What’s unique about skating is that you’re in a flexed position. You cannot escape. You’re in a half squat the whole time. So if you don’t condition your legs to handle your own bodyweight when you’re skating, you won’t be successful. Doing leg circuits where you really challenge yourself–on a slide board, for instance–or doing conditioning work on a bike will help.
Another move that’s great for hockey players: the rotational row. As opposed to running in a straight line, you’re moving on a blade, and at some point, that blade has to rotate into the ice where you push. If you do this well, you externally rotate at your hip to create an angle to push
You can watch a video demonstration of the rotational row .
–Anthony Slater, Performance Specialist, Core Performance Center
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