DB Split Squat Technique - Goldenberg and Roberts

Here is another NHLPA All Canadians video that Gary and I shot last year.  Notice the coaching points and detail.  This is an exercise that can be very positive if you execute it properly, or counter productive if you do not.

Quebec Nordiques - Last team picture

I was surfing the internet recently and found this link to the last team picture of the Quebec Nordiques.  Aside from myself in this picture (top left if anyone is looking) there are also some great players on this team including:  Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Mike Ricci, Adam Deadmarsh,  and Wendel Clarke.  We actually won the Presidents trophy that year which was the strike shortened season.  We lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions NY Rangers in the first round in 5 games.  We should have beat them!!  We won the cup the following year as the Colorado Avalanche...

The link below will take you right to the web page with the team list

1994/95 Nordiques

Gary Roberts & Coach Goldenberg Demo SB Russian Twist

Here is a clip we did for the NHLPA AllState All-Canadians Program.  This exercise looks simple enough, but rarely executed properly.  Keep the hips up, core tight, and progress with the load.

2012 NHL® ALL-STAR FAN BALLOTING

2012 NHL® ALL-STAR FAN BALLOTING

Goldies Special Eggs

Check out the clip from Rogers Daytime where I talk about Goldies Special Eggs, THE breakfast of champions

Rogers Daytime - Lorne Goldenberg on Healthy Breakfast


See the ingredients below.  A great source of protein and healthy fats.  Try the options, like hemp seed, cranberries, almonds or walnuts.

Dangerous Exercises For Marketing Purposes - Buyer Beware

Playing at the AAA or Junior level is challenging.  Being the best you can be so you can get to that next level, is an even a greater challenge.  Physical preparation for playing hockey is not something you should take a chance on.  In my 20 plus years in the NHL and OHL I have seen many players who made the mistake of participating in a training program that decreased their strength, speed, and agility…yet their body fat was low and they looked good.  The problem was a performance decrement that cost them draft positions and their ability to stay at a high level.

If you have been following this blog you know I DO NOT APPROVE of the use of DANGEROUS exercises just to show a player how difficult it is or that he cannot do it, so you better work with that trainer.  We KNOW that physical development is a process that includes: evaluation, program creation to meet evaluation results, and effective coaching to ensure your training gets you to where you need to be.  Too often I see young players being pushed with inappropriate exercises that results in poor form, and leads to injuries.  Note the picture below.  This is an OTTAWA AREA NHL player whose picture is used as a marketing tool to attract young players into its local hockey fitness program.  The problem is that the exercise execution is completely wrong, resulting in severe stresses in the lower back, hips, shoulders and results in poor posture.  I have highlighted the poor biomechanics with the yellow lines.  Most importantly the torso lines should not have any kind of severe bend.  They should be straight as demonstrated by the picture on the right. Exercises such as this sap training resilience, and do not contribute to a positive result.

The very fact that this picture would even be posted demonstrates the fact that the trainer has no idea how to coach.  This player should never be put in this kind of position.  A blown disc will not further his career in hockey.

The Next Level On Rogers OHL TV

Check out the Rogers TV link to Coach Goldenberg's Next Level segment, seen on the OHL Rogers broadcasts.

There are a some great exercise video's for hockey along with excellent exercise analysis.

http://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=12&rid=5&sid=4174

High End Sport Performance event in LA

My good friend and colleague, Peter Twist is hosting a great event with Todd Durkin in Los Angeles for Combine 360.  If you are interested in getting educated in sports conditioning this is the place to be!  These guys are the best.

2011 Summer Training at the ACC

Here are some great clips of what went on at the ACC this past summer.  All were taken with blackberry, but as you will see some great examples why our athletes succeed.

Off Ice Pre Game Preparation - What To Do?

By Lorne Goldenberg BPE, CSCS, CEP – Athletic Conditioning Center

 

This article is the complete article with warm-up prescriptions as outlined in November 2011 issue of Center Ice Magazine......

Have you ever stepped on the ice in the first period and found you had a hard time finding your legs until your 3^rd or 4^th shift?  At the NHL level, there is no excuse for not being prepared the moment you step on the ice.  The difference between minor hockey and the NHL is that the pros don’t have to worry about homework, getting the right nutrition, or having the appropriate equipment to get themselves ready before the big game.  Although stress from school can be a factor, and not eating right can be a huge factor, this article is going to focus on the physical part of pre game preparation.

The routine that many kids follow is to arrive at the rink 20-30 minutes before the game, stretch for a few minutes, dress, and hop on the ice for what may only be 2-3 minute skate before the drop of the puck.  From a physiological viewpoint this is not nearly enough to properly prepare the body for the quick starts, stops, acceleration, body contact, and skating at maximum speed.  These movements that are so important to success on the ice MUST be worked on off the ice if you want to be really ready to play.

The first mistake that most players make is static stretching before they put their gear on.  Now most people think that stretching and holding the stretch for a period of time will loosen you up and get your muscles ready to play.  It actually does the opposite.  Most of the recent research on pre competition stretching demonstrates that there is a loss of anywhere from 4-12% of your power and strength.  Yes that is a correct, stretching will cause a decrease in your power and strength.  In simple terms what the stretching does is kind of like putting your brain to sleep, and dampening the ability of the brain to communicate with the muscle.  So the question is “why would you do something right before a game that might slow you down?”  For most players they just don’t know or were given poor advice by an uninformed trainer.

So what can you do to prepare for a game, when you don’t have a training facility available at every rink you go into?  LOTS!!  You can actually get an NHL style pre-game warmup with little or no equipment that you can do anywhere.  This warmup will take approximately 15-20 minutes to perform, so make sure you get to the rink on time to complete this.

1. Jog or skip rope for 5 minutes – this provides the body with a good overall warmup raising core temperature.
2. Walking lunges – 2 lengths down the dressing room corridor- provides dynamic stretch to the hips and knees
3. Lateral Crossover lunges – 2 lengths down the corridor – provides dynamic stretch to the rotators in the hip
4. Reverse Hip Extension with Toe Touch Walk – 2 length down corridor – provides dynamic stretch to the hamstrings, glutes and lower back
5. Power Skipping – 4 lengths down the corridor – provides explosive challenge to the hips and glutes
6. Short Sprints – 5, 10 yard sprints – provides a speed stimulus to the brain.
7. Lateral line hops – 2 sets of 20 – place tape on the floor or jump over a hockey bag. Provides explosive stimulus to the body
8. Tuck Jump – 2 sets of 10- Jump straight up in the air, bring your knees to the chest, explode back off the ground as quick as you can.
9. Lateral Bounds – 2 sets of 16 foot contacts – This is like skating in place, moving laterally, back and forth as fast as you can.

Number 1-4 should be done consecutively with no rest.  Number 5-9 should have 20-30 seconds rest between each set.

Try this routine before your next game, and you will feel the power when you step on the ice for your first shift.   Play hard from start to finish!!

Line or small box jump

Walking Lunge

                                   

Lateral Crossover Lunge 

Tuck Jump

Gary Roberts High Performance Training - Toronto

June of 2011 saw the opening of the Gary Roberts High Performance Training Center, located in the Fitness Institute on Sheppard Ave in Toronto.

My relationship with Gary goes back to 1986 with the Ottawa 67's, when I was the 67's Conditioning Coach.  In those 25 years I have amazing experiences with one of the games most dedicated athletes to physical conditioning.  Gary used that drive and dedication to a very successful NHL career with over 1,200 games played and 900 points.

Since his retirement he always knew he wanted to be in the hockey training industry, and in developing the GRHPT he wanted to make sure that everything was created to be the best - training-nutrition-treatment-coaching.  It all started back in the spring of 2010 when Gary and I started training over 25 NHL and OHL players at his home gym in Uxbridge Ontario.  Word spread around pretty quick with names like Stamkos and Skinner having the success they achieved after a hard summer of training.  Skinner particularly when he gave thank you to Gary and I at the NHL player awards where he won the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year.

Jeff had worked with me in Ottawa at the ACC since he was 15 years old on my take away programs, training on his own at home with his brother Ben.  With Gary opening his training facility in his home and being located so close to Jeff in Markham, he was able to continue under our program design and the excellent coaching, motivation and nutrition advice by Gary.

The growth of Gary’s success working out of his home grew very quickly, and we were soon trying to find a new location that would accommodate the interest in his program.  Finding the Fitness Institute was the best location for us to be and working together with the FI President Steve Roest, the GRHPTC was created.  No expense was spared on this facility.  Top equipment from Magnum, Sorinex, Perform Better, Twist Conditioning, Fitness Depot, along with an amazing artificial turf area resulted in an amazing facility.

The players lifted 4 times per week, completed plyometric, speed and agility work twice per week with Tony Scott, and had their nutritional concerns taken care of by Nature’s Emporium and Biosteel.

Steven Stamkos pushing the hay roll

As you can see from some of the picture and video’s the athletes had an amazing summer and learned how important it is to be a good pro, and to do everything they can to be the very best.

Coach Goldenberg on CFRA

Here is a podcast of Coach Goldenberg from August 21, 2011 on CFRA's Outdoor show with Kevin Pidgeon and Dean Roberts.  Coach G talks about sport conditioning, and the ins and outs of fitness training.  Listen in as he shares his thoughts on circuit training, Mike Fisher, and what it takes to be the best in your game.

Roberts, Goldenberg & Nichol Lead Top Prospects at AllState All-Canadians Camp

I just returned from one of my most rewarding experiences in hockey.  Having finished up at the AllState All-Canadians Camp allowed me to work with Canada's top 42 fourteen year olds in the country.  The camp was meant to introduce them to an NHL style experience that covered everything from game preparation, nutrition, fitness, and mental skills.  Myself, Gary Roberts, and Matt Nichol delivered all of the off-ice training and nutrition information for these young athletes.  Additionally they got to work on the ice with the likes of Jeff Skinner, Luke and Braydon Schenn, Jason Spezza and many other of the NHL's top stars.

http://www.ctv.ca/canadaAMPlayer/index.html?video=513820 Note you will be taken away from this blog when you click on the video link.

The following is the media announcement along with some great pics in the trenches.

Canada’s Young Hockey Stars Sharpen their Skills at the Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Camp

TORONTO, ON (July 28, 2011) – The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) is pleased to welcome the 42 selected bantam-aged players who will participate in the first annual Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Camp. The intensive five-day camp, led by 21-year NHL veteran Gary Roberts, will give young athletes from across the country the exclusive opportunity to learn from NHL players – such as Luke Schenn, Jeff Skinner and Jason Spezza – about the importance of fitness, nutrition, mental conditioning and much more. The inaugural camp will be held from August 2 - 6, 2011 at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, ON, with the Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Cup being held on Saturday, August 6 at 1:00 PM.

Gary Roberts being interviewed & coaching

To view the list of the 42 players competing in the Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Camp, visit www.Allstate.All-Canadians.com. “I’m looking forward to sharing with these young players my knowledge of health and nutrition that helped me achieve success and longevity in my career,” said Gary Roberts. “Our on and off-ice training programs have been carefully developed to demonstrate how elements like nutrition, fitness and mental health can give these players an edge over their competition. Learning this early in their  development will provide them with infinite benefits throughout their careers.”

Coaches Goldenberg & Nichol

Coach Goldenberg & Jeff Skinner

Players attending the Mentorship Camp will have the opportunity to improve their skills both on and off the ice. Several NHL stars will work with the players during their daily skates to help sharpen their skills. The players will also learn from Dr. Paul Dennis, sport psychologist who formerly served as the Player Development Coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs, on the importance of achieving a strong mental state to excel in the game. Other off-ice sessions will be led by Roberts who will teach the athletes about proper nutrition to ensure stamina throughout a game. Parents will also be invited to selected sessions designed to equip families with the information they need to improve both on and off the ice. Each day, players will learn optimal workouts with renowned strength and conditioning trainers, Lorne Goldenberg and Matt Nichol.   

Angelo Esposito on CJOH Sports @ the ACC

Summer 2011 Developing Strength, Power, Quickness, Mobility, & Core Strength At the ACC

This blog so far has provided much information that has dissected other exercises and training programs People have been wondering where are the functional safe exercises that the ACC athletes are using for to get better every day?  Well we are almost half way through the summer of 2011.   Everyone is working hard preparing for their hockey season and here are some of our higher profile athletes working hard to get ready, the ACC way.

Matt Bradley is a seasoned NHL pro with the Florida Panthers.  He is known as  punishing forechecker who sacrifices his body, and gives 110% on every shift.  In this video we see Matt using excellent technique in a hurdle lateral high step.  Notice his perfect posture, high knees, and very short ground contact time.  This drill demonstrates excellent lateral movement, change of direction ability, and mobility through the hips.

Zach and Aaron Bogosian are the beasts from Massena NY who have followed the ACC training principles for years.  Zach the first round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets and Aaron the former St. Lawrence Saints Captain now with the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Zach who set a number of records at the NHL combine a few years ago demonstrates some excellent strength and power with stop squats.  In this exercise the purpose is the lower the weight in control, hold for a second on the rack while maintaining core activation, and to power through the weight.   Zach is lifting just over 300 lbs here, and as you can see his great strength allows him to actually leave the ground.  Obviously this is a very advanced lift that should only be attempted after much preparation.

The sumo romainian deadlift is a lift that has not been seen very often and created here at the ACC. It is obviously a variation of the RDL, but with a wider stance and good hip movement this exercise not only works the hamstrings, glutes and lower back in a very functional manner, but it also brings in the all important adductor muscles.  Aaron is using a slow tempo to really emphasize tension on the muscle.

Mark Millar is another player from Massena NY who has seen the benefits of the ACC for fellow Americans and made the commitment this year to be the best he can by training in Ottawa.  Mark played this past year with Omaha Lanceers of the USHL and has a scholarship from RPI where he will attend after next season.  Mark is working the front position lateral squat.  This is an incredible exercise to work on spinal mobility, and lateral hip strength.  Notice his solid core, strong back, and range of motion through his hips.  Its work like this that will ensure Mark’s skating stride is long and strong this year.

In previous articles Coach Goldenberg has been very critical of examples of functional training that are anything but functional, mostly as a result of poor technique.  Here is a great example of  functional exercise.  Pat Kavanaugh has been an ACC athlete for many years.   The former Vancouver Canuck, Philadelphia Flyer, and Ottawa Senator, now plays in the German professional league.  Pat has been an extremely dedicated athlete to off ice training since he was 15 years old.  Here he is demonstrating a supine, single leg towel grip pullup.  This exercise is very difficult as his hamstring, glute, lower back, and obliques must work synergistically to stabilize his lower body, while the prime movers of his upper back and arms do all the work.  Pat’s core is solid here demonstrating great activation of the appropriate muscles to execute this movement.

The Jack Of All Trades Workout For Hockey - Does It Work?

Can you really work explosive speed, power, strength, and endurance all in one workout?  I get asked this question many times by my clients, whose friends might be training somewhere else, whereby they do this kind of ass kicking workout that leaves everyone dying by the end.

My short answer to this question is always "Jack of all trades master of nothing" Some coaches might think they are effectively working speed, strength, explosive power and endurance all in one tough workout.  But what they are actually doing is re-enforcing poor movement patterns.  This contributes to lower levels of performance in their sport as none of these physical qualities actually show improvement.  The scientific references to support this comment are many and a known fact in the world of professional strength and conditioning coaches.

This problem has been building for years.  With the proliferation of so many hockey conditioning coaches and boot camp leaders, the industry has become inundated with people who are great marketers, but lack the physiological know how to really create an effective and safe off ice program.  

At the ACC we take our athletes through and assessment whereby we evaluate the joints of the body, and determine if they are in acceptable ranges as it related to mobility and stabilization.  If they are not, this is taken into consideration when developing the program and corrective measures are taken.  For this reason most athletes at the ACC will have a different program for the first 6-8 weeks of off-season training.  As we reach the final 4-6 weeks of training, and if the athlete has had positive corrections, then there might be a time when a group is completing the same workout.

Here are some perfect examples of mis-use of exercise prescription taken off the internet.  The actual exercise clips are very short, but I have extended them using slow motion to illustrate what happens to the body during improper exercise.

This first clip focuses on the low back.  This person is doing explosive pushups.  He is tired, sweaty and looks to be working hard.  Unfortunately as you will see, his lower back is being trashed in a very unsafe manner as he cannot stabilize his spine with his abdominals.  So although it appears to be an upper body exercise, the weak link is the core.  Have a look:

The spine is a major area of concern in any conditioning program.  Care must be taken in ensuring that stability and mobility are solid before loading explosively.  In this next example, we move to the thoracic spine.  Here the athlete is doing some kind of thrust with his legs to a jump and clean with a dumbbell.  This athlete has absolutely no ability to retract his scapula's and pull his chest up, which would provide a solid spine for this type of movement.  Another issue might be fatigue. If he was towards the end of his circuit he may have been very tired and not able to position his body in a safe manner.  This point again supports my comment in the first paragraph.  You cannot work explosive power and endurance in the same workout.  Again the clip is short, but errors very apparent when shown in slow motion.

The last clip takes a look at what might be called a functional exercise but I am really not sure what the purpose is, since it appears he is trying to do too many things and none of them quite right.   Have a look at his left shoulder blade during the movement in slow motion.  It is quite apparent that he has a winging scapula, as a result of a weak subscapularis or anterior serratus.  This type of loading could cause more harm to his shoulder.  Have a look at this last clip and decide for yourself

These are just a few examples of misuse of exercise prescription in the strength and conditioning world.  The next time you are thinking about what kind of program you need, remember there are no short cuts, only safe and progressive processes.

For those of you who feel that this is only my opinion with no foundation for my comments, please read the following.   These are some of the heavyweights in the strength and conditioning field.

"Lorne you are right on in your summary and examples. This poor form saps injury resilience, performance potential and tolerable training volume"

Stuart M. McGill, Ph.D.,
Professor of Spine Biomechanics,
Department of Kinesiology,
University of Waterloo,

"Whole body multi joint exercise under load must ensure excellent inter and intra segmental control to build a strong connected cohesive body from head to foot. Coach Goldenberg's critical eye for human function in movement demonstrates the importance of tutelage from an expert, experienced science based coach - training to perform versus training itself leading to dysfunction and injury"

Peter Twist, MSc, CSCS, Master Coach

President and CEO of Twist Conditioning, Inc

"Anyone can work hard...the real magic lies in finding the optimal ammout and type of exercise to elicit the desred response from training. This is particularly true in high skill sports like hockey, football and basketball. Proper posture and technique should never be compromised for the sake of a few extra pounds or reps."

Matt Nichol

Pro Strength & Conditioning Coach

http://mattnichol.com/

http://www.biosteel.com

Angelo Esposito Atlanta Thrashers - Moves To Ottawa For Summer Preparation

Angelo Esposito has had a tough 4 years since being drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round 20th overall in the 2001 draft.

After an amazing junior career, and a 2009 Gold medal for Canada, Angelo has been plagued by knee injuries.  As a 22 year old, he has already had 3 ACL knee surgeries, and a hip labrum problem that had bothered him most of the last year.

As a first year Atlanta Thrasher, Angelo became good friends with Zach Bogosian, and his brother Aaron.  The 2 Bogosian brothers are legends at the ACC in Ottawa for their commitment to physical conditioning and testing records that both brothers hold.  It was through this relationship, that I first met Angelo last summer in Montreal.  Angelo was just recovering from one of his mid season surgeries, when I had the chance to evaluate him and develop a take away program for him.

He made some good gains last year, but Angelo realized that he needed even more of a commitment if he is to crack the Thrashers lineup.  With that he decided to move to Ottawa to train with me and completely dedicate himself to being the best he can possibly be when training camp rolls around this September.

After his initial evaluation, I found that Angelo has a number of mobility issues in his hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders.  Additionally he had weakness in his ability to stabilize his spine, and hips.  With this kind of information, I was able to create the first phase of his program, that will focus on these areas as well as strengthening his overall body.  This is important for Angelo as he needs to correct these issue before progressing to the heavier lifting and explosive work that is necessary to play NHL hockey.

Many young hockey players are involved in 60 minutes circuit programs that focus on strength, speed, endurance and foot quickness.  Generally these types of programs are recipes for disaster, and the opposite actually happens.  The player gets slow, and does not recover well, and their strength levels are no where near necessary to play OHL hockey, let alone the NHL.   The program that Angelo is now on is geared to improve his structural integrity of his joints, spine, and teach proper technique, which will set him up for proper success.

Keep your browsers posted here as I document his progress over the summer.   I will post updates every 2-3 weeks.

Daniel Briere ACC Client & Success In The Playoffs

Chris Lomon - NHLPA.com
May 2, 2011

Daniel Briere & ACC Coach Goldenberg 

Daniel Briere isn’t the least bit disappointed when the forward tells you he’s not quite the player he was during the regular season.

The 2010-11 NHL campaign was a perfect illustration of the type of contributor Briere is.

A veteran of nearly 750 regular season games, the 24th overall selection of the Phoenix Coyotes in the 1996 Entry Draft, recorded 34 goals, six of which came on the power-play and six that were game-winning tallies.

And while Briere, who had a stellar junior career with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Drummondville Voltigeurs, is still very much himself offensively, the 33-year-old native of Gatineau, Quebec, he’s relishing the chance to show a different side to his game.

“One thing I learned very on in my hockey career is that when it comes to being successful in the playoffs is that you sometimes have to play out of character,” said Briere, who was awarded the Michel Bergeron Trophy (rookie of the year), the Marcel Robert Trophy (scholastic player of the year) and was named to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team, all in 1995. “It’s going out doing the little things that you aren’t normally asked to do.”

Such as?                                                                                        

“For a player like me it’s winning faceoffs, finishing my checks and blocking shots,” said the centreman, who was named the 1996 QMJHL Humanitarian of the Year and the Ford Cup (offensive player of the year). “That’s what I learned a long time ago. To be able to apply that approach to your game is extremely important.”

And for Briere and the Flyers, dodging drama in the playoffs, would be a welcome relief.

Last year, Philadelphia roared back from a three-games-to-none deficit against the Boston Bruins to win their series en route to the Stanley Cup Finals.

This year, the Flyers spotted the Buffalo Sabres a 3-2 series lead in their Eastern Conference quarter-final matchup before ousting them in seven games.

“One thing I learned very on in my hockey career is that when it comes to being successful in the playoffs is that you sometimes have to play out of character. It’s going out doing the little things that you aren’t normally asked to do.” – Philadelphia Flyers forward, Daniel Briere

Although they don’t manage to always do things easily, Briere has an appreciation for Philadelphia’s resilient ways.

“It’s kind of weird that we seem to always have our backs against the wall,” said Briere, who was part of the squad that slipped into the playoffs on the last game of the 2009-10 campaign via a shootout win against the New York Rangers. “But we’ve shown we can be at our best when we have no option but to win. I would say it’s more desperation than us being overly confident. When you have no choices and you’re in a tough situation, you have to respond. Luckily, we have.”

Briere has been a standout playoff performer before and during his NHL days.

Heading into this year’s post-season, he had 87 points in 86 games. In 10 QMJHL playoff contests, he recorded 23 points.

Being able to step up when the games matter most has always been front and centre in Briere’s mind.

“Even before I played junior or in the NHL, I grew up watching the playoffs, hoping I’d be there. I wanted to be that player, the one skating in the big games. And I feel very fortunate to have that chance. I get to play the game I love for a living. I feel very lucky and honoured to be in that position.”

Winning a Stanley Cup, not surprisingly, would be the ultimate for the forward who has won has won four gold medals in as many appearances with Team Canada (at the 1994 World U18 Championships, 1997 World Junior Championships, and the 2003 and 2004 World Championships).

“You go back to those days when you were playing on the street or at the rink, thinking about what it would be like to win the Cup,” said Briere. “There were so many guys I looked up to and saw how they performed in pressure situations, like some of my idols, Pat Lafontaine, Mats Naslund and Wayne Gretzky. You never know how many shots you’ll have to win it all, so you want to make the most of it. There’s just something about the playoffs that is so special.”

And what is Briere doing when he’s not helping lead the Flyers’ charge towards a Stanley Cup Championship? “I know people will laugh, but I’m actually at a hockey rink,” he offered. “All three of my boys play, so I’m out watching them. It’s a great change of pace for me. I’m usually sitting in the back, very quietly watching them. I don’t get emotional. I just love watching them play.

“People know who I am and what I do and they will come up and congratulate me and wish us luck. It’s nice to have that support.”

It’s also nice to have one of the game’s top offensive sparkplugs, a player that’s willing and able to do whatever it takes to earn the victory.

New ACC @ YMCA ScotiaBank Place Now Open

It has been a while since our last post, only because we have been crazy busy organizing the new ACC location at the YMCA in ScotiaBank Place.

We have been in a full 2 weeks following a week from hell setting up from our move from the dome.

The room is amazing, here are a few pics:

We have 4 platforms set up, all of our Keiser equipment and cables, 4 Scorpions, and a whole new set up of Nike Sparq equipment for all of our footwork and plyo's. Speaking of plyo's you will notice the blue carpet, well this is gymnastic flooring, making it a great surface for doing footwork and jumping on.  Additionally we have placed all of our ground based hammer strength equipment on the YMCA floor with their equipment, making our set up the largest around for functional training.   It should make for a very productive summer of training.

The Next Level On Rogers OHL Playoffs

Starting next week Rogers TV will be airing between periods "The Next Level" with coach Goldenberg.  10 segments to be aired covering exercises and concepts in off-ice training.  Check it out....

See all the video on RogersTV here:
http://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=12&rid=51&sid=4174

NY Times article supports Coach Goldenberg's post on women & knee injuries

Last week I posted an article about women and knee injuries and the issues they face.  Well the NY Times followed that up with an excellent article titled For Women in Sports, ACL Injuries Take Toll On Sunday March 27th in their sports section.

Strength Training, Bootcamps, Post Physio Rehab for women have to be addressed in a different way.  What works for the boys will not work for girls.

Female Athletes & Knee Injury Prevention

Lorne Goldenberg BPE, CSCS, CEP


Research has shown that female athletes have a 4-6 fold increased risk for ACL injury compared to boys playing in the same sports.  This has been found to be a result of boys increasing their strength and coordination at faster rates than girls do.  Ironically this thought is supported by greater number of boys who participate in our programs at the Athletic Conditioning Center.  When we do see young girls coming in for an assessment and program 9 out of 10 times we see weakness through the hips, knees and ankles.  We believe this is preventable!

By providing young girls with direction and a program to develop strength, balance, and power, this will assist the body in protecting the knee, and resulting in better performances on the ice or the field.  We utilize this philosophy on all body parts, and work toward the integration of full body movement to enhance fundamental movement skills, such as running, jumping, lunging, twisting, and stepping.  These fundamental movement skill can put a young girl at risk if not addressed.

Ironically in a study (1) that looked at moments of abduction and adduction forces on the knee while stair climbing, one of the main findings was that the moment patterns were exclusively abductor (forcing the knee inward) throughout stance, indicating that the ground reaction vector always passed medial to the knee joint center stressing the medial side of the knee and resulting in uneven forces.   Although the knee abduction-adduction moment is not in the primary plane of motion when stair climbing (because we are really moving up and down), its magnitude should not be ignored when trying to understand the stability and function of the knee during this movement.  This study really underlines the great many forces that act on the knee, even when we think we are just moving straight.

Have a look at this video of young kids in a group training class, you will see it first in real time and in slow motion.  Notice the joint movement for most of these kids, it is too extreme and will lead to injury.

Another factor for girls is the Q-Angle in their hips (see pics below).  Females young and old naturally have wider hips than males.  As result of this, when females are running or jumping, they have much greater stresses placed on the knee.  Young girls experience the issues in exercises such as in the video above, while older females who are active suffer from knee pain from activities such as bootcamps and lean & fit programs that do not take into account specific biomechanical weaknesses in their clients.

There is good news though.  It is widely accepted that prevention is much less costly and painful than reactive protocols for sports injuries.  If you are injured, proper progressions will ensure a safe return to activity.   If you are the parent of young female who plays hockey or soccer, a complete program will prevent this from happening in the future.  Come in and speak to one of our strength coaches to see how the ACC can make a difference in your back to play rehab program.

1.  (Journal of Biomechanics Volume 29, Issue 3 , Pages 383-388, March 1996 David L. Kowalk,)

Carey Price

This was taken last year between periods of a game in the Habs weight room.  I can tell you, Carey Price is the hardest working goaltender in the NHL!

For those of you who are really technical, and understand weightlifting, he got his elbows up and around that bar in the catch phase.  He is a good lifter!

LG

How To Pick A Hockey Conditioning Program?

Looking for An Off-Ice Training Program For Your Children?  Buyer Beware!

By Lorne Goldenberg BPE, CSCS, CEP

If you are like most parents with young hockey players, with the season starting to wind down, you are probably starting to think about a hockey specific fitness program for your player.  With the concept that whatever makes the pros better, should make my child better, has resulted in many “hockey specific” programs that are available city wide.  A good solid science based program, will be able to bring your child to another fitness level by providing sound fundamental fitness principles such as progression, and age appropriate programming.

The challenge for parents is attempting to select the program.  As you would select any other professional service i.e. lawyer, dentist, doctor, etc you seek a qualified professional who has obtained recognized credentials in their area of specialty.  The challenge as it relates to sport conditioning programs, is that the field in itself is not regulated.  There are a variety of levels of personal trainers who you can hire for this service.  Some individuals are just active fitness people who love working out, some are former athletes, some are group fitness instructors who have ventured out into the sport conditioning area, and some are “certified personal trainers” who have participated in a weekend course. There are many trainers in Ottawa who are excellent marketers, but lack the real education necessary to provide the safe direction you are looking for your young players.

The trainers who fit into the above categories may provide an excellent service, but the area where they are lacking is a formal education in the field of human kinetics or physical education.  Without a 4 year degree in this area, there is very little understanding as to the biomechanics, anatomy, and physiology behind exercise.  Without this education your child’s safety, progress, and success in their fitness program may be at risk.  I have seen countless examples of programs whereby young kids are being coached through drills that are more appropriate for professional athletes.  The result in all cases of this are the kids cannot perform the drills with good execution and are setting themselves up for chronic type injuries in the knee, hip and ankle.

In this point in time there are very few organizations that provide certification that requires a pre-requisite of a formal degree before you can write their exam or participate in their course.  This problem is magnified by the numerous organizations that “certify” personal trainers with course content that can be considered very weak.

With the above in mind some of the questions you should ask before investing in a hockey specific conditioning program for your child would be:

1. What is your formal education as it pertains to this field?
2. What certifications have you obtained since graduating with your degree or college diploma?
3. Do you possess liability insurance?
4. What is your experience in dealing with musculoskeletal injuries?

One of the most significant problems I have seen are hockey fitness programs that provide their clients with a workout that “feels great & is hard work”.  The problem begins a few weeks later with the onset of knee or back pain as a result of improper exercise program development.  Some trainers use exercises they have seen in muscle magazines, or picked up at a lecture.  The issues arise as they do not understand the foundational work that must be completed before going on to these “great” exercises. 

Exercise is a drug, and like a drug you need a proper prescription provided by a qualified practitioner.  Some of the most recognized organizations in the industry are certifications from the National Strength & Conditioning Association, and the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology.  Don’t let someone over prescribe the wrong drug for your child’s fitness development.  Off season training is about getting better, not rehab for an off-season overuse injury.

For more information check out www.accottawa.com