Off-Ice Upper Body Workouts for Youth Hockey Players: Building Strength That Transfers to the Ice
Hockey is often thought of as a lower-body sport—and strong legs are certainly important—but upper-body strength plays a major role in becoming a stronger, more complete hockey player.
Players use their upper body when protecting the puck, battling along the boards, shooting, passing, maintaining balance through contact, and fighting for position in front of the net. Developing the shoulders, chest, back, arms, and core can help young players become stronger on the puck without sacrificing speed or mobility.
The good news is that youth hockey players do not need to spend hours lifting heavy weights to improve their strength. Simple, properly performed off-ice exercises can build an excellent foundation.
Why Upper Body Strength Matters in Hockey
Upper-body strength should not simply be about building bigger muscles. For hockey players, the goal is developing functional strength that helps them control their body and stick while moving at high speeds.
Improved upper-body strength can help players:
Protect the puck against defenders
Maintain possession through contact
Generate more force when shooting
Make stronger passes
Win battles along the boards
Control opponents when battling for positioning
Maintain better balance while being bumped or checked
Improve stick strength during puck battles
Support better overall posture and body control
For younger athletes, proper technique and gradual progression should always take priority over lifting the heaviest weight possible.
1. Push-Ups
The traditional push-up is one of the best exercises available for young hockey players.
Push-ups strengthen the:
Chest
Shoulders
Triceps
Core
These muscles are involved in shooting, passing, puck protection, and
maintaining upper-body stability.
How to Perform Them
Keep the body in a straight line from the shoulders through the heels. Lower the chest toward the floor while keeping the elbows controlled, then push back to the starting position.
Players who cannot yet perform full push-ups can begin from an elevated surface such as a bench.
Suggested workout: 2–3 sets of 6–15 repetitions.
The goal should be perfect repetitions rather than simply doing as many as possible.
2. Plank Shoulder Taps
Plank shoulder taps combine upper-body strength with core stability.
Start in a push-up position. Lift one hand and touch the opposite shoulder while trying to prevent the hips from rotating. Alternate sides.
This exercise teaches players to stabilize their body while one arm is moving—something that happens constantly during hockey.
Suggested workout: 2–3 sets of 10–20 total taps.
Keep the movement slow and controlled.
3. Resistance-Band Rows
A strong back is extremely important for hockey players.
Resistance-band rows help develop the upper back, shoulders, and arms while also promoting good posture.
Attach a resistance band securely in front of the athlete. Pull the handles or band toward the body while squeezing the shoulder blades together.
Suggested workout: 2–3 sets of 10–15 repetitions.
Players should avoid shrugging their shoulders or using momentum to complete the movement.
4. Pull-Ups or Assisted Pull-Ups
Pull-ups are an excellent exercise for building upper-body strength.
They strengthen the:
Back
Shoulders
Biceps
Forearms
Grip
Grip and pulling strength can be particularly helpful during puck battles and situations where players need to maintain strong stick positioning.
Many younger athletes will not initially be able to perform multiple full pull-ups.
That is completely normal.
Players can begin with assisted pull-ups, band-assisted pull-ups, or controlled hangs from the bar.
Suggested workout: 2–3 sets based on the athlete's ability while maintaining proper technique.
5. Resistance-Band Chest Press
Resistance bands allow young athletes to develop strength without immediately needing heavy weights.
Anchor a resistance band safely behind the player and press the hands forward in a controlled motion.
This develops many of the same muscles used during push-ups while allowing players to train from a standing athletic position.
Suggested workout: 2–3 sets of 10–15 repetitions.
6. Medicine-Ball Chest Passes
For players who are old enough and properly supervised, medicine-ball exercises can introduce explosive upper-body power.
Standing several feet from a sturdy wall or with a partner, hold a light medicine ball at chest level and explosively pass it forward.
The goal is speed and power—not using the heaviest medicine ball available.
Suggested workout: 3 sets of 5–8 explosive throws.
Each repetition should be performed with maximum intent while maintaining good control.
7. Medicine-Ball Rotational Throws
Hockey shots involve much more than the arms. Powerful shooting requires players to transfer force through the legs, hips, core, shoulders, and arms.
Rotational medicine-ball throws help teach athletes to produce force through this chain.
Stand sideways to a safe wall while holding a light medicine ball. Rotate through the hips and torso and throw the ball toward the wall.
Perform repetitions on both sides.
Suggested workout: 2–3 sets of 5–8 throws per side.
This exercise can be especially useful for developing the rotational power involved in shooting.
8. Farmer Carries
Farmer carries are simple but extremely effective.
Hold an appropriately weighted dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand and walk while maintaining good posture.
Farmer carries strengthen the:
Grip
Forearms
Shoulders
Upper back
Core
Grip strength can help hockey players maintain stick control when battling opponents or protecting the puck.
Suggested workout: 2–3 rounds of approximately 20–30 seconds.
Younger players can perform variations with lighter objects under adult supervision.
9. Bear Crawls
Bear crawls develop shoulder strength, core stability, coordination, and body control at the same time.
Start on the hands and feet with the knees hovering slightly above the ground.
Crawl forward while keeping the back relatively flat and the movements controlled.
Suggested workout: 3 rounds of 10–20 yards.
Bear crawls are particularly useful for younger athletes because they can develop strength using their own body weight.
10. Side Planks
Upper-body strength becomes much more useful when it is connected to a strong core.
Side planks develop the obliques, shoulders, and stabilizing muscles around the torso.
These muscles help players remain balanced when turning, shooting, protecting the puck, and absorbing contact.
Suggested workout: 2–3 sets of 15–30 seconds per side.
Sample Youth Hockey Upper Body Workout
A simple workout could look like this:
Warm-Up
5–10 minutes of light movement, mobility exercises, arm circles, and dynamic stretching.
Workout
Push-Ups — 3 sets of 10
Resistance-Band Rows — 3 sets of 12
Plank Shoulder Taps — 3 sets of 12 total
Assisted Pull-Ups — 2–3 sets
Bear Crawls — 3 rounds
Side Planks — 2 sets per side
For older or more physically developed players who have proper supervision, light medicine-ball throws and farmer carries can also be incorporated.
A workout like this does not need to take very long. A focused 20–30 minute session performed with good technique can be extremely productive.
Don't Forget Mobility
Hockey players should not become strong at the expense of their mobility.
Shoulder mobility and upper-back mobility are important for maintaining good posture, stickhandling comfortably away from the body, shooting from different positions, and reaching for loose pucks.
Players should combine strength training with movements designed to maintain healthy shoulder and upper-back mobility.
Quality Is More Important Than Weight
Young hockey players should never view strength training as a competition to see who can lift the most weight.
A better approach is:
Technique → Control → Strength → Power
First, learn how to perform the movement correctly.
Then develop control throughout the entire movement.
Once those fundamentals are established, resistance can gradually be increased.
Eventually, stronger and more experienced athletes can begin developing more explosive strength.
Trying to skip these steps can lead to poor movement patterns and unnecessary injury risk.
How Often Should Youth Hockey Players Train Their Upper Body?
For many youth athletes, two off-ice strength sessions per week can provide plenty of opportunity to improve when combined with practices, games, skating sessions, and other sports.
Training volume should always be adjusted depending on the player's age, physical development, experience, and hockey schedule.
Players should also have adequate recovery between difficult training sessions.
Strength Should Support Hockey Development
Off-ice training should make a player better on the ice—not leave them constantly tired or sore.
The best youth hockey strength programs develop the entire athlete through a combination of:
Strength
Speed
Explosiveness
Mobility
Coordination
Balance
Core stability
Conditioning
Upper-body training is just one piece of that development process.
Build Strength and Then Learn to Use It
Getting stronger away from the rink can give young hockey players another tool, but players still need to learn how to apply that strength while skating.
That means combining off-ice training with quality skating, puck skills, shooting, small-area games, and game-situation training.
At Cutting Edge Ice Academy, our clinics and training programs give players opportunities to continue developing the skating, puck skills, shooting ability, hockey IQ, and overall athleticism necessary to become stronger and more confident players.
The goal is not simply to create a stronger athlete.
The goal is to create a stronger hockey player.
