The importance of post-season rest, recovery in hockey at all levels

Continued from Page 8 and focus on a few other things that make you happy. This is a great time to address nagging injuries as well, so when it’s time to get back at it, your body feels good again.

It’s also a time to work on some of the small things that aren’t too demanding, but may not have been addressed as well during the season. This may include flexibility, mobility and strengthening of small stability muscles to aid in injury prevention.

Hopefully, you had an exit interview with your coach at the end of the season to get his/her opinion on what you need to improve to get the next level.

If not, you can always contact them to get some ideas on what you will need to do to prepare for next season. Compare yourself to others at times and ask yourself, “What am I better at than others? What are others better than me at?”

Look at where you want to play next season and see what you need to improve on. This could be things like skate faster, shoot more accurately or be stronger on the puck. Take views from different angles to help you decide what you will need to do to be successful at the next level.

There is no perfect offseason plan as the summer seems to change at almost every level. The length of the season can change if you run deep into the playoffs, some seasons begin earlier than others, and some summers are filled with showcases and camps that are necessary. With this in mind, each individual’s plan may be different and even your own plan may differ from year to year.

The goal is to maximize the offseason so you are best prepared when training camp opens.

Chris Phillips is a certified athletic trainer and strength and conditioning specialist with over 30 years of experience in professional sports, including the NHL, 2022 Winter Olympics, and men’s and women’s professional soccer. He can be reached at chris@ competeperformance.com or via www.competeperformance.com.

What is a separated shoulder?

Can you tell me what a separated shoulder is?

It’s not the same as a dislocated shoulder and you may be surprised to know how many professional players have sustained this injury.

In fact, when I recently spoke with Joe Huff, the head athletic trainer for the Anaheim Ducks, he said it may be one of the more common injuries he has seen at the NHL level.

A separated shoulder is a sprain that occurs at the acromioclavicular (AC) joint of the shoulder complex. This is where the collar bone and shoulder blade connect to form a joint that supports the glenohumeral (GH) joint, or the ball and socket joint of the shoulder.

When ligaments that hold the AC joint together are damaged, there may be a visible bump on top of the shoulder depending on the severity of the sprain.

Symptoms include pain at the top of the shoulder, often following a fall onto the shoulder or on an outstretched arm.

The pain may be widespread throughout the shoulder initially but later on more localized to a bony point on the top of the shoulder.

One grading system of AC joint injuries uses three grades. Grade I has very little, if any, tearing. Grade III is a complete rupture of the ligaments.

Based on the severity, the rehabilitation time will also vary. A Grade I can take around 1014 days, whereas a grade III takes six to eight weeks. A Grade II takes somewhere in between.

If you sustain an AC sprain, seek out a sports rehabilitation professional who can guide you through a proper shoulder strengthening program dependent on the severity of your injury.

Several components factor into a good rehabilitation program.

Huff adds that good quality and proper-fitting protective equipment assist the strengthening shoulder program in preventing AC separations. Isometric exercises for the shoulder are a great place to start. The athlete can then progress to resistive band exercises to increase the strength of the supportive muscles. These include internal/ external rotation of the GH joint, rows, lateral raises, and abduction raises.

Seek out a sports rehabilitation professional, such a certified athletic trainer, who can guide you through a proper shoulder strengthening program.

Mike Hannegan is an athletic trainer and strength coach with 10 years’ experience in the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues. He is currently the director of the Compete Sports Performance and Rehabilitation facility inside The Rinks-Yorba Linda Ice, located in beautiful Orange County, Calif. He can be reached by email at mike@ competeperformance.com.

How do I create a workout program for myself?

Have you ever wanted to start working out and getting in shape?

Once you were motivated, did you have a hard time figuring out what to do for your workouts? Did you ever give up when you were confused?

In this article, the goal is to give you a general roadmap to design your own programs.

Please keep in mind that this isn’t the only way to design a workout. And keep in mind, a program is only as good as your consistency! So make a program that YOU will enjoy doing.

Step 1: Determine your goal. Keep it simple.

(Lose fat, gain muscle, sleep better, have more energy, etc.)

Step 2: How many days a week can you commit to?

For most people who are starting out, I recommend at least two days a week to start. This will help avoid burnout and help you stay committed in the long run. Once you are consistent with two days a week, try three, then four, and so on.

Step 3: Write it down.

Write down your goals. Write down your plan. Write down the workouts you’re doing and how you feel afterwards. Write down where you struggled and what you enjoyed

Continued on Page 11

What are the steps to creating your own workout routine?

Continued from Page 10 in the workout. Write down how you feel the next day and any adjustments you might make in response. Write down whatever you feel is going to help you. The plan should be fluid and allow for you to tweak it as you go. It doesn’t have to be a novel, but seeing your plan in writing can help you stick to it and make informed decisions as you progress.

Step 4: Start with full body workouts.

A full body workout is a workout that targets every muscle group in the body. Two full body days are a great way to introduce you to fitness. It also teaches you how your body will feel. Once you get more experienced, you can do different workout splits including push/pull, upper body/ lower body, and so on. But for the purpose of this article, let’s stick with full body.

Step 5: Determine how you’re going to progressive overload.

Progressive overload is a way of your body getting a new stimulus so you can get the adaptation you’re looking for. You should try and progressive overload every week in your workouts. In order to progressive overload, you can add more weight to exercises, do more reps, do more sets, decrease your rest times in between sets, increase the days you’re coming into the gym, and many more. Our bodies are pretty adaptable, so we always need to new stimulus. Keep in mind you don’t necessarily have to change exercises all of the time; as long as you change other things first, you should be good!

Step 6: Don’t try to do too much too fast.

This might sound like common sense, but don’t push yourself too hard at first.

For one, you may hurt yourself. Second, you will mentally burnout and give up. When looking to progress an exercise, only change one variable at a time.

For example, if you’ve been doing three sets of 10 body weight squats, add 10 pounds but keep the sets and reps the same. If you’ve been sedentary for a while, give yourself rest days in between workouts.

Find a fun and effective way to actively recover, such as going for a walk, hiking, swimming, yoga, or playing with your kids and pets.

Exercise should be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be high intensity seven days a week for it to be effective. In fact, doing too much too fast can actually hinder your progress!

In the end, find a program that works for you. If you like having the freedom to choose what exercises you’re doing and it gives you a sense of ownership over the program, then follow the steps above and get after it. If you are someone who likes more structure and needs guidance, find a strength coach that can help you put together the plan that’s right for you.

Either way, remember that exercise should be enjoyable, you should have a goal you are working towards, and it’s a process that will take time. Keep it simple and have fun!

For more information visit www. competeperformance.com.