Tag: david lasnier

Good Hockey Training Reads

I haven’t spent as much time reading others’ websites as I typically do over the last 6 months as I’ve been chin-deep in massage school, a few good books, and working on a couple projects for Endeavor. That said, I’ve come across several awesome articles that I wanted to share with you that cover a range of topics from hockey training to parenting to manual therapy to soccer preparation (these articles have direct applications to hockey players too!). Most of these won’t take very long to read, so don’t be overwhelmed by the number of articles here. Lots of good stuff so grab a seat somewhere comfortable and dig in!

This will do.

  1. Shoulder Injuries in Hockey Players from David Lasnier
  2. Those Who Have Influenced Me from Sean Skahan
  3. Some Thoughts on Training the Lactate System from Patrick Ward (Read the comments section too!)
  4. My 13 Simple Rules for Hockey Parents Everywhere from John Buccigross
  5. Parenting Advice from a Former NFL Head Coach via Mike Boyle
  6. Lessons from Inside Out Coaching: The 20 Year Window from Mike Boyle
  7. Every Hockey Parent Should Read This via Mike Boyle
  8. Not Everyone Gets A Trophy from Anthony Donskov
  9. A Note to the High School Athlete, From: Your Strength Coach from Anthony Donskov
  10. Sprinting and Hockey Players from Jeff Cubos
  11. Discussing dynamic ligament stabilization, performance of orthopaedic tests, and proper palpation technique for osseous articulations from Andreo Spina
  12. Paradigm Shift: On changing the manual therapy zeitgeist from Andreo Spina
  13. McKenzie Method vs. SFMA from Charlie Weingroff
  14. An interview with Philadelphia Flyers trainer Jim McCrossin from Broad Street Hockey
  15. The Prevalence of Hip Abnormalities in Soccer Players from Matt Siniscalchi
  16. Basic Soccer Strength Program from Matt Siniscalchi
  17. Core Stability for Soccer Athletes from Matt Siniscalchi
  18. Fatigued? How to Modify Your Training Program To Keep Progressing from Matt Siniscalchi

To your success,

Kevin Neeld

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Improving Shot Power Through Rotational Power Training

As has been the theme this Summer, the last several weeks have been exceptionally busy. I was in Blaine, MN for 10 days with the US Women’s National Team, which was an awesome experience. Anthony Donskov and Sarah Cahill were out there with me, both of which are awesome coaches that I always learn a lot from. The three of us have become affectionately known as “The Unit”. While I was out there, Sarah and I had an opportunity to meet and talk shop with Mike T Nelson and Cal Dietz (separately), which was great. I binge read Cal’s 350+ page book over the weekend so I’ll share some of the things I learned in the near future.

The Unit Locker

As a quick aside, last night I confirmed that I’ll be speaking at the USA Hockey Level 4 Clinic in New Jersey in a couple weeks. Let me know if you’ll be there!

Last night I also worked with David Lasnier to test the U-18 team we work with. It was interesting to see how all of their hard work paid off over the Summer. The team tested exceptionally well, but some of the highlights included the goalie knocking out 17 chin-ups (perfect form; team average was over 10), and one of the players doing DB Reverse Lunges w/ 90lb dumbbells for 20 on each leg, at which point I stopped him. Unfortunately, 90s were the heaviest dumbbells we had at the rink so that was where the majority of the team rep-tested (intended to do a 5-RM). Overall I was really impressed, and am looking forward to how the two U-16 teams do over the next couple of weeks and how everyone does with the few on-ice tests we’ll be doing soon.

Rotational Power Training

I’ve written in the past about the role that off-ice rotational power development plays in improving shooting power and other aspects of hockey performance. Today I just wanted to post a video of one of my favorite exercises: Side Standing Rotational Med Ball Shotput with Rapid Cross-Under and Partner Pass

There’s a lot to take in with this, but the idea is that it:

  1. Integrates a dynamic start and change in foot position
  2. Drives rotational power from the ground-up, very similar to the strategy most commonly used on the ice
  3. Utilizes rotational hip torque to generate power
  4. Integrates a rapid adjustment in eye position, both to track the ball into the hands, and to turn to pick a spot on the wall to throw the ball at (we coach our players to pick a spot and throw the ball through that spot…quickly) which happens constantly on the ice

Tough day to be the wall
This is a great exercise for a lot of reasons, but it’s also relatively simple to teach. I get questions a lot from people running youth off-ice programs that don’t have a lot of equipment or time; I think this is a good fit for those situations (starting without the foot movement and without the partner toss). That said, we wrap up our rotational med ball work at the end of the off-season and almost never come back to it until the end of the season because the players undergo so much rotational stress on the ice.

Aside from being a beast, I chose to gave Eric some press here to return the favor, as I found out early this week that my name ended up in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in an interview he did about his role with the Penguins next season.

Now he can tell his friends that he was featured at KevinNeeld.com, which is basically the same thing (no?).

Give this exercise a try and please post any questions you have about how or when to do it below!

To your success,

Kevin Neeld

P.S. Get an inside look at how I design year-round comprehensive hockey training programs here: Ultimate Hockey Training

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Hockey Training Stuff You Should Read

I wanted to switch things up a bit to start this week off and feature some work from other people that I’ve really enjoyed. If you’re having a tough time shaking off the weekend and need an outlet to kill some time while you’re pretending to work, this is it!

These articles, in one way or another, all directly relate to the off-ice training of hockey players. In some cases, the author refers to athletes in a different sport (e.g. soccer), but the principle still applies to hockey players. Enjoy! And if you have any questions or comments about the articles, post them below!

  1. Sounders Sports Science and Mentorship Weekend In Review: Lessons Learned by Patrick Ward
  2. The Complexity of It All: Food for Thought by Patrick Ward
  3. Early Rehab for Anterior Lumbo-Pelvic-Hip Injuries by Jeff Cubos
  4. How to Improve Quickness: Understanding Shin Angles by Brijesh Patel via Eric Cressey
  5. Post-Workout Stretches for Hockey Players by David Lasnier
  6. How Injuries Actually Happen by David Lasnier
  7. Overhead Work and Shoulder Flexion Limitation by David Lasnier
  8. Hip Range of Motion & Groin Strains of Soccer Players by Matt Siniscalchi
  9. Producing Power without the Hang Clean by Matt Siniscalchi

To your success,

Kevin Neeld

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This Week in Hockey Strength and Conditioning

What a week! We recently wrapped up a promotion with LivingSocial at Endeavor so we had a bunch of new start-ups this week. I’ve really been impressed with the work ethic of the new kids we’ve had. I strongly believe that’s a quality that you can develop with the right environment, but it’s refreshing to see kids enter with a high compete level.

Endeavor is also launching a new U-12 Athletic Development Program in April that I’m really excited about. I spent several hours with Matt Siniscalchi designing a template program early in the week and then several more refining it with the help of David Lasnier and Karl Kurtz (Karl doesn’t have a website, but he’s the mastermind behind all of my graphics work, so if you’re in need of a photoshop wizard, feel free to shoot me a message and I can put you in touch). It’s times likes these that it’s helpful to be surrounded by such a knowledgeable staff. If you live in the Eastern PA/New Jersey area, come check us out. We have a couple great specials running through the end of the month!

Before we get into the hockey training content from this past week, I wanted to let you know that I’ve posted 4 mini-webinars, which you may or may not have seen already), on Facebook. These were videos I made as part of the launch of my book Ultimate Hockey Training, and most recently, the complete video on concussion-like symptoms. I’m testing out a really cool new Facebook Webinar service (which I HIGHLY recommend if you have your own website or otherwise run your own business) that makes it easy for people to share the information with their friends. As I’ve said in the past, I’m indescribably grateful to all of you for forwarding some of my articles and videos along to your teammates, coaches, friends, and family. With the new Facebook Webinar service, it’s more convenient to watch the webinars AND to share them. It’s a win-win. In case you haven’t seen them already, check out these 4 webinars and please pass them along to anyone you think will benefit from the information!

  1. Transitional Speed Training for Hockey
  2. Hockey Conditioning
  3. Off-Ice Hockey Training Program Design
  4. The Truth About Concussion-Like Symptoms

This week, in quite possibly the most disclaimer-filled articles series in the history of the written word, I added a 4-part webinar series on concussions titled “The Truth About Concussion-Like Symptoms”. If you missed them, you can check them out here:

  1. The Truth About Concussion-Like Symptoms
  2. The Truth About Concussion-Like Symptoms: Part 2

Over the last week at Hockey Strength and Conditioning, we’ve added two new programs from Mike Potenza and Darryl Nelson and another great article from Anthony Donskov.

Darryl kicked things off with a timely training program for his players at the US NTDP (elite high school aged players). I like to see what other coaches are doing at specific times of the year because it sparks some good ideas on things I can incorporate into our programs and provides some insight into their philosophy. Darryl does a great job with the USA program so his programs are worth studying/modeling.

Check out the training program here >> Early Spring Off-Season Workout

Mike Potenza added a 2-day youth training program with videos of all the exercises. The program has a bit of a strength emphasis, but Mike does a terrific job of keeping everything simple, which is really important for youth players that don’t have a strong training background. Master the basics before you move on to advanced tactics. The videos are a great addition so youth players or parents that are reading the article can get an idea of how to perform the exercises with perfect technique.

Check out the youth training program here >> Youth Training Program: Strength Phase 1

Anthony Donskov, who I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside at a few of the US Women’s National Team camps over the past year, added another outstanding piece on designing training programs for contact athletes to preserve shoulders. As you likely know, shoulder injuries are extremely common in hockey, and because they typically result from high velocity contact, it’s generally thought that they are largely unpreventable. While there is some truth to that idea, following Anthony’s concepts will go a long way in minimizing the risk of a separation or dislocation.

Read Anthony’s article here >> Push/Pull Ratio for Contact Athletes

That’s a wrap for today. As always, if you aren’t a member yet, I encourage you to try out Hockey Strength and Conditioning for a week. It’ll only cost $1, and if it’s not the best buck you’ve ever spent, I’ll personally refund you!

To your success,

Kevin Neeld

P.S. Don’t forget to check this out! Facebook Webinars

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Athletic Development Things You Should Read

I hope you had a great weekend. Emily and I kept pretty busy. We hosted a game night for a few of her friends Saturday night; I discovered that I’m not very good at Pictionary. Oddly, the group wasn’t very receptive when I proposed a redemption challenge of a deadlift contest.

I thought we’d mix things up a bit to start the week off and I’d direct you to a few articles I think you’ll really enjoy.

Good Read # 1: 2012 Resolutions: A Healthier Plan Creates a Healthier Golfer

About a year ago I started doing some writing for the Golf Association of Philadelphia. In this article, they asked me for some tips on how to avoid the pitfalls of traditional new year’s resolutions. While this was written for a golf audience, almost everything in the article is applicable to anyone reading this. Give it a read and let me know what you think by posting your comments below!

Good Read # 2: What’s Wrong With Keeping Your Chest Up?

David Lasnier wrote this post earlier in the year and I thought it was really well-written. David outlines why a common coaching cue needs to be put into perspective, and highlights the effect that extension at the thoraco-lumbar junction has on the ribs anteriorly. There are a number of powerful performance implications from the message David provides in this article; a definite must-read for anyone in the performance training field.

Good Read # 3: 24 Habits of 24-Hour Athletes

This is a simple, to the point article from my friend Kyle Bangen. Kyle is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Michigan Tech. I’ve had the pleasure of going to a few seminars with him, which affords some time to talk shop and pick his brain. In this article, he emphasizes that athletes can’t just be committed during their 2-hour practice or training time if they want to be successful; it has to be a lifestyle. I recommend retyping his 24 habits, printing them, and posting the list somewhere where you’ll see it frequently.

Good Read # 4: Core Values

This is another article from Kyle Bangen on the core values of his program at Michigan Tech. Along the same concept as the previous post, Kyle uses core values to describe his philosophy and expectations, both for himself and for his athletes. #9 is the key to success in hockey, as in life.

Bonus Read: Good Fitness Reads for the Week

Every week, Ben Bruno puts together an EXHAUSTIVE list of fitness articles, videos, and interviews that he enjoyed the previous week. I’ve been fortunate to be included in many of these; that may have even been how you first came across my site! If you’re looking to kill a few minutes…hours…or days, check out Ben’s list and click through some of the articles that pique your interest.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld

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