Building Strength for Ice Hockey Players and Goalies

Ice hockey is a physically demanding sport that requires strength, speed, endurance, and agility. Whether you’re a forward, defenseman, or goaltender, proper strength training can enhance performance, improve resilience against injuries, and give you a competitive edge on the ice. This article outlines an effective strength training approach for both skaters and goalies, including sample workouts backed by research.

Why Strength Training Matters in Hockey

Hockey players perform explosive movements, from skating strides to powerful shots and checks. Strength training builds the muscular power required for these actions while also improving balance and stability. Additionally, goalies have unique needs, including lateral quickness, core stability, and lower-body strength to make quick, reactive saves.

Research shows that strength training can enhance skating speed, shot power, and injury prevention (Ebben et al., 2004). It also plays a key role in developing anaerobic capacity, essential for high-intensity shifts (Burr et al., 2008).

Key Strength Training Principles for Hockey Players

Explosive Power Development - Hockey players rely on quick bursts of energy. Olympic lifts, plyometrics, and resistance training improve this explosiveness.
Lower-Body Strength - Skating power originates in the legs and hips. Squats, deadlifts, and lunges are foundational exercises.
Core Stability - A strong core aids in balance, rotational power, and injury prevention. Russian twists, Pallof presses, and plank variations help in this area.
Upper-Body Strength - Strong shoulders and arms improve shot power and stability during contact. Bench presses, bar dips, pull-ups, and rows are essential.
Mobility and Flexibility - Dynamic stretches and foam rolling improve agility and prevent injuries.

Sample Strength Training Workouts

Workout for Skaters (Forwards and Defensemen)

Day 1: Lower-Body Strength & Power

Back Squat: 4 sets of 5 reps
Romanian Deadlift: 3 sets of 8 reps
Bulgarian Split Squat: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
Box Jumps: 4 sets of 5 reps
Hanging Leg Raises: 3 sets of 15 reps

Day 2: Upper-Body Strength & Stability

Bench Press: 4 sets of 6 reps
Pull-Ups: 3 sets of 8 reps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 10 reps
Bent-Over Rows: 3 sets of 10 reps
Bar Dips: 3 sets 8 reps

Day 3: Speed & Agility

Sled Push: 5 sets of 20 meters
Ladder Drills: 4 rounds
Lateral Bounds: 3 sets of 8 reps per side
Sprint Intervals: 5 x 30m sprints

Workout for Goalies

Day 1: Lower-Body Strength & Explosiveness

Trap Bar Deadlift: 4 sets of 5 reps
Single-Leg Squats: 3 sets of 8 reps per leg
Lateral Bounds: 4 sets of 6 reps per side
Depth Jumps: 3 sets of 5 reps
Hanging Knee Raises: 3 sets of 12 reps

Day 2: Core & Stability

Anti-Rotation Cable Press: 3 sets of 12 reps per side
Medicine Ball Slams: 3 sets of 10 reps
Side Plank with Reach-Through: 3 sets of 15 reps per side
Glute Bridges: 3 sets of 12 reps

Day 3: Quickness & Reaction Training

Ladder Drills: 4 rounds
Tennis Ball Drop Drills: 3 sets of 30 seconds
Short Sprint Starts: 5 x 10m
Band-Resisted Lateral Shuffles: 3 sets of 10 meters

Conclusion

Strength training for hockey players should be structured around power, endurance, and stability. Forwards and defensemen benefit from explosive lower-body movements and agility work, while goalies require specialized lateral quickness and core training. Implementing these workouts into a structured plan can enhance performance, reduce injuries, and ensure peak conditioning on the ice. If you want help developing a plan and need a coach let's get in touch and get to work!

References:

Ebben, W. P., Carroll, R. M., & Simenz, C. J. (2004). Strength and Conditioning Practices of National Hockey League Strength and Conditioning Coaches. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 18(4), 889-897.
Burr, J. F., Jamnik, R. K., Baker, J., Macpherson, A., Gledhill, N., & McGuire, E. J. (2008). Relationship of physical fitness test results and hockey playing potential in elite-level ice hockey players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 22(5), 1535-1543.