Tag: bunkie test

Core Training Variations for Hockey Players

About a year ago, I posted a couple core training videos (Hockey Core Training Exercises) based on a protocol referred to as the “Bunkie Test”. The Bunkie Tests are used to test the integrity of various functional pathways within the body. Because the various testing positions are founded upon fundamental structural links within the body, they all have some application to hockey performance, and to movement in general. That said, there were two positions specifically that I thought had a more direct application to hockey-specific movements.

Bunkie Side Plank (Top Leg)

This variation emphasizes the connection between the adductor complex and the lateral/rotational core musculature on the opposite side. This connection is present in everyone, but it’s integrity is paramount to hockey performance. Anytime a player shoots, this connection is emphasized concentrically in one group (e.g. left adductors and right core musculature for right-handed shots) and eccentrically in the other (e.g. right adductors and left core musculature for left-handed shots).

Bunkie Side Plank (Bottom Leg)

This variation emphasizes the lateral core system, linking the lateral hip musculature and lateral core musculature, both of which are influential in single-leg stability. This plays an important role in a lot of athletic movements. Relevant to hockey, this is what allows the driving force from the stride leg to be effectively transferred to the stance leg. If there is accessory motion due to lateral hip.core instability, some of the stride power is lost/wasted.

I still believe these exercises, as demonstrated in the videos above, have a lot of merit. However, recently I’ve made slight modifications to their execution to help improve the totality of the exercise by driving other important qualities.

The variations/progressions in the video below will ensure that the exercises are performed without compensations, and will improve the player’s ability to dissociate femoreacetabular movement (the femur moving within the hip) with acetabulofemoral movement (the hip moving on the femur). The internal perturbations increase the difficulty of the exercise while also adding in some extra work for the hip rotators (internal rotators in the first case; external rotators in the second). Enjoy!

Advanced Core Training Progressions

To your success,

Kevin Neeld

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Hockey Core Training Exercises

A couple weeks ago, my colleague Dr. Jeff Cubos told me to check out a relatively new assessment protocol called the Bunkie Test. I had never heard of it before so I took a look and found some interesting stuff. We haven’t integrated these “tests” into our assessment protcol at Endeavor, but I am integrating a few of the concepts into our hockey training programs.

The whole idea behind the Bunkie Tests is to assess the performance of different functional lines within the body. As an example, there is a well established connection between the external obliques and contralateral (opposite side) hip adductors (“groin” muscles). They frequently serve integrated functions in athletic movements. If you look at this picture of me taking a slap shot while at Delaware, you’ll see that my upper body is turning to the left, while my right leg extends and external rotates. This means that my left external oblique and right hip adductors are decelerating the movement. On the opposite side of things, my right external oblique and left hip adductors are both shortening.

Slapshot

This is just one illustration of this connection between the trunk and hip “core” musculature. Below is a video of an advanced core training exercise we’ve been using with a lot of our athletes recently.

There is also a lateral connection between the obliques and same side hip abductors. A great core training exercise to strengthen this functional path is:

To your continued success,

Kevin Neeld

Ice Hockey Training
Hockey Strength and Conditioning

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