TBN: Casey Mittelstadt getting physical

Buffaloed

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Feb 27, 2002
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Casey Mittelstadt trying to 'take that jump' after challenging rookie season with Sabres

With three weeks remaining in the Buffalo Sabres' season, Casey Mittelstadt called his trainer, Erik Rasmussen, in March to make plans to start their offseason workouts.
The date Mittelstadt wanted to begin: April 12, only three days after the Sabres' season finale in Detroit.
"I said, ‘There’s no way you’re starting then,'" Rasmussen, Director of Player Development at MAP South Hockey in Mendota Heights, Minn., recalled during a recent phone interview. "Casey said, ‘I will be there and we’re starting.’ ... Casey is driving it. It’s no one else telling him to work like this."

Mittlestadt's been working out with Erik "don't call me Bustmuffin" Rasmussin 3-4 times a week since the season ended. Two hours of lifting weights and 90 minutes on-ice are included in each workout. He's been following a strength and conditioning plan laid out for him by the Sabres.

"I think I just learned pretty much everything away from the rink -- you name it, I pretty much had to do it, which is different for met. Obviously, even going to college, I was still close to home. I think that was probably the biggest thing for me and the physical grind, along with the mental grind, of playing three in four and traveling and all that stuff is something I’ve never done. I kind of figured that out and figured out what you need to do with your body to get yourself ready. It takes a little bit of time, but I think once you kind of get that down and get that figured out, your routines are set."

According to Rasmussen ""Casey’s motivation in the gym, in the weight room and on the ice has definitely matured. He’s put more emphasis on himself to be better prepared for this coming season. You can only tell him so many times, ‘Hey, this is going to be much harder than you think.’ He went through that process last year and he didn’t have a bad year or a great year. I think he had a very good year and he made some growth, but there’s more he wants out of himself. That’s the driving factor. Casey has been way more involved in wanting to make those changes."
 

Chainshot

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Good to hear he has been that dedicated, taking steps along the way. He still could make a serious improvement and yet not yet be a finished product. Hope we see the impact on the ice.
 
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Goathead

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Jan 28, 2015
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It’s good to get some actual news on this subject finally. Sounds like he’s been working hard hopefully that translates to the ice this season.
 

Club

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Mar 2, 2015
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Good for him. Definitely cant wait to see what he brings to the ice next season.

.. Soon fellas, soon! :p
 

Sabre the Win

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Jun 27, 2013
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I hope this is true. Sabres success down the middle in the intermediate require him to become that 60-70 point playmaking 2C.

I'd even settle for 50-60 point 2C which is nice but a disappointment for the hype I had for this kid.
 
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TheDawnOfANewTage

Dahlin, it’ll all be fine
Dec 17, 2018
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3-4 days a week? This should be bumped to 7 days a week twice a day!

It could be a good plan, but I had the same thought- "Oh, 3-4 times a week is good! Wait, I work out 3-4 times a week and spend the rest of the time eating potato chips. 3-4 times a week might not be enough."
 

joshjull

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It could be a good plan, but I had the same thought- "Oh, 3-4 times a week is good! Wait, I work out 3-4 times a week and spend the rest of the time eating potato chips. 3-4 times a week might not be enough."

“That's where Rasmussen came in. Rasmussen was drafted seventh overall by the Sabres in 1996 and played nine NHL seasons, including five in Buffalo. The two convened at MAP South only a few days after the regular season ended and have worked together four or five times a week since.”

Mittelstadt, along with other players, lifts weights in the facility's gym from roughly 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., eats breakfast or lunch, and participates in an on-ice workout for around 90 minutes. Rasmussen hasn't concocted an unorthodox plan to help Mittelstadt improve. Instead, the two have followed the one laid out by the Sabres. Mittelstadt's progress has been the result of physical and mental maturity, Rasmussen said.




The article says it’s been 4 or 5 times a week working on a plan laid out by the Sabres.
 

joshjull

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Aug 2, 2005
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You can only tell him so many times, ‘Hey, this is going to be much harder than you think.’ He went through that process last year and he didn’t have a bad year or a great year. I think he had a very good year and he made some growth, but there’s more he wants out of himself. That’s the driving factor. Casey has been way more involved in wanting to make those changes."



As I suspected, like a lot of kids, he needed to experience something to fully understand/appreciate it. He got his first taste of the NHL grind (of any grind really). He needed it to fully understand/appreciate the offseason prep work he would have to put in. The good news is he appears to have learned his lesson and we’ll see what this offseason of work does for him.
 
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Jim Bob

RIP RJ
Feb 27, 2002
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It could be a good plan, but I had the same thought- "Oh, 3-4 times a week is good! Wait, I work out 3-4 times a week and spend the rest of the time eating potato chips. 3-4 times a week might not be enough."

Being in the weight room 3-4 days per week is what he should be doing.

The key is working hard in the weight room and then recovering properly by having a nourishment plan to aid in recovery, getting the needed quantity and quality of sleep to drive recovery, and doing various forms of mobility work and recovery methods to allow him to work hard the next time he's in the weight room or on the ice.

You need to have the right mix of training stress and recovery to get better.
 

SnuggaRUDE

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Apr 5, 2013
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Casey Mittelstadt trying to 'take that jump' after challenging rookie season with Sabres



Mittlestadt's been working out with Erik "don't call me Bustmuffin" Rasmussin 3-4 times a week since the season ended. Two hours of lifting weights and 90 minutes on-ice are included in each workout. He's been following a strength and conditioning plan laid out for him by the Sabres.

"I think I just learned pretty much everything away from the rink -- you name it, I pretty much had to do it, which is different for met. Obviously, even going to college, I was still close to home. I think that was probably the biggest thing for me and the physical grind, along with the mental grind, of playing three in four and traveling and all that stuff is something I’ve never done. I kind of figured that out and figured out what you need to do with your body to get yourself ready. It takes a little bit of time, but I think once you kind of get that down and get that figured out, your routines are set."

According to Rasmussen ""Casey’s motivation in the gym, in the weight room and on the ice has definitely matured. He’s put more emphasis on himself to be better prepared for this coming season. You can only tell him so many times, ‘Hey, this is going to be much harder than you think.’ He went through that process last year and he didn’t have a bad year or a great year. I think he had a very good year and he made some growth, but there’s more he wants out of himself. That’s the driving factor. Casey has been way more involved in wanting to make those changes."

I'm not saying he's on the gas, but that sounds like the kind of workout you can only do if you're on the gas.
 

Chainshot

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Being in the weight room 3-4 days per week is what he should be doing.

The key is working hard in the weight room and then recovering properly by having a nourishment plan to aid in recovery, getting the needed quantity and quality of sleep to drive recovery, and doing various forms of mobility work and recovery methods to allow him to work hard the next time he's in the weight room or on the ice.

You need to have the right mix of training stress and recovery to get better.

Well said.
 

tsujimoto74

Moderator
May 28, 2012
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It could be a good plan, but I had the same thought- "Oh, 3-4 times a week is good! Wait, I work out 3-4 times a week and spend the rest of the time eating potato chips. 3-4 times a week might not be enough."

Are you lifting for 2 hours each time and then skating afterwards?
 

MrMaster

Registered User
Apr 20, 2016
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At the start of training camp, i want the very first reporter to ask as his very first question: "How many pull-ups can you pull off?"
 

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