Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,
This is a question I have been asked so I thought I would produce the answer in the form a post, apologies for lack of posts, I think its been around two weeks since the last one and that's simply because we have just got back to school and trying to sort out our personal lives. Sorry not sorry!
How can training be adapted to suit a hockey player?
In hockey, for a player to improve their fitness they have a wide variety of training methods to choose from in order to improve different aspects of their game. The most important areas in hockey are cardiovascular fitness ( to be able to keep running across the pitch and use a variety of different muscles throughout the game without getting tired) and muscular strength, which is used to generate speed when chasing after the ball and power when so the keeper is unable to save the shot.
This is a question I have been asked so I thought I would produce the answer in the form a post, apologies for lack of posts, I think its been around two weeks since the last one and that's simply because we have just got back to school and trying to sort out our personal lives. Sorry not sorry!
How can training be adapted to suit a hockey player?
In hockey, for a player to improve their fitness they have a wide variety of training methods to choose from in order to improve different aspects of their game. The most important areas in hockey are cardiovascular fitness ( to be able to keep running across the pitch and use a variety of different muscles throughout the game without getting tired) and muscular strength, which is used to generate speed when chasing after the ball and power when so the keeper is unable to save the shot.
Interval training is intense work (in the case sprints)
followed by a rest within the session to allow for recovery, before working
again. This can be adapted to suit a hockey player to work for longer with
shorter rest times as this is a more game like scenario and will improve cardiovascular
fitness- so performers can work to their highest level for the full duration of
the match. However this method of training, with more work time and more rest
time can improve speed and power, this in hockey so they can chase after the
ball and get to it before the opponent does.
Continuous training is running/working at a steady pace over
a long distance or period of time without any breaks or rests. This type of training is used by those trying
to improve cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance as it is a form of
aerobic training (where you exercise for long amounts of time and need to breathe);
it will help with aerobic sport, in this case hockey, as it is a sport that
cannot be performed in one breathe and goes on for a long amount of time. Therefore
having good cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance is key is key, so
this type of training will help the performer keep working and not getting too
tired.
Fartlek training is a form of training where you work
continuously but vary the pace of work at different stages to allow for rest.
So you could jog a certain distance, run at 50% of your maximum speed, and then
run at 75% and then sprint before walking again and restarting the process
every certain distance. This could help improve cardiovascular fitness, speed
and power; it also has the practical implication that in hockey you do not
always stay at the same speed and that you vary your pace depending on
different requirements during the match. So you may sprint forward whilst you
are attacking and then jog back into position once the attack is over.
Circuit training is a variety of different activities,
performed at stations, that are selected to increase the performer’s fitness. This
can be adapted for a hockey player by choosing activities that will help the
performer in the game. For example they may start off doing shuttle runs to
improve speed and cardiovascular fitness/muscular (as this helps the performer
when they dribble with the ball and can keep fulfilling their role the entire match);
have a short rest then do push ups to increase strength and power (for when
they shoot) after the next break they will do another activity focusing on the
power/speed like squat, this process will then continue with the performer picking
activities that will improve the skills/areas of fitness most needed for hockey: cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance,
muscular strength, power, balance and agility. After each activity has been
performed a circuit is complete, they then have a longer rest before completing
the circuit again and this process happens 2/3 times with each circuit
consisting of around 8 activities.
Weight training is a form of interval training using weights
to create a resistance for the muscles to work against. This type can be adapted
to hockey by using low reps and heavy weights to increase power by targeting
arms, so the performer can hit the ball harder helping them pass harder without
getting it intercepted or shoot harder and make it more difficult for the
keeper to save it so they are more likely to score. But also lots of reps with
light weights can increase cardiovascular fitness/muscular endurance which is
needed to keep working the entire match, so that they have more energy than the
opposition helping them become more successful.
Cross training is a form of training that uses two or more
different types of training in order to improve different areas of the
performer’s fitness. A hockey player might use both fartlek training, to
improve cardiovascular fitness/ muscular endurance so they can work out their
best for longer, but the performer may also use weight training to improve
strength/power their shot power which will allow them to hit the ball harder
when shooting, this is a form of cross training that is suitable to hockey as
it improves two areas that necessary to the sport.
Thanks for reading, please visit again and check out other posts, if you have any questions or post requests do not hesitate to contact us, remember to plus one everything, comment and follow- work hard and peace!
Jason
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