Is there a faster way to develop strength?

The number one goal we should have in the gym is to develop our strength. Once our strength is where it needs to be, we can focus on developing power. And the more powerful we are the more explosive we’ll be on the ice which will result in us being faster.

Even though some players need to put on size (mass), their number one goal should still be to gain strength. There is no point in gaining extra weight if it’s going to slow us down on the ice. If we have a “strength first” mentality the size will naturally follow because our body will have to develop more muscle fibers (increased size) to help with the stress (weights being lifted) we are placing on our bodies.

Before I get into a faster way to develop strength, I want to talk about the differences between unilateral training and bilateral training. Unilateral training is classified at using one limb (arm or leg) at a time while bilateral training is using both limbs. An example for each would be dumbbell single arm bench (unilateral) and regular bench press (bilateral).

Hockey requires a lot of balance, stability, strength, power, speed and change of direction. We have to do exercises that will help improve these aspects the most. We only have so much time and energy to devote to the gym so we can’t waste any of it by performing bicep curls and overhead tricep extensions or any other exercises that don’t directly improve our on-ice performance.

But getting back to the question at hand, is there a faster way to develop strength?

YES, by doing UNILATERAL TRAINING.

I need to get a little scientific for a second. Research has shown that sprinters who had a discrepancy between their bilateral strength and unilateral combined strength were slower coming out of sprinting blocks. What does that mean? It means that if they can squat 100lbs (bilaterally) but can single leg squat 60lbs (unilaterally) which would add up to a combined 120lbs squat, they would have a negative difference of 10lbs per leg in their bilateral squat.  And the difference between these two totals directly relates to the amount of force they can generate during a sprint. The greater the discrepancy the slower the sprinter. Therefore you should always strive to have your bilateral strength equal your combined unilateral strength.

Even though hockey is played on ice, our stride isn’t that much different than of sprinters. During a game of hockey, we perform multiple sprints. We’ve heard our coaches say it all the time, “first 3 strides are the most important”. A discrepancy between our bilateral and unilateral combined strength will affect our force and explosiveness on the ice, which means we’re winning fewer races to the puck.

Let’s talk about some of the benefits of unilateral training.

• more effective in increasing single leg vertical jump than bilateral training
• reduces the amount of load (weight) placed on the joints to stimulate the muscle fibers
• increases the demand for balance, anti-rotational, anti-flexion/extension, and other forms of stability
• helps decrease any muscular imbalances between sides
• improves strength gains faster in a 6 week period compared to bilateral training

As you can see there are many benefits to training one side of our body at a time. But before you scrap bilateral training altogether you should know the following.

While research has shown that performing only unilateral training does increase strength faster during a 6 week period compared to bilateral training, it also found that this type of training plateaus after 6 weeks. Although bilateral training may show slower improvements in strength it takes much longer to plateau. Therefore your workout should combine both types of training to optimize your gains and on-ice performance.

Everything I just explained may sound slightly scientific and overwhelming, and that is exactly why I don’t expect you to know how to implement it. That’s what I’m here for!

If you’re looking to follow a hockey specific training program, below are a few options for you.