Good hockey exercises for an old guy.

[nullterm]

Interesting, I need a longer hill then. I can finish my run near my home in 14-15 seconds end-to-end. 100% full out sprint like I'm doing a 100m.

No shortage of big hills here in the Vancouver area, so I doubt I'll have a hard time finding a new run. haha

 

[Hockeyfan68]

For the original poster .... I'm 43 and still play. I play in a pretty competetive men's league which features some ex ECHL players as well as college etc. We're all old so that helps haha. I also try to play in pickup games often with lesser talents mainly just to get a skating workout and just to work on forechecking and stealing pucks.

But seriously ... ride a bike. Helps to keep stamina and instead of doing exercises for leg muscle size like weights do ones with less weight and more reps to get them stronger and more flexable. CARDIO CARDIO CARDIO. Anything that gets your heart rate up for exercise is absolutely the most important thing you can do probably for any age.

I had a partial bicep tendon tear a year and half ago and what struck me was it happened doing something I've done millions of times playing which was to go into the corner and wrap my stick around my player I was covering with one hand and using the other to hold the guy there. Well he decided to take off just as I got there and I hyperextended my arm and felt my bicep pop. it looks pretty gruesome and took a while to heal and I opted not to have surgery mainly because of my age. The doctor explained to me I had that option and it was prefernce. he said if used it in sport to make a living then I should.

Anyway it heled up and I can still shoot the same as always. I make sure to weight lift everyday and use low weight and do a lot of reps. The point I am making is that 10 years ago the same exact thing would not have resulted in an injury. I am convinced of that, when you get old you are more injury prone. The longer they take to heal also so stay loose.

For the legs I watched a video on the Bruins website once of bergeron's routine he does. One of the things I found useful was a type of squat that isn't a squat really. I'll try to describe it and i hope you can visualize it.

Basically you make a stance similar to what you would do skating but instead you pump one leg several times behind you holding a small weight in your arms and just do as many reps as it takes to feel a good burn alternating each leg. The key to it though is have the weight on that legt and not on the one you are not using, the natural tendency is to cheat with the leg you are not using which defeats the exercise.

He said it strengthens your groin muscles, hamstring as well as your knees. He said he did something like a couple hundred a day at home.

I still have good zip when skating but as you are getting old and you do slow down and it is out your control. You can work out as much as you like but you will never be young again period so don't set high expectations.

Adjust and play with people your age. I did switch to playing defense a couple of years ago from playing forward for 35 years or so. It was a good change of scenery and easier to conserve energy during game if you play with guys who know how to play.

Anyway hope that helps.

 

[ekcut]

Getting old sucks!
I got beaten wide this season by this young punk who went around me and ended up scoring. He was a real cocky SOB too to make things worse...I just don't get beat wide...EVER...that was a bitter pill to swallow.

I skate just as hard as ever...I just don't get there as fast.
I lose more and more board battles, and my hand eye coordnation isn't what it used to be.
Mentally, i see everthing the same, but I am just slower to react to it. That is the worst of it. I KNOW I used to make that play...but now I can't. That is far worse then sucking and not knowing it

I'm only 37....I used to think that getting old was all mental. I figured I'd get aches and pains, but as long as I was willing to play through it, I'd be a good player as long as the desire was there. But that isn't how it works. The desire is there! I just move in slow motion while my brain and the rest of the world move at regular speed.
I effin hate it!

/old man rant

 

[rinkrat22]

For the original poster .... I'm 43 and still play. I play in a pretty competetive men's league which features some ex ECHL players as well as college etc. We're all old so that helps haha. I also try to play in pickup games often with lesser talents mainly just to get a skating workout and just to work on forechecking and stealing pucks.

But seriously ... ride a bike. Helps to keep stamina and instead of doing exercises for leg muscle size like weights do ones with less weight and more reps to get them stronger and more flexable. CARDIO CARDIO CARDIO. Anything that gets your heart rate up for exercise is absolutely the most important thing you can do probably for any age.

I had a partial bicep tendon tear a year and half ago and what struck me was it happened doing something I've done millions of times playing which was to go into the corner and wrap my stick around my player I was covering with one hand and using the other to hold the guy there. Well he decided to take off just as I got there and I hyperextended my arm and felt my bicep pop. it looks pretty gruesome and took a while to heal and I opted not to have surgery mainly because of my age. The doctor explained to me I had that option and it was prefernce. he said if used it in sport to make a living then I should.

Anyway it heled up and I can still shoot the same as always. I make sure to weight lift everyday and use low weight and do a lot of reps. The point I am making is that 10 years ago the same exact thing would not have resulted in an injury. I am convinced of that, when you get old you are more injury prone. The longer they take to heal also so stay loose.

For the legs I watched a video on the Bruins website once of bergeron's routine he does. One of the things I found useful was a type of squat that isn't a squat really. I'll try to describe it and i hope you can visualize it.

Basically you make a stance similar to what you would do skating but instead you pump one leg several times behind you holding a small weight in your arms and just do as many reps as it takes to feel a good burn alternating each leg. The key to it though is have the weight on that legt and not on the one you are not using, the natural tendency is to cheat with the leg you are not using which defeats the exercise.

He said it strengthens your groin muscles, hamstring as well as your knees. He said he did something like a couple hundred a day at home.

I still have good zip when skating but as you are getting old and you do slow down and it is out your control. You can work out as much as you like but you will never be young again period so don't set high expectations.

Adjust and play with people your age. I did switch to playing defense a couple of years ago from playing forward for 35 years or so. It was a good change of scenery and easier to conserve energy during game if you play with guys who know how to play.

Anyway hope that helps.

Dude, where have you been?

 

[Hockeyfan68]

Dude, where have you been?

Playing hockey .... miss my overly long winded posts do ya?

 

[Hockeyfan68]

Getting old sucks!
I got beaten wide this season by this young punk who went around me and ended up scoring. He was a real cocky SOB too to make things worse...I just don't get beat wide...EVER...that was a bitter pill to swallow.

I skate just as hard as ever...I just don't get there as fast.
I lose more and more board battles, and my hand eye coordnation isn't what it used to be.
Mentally, i see everthing the same, but I am just slower to react to it. That is the worst of it. I KNOW I used to make that play...but now I can't. That is far worse then sucking and not knowing it

I'm only 37....I used to think that getting old was all mental. I figured I'd get aches and pains, but as long as I was willing to play through it, I'd be a good player as long as the desire was there. But that isn't how it works. The desire is there! I just move in slow motion while my brain and the rest of the world move at regular speed.
I effin hate it!

/old man rant

I use mah stick more for gap control and try to compensate for less speed against youngsters. Most youngsters ALL toe drag so crest watch his jersey and let him toe drag till the cows come home, can't skate anywhere without the puck because he skated into you no matter how slick he is. Granted it is not 100% and depends on how much time you have to gauge him but you get the point.

As far as being old it does suck. You notice when you work as hard as you always have but remember getting to the puck faster by a fraction of a second when you were 10 years younger.

The benefits are though that you may have 25 to 30 years more experience than these "kids" and it does make up for a lot of oldness.

I also have to deal with cataracts unfortunately which make bright lights halo and car headlights look like sparklers. Sunny rooms look like they are smokey etc. I've lost some depth perception because with cataracts both eyes age at different intervals so you always have one eye worse than the other. I now have to use reading glasses and am starting to need glasses period for things in the distance. That really pisses me off big time. Cataracts cannot be surgically removed until they are pretty bad, doctors just won't do it.

The good news ice is white so playing hockey isn;t a problem yet other than to lose some depth perception. I started wearing eye protection almost 2 years ago and when playing defense with the guys who slapshot I wear mah full wire cage shield. That was hard to get used to after 30+ years or so of not wearing any at all.

Just in case I don't pick up a puck in time or a highstick etc from "being old".

 

[rinkrat22]

Playing hockey .... miss my overly long winded posts do ya?

us old guys have to stick together

 

[Jarick]

buy a kettlebell. google some workouts. check out some youtube videos for kettlebell training. rinse and repeat. enjoy your new found strength.

edit: I'm 39 and love it when the college kids home for summer think I must be under 30.

Busted out the kettlebell again yesterday to deal with some back pain I've had the last couple weeks. Each time I've had lower back pain I do kettlebell swings and it helps quite a bit. Obviously that means my lower back needs strengthening and I should be a lot less lazy and do it regularly.

It is an ass kicker too...works pretty much all the hockey muscles plus cardio. Do that with some pushups and crunches and you've got a full body workout in 20 minutes.

Dang I really should do that regularly. I've been sore a lot this summer so I keep putting off working out, but I'm sore because I don't work out

 

[and 99 others]

If you want to get your speed back, the main thing (in my opinion) is building up strength in your thighs (that's where most of the power comes from). I typically just do lunges and if I have time to get in a gym I'll do a few sets of squats. Not only will you get faster if you stick to strengthening your thighs, but you'll find that you'll have more endurance.

 

[rinkrat22]

Busted out the kettlebell again yesterday to deal with some back pain I've had the last couple weeks. Each time I've had lower back pain I do kettlebell swings and it helps quite a bit. Obviously that means my lower back needs strengthening and I should be a lot less lazy and do it regularly.

It is an ass kicker too...works pretty much all the hockey muscles plus cardio. Do that with some pushups and crunches and you've got a full body workout in 20 minutes.

Dang I really should do that regularly. I've been sore a lot this summer so I keep putting off working out, but I'm sore because I don't work out

throw some pull ups and kettlebell snatches in there and you'll be pain free and running guys over in no time