Total Hockey Conditioning: From Pee-Wee to Pro

Ian A. Andrews is editor of the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association’s Focus and co-author of Becoming a Teacher.

There was a time, not too long ago, when hockey was viewed as a winter
sport. Players would wait until their first on-ice sessions in the fall
before they seriously contemplated returning to top physical form. The
professionals looked at training camp as a time to get in shape. In the
21st century that is no longer an option for the elite athlete. He or
she must not only achieve the top fitness level, but maintain or remain
close to this level throughout the year, in and out of season.

In Total Hockey Conditioning, Dave Chambers and Tudor Bompa, both
renowned academics with impeccable coaching credentials, present both
the appropriate methods and the specific phases for the hockey player to
achieve and maintain top physical fitness. With definitions, diagrams,
and charts, Chambers and Bompa emphasize planning and dedication. This
book is for the serious athlete, not for one interested in occasional
activity.

Both on- and off-ice activities are provided, together with a sequence
and scope for each activity. Training techniques are given for strength
and power, energy systems, quickness and agility, and flexibility.
Recovery, fatigue, overtraining, and detraining are addressed. Both
prevention of and recovery from injuries are discussed. Proper nutrition
and mental training are promoted and methods for evaluating fitness are
provided. And separate year-round fitness programs are available for
various levels of athlete, from the elite professional, national, and
university athletes to the junior, midget, and peewee players. A
conditioning program is even offered for the prepubescent (under 12)
athlete.

Total Hockey Conditioning is highly recommended for the parent of a
young athlete who wishes to reach his or her maximum potential in the
game of hockey.