Sport Specific Leg Press

SPORT SPECIFIC LEG PRESS
By Carrie Keil & Darryl Nelson

There has been great interest in using sleds in our dryland training for resisted running. This interest is well founded because resisted running is great for improving a player's ability to accelerate. Acceleration is crucial because it happens all the time in ice hockey. Acceleration allows a player to move fast in a small area.

However, when it comes to sport specific training, there is one area where dry-land sleds are lacking for an ice hockey player. When hockey players train off ice they have no way to simulate using their edges. Therefore, it is important to use the "On-Ice Pave Sled" to incorporate some resisted skating and edge work. These sleds are great because they are built onto a metal brush rather than "blades", allowing the player to train with the sled during turning and crossovers. Also, when a player stops skating the sled will stop.

Although most players and coaches do not realize it, there are actually eight different edges that a player needs to master to maximize his ability to accelerate on the ice. The 8 edges are: right forward inside, left forward inside, right forward outside, left forward outside, right backward inside, left backward inside, right backward outside, and left backward outside. The Pave Sled allows for some resistance on all eight edges.

When a player uses the sled during resisted forward and backward straight-away skating, the major emphasis is on utilization of the inside edges. The thrusting portion of the forward stride is done entirely with the inside edges, as is the "C-cut" of the backward stride. When a player uses the sled during forward or backward crossovers, both the inside and the outside edges are utilized. When performing crossovers, the player's inside leg is thrusting through the outside edge. Conversely, the outside leg is thrusting through the inside edge. (This is often confusing to understand, it is important to realize that the inside LEG is actually on the outside EDGE, and vice versa.) Most hockey players spend very little time mastering their outside edges, and even less time increasing their acceleration off of them. This is the beauty of the On-Ice Pave Sled, the metal bristle engineering allows for players to engage in top speed circular resistance training.

With even a basic understanding of the laws of physics, one can also start to see the additional benefits for the player who engages in circular resistance training. The most obvious is the centrifugal force and angular momentum that must be managed by the player's core. Most elite hockey players possess exceptional leg strength, which serves them well in the straight-away resistance training. However, most elite players struggle significantly when they attempt the circular resistance training, not because they have poor control of their edges, but more often it is a lack of sufficient core strength that causes them to lose their balance and fall during these exercises. The On-Ice Pave Sled is a wonderful tool for working on anti-rotational core strength.

Here is an example of a player skating with a high center of gravity and poor anti-rotational core strength.

Here is a player performing consecutive pivots with a pavesled.