March 31, 2006
ARTICLE #4
RUNNING SPEED –VS- SKATING SPEED
It is as simple as this; the faster you run, the faster you skate. If you think about it, this explains it all.
Sprinting is an explosive sport. The 100 meter dash takes a good sprinter 10 seconds. It is an all out effort for a short period of time. Skating is also an explosive sport. A break away or a back check in hockey takes around 6 seconds and is an all out effort. Both are very similar.
Lets take a look at what both athletes do before they start moving. A good sprinter explodes out of the starting blocks. A sprinter needs very strong, explosive, developed leg muscles to be fast. If we compare these two pictures (one of a sprinter exploding out of the starting blocks and the other of a centermen about to explode through his opponent) they are very similar. Both the sprinter and the centermen have dropped their hips to produce a low center of gravity. Both have good knee bend and are ready to explode forward. Both athletes look very similar in this position.
Once they are moving, still both the sprinter and the skater have the same qualities. (look at the skater in the white) Both have high knee drive with the lead leg. Both have full extension with the push off leg. If the hockey player were skating straight forward, the arm would swing the same way as the sprinter. Again, both athletes look very similar in this position as well.
If running and skating are generally the same mechanically, should a sprinter and a skater train in similar fashions? The answer is yes! If you want to skate faster, run faster. Both sports have other factors to think about, but when a sprinter and a hockey player are both running and skating straight forward, they are very similar.
What can both athletes do to improve explosive power? It is easy really. Plyometrics are arguably the best way to improve explosive power. Along with plyometrics, sprinting helps to develop explosive power. Sprinting up hill will develop leg strength and explosive power and sprinting down hill will help increase cycle speed and stride length. Try to incorporate plyometrics and hill sprinting into your daily workout routine.
Below are some sample workouts you can do to improve your sprinting speeds.
SPRINTS:
2 x a week
6 uphill sprints (40 yards on a 5% incline hill)
6 downhill sprints (40 yards on a 5% incline hill)
6-40 yard sprints in sand
6-40 yard sprints on the level ground
-For all the sprints…
-Make sure your form is at its best
-Make sure you stay in control
-Work as hard as possible
PLYOMETRICS:
2 x a week
2x20 seconds of each of the following five exercises
-For all plyometrics activities…
-Explode up in the air
-Land softly on the balls of your feet with your knees slightly bent
-Work as hard as possible
1. OBSTACLE JUMPING
-Place hurdles or cones 1-2 feet apart
-Anywhere from knee height to waist height
-6-8 hurdles or cones
-Waste no time turning around and repeating
-Use a jump turn in the air and do not add an extra jump
-DO NOT DOUBLE JUMP in between jumps
-Repeat by doing a 180 degree jump turn
-Stress
-Land on balls of feet and land lightly on feet
-Get butt down, keep head and chest up
-Explode straight up into the air
-Jump/Land smoothly and efficiently
-Loading up on the balls of your feet with proper knee bend is imperative
2. Long Log Jumps – One Leg
-Have a log anywhere from 10 feet to 30 feet in length
-Jump as far down the log as possible with one foot at a time
-Jump from side to side over the log each time
-Focus on landing on balls of feet and going for distance
-Get to the end of the log, switch legs, and repeat
-Stress
-Land on balls of feet and land lightly on feet
-Get butt down, keep head and chest up
-Explode as far as possible
-Jump/Land smoothly and efficiently
3. Wall Sits with Explosive Jumps
-Hold sand bag or weight on lap or on shoulders
-Lean against wall
-Squat down so thighs are parallel to the ground
-Sit on the wall for 10 seconds
-Then drop sand bag and explode up into the air as high as possible
-Put sand bag on and squat back down to parallel
-When time is up, drop bag again and explode into the air one more time
-Stress
-Land on balls of feet and land lightly on feet
-Get butt down, keep head and chest up
-Explode straight up into the air
-Jump/Land smoothly and efficiently
-Make sure thighs are kept at parallel during entire wall sit
-Loading up on balls of feet with proper knee bend is imperative
4. Standing Long Jump
-Stand with feet shoulder width apart
-Bend knees down to parallel
-Roll on to the balls of your feet
-Swing arms
-Explode as far forward as possible
-Not concerned with height, concerned with distance
-Land on balls of both feet
-Regroup and repeat
-Concentrate on jumping as far forward as possible
-Use momentum to help you explode
-Stress
-Land on balls of feet and land lightly on feet
-Get butt down, keep head and chest up
-Explode out as far as possible
-Jump/Land smoothly and efficiently
-Loading up on the balls of your feet with proper knee bend is imperative
5. Red Agility Bags – Double Leg Hops
-Space agility bags or cones parallel to each other 1-2 feet apart
-Hop with both feet together at the same time latterly through bags-return & repeat
-Always face same direction
-Stress
-Land on balls of feet and land lightly on feet
-Get butt down, keep head and chest up
-Explode straight up into the air
-Jump/Land smoothly and efficiently
-Loading up on the balls of your feet with proper knee bend is imperative
If you train like a sprinter, you will run like a sprinter. If you sprint like a champion, you will skate like a champion. If you skate like a champion, you have a good chance of playing hockey like a champion.
MHC – “Helping Others, Help Themselves.”