Unlocking the T-Spine: A Plan for Better Rotational Movement
Hockey is a multi-planar sport where athletes need a wealth of physical qualities to perform at the top level.
From aerobic capacity, anaerobic power and endurance, to speed (acceleration and top end), ability to change direction, and mobility, a complete player has a host of impressive skills.
When breaking down some of these qualities, we can see how important rotation is for success on the ice. From rapid changes of direction in skating, taking a shot on net, a goaltender squaring up a shot or having to make a desperation save, the list goes on.
Being that 80% of axial rotation originates at the thoracic spine (1), you'd better have a solid plan for attacking this area throughout the training week. Below are four categories to classify exercises into, how and where to put them in a training session, and a bonus on injury prevention.
Base Mobility
These are any bodyweight mobility drills targeted specifically for the t-spine. We often put them towards the beginning of a training session, following foam rolling and tissue prep.
Quad T-Spine
Bench Extension
Yes, I put an extension exercise in an article about rotation. Our athletes are constantly in a forward flexed position on the ice, so this is a great drill to add to your arsenal. Draw your knees back and duck your head between your arms. If your knees are too tight to the bench, you'll have a hard time getting good extension.
Frog T-Spine
You can do this from the elbows or with the arms extended. Bonus here as it doubles as a hip opener.
Loaded Mobility
After warming up the site with open mobility, we can add load. This can help improve range of motion and build strength in newfound ranges.
Band Quad T-Spine Rotation
Looping inside the band gives us another step to our bodyweight quad t-spine rotation. Now as I drive the elbow with the band wrapped around it to the opposite arm I have to work a bit hard to display that motion. As I rotate back towards the sky, the band should help pull you in to a position you couldn't previously reach.
Keiser Reach Under + Rotation
Foam Roller T-Spine Combo
This variation isn't truly loaded with resistance, but the foam roller plays a critical role in pushing rotational limits. Blocking off the lower half with the roller keeps you from cheating the motion and makes sure you hit end range with each rep. Another progression from base mobility.
Strength
Flipping our focus to the anterior for a moment, core training will play a role in our plan. Being able to build strength through bracing and anti-rotation exercises will create a strong link for force transfer from the ice through the lower body to upper body. This is a stepping stone from our mobility work before adding in power.
Pallof Press
Keiser SB Anti-Rot Hold
KB Drag
Medball Throws
The final part to unlocking better on-ice rotation is our medball throw variations. The focus here is thoracic spine speed and power. Matching speed and intensity off-ice to what athletes see on-ice is always a challenge, but I believe some of the examples here give us a great opportunity to do just that.
½ Kneel MB Toss
Though stationary, this reminds of the snapshot players take on the ice when they drop to one knee to gain leverage for speed and power. Sidney Crosby, anyone?
MB Crossunder Lateral Toss
Reverse Step MB Toss
Putting It in the Program
Daily Routines:
If players are looking for extra work, they can do a t-spine routine 1-3 times per week. If you've identified rotation as a weakness for the athlete, you could also have them go through a t-spine routine 1-3 times per week. Choose 1-2 exercises from each category, for 2-3 sets. I like to give athletes the choice among the menu, because it gives them some freedom and keeps the training fresh.
Practice Day Training Session:
The differentiator between this and a daily routine is going to be the volume. If this is the sole focus for our team training session, we are going to have 2-3 exercises from each category, for 2-4 sets. This is a great training option the day before a game, as the chance for fatigue/soreness from this plan is low, but we are able to get in high quality/targeted work.
Pre-Game Warm Up: There are many steps to the pre-game warm-up which have been covered on the website by other coaches. (We've even covered Goaltender Preparation in-depth.)
I'll usually throw one open or loaded mobility exercise into a players pre-game warm up, a strength exercise for activation, and a medball throw for nervous system prep/intensity.
Active Rest: This would typically just be one of the open or loaded mobility exercises, completed after the main exercises in a lifting complex to get some work in instead of standing around waiting to start the next set.
Bonus: Injury Prevention
If the goal for strength and conditioning coaches is health first and then performance enhancement, the previously mentioned training plans can do just that.
Low back pain is a commonly reported injury in ice hockey players (2, 3) and can often lead to missed time on the ice. Knowing the crucial role man games lost plays in a teams win total, we have to implement preventative training before an issue occurs.
Though it was with a non-athletic population, two studies from the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that mobilization of the t-spine had a positive effect on function, mental state, and ROM in patients with lower back pain (4, 5).
It can be challenging to quantify exactly how much thoracic spine mobility or lack thereof plays a role toward injury but if the thorax is impaired, adjacent motion segments often take the brunt of the required movements (1). Including some of the exercises shown above is a good step towards reducing the chances of low back pain in athletes.
About Nate
Nathan Williams is the Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Milwaukee Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators.
Website: nathanwilliamstrength.com
Instagram: @NateWilliamsSC
Twitter: @NateWilliamsSC
References
- Ruiz, J., Feigenbaum, L., & Best, T. M. (2020). The thoracic spine in the overhead athlete. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 19(1), 11–16. https://doi.org/10.1249/jsr.0000000000000671
- Selanne, H., Ryba, T. V., Siekkinen, K., Kyröläinen, H., Kautiainen, H., Hakonen, H., Mikkelsson, M., & Kujala, U. M. (2014). The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and use of painkillers among adolescent male ice hockey players in Finland. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 2(1), 448–454. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2014.884463
- Baranto, A., Hellström, M., Cederlund, C.-G., Nyman, R., & Swärd, L. (2009). Back pain and MRI changes in the Thoraco-lumbar spine of top athletes in four different sports: A 15-year follow-up study. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, 17(9), 1125–1134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-009-0767-3 ;
- Sung, Y.-B., Lee, J.-H., & Park, Y.-H. (2014). Effects of thoracic mobilization and manipulation on function and mental state in chronic lower back pain. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 26(11), 1711–1714. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.26.1711 ;
- Heo, M.-Y., Kim, K., Hur,, B.-Y., & Nam, C.-W. (2015). The effect of Lumbar Stabilization Exercises and thoracic mobilization and exercises on chronic low back pain patients. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 27(12), 3843–3846. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.27.3843 ;
