Bigger, faster, stronger. These three words are often at the centre of training goals when it comes to athletics.
Something that we continually emphasize at Focus Fitness is the concept of strength as the foundation on which other athletic attributes such as power and speed are built. There are many different aspects to strength when we assess athletes. There is relative strength, maximal strength, bilateral strength, unilateral strength and other terms we can use to categorize it. While they are all important in their own right, here we will focus on bilateral and maximal strength and one of the protocols we use to build these types of strength.
Maximal strength is about moving as much weight as we can for a desired rep range both safely and effectively. Bilateral refers to both sides working together. In training, this usually involves both arms or legs moving at the same time, working together to move the weight. This is usually done using bars or machines that allow both sides to work together in moving the load. This can be beneficial for maximal strength training as it allows a heavier exercise load.
There are many different options for bilateral exercises that can be effective for developing strength. Two that we commonly program with our athletes is the barbell bench press and the trap bar deadlift. The barbell bench press is a good indicator of maximal upper body strength, and the trap bar deadlift does the same for lower body strength.
So now that we know bilateral and maximal strength are important and we have two great exercises picked out, what protocol do we use in the gym to utilize these movements and develop strength? In other words, how many sets and reps are used to be effective?
The good news is, when you’re first starting out, almost any set/rep protocol done consistently will increase your strength. As you improve, you will need to make adjustments to some of your training variables to keep making progress. A smart, safe and effective protocol that we have used over the years is the 5-3-1 protocol.
The 5-3-1 protocol was developed by a strength coach named Jim Wendler and has become a staple in many programs from athletes to power lifters. It is a percentage-based program that works off basic movements and the idea that you can make substantial strength gains with sub-maximal loading if the effort is right. Each week the athlete uses percentages of their training max (three-rep max) for the indicated reps. The percentages take the guess work out of the weight selection and the loads are based off a training max as opposed to a one-rep max, making it a great program choice for novice and intermediate lifters and for in-season training. With the loads being sub-maximal, there’s also less chance of injury. There are plenty of variations or additions to the base program which can include heavier singles for maximal strength and higher volume sets for hypertrophy, which both work well for the off-season.
To find more information on the 5-3-1 protocol go to www.jimwendler.com.
This article was originally published in Game On – Manitoba’s hockey community magazine.
A good strength and conditioning program should increase strength, power, speed, mobility, stability, address deficiencies, and correct imbalances. While this appears to be a tall order, it becomes significantly easier to check all these boxes if we include an adequate amount of single leg training in our program. Single leg training addresses all of those needs, and should be a foundational piece of your training program. Here is an example of what it looks like in the first phase of an off-season training program for a hockey player here at Focus Fitness:
A1 Single Leg Balance with Stick Shift x 30 seconds/side
A2 Mini Band Shuffle x 15 reps/side
A3 Single Leg Altitude Landing x 3 reps/side
30 seconds of rest between exercises
60 seconds of rest between sets
complete 3 sets
B1 Single Leg Skater Squat x 6 reps/side
B2 Single Leg DB/KB RDL x 8 reps/side
30 seconds of rest between exercises
90 seconds of rest between sets
complete 3 sets
C1 Single Leg TRX Cross Under Squat x 6 reps/side
C2 Single Leg Hip Lift (shoulders elevated) x 10 reps/side
30 seconds of rest between exercises
90 seconds of rest between sets
complete 3 sets
D RFE Split Squat Iso Holds x 30 sec/side
2 minutes of rest between sets
complete 3 sets
If these exercises or terminology are new to you, simply scan the QR code and you can watch a video on how to perform the exercises correctly. Remember to always include single leg work in your hockey strength training.
Until next time,
Strength, Courage, Hustle, Commitment
AJ Zeglen
This article was originally published in Game On – Manitoba’s hockey community magazine.
As a society, we love heroes. They are everywhere – on TV, in movies, and in the sports we watch. The idea of someone swooping in at the last minute to save the day is something that has long been romanticized by our culture.
The pandemic has lasted almost a year-and-a-half now. It has been long, and it has been physically, mentally, and emotionally hard on a lot of people. Many of us probably feel like we are not at our best. Maybe we have gained weight, maybe we don’t feel mentally sharp, maybe we’ve lost touch with people who are important to us, or maybe we feel worn down, tired, slow, and unmotivated. If this is you, it’s okay; we have all been there. I have been there at times over the last year-and-a-half, but here is the truth: no one is coming to save you. Read that again. No one is coming to save you. You are going to get back in shape, lose the weight, improve your mental game, reconnect with people, and feel better because YOU are going to make the choice to do it.
You are the hero of your story, this is your movie, and this is your time. There is not a person on this planet who can magically make everything better; the trainer at your gym, the person whose book you read, the influencer on Instagram who promised you could lose 20 pounds in two weeks – they cannot save you.
I have worked in this industry for almost 20 years and I can honestly tell you that I cannot save you. I can help you – if you need help, reach out. I am happy to help in any way that I can, and I truly, sincerely mean that. In the end, though, you will not make it because I or anyone else saved you. It will be because you made the choice – you made the choice to exercise, you made the choice to eat better, and you made the choice to reach out and seek help.
You are the hero; you are the only one who can save yourself. Can we lean on others? Absolutely. Having a support system is extremely important, but remember; they can help, but they cannot do it for you.
There is a common misconception that motivation precedes the action, but it does not work like that. If we wait for the motivation, we will wait forever.
Just start – the action comes first. Start even if you do not feel like it, and once you start, keep going. Even if it feels like you are crawling some days, keep going and the motivation will come. Once a little progress is made, then the motivation comes. The more progress, the more motivation. Keep going and you will become unstoppable.
If this pandemic has been tough and you find yourself down in a hole and in a place you do not like, do not wait. No one is coming to pull you out. I cannot pull you out. I can help. I can throw down your cape, but you must make the decision to put that cape on and be the hero that your life needs. You’ve got this; I believe in you. Afterall, you are a hero.
Until next time,
Strength, Courage, Hustle, Commitment
AJ Zeglen
This article was originally published in the Game On magazine – Manitoba’s hockey community magazine.
The pandemic has gone on far longer than any of us had hoped. With no clear end in sight, and with sports seasons cancelled or on hold, this has extended the length of off-season training for many people. This hasn’t just affected pros and college players, but also recreational athletes who now find themselves in the gym for their primary source of exercise. The season is changing as well – we have less daylight, and the temperature is dropping to frigid lows. All of this combined might seem like reason to complain but remember that 90 percent of life is how we look at it and that our perception can quickly become our reality.
Having the opportunity to exercise and reap the mental, physical and emotional benefits of exercise is an amazingly positive experience. We cannot look at going to the gym as a chore; it is a celebration of what we can do, and we are all capable of doing amazing things. Part of this ‘gym as a chore’ mentality is perpetuated by social media posts that I assume are meant to be inspiring – talking about how the gym is a grind or you are preparing to go to war or something along those lines. Nonsense. Working a dead-end nine-to-five job is a grind, working to pay bills is a grind, life’s responsibilities can become a grind, and brave women and men who work jobs that put themselves in harm’s way are the ones going to war. Having the opportunity to go to the gym to better ourselves – that is a privilege. That is a ray of light that breaks up the monotony of the daily grind. It injects positivity into our lives and elevates our level of confidence. We should feel grateful that we have the ability to perform physical activity no matter what level we are starting at. We should feel grateful for where we are at and excitement for where we are going.
Use this time in a positive way. If our off-season is longer, when we finally do get back to playing again, we should be bigger, faster, stronger and in better shape than we have ever been. It can be a positive experience if we choose to make it one. Remember: training and being in the gym is not a grind – it is a privilege. Do not forget that.
One of my favourite parts about training and working out is that it is never over. We never reach a point where we are completely satisfied with how we perform or how we look. We reach goals but the satisfaction is short lived. We will always want to be bigger, stronger, faster and go for longer. We are appreciative of where we are but still hungry for more.
To an outsider this may seem daunting, but if we really fall in love with the process, we realize that it’s actually a great thing that it never ends. There is so much good we can extract from this hunger that it can become a never-ending source of mental, physical and emotional support for us.
This year has been tough, and, in all probability, it may get tougher still. Hockey is back on television, which is great. We have registered our kids for next year, which is also great, but we still do not actually know when it will start. It can be difficult to train without an exact date to aim for. Is the season starting in September? January? No one is quite sure at this point – and that is just hockey. What about school, work, or trips? Everything is up in the air.
With so much unknown, it is great to have an outlet to help reduce the stress of uncertainty. With the right perspective, our training can be that outlet. Do not fixate on exact dates – enjoy and appreciate the process of getting better. Certainly, set short-term goals, but also enjoy the fact that it is a never-ending journey of self-improvement. We do not want it to end. If it did, we would no longer be able to reap the physical, mental and emotional benefits of exercise. We want to have that continuous resource at our fingertips, always just one workout away.
In a time of uncertainty, one thing is always certain: your effort in the gym dictates your results – both physically and how they translate into combatting stress.
I have a friend in the fitness industry who uses the analogy of training being a gift that we give ourselves (thanks Crystal! You can follow her @204lifestyle on Instagram. She is awesome!). What an amazing gift we can give ourselves during times like this. Even better, when this is over it will still be there for us to keep going back to because unlike this pandemic, working out is never over. And that is a good thing.
A good strength and conditioning program should increase strength, power, speed, mobility, stability, address deficiencies, and correct imbalances. While this appears to be a tall order, it becomes significantly easier to check all these boxes if we include an adequate amount of single leg training in our program. Single leg training addresses all of those needs, and should be a foundational piece of your training program. Here is an example of what it looks like in the first phase of an off-season training program for a hockey player here at Focus Fitness:
If these exercises or terminology are new to you, simply scan the QR code and you can watch a video on how to perform the exercises correctly. Remember to always include single leg work in your hockey strength training.
