thrice a week, I don't know. If someone wants to chime in on that, please do.

Click to read more...

 

[Ti-girl]

I can't do a lot of weights because of my shoulder problems, but I do a lot of balance ball/balance board work and a lot of swimming and lower body weights.

Core stregnth is a HUGE thing to work on.

 

[MikeD]

None, outside of work....as a machinist working in the development and making of Hydraulic Cylinders, some as long as 15' with a body diameter of 7" w/ a wall thickness of 1/2" on a body, I move upwards of 4 ton in an 8 hour shift.

Pilates: Balanced Body Method is my "thing" both for health, relaxation and goaltending.

Check these two Zip files for complete example 16-17yr old and pro/collegiate year round fitness programs. They contain pre-season, in season and post season.

http://www.hawksice.com/tending/fitness16_17yrs.zip

http://www.hawksice.com/tending/pro_collegiate_program.zip

 

[RangersMoogle]

I'm not even making an effort compared to the pro/collegiate regimens. That's a lot work.

I'll stick with my cruddy hardgainer routine.

 

[XX]

Results are 80% Diet, 20% Workout.

 

[Hank19]

Monday - Chest and Shoulders
3 sets Flat bench press
3 - Incline flys
3 - decline bench press
1 - dropset cable crossovers
3 - arnold shoulder presses
3 - barbell lifts supersetted with dumbell shoulder shrugs
3 - hammer grip shoulder lifts

Tuesday - Arms
3 - seated incline dumbell curls
3 - 21's with barbell
2 - concentrated dumbell curls
2 - concentrated hammer curls
3 - seated overhead tricep extentions with hammer bar
3 - decline close grip barbell presses
3 - overhead tricep extentions
3 - seated cable tricep extentions

Wednesday - Cardio
I usually do a 45 minute spinning class. If that's not available I do 30 minutes on the treadmill followed by 20 minutes on the exercise bike

Thursday - Legs and Back
3 - Squats
3 - Leg Presses
3 - Hamstring curls
3 - lunges using dumbells
3 - sitting calf raises (supersetted with standing, barbell calf raises)
3 - Cable pulldowns
3 - seated rows
3 - alternating dumbell lifts

Friday - Cardio - Another spinning class or more running, eliptical, stationary bike.

***On Monday's I have ice hockey so that works as a great cardio workout. I also do 10 minutes of abs each day. Weekends I take off.

As far as doing a body part multiple times a week I guess it all depends on the intensity and the amount of work you're doing.
I've heard from 'experts' that doing hard ab exercises more than once a week is exessive. I do abs everyday but I do simple movements like crunches, leg lifts, roman situps, scissor kicks or decline leg lifts.

I do know that my arms and chest really, really improved after I started doing them only once a week. I would hit plateaus a lot earlier when I was doing them twice a week. But if you're only doing a couple of sets each time then I think it would work doing it twice or three times a week.

 

[RangersMoogle]

Yeah, doing two sets three times a week works for me. Three sets three times a week wore me out, so did three sets twice a week. My body just doesn't like doing three sets. Like I said, it's a light load, but I make gains, so I've got no complaints.

 

[Jeffw-13]

I do know that my arms and chest really, really improved after I started doing them only once a week. I would hit plateaus a lot earlier when I was doing them twice a week. But if you're only doing a couple of sets each time then I think it would work doing it twice or three times a week.

How does one work through the plateau's? That's where I'm at now.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

How does one work through the plateau's? That's where I'm at now.

I used to be a hardcore lifter... I'm talking 2-3 workouts a day for 3 month cycles

I did supersets, giant sets, plyometrics, circuit training, etc.

I jumped rope for 15-20 minutes straight...

All of this put me in really good shape, but there was another level, as I soon discovered.

Several months ago my g/f pushed me back into running. I had not run in about 8-9 years since I was a teen.

So I started to run 2-3 miles a day, then gradually increased it. Once I could run 4-5 miles, I started to run a few hills...then added more grueling ones...

Now I run 4-5 miles a day and do about 8-10 mean hills.

My skating has become much more explosive...I am so much stronger on the puck it is unreal...I win the races to all the loose pucks...I don't get fatigued anymore...when everyone else is sucking wind, I am at my peak.

If you want to see a dramatic improvement on the ice, hit the hills.

 

[Hank19]

How does one work through the plateau's? That's where I'm at now.

There can be two things you could do to help.

1. Change up your routine completely. I usually change my workouts every 6 weeks. For example, this latest cycle I start with flatbench, barbell benchpresses. But after this cycle I'll switch to starting with incline dumbell fly's. And then in the next cycle I'll start with my decline bench press. And then in the next cycle I'll switch to starting with flatbench fly's.
The next time you start with your flatbench, barbell, benchpresses, you might not be able to do as much as the last time you started with them, but the 2nd week you do, you'll start to see a difference. And by the 6th week I bet you're doing more than what you did last time.

2. Do less. No joke. I read an article written by a former Mr.Universe where he said when he hit a plateau he would only do 1/3 of what he was doing for a 4 week cycle. It seems odd but it does work. Instead of doing 3 sets of one movement, only do 1 set. This routine has also helped me bust through many a plateau.

Another thing that I've been doing in the past year is taking a whole week off every 8 weeks. I don't even look at the gym. Not only does it give your body a much needed rest but it also refreshes you mentally. I found, that after taking a week off, I was so geared up to hit the gym I would almost always move up in weight in several exercises just from having a postive mental outlook. The only thing you must resist is going back to the gym. I remember the first time I tried this by Wednesday I was itching to go back. My mind starting playing tricks on me by telling me I had gotten fatter and lost a tonne of muscle. But I resisted and it paid off. And now, I look forward to my little vacations.

Hope that helps.

 

[Jeffw-13]

Thanks Hank. That does help. I'll try it. I'm out of town next week and wont have access to the gym so looks like a good time for that rest.

 

[hckyguy14]

Any recomendations for someone who can only get to the Gym 3 times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday).

How long should I do cardio in order for it to be effective?

What type of excercises are most effective for hockey? (upper and lower body)

What type of excercises will help me gain defenistion, especially in my arms?

I would gladly go to the gym more often, but my schedule is hectic and I'm lucky I'm able to get there three times a week, but I do get there.

 

[MikeD]

check out The CNS Work Out by Peter Cisco. My oldest Son used the program for football with huge results. Small investment for the book. For those with limited time or hitting a plateau's it can be just what is needed. the program relies on VERY short duration MAX lifts to trigger total body responses.

 

[Hank19]

Any recomendations for someone who can only get to the Gym 3 times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday).

How long should I do cardio in order for it to be effective?

What type of excercises are most effective for hockey? (upper and lower body)

What type of excercises will help me gain defenistion, especially in my arms?

I would gladly go to the gym more often, but my schedule is hectic and I'm lucky I'm able to get there three times a week, but I do get there.

1. You should do at least 30 minutes of cardio. Experts have said that you must get in between 30-45 minutes for it to be effective.
2. I'm no expert on that. For the upper body I would focus on the chest, back and shoulders since hockey requires a lot of pushing and leaning. Bench presses, barbell rows and military presses would do well I suspect.
3. Gaining definition? Diet, cardio and weights. Seriously, there's no easy answer to that. Some experts will tell you that to gain definition you need to do less weight and more reps. But I've recently read that this is bunk. If you want your muscles to explode out of your skin, build them bigger. But at the same time, you won't be able to see your muscles if they're buried under fat. Diet is a very important component. I'm noticing that the older I get the harder it is to stay toned. So I changed my diet and workout routine. I can tell you that it made a HUGE difference. I eat 6 meals a day now that are high in protein, low in carbs and avoid sweets and fatty foods. I'm not perfect at it but it really has made a difference.

But MikeD has suggested a book with information on specific workouts for sports and I'd recommend that for anyone that wants to specialise their workouts. I'm just a regular guy trying to keep in shape so I'm not in one of those horrible moterized carts when I get older.

EDIT: I forgot to ask how much time you have on those 3 days for workouts? If it's 2 hours that shouldn't be a problem at all. I would do 2 body parts, abs and then 30-45 minutes of cardio on each day. You could also do your cardio, like running, in the early mornings before you start your day. Waking up early for workouts is hard but it feels great when you can do it.

Tuesday - Chest/Shoulders
Thursday - Bi's/Tris
Sunday - Legs/Back

I would also suggest changing these splits up every 6 weeks. It's great to hit opposite muscles. It can really stimulate growth. eg.

Tuesday - Chest/Back
Thursday - Bi's/Tris
Sunday - Legs/Shoulders

Or workout your back with bi's and chest with your triceps. That creates a great pump too since you're using all those muscles in the same movements.

 

[DWYZ]

Do minimal upper body weights.........its all about the core!

Push ups with feet on exercise ball is huge........

Do squats and lunges til you can't do anymore.........

 

[hckyguy14]

1. You should do at least 30 minutes of cardio. Experts have said that you must get in between 30-45 minutes for it to be effective.
2. I'm no expert on that. For the upper body I would focus on the chest, back and shoulders since hockey requires a lot of pushing and leaning. Bench presses, barbell rows and military presses would do well I suspect.
3. Gaining definition? Diet, cardio and weights. Seriously, there's no easy answer to that. Some experts will tell you that to gain definition you need to do less weight and more reps. But I've recently read that this is bunk. If you want your muscles to explode out of your skin, build them bigger. But at the same time, you won't be able to see your muscles if they're buried under fat. Diet is a very important component. I'm noticing that the older I get the harder it is to stay toned. So I changed my diet and workout routine. I can tell you that it made a HUGE difference. I eat 6 meals a day now that are high in protein, low in carbs and avoid sweets and fatty foods. I'm not perfect at it but it really has made a difference.

But MikeD has suggested a book with information on specific workouts for sports and I'd recommend that for anyone that wants to specialise their workouts. I'm just a regular guy trying to keep in shape so I'm not in one of those horrible moterized carts when I get older.

EDIT: I forgot to ask how much time you have on those 3 days for workouts? If it's 2 hours that shouldn't be a problem at all. I would do 2 body parts, abs and then 30-45 minutes of cardio on each day. You could also do your cardio, like running, in the early mornings before you start your day. Waking up early for workouts is hard but it feels great when you can do it.

Tuesday - Chest/Shoulders
Thursday - Bi's/Tris
Sunday - Legs/Back

I would also suggest changing these splits up every 6 weeks. It's great to hit opposite muscles. It can really stimulate growth. eg.

Tuesday - Chest/Back
Thursday - Bi's/Tris
Sunday - Legs/Shoulders

Or workout your back with bi's and chest with your triceps. That creates a great pump too since you're using all those muscles in the same movements.

Thanks hank!

I do work out for 2 hours a day, sometimes I go 2 1/2.

I'm going to go ahead and try all that you suggested. I have been on a no sugar diet for a while. Mainly because I gained 50lbs after I quit smoking. I went from 135 to 185, now down to 180. I needed to gain the weight, but I'd prefer to be around 170 as I lost a lot of speed. So I'm trying to build that up along with muscle.

 

[Slick]

I have a question for you guys. I was thinking about starting running again, and maybe hitting the bikes at the gym to build up my endurance on the ice, but I fear the weight loss due to cardio. I'm not trying to be the strongest guy on the ice, but I'm 6'3" and weigh about 176-180 lbs. I'm definently on the thinner side and try hard using diet and the gym to bulk up. I'm worried if I do the cardio I'm going to start losing the weight I do have. Is it a trade off, or will the cardio not take off the weight I fear it will?

 

[XX]

I have a question for you guys. I was thinking about starting running again, and maybe hitting the bikes at the gym to build up my endurance on the ice, but I fear the weight loss due to cardio. I'm not trying to be the strongest guy on the ice, but I'm 6'3" and weigh about 176-180 lbs. I'm definently on the thinner side and try hard using diet and the gym to bulk up. I'm worried if I do the cardio I'm going to start losing the weight I do have. Is it a trade off, or will the cardio not take off the weight I fear it will?

Eat a carb and protein rich meal 1-2 hours before Cardio, follow it with a protein shake. Never do weights after Cardio. And always eat a protein rich meal right before bed. Cottage cheese or a protein shake. You only lose muscle when your body runs out of carbs to fuel the fire.

Do interval training as well. I'm sure you know what that is. Less training time means the body wont become catabolic and start eating your muscles alive. You also need at least 180 grams of protein a day (your bodyweight) to gain weight. Might seem a lot, but between chicken in regular meals, protein bars and shakes, I get 200ish easy. Remember, if your doing cardio, you MUST eat something before bed. Its called "break-fast" for a reason, because your breaking your nightly fast, which is lethal to muscles. During the night is where you make all you gains, so get good deep sleep and slam down that protein.

If you lose weight, and your doing cardio and working out, it shouldn't last long and its going to be 100% fat. The less fat you have, the better you look, and the less useless mass your body has to carry around each shift, thus allowing you to last longer. Just put 100% focus on getting your diet right. Lots of small meals rich in meat/protein of any kind. Results only come after you've got the diet down. If you need further help I can give you some links or something, just PM me.

Edit: And to anyone whose hit a plateau, change up your diet and routine. Your body has adapted, and is maxing out the resources it has available to it. The body needs to be constantly challenged and fed if you want any sort of gains. I cant emphasize enough the diet. I once ignored it and thought that pounding out long cardio sessions would help me lose weight and that just lifting whenever I could would help me shape up. Not so.

 

[Hank19]

I have a question for you guys. I was thinking about starting running again, and maybe hitting the bikes at the gym to build up my endurance on the ice, but I fear the weight loss due to cardio. I'm not trying to be the strongest guy on the ice, but I'm 6'3" and weigh about 176-180 lbs. I'm definently on the thinner side and try hard using diet and the gym to bulk up. I'm worried if I do the cardio I'm going to start losing the weight I do have. Is it a trade off, or will the cardio not take off the weight I fear it will?

You definatley still want to do cardio. It will get rid of fat. Fat does you know good because it won't make you stronger.
And remember, muscle weighs twice as much as fat.

I guarentee you that if you weight train and add cardio into there, you won't lose that much weight. You will lose some weight to begin with because shedding fat and water through cardio is always faster than gaining muscle through weight training. But this little story might help alleviate your fears:

I used to work out at a gym in the mornings where the 'regulars' were a group of retirees. One guy, who was well into his 60's, looked fantastic for his age. He hit the weights and did cardio as well. One day he said to me "Hank, today is my last treatment!". Turns out the guy had cancer and was taking radiation treatments. Despite going through this, he maintained his workout regimen. His doctor was amazed because, as he said, he was the first cancer patient he ever saw GAIN weight while absorbing radation treatments.

So don't worry. The initial weight loss you'll experience won't be too bad. And I know exactly where you're coming from. When I was 20 I was 6'1" and 160 lbs. I started working out and within a year I was 185 lbs. I'm now 210 and while I don't appear to be 'big' in the conventional sense I'm not easy to move on the ice. That's not me trying to be a braggart at all. But I have certainly noticed that I'm a lot harder to move in the crease now than I was before.

Thanks hank!

I do work out for 2 hours a day, sometimes I go 2 1/2.

I'm going to go ahead and try all that you suggested. I have been on a no sugar diet for a while. Mainly because I gained 50lbs after I quit smoking. I went from 135 to 185, now down to 180. I needed to gain the weight, but I'd prefer to be around 170 as I lost a lot of speed. So I'm trying to build that up along with muscle.

No problem! I would definately check out some websites out there like www.abcbodybuilding.com or even some other sites like Mens Health or Muscle and Fitness. There are even some sites that have specific workouts for various sports.
Talking to a certified trainer at the gym is also an excellent idea.
Good luck, and keep at it!

 

[Slick]

Thank you for the help guys, I'll hit the cardio today. Is there any reason I shouldn't hit the bikes after doing a workout on weights?

PM sent to you, XavierX. Cheers.

 

[Hank19]

Thank you for the help guys, I'll hit the cardio today. Is there any reason I shouldn't hit the bikes after doing a workout on weights?

PM sent to you, XavierX. Cheers.

None that I know of.

 

[XX]

None that I know of.

After 45 minutes of working out, your body releases certain stress hormones. I forgot the exact mechanics of this, but since you've already been working out your body, doing cardio on top of that will hurt your gains. Its best to do cardio on your off days from training.

 

[Hank19]

After 45 minutes of working out, your body releases certain stress hormones. I forgot the exact mechanics of this, but since you've already been working out your body, doing cardio on top of that will hurt your gains. Its best to do cardio on your off days from training.

That's good to know. I had a personal trainer tell me once that you should do it after each workout.
But how bad could it really be though? For people like hckyguy14, they really don't have a choice.

 

[XX]

That's good to know. I had a personal trainer tell me once that you should do it after each workout.
But how bad could it really be though? For people like hckyguy14, they really don't have a choice.

Well less is more in this case. If your over training, nothing is worse for your body. It will nullify any gains you're trying to attain, and could lead to injuries. Unless your on roids, you don't have the recovery time to workout everyday of the week. Id stick to full body workouts 3 times a week with cardio on the off days with healthy doses of home cooked meals on the weekends with some serious sleep.

You can workout more than 3 times a week, but you should be careful to not overwork the same muscle groups.

 

[hckyguy14]

I usually do my Cardio (bike) and then do my lifting. Should I not be doing that?

Not sure I could squeeze running or biking in on my off days.