Every ice hockey player wants to learn how to skate faster. Skating is at the core of all ice hockey skills, and becoming one of the fastest players on the ice can unlock entirely new dimensions to your game that you did not know existed.
While a good portion of speed potential is genetically based, a sizable portion can be improved by proper training and habits. The reality is that most players, even at the NHL level, do not come anywhere close to reaching their full speed potential by the time they have reached their athletic prime.
This article will provide actionable advice for how to skate faster. It is relevant for all age groups, although specific applications of each point vary depending on the player’s age, size, and skill set.
Part 1 of this article will outline off-ice strategies that will help you skate faster, while part 2 will outline on-ice strategies that help you skate faster.
#1: Prioritize short-distance sprinting
Studies estimate that ice hockey is approximately 70% anaerobic. This means that the body primarily recruits Type IIX and Type IIA muscle fibers when you are skating during a game. These muscle fibers are considered the power fibers; they generate a high degree of force quickly but also fatigue rapidly.
As a result, it is critical that you prioritize off-ice exercises that simulate what is a primarily anaerobic activity. An average hockey shift is approximately 45-60 seconds in length, and even in that shift a player will only reach top speed once or twice. Short-distance, high-intensity sprints are a great option to target the right muscle fibers in the body.
There are a lot of different iterations of sprints that a player can do, but if you are just starting out training, it is worth keeping it simple. Do 5-10 sets of 10-20 yard sprints, making sure that you give yourself adequate rest in between each set. Without ample rest, the exercise turns into more of a cardio workout, and you will not reap the intended benefits.
For the more advanced players, hill sprints are a great option, as is a more structured sprinting routine. I like to do 5 sets where I sprint for 10 seconds and then rest for 50, but there are plenty of different variations that will translate to increased on-ice speed.
#2: Incorporate lots of single-leg off-ice exercises
During crossovers and linear strides, most of the time one of the player’s legs is doing one thing while the other is doing something completely different. In the linear stride, for example, one leg is planted into the ice, while the other leg is extended behind at an angle, preparing to dig in and then push off the ice.
Concordantly, it is critical to focus on single-leg off-ice exercises. Some great plyometric movements for hockey include skater jumps, single-leg hurdle jumps, and single-leg box jumps. Single-leg strength exercises are also beneficial, which will be touched on more in the third strategy.
#3: Incorporate the right amount of strength training
While focusing on balance, mobility, and proper skating mechanics is all well and good, a large percentage of how to skate faster comes from having the requisite leg strength and power. Front squats, goblet squats, trap bar deadlifts, and lunges are some basic exercises that can be beneficial in this regard. This strategy can also be combined with strategy #2 to really make sure that you are training in a hockey-specific fashion. Bulgarian split squats, single-leg lunges, and single-leg Romanian deadlifts are great exercises that provide both strength and balance benefits.
#4: Incorporate exercises that increase balance, core strength, and flexibility
One thing that trainers tend to forget when devising off-ice hockey training programs is just how much of the time a player is off-balance, on one leg, or in some other type of awkward position. At the higher levels of hockey, the game moves so quickly, and much of the time the only way to make the proper play is to do so off-balance.
In addition to this, even the standard, linear skating stride requires incredible balance and core strength to properly execute. The best skaters are able to maintain the right body posture and knee bend in all elements of their stride. A lack of balance or core strength can mean a little less knee bend, a little less stability when pushing off in the stride, and a little less control when making plays with the puck. All of this leads to a decrease in optimal skating speed.
There are tons of exercises that work on core strength, balance, and flexibility. Taking a yoga or pilates class is a great way to incorporate these movements. Different plank variations, medicine ball exercises, landmine rotations, Pallof presses, and glute bridges are some examples of good options.
This video of Alvin Kamara, an NFL running back, has a ton of good exercises that work on balance and core strength in unstable positions.
#5: Work on shin-angle mobility
A player’s shin angle is the angle that their shin creates with the ground, or in this case, the ice. A positive shin angle is any angle below 90 degrees. The best skaters in the world are able to create the deepest shin angles, which allows them to get additional knee bend and activate additional force in the direction of motion.
To create positive shin angles requires strong and flexible ankles and knees. One great exercise for shin-angle mobility is elevated lunges. Place your front foot on a plate or elevated surface, and then lunge while holding weights, focusing on driving your knee in front of your foot as much as possible. Another good exercise is tibia raises. To do this exercise, lean against a wall with both feet together, place a medicine ball on top of your feet, and curl your toes towards your knees.
Nathan MacKinnon is a great example of a player that has high-end shin-angle mobility. He is able to bend his front leg forward to an incredible degree. This is part of the reason why he can generate so much force in his stride. If you want to read my article on Nathan MacKinnon’s stride mechanics, in which I go into more detail on his shin-angle mobility, click here.
#6: Focus on hip strength and mobility
Having bad hips is probably the most common hockey injury that players complain about as they get older. This can arise from overtraining, but it also happens naturally to a degree given how unnatural the skating stride is on the human body.
Additionally, the hips are a critical part of maximizing speed potential; tight hips can restrict speed, while loose, strong hips can enhance speed. As a result, it is imperative to give your hips the attention they deserve in training sessions.
One great tool for hip strength is isometric band exercises. Tie a long band around a stable surface, loop one ankle around the band, and lift the leg up as high as possible. Holding this position for 8-10 seconds is a great way to strengthen the hips. Another great exercise for hip strength is glute bridges, both single leg and double leg.
There are tons of good exercises for hip flexibility, and it is important that you incorporate some of these as part of your training or recovery work. The 90-90 hip stretch is a great one, as is the butterfly stretch, Figure 4 stretch, kneeling lunges, and many more. Click here for a video that gives a good example of a hip mobility routine.
#7: Practice good nutrition
Most people rarely talk about nutrition when trying to answer the question of how to skate faster. But proper nutrition is essential for muscle building, endurance, and speed potential. There are too many nutrition tips to cover in a short article such as this one, but a few good ones would be:
- Make sure you are drinking enough water, especially after completing a workout or on-ice session. The general guideline is to drink half of your weight, in pounds, of water per day in ounces, but hockey players that are training intensely should drink even more than this.
- Eat a balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables.
- If you are trying to build muscle and gain weight, make sure you don’t go long periods of time without eating (no longer than four or five hours). Also, make sure to eat a high-protein meal after your training session.
- Limit alcohol and junk foods.
In general, try as much as possible to be intentional and focused with your nutrition, to eat a balanced diet, and to drink enough water throughout the day. It may even be helpful to download a calorie tracker app at the start if you have a specific body weight in mind that you are trying to attain.
Thanks for reading my off-ice tools for how to skate faster! Stay tuned for How To Skate Faster Part Two, where I will discuss on-ice strategies for increasing the efficiency and power of your skating stride.