Welcome! It's time to get stronger and faster on the ice.
Since you’ve found your way here, you probably already know that strength training can be an invaluable addition to your life as a hockey player. Regardless of your skill or ambition level, no-one likes feeling tired, weak or ineffective on the ice. What’s more, ice hockey places heavy demands on the muscles of the legs, hips, core and even upper body, frequently involves impact, and often requires us to go into deep ranges of motion at high speed- all situations which significantly increase injury risk in any sport.
Whether you’re looking to improve your stats, want to prevent injury, or are just tired of your quads burning at the end of each shift, strength training will help you skate faster, be more agile, and generate more explosivity with every stride.
This program is for you if:
- You find yourself fatiguing early on in your game
- You routinely experience soreness in your glutes, quads and adductors after playing
- Your low back bothers you, either on or off the ice
- You experience recurring muscle sprains (groin, hip flexors and adductors, anyone?)
- You’re generally tight and stiff
- Your core strength feels questionable
- Your coordination and balance could use more work
- You wish you could generate more speed and explosivity
- You want to continue playing for years to come and stay injury-free
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You KNOW you could be doing more to look after your body, but feel overwhelmed trying to figure out where to start!
See the results others have achieved.
“Everything has been excellent, I appreciate all of the help so much. My back is already feeling better and stronger than it has in years, since before I started playing hockey probably, so I hope to continue with what I’ve learned and continue to stay injury free, thanks so much to y’all’s help!” -AJR
“Honestly, the results from completing this program greatly exceeded my expectations. Going into this, I thought that I would maybe just have better stamina on the ice (which was all I was really wanting), but in actuality I not only have better stamina, I have better energy levels, am measurably stronger, and in general feel better both physically and mentally.” - MW
“The program was tailored to my needs, supportive, great to start from scratch, incredibly supportive as a beginner, but still really beneficial and in-depth if you were more experienced.” -Kelly H
“I had never done strength training before, and this program made it easy to add weight lifting to my routine. I appreciated the open-endedness of the instructions: starting from body weight, progressing to "light weight", then "increasing weight" allowed me to adjust as needed. The specific feedback, encouragement, tips, and modifications were worth every penny and I really enjoyed receiving feedback after I had shared some. I would 100% recommend this program to anyone.” - KHK
“I’m only halfway through the program, but I can already feel the difference it’s making. My legs feel stronger on the ice, and I can generate more speed with less muscular effort.” - AC
Why strength train for hockey? A well-designed, sport-specific program delivers strength, power, mobility, agility, endurance, and injury prevention, all in one package.
Skate faster & reduce injury risk.
If you’re looking to move and feel better on the ice, strength training provides incredible bang for your buck. It’s an effective way to increase power, muscular endurance and explosivity on the ice.
Research also indicates that strength training (when performed using full range of motion) improves mobility, and develops tissue resilience near end range of motion, where we are most likely to lack capacity and get injured. In other words, a regular and sport-specific strength training routine can significantly improve on-ice performance and decrease injury risk!
Better core strength.
While we often think of the legs and hips as the engine of a powerful stride, the core plays a major role in this by providing a platform of stability for the lower body: we move most efficiently when we effectively recruit the larger central muscles of the trunk to support the function of the limbs.
Additionally, hockey demands a core that is both strong as well as reactive. The ability to respond to impact is crucial on the ice, and a resilient-yet-flexible core can be the difference between a wipeout and a quick course-correction that keeps you upright and in control of the puck. Conveniently, all strength training IS core training, especially when utilizing compound full-body movements like squats, lunges, and deadlifts, all of which naturally train core strength as well better coordination between the core and the limbs.
Improved balance & enhanced body awareness.
Strength training improves proprioception- the ability to accurately detect the position of your body in space, and relative to itself. Strength aside, enhanced proprioception is your other secret weapon when it comes to on-ice performance! Strength training improves single leg balance (a position you occupy nearly 100% of the time you are skating), gives you better control in quick transitions and turns, and enhances your ability to course correct after impact.
While regular strength workouts naturally train all the above as a convenient by-product of your actual strength gains, this program also includes lots of single leg work to effectively drill down on this foundational skill.
What to expect from this program.
This program is suitable for hockey players of all levels. It provides a safe, accessible 8-week progression that works just as well for novice athletes as for seasoned gym-goers simply desiring consistency and structure. You can expect:
- Tried-and-tested methodology, designed and delivered by a qualified strength trainer and movement professional- a hockey player herself who thoroughly understands the demands of the sport
- 3 weekly workouts utilizing a combination of traditional weight training for overall muscular endurance and strength, and sport-specific components to improve on-ice performance
- Seamless digital delivery via TrueCoach, an industry-standard remote coaching platform
- Video demos of all movements and comprehensive written instructions of workout structures
- Flexible scheduling and start date, so you can complete your workouts whenever they fit into your week and game schedule
- 10-week access: we know life happens and it’s not always possible to stay on track. Enjoy an extra 2 weeks to get caught up if you need to.
- Minimal equipment and no gym membership needed! You just need weights (we can advise if you’d like assistance on what to buy), a resistance band, and an optional yoga mat
- Options for additional support: book a call with Jenni anytime if you need real-time guidance
Looking for individualized programming, built from scratch to fit your needs and specific goals? Check out our Bespoke Coaching service- it comes with daily coach support, and custom program design that evolves with you as you progress. We recommend Bespoke Coaching for folks with chronic pain, recurring injuries, more complex goals or needs (scoliosis, joint replacements, rehab from surgery, hypermobility/ EDS, performance optimization, mobility and recovery). Visit our Bespoke Coaching page for more information, or schedule a free consultation to discuss your needs.
The biggest risk factor for injury is... prior injury.
Every hockey player knows "that one guy” who cycles through seemingly endless rounds of injury and PT. Did you know that the most reliable predictor for injury risk is *drum roll* having suffered a prior injury?
Injury cycles can become an unfortunate, self-fulfilling prophecy. Any kind of injury can create an area of vulnerability where tissues have decreased levels of tensile strength and mobility- this is especially true for injuries that aren't rehabbed adequately. Unmanaged and excessive scar tissue formation- a common side effect of soft tissue trauma and surgeries- leads to disorganized, cross-linked connective tissue. The result is tissue with poor mobility, diminished tensile strength, and a decreased load tolerance capacity. In other words: weak, stiff tissue, which, you guessed it, is more likely to injure more easily in the future.
Preemptively strengthening your body for the demands of a high impact, high velocity sport like hockey is just common sense for anyone who wants to continue playing for decades to come. Strength training has been shown to increase both muscular strength and connective tissue resilience, making it an invaluable tool for safeguarding your longevity as an athlete!
About the program creator.
Jenni Tarma is a lifelong athlete, endurance runner, RRCA Endurance coach, CrossFit athlete and CF- L1 trainer, and a ERYT500 yoga instructor. She specializes in working with an active population and coaches everyone from elite athletes to weekend warriors. She has multiple advanced certifications in anatomy, physiology and biomechanics, and is a senior teacher in the Yoga Medicine 500hr program where she has taught hundreds of new yoga teachers. She has also created multiple continuing education courses on topics like teaching yoga to athletes, neuromechanics, and working with hypermobile/ Ehlers-Danlos clients.
She is an enthusiastic writer who has contributed articles to Yoga Journal, Healthline, Weight Watchers, OpenFit, Reebok, Thrive Global, Parade, and Yoga Medicine®’s online forum among others, and has released an e-book on hamstring tendon injuries.
Jenni discovered hockey as an adult and can't believe the best sport ever eluded her till the age of 39! She loves her team (Raleigh Rampage- go Ramps) and prefers playing defense. Say hi if you see her on the ice 👋
Didn't quite find what you were looking for?
Check out our other programs to support your athletic goals: muscular and nervous system recovery, mobility, and custom Bespoke Coaching for injury rehab, specific training goals, and performance optimization.
Need something else? Shoot us an email to [email protected] and let us know!
