Lateral core variation #4. This variation is a hybrid because the initial press-out requires using the core to resist rotation, and then the move to overhead shifts the stress to the lateral core to prevent leaning toward the cable column.

Before pressing out, set-up by pushing your knees through the ground and reaching your head tall. Maintain this position and pressure as you move the cable. Many people can’t get their arms fully overhead, so only go as far as you can without arching your back or losing height.

Typically performed for 3 sets of 6-10 reps. Progressed by adding load.

Feel free to post any comments/questions below. If you found this helpful, please share/re-post it (and tag me) so others can benefit.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

P.S. If you’re interested in how core training fits into a hockey-specific training program, check out Ultimate Hockey Transformation.

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Lateral core variation #3. This one only requires a bench. You can have a partner hold your legs, or just loop your feet under the edge of the bench. Set-up with the top of your hip at the edge of the bench.

Unlike many other variations, this is a great option for athletes that are “upper body compromised” (i.e. have a shoulder or other upper body injury).

Same goals as the previous 2 – stay tall; should have a straight line from your ears through your shoulders and hips. Try to stay “square” to straight ahead (e.g. don’t let your shoulders fall forward or back).

Typically performed for either 3 sets of 8-12 reps or 3 sets of 4-6 5s holds. This can be progressed by holding a weight plate against your chest or reaching hands overhead.

I would say this is harder than it looks, but I had a full body quiver going out of the gate…so it’s exactly as hard as it looks.

Feel free to post any comments/questions below. If you found this helpful, please share/re-post it (and tag me) so others can benefit.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

P.S. If you’re interested in how core training fits into a hockey-specific training program, check out Ultimate Hockey Transformation.

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This is another lateral core variation. Similar to the TRX Lateral Lean, the goal is to stay tall and resist bending as the weight goes through the arc pattern. The shoulders should turn slightly toward the direction the bar is moving, but the hips should stay “square”, looking straight ahead.

Landmine Anti-Rotation Arc

Unlike the TRX lean, this only requires a barbell and can be done in almost every gym. If you don’t have the landmine attachment, you can wedge the other end of the bar into the corner of a rack or sit it in the hole of a weight plate.

Typically performed for 3 sets of 6-12 reps, progressed by adding range (arc from hip to hip instead of shoulder to shoulder) or adding load. This can also be done from a tall kneeling or ½ kneeling (1/2 arc) position to change the input from the lower half.

Feel free to post any comments/questions below. If you found this helpful, please share/re-post it so others can benefit.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

P.S. If you’re interested in how core training fits into a hockey-specific training program, check out Ultimate Hockey Transformation.

Enter your first name and email below to sign up for my FREE Sports Performance and Hockey Training Newsletter!

When integrating core exercises into a training program, it’s helpful to categorize the exercises based on the pattern of movement or control: Anterior, Lateral, Diagonal, Rotational.

Keeping the pattern in mind, there are several different exercises using different pieces of equipment that can be used to target specific areas. This allows athletes some flexibility in exercise selection as resources may change with travel, and also gives the casual gym-goer some room for creativity/variation without losing sight on the point of the exercise.

Throughout the next week, I’ll share a few lateral core exercises I’ve used in the past, starting with the…

TRX Lateral Lean w/ Overhead Press

The goal here is to maintain a “tall” posture (e.g. no hip sag) through the initial lean and then hold that while pushing the arms overhead.

Typically performed for either 3 sets of 8-12 reps or 3 sets of 4-6 5s holds.

Feel free to post any comments/questions below. If you found this helpful, please share/re-post it so others can benefit.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

P.S. If you’re interested in how core training fits into a hockey-specific training program, check out Ultimate Hockey Transformation.

Enter your first name and email below to sign up for my FREE Sports Performance and Hockey Training Newsletter!

My head was spinning all week getting ready for this weekend, but I’m glad to finally be up in Boston getting ready for the Boston Hockey Symposium. Hopefully I’ll see you all here!

Here’s what you’ve missed over the last week at Hockey Strength and Conditioning:

Using the Turkish Get-Up in Team Sports from Sean Skahan
In this article, Sean breaks down the Turkish Get-Up into a progression of four steps that he used to integrate it into the Ducks’ program. If you aren’t familiar with the Get-Up, this will be a great introduction to it. As Sean mentions, it’s certainly a humbling exercise and one that is exceptionally integrative regarding functional pathways throughout the body, but also provides some benefits as a screen to expose side-to-side imbalances and ROM restrictions. I think the biggest barriers to implementing this exercise into a program are understanding where it fits from a stress standpoint (e.g. where do you put a total body “core” exercise into your program so that it won’t interfere with other exercises) and teaching it to a larger group proficiently. Sean’s breakdown will certainly help with the latter. He wraps the article by mentioning that his players responded well to his teaching progression and that complaints of back and shoulder pain were non-existent (I assume this is in reference to this exercise specifically and not a claim that one exercise has completely negated all back and shoulder pain). Great stuff as always from Sean.

Lateral Core Variations from Darryl Nelson
Darryl posted a video montage of lateral and rotational core exercises. He had a few “easier” variations to the exercises I posted the other day (Core Training Variations for Hockey Players), which is great as it adds for more potential variety in progressing up to the advanced exercises. With the exercise at the :50 mark, I’ll have our players have their outside leg forward, as I think it prevents them from using their leg as a kickstand and also more closely mimics the rotation pattern seem most prevalently on the ice. The thing I really like about Darryl’s video is that he’s coaching his players as he films, which allows the viewer to see common execution faults and how he coaches to correct them.

Youth Off-Ice Training Program from me
This is the next installment of our monthly youth off-ice hockey training program. As I’ve said in the past, the goal of adding these to the site was to provide the youth players, parents, and coaches out there that don’t have equipment or resources to pursue professional instruction a cost-effective training option. We’re several months in now and the programs have included a good amount of variety, quality balance and program structure, and minimal equipment use. Hopefully the target audience is reaping the benefits of this and not falling victim to all the gimmicky hockey training bullshit that is out there right now.

If you aren’t a member yet, fork out the $1 to test drive Hockey Strength and Conditioning for a week. If it’s not the best buck you’ve ever spent, I’ll personally refund you!


To your continued success,

Kevin Neeld

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