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Overcoming Obstacles
Obstacles can be
overcome through hard work and dedication. If a person really wants
to overcome an obstacle, it can be done. Ultimately, the bottom line
is it comes down to you.
On April 7, 2006,
Matt Becker had a snowmobiling accident in Yellowstone. He ended up
with a broken scaphoid and bilateral ACL tear. He had wrist surgery
on April 24, 2006 where he had a bone graft and a pin inserted. He
had bilateral ACL reconstruction on May 2, 2006.
His road to
recovery was a long road of rehab followed with physical therapists,
occupational therapists, personal trainers, etc. He worked numerous
hours on strengthening his muscles, skating, stretching, etc until
he was given the go ahead to engage in contact on December 4, 2006.
Matt continued his
uphill climb through hard work and dedication. He continued skating
and conditioning for the month of December. Through Matt’s will
power to overcome this obstacle he did just that.
He played his first game since the
accident on January 6th with the Fargo-Moorhead Jets. During his
first game back he had an assist.
All of this in just
8 months after a very tragic accident. To add another positive, Matt
will be attending and will play for the United States Air Force
Academy Falcons for the 2007-08 season!
Matt is an inspiration to everyone
that has heard his story. He is an example of how through hard work
and determination a person can achieve anything they put their minds
to. Minnesota Hockey Camps would like to congratulate Matt on
his accomplishments thus far and wish him all the best in the
future. There are other success stories out there that other
where other people have overcome great obstacles. We would like to
congratulate them as well!
The Science of Training (12/21/06)
I was recently asked a
question by a MHC camper about after game workouts. He said, “after games
I have been riding the bike for 20 minutes, but I am not sure as to what level I
should be working on and whether I should do a sort of cycle of a minute hard,
three easy and so on?” This question got me thinking about how young athletes
being misled in their workouts. Last time I checked hockey wasn't played
on a bike so let's get more specific and ask this question; What is the
correct and most effienct method of removing the lactic acid after a game for a
HOCKEY PLAYER?
First of all, let me say that riding a bike after a game will help a player
flush out the lactic acid that has built up inside of their legs. However,
becoming dependent on a bike after games has some hazards. First, the bike
can cause your hamstrings to shorten. The more you bike the greater the
probability of that happening. Short hamstrings lead to a short skating stride,
which in turn leads to a reduction in skating speed. Why would a player want to
train himself into a slow skater? Second, abdominal injuries are becoming
more common in today’s game. The shortening of the hamstrings might be adding
stress to the abdominal area. This added stress might play a part in these
injuries that are becoming more significant. Third, riding the bike
doesn’t really benefit you in a hockey specific way. People always talk about
sport specific training. Riding a bike is about as far away from the
biomechanics of skating or hockey as it can be.
What is Lactic Acid (LA) and where does it come from?
Your body produces energy
in a couple of ways. One of the mechanisms for providing this energy is the
glycol tic breakdown of glycogen to lactic acid. This is called anaerobic
metabolism. During less intense exercise there is enough oxygen inside the
muscles to remove the LA. During less intense exercise the removal rate of LA is
greater than the production rate, flushing out the LA before it builds up.
However, during intense exercise there isn’t enough oxygen inside the muscle,
causing the production rate of LA to be greater than the removal rate. This
causes the body to reconvert the LA into glucose in the liver and eventually to
pyruvic acid. The body needs to flush this out after intense exercise to prevent
soreness. So, biking after an intense workout/game is a good way to help
flush your legs; but the question you need to ask yourself is why not
complete an exercise that is hockey specific to help me
improve on my game while flushing out the LA? Just like the old saying “killing
two birds with one stone”.
The best way to spend your time after a game
or a hard workout is to do some explosive and/or quickness ply metrics. Pick 5
different exercises and complete each one for 20 seconds. Leave yourself
adequate rest in between exercises. This does the following things for your
body: First, it will help get out the LA so your body feels minimal
soreness after the game. Second, it will help build explosive power in your
legs. Third, it will help your skating skills, your leg strength and give you
the edge over your opponent.
I believe the bike is an easy way for some
athletes to get out of a workout. The bike has been a huge part of the
“hockey culture” and some people do not want to change that. It is tough
to argue with an injured player because biking has become a way of life for the
injured athlete. It is a safe low impact cardiovascular workout to stay in some
sort of shape while being injured. However, the bike can sometimes be "a
way of life" for the lazy athlete. To me if you are injured, ride the bike
and don’t play in games that week. If you can play in the game, then stay
off the bike. Too many players are opting for the easy way out of a
challenging workout.
DEVELOPING YOUR WHOLE BODY-
It is not beneficial for an athlete to
isolate a specific area for the majority of a workout. This could not only
cause injuries but will create a less demanding workout. For instance, if
a player really works on his quad strength (which is crucial to the hockey
player) but forgets about his hamstrings, he is creating an imbalance in muscle
strength that could lead to hamstring injuries. It will be caused by the
added quad strength that puts extra strain on the hamstrings, causing them to
stretch more and tear easier. It does not matter how strong your quadriceps are,
if you are injured you do not have an edge on your opponent. A player needs to
develop all of his lower body to gain that edge. Strengthen the quadriceps to be
as strong as they can be but also strengthen the hamstrings to be as strong as
they can be.When planning your training regiment make sure there is a balance
between different muscle groups. Make sure your quadriceps and hamstrings get
worked 60%/40% to achieve proper balance within your legs.
Another overlooked area is a players’
triceps. Most athletes, no matter what sport, want big “beach muscles”.
The first thing they do when they enter the weight room is bicep curls. A
proper training program needs to have balance between the biceps and the
triceps. These areas should be worked equally, 50-50. Hockey players do not
realize that when they are on the ice, they use their triceps much more than the
biceps. Anytime a player straightens their arm the triceps are working. When a
forward powers around a defenseman with one hand on his stick and the other arm
causing separation between the opposing player, the triceps are being exhausted.
The triceps also work during take-outs in front of the net and along the wall,
holding the opponent off with one arm while carrying the puck.
Keeping the balance between muscle groups is a major part of a training
program.
Hockey is a complete body sport that is
played 80% of the time on one leg. Train by doing hockey specific
exercises, predominately for the lower body that will help improve your game.
Make your exercises include one leg training to support the theory of sport
specific training. Generally people don’t know or understand this concept.
Hockey is a very specific sport that is like none other. The training needs to
be specific and that detailed and include developing the athletes entire body.
Don’t just drop your child off at the gym and expect them to improve.
Asking questions and getting involved in their training will help your child to
learn how to train hard and smart Only then will you start seeing
improvements.
HISTORY TELLS US THAT 95% OF THE
ATHLETES NEED TO BE IN SETTING WHERE TRAINING IS A WAY OF LIFE, SOMETHING YOU
DO WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES THAT EVENTUALLY BECOMES HABITUAL. ONLY A VERY SMALL
PERCENTAGE OF ATHLETES HAVE THE DESIRE TO WORK OUT ON THEIR OWN AND EVEN THAT
ATHLETE TAKES AWAY THE COMPETITION FACTOR IN THE SETTING. IF THE COMPETITION
FACTOR IS THE DIFFERENCE MAKER IN AN ATHLETE IMPROVING, WE HAVE THAT!
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For Questions please email
carrie@mnhockeycamps.com
or call (218) 963-2444!
Joe is in charge of the weight room
and ply metric activities at camp. Joe received his degree in
Exercise Science from UW-Eau Claire and his Masters from St. Cloud
State University. While at St. Cloud, he was the head Strength and
Conditioning Coach for the men's and women's hockey teams. After St.
Cloud, he moved to Philadelphia, PA, where he was the manager of
Summit Sports Training Center.
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