Off-Ice Workouts to Help Players Improve Explosiveness and Speed

Speed is one of the most valuable tools a hockey player can develop. Whether it is winning a race to a loose puck, accelerating out of a turn, creating separation from a defender, or closing a gap defensively, the ability to generate speed quickly can make a major difference on the ice.

While skating technique is extremely important, players do not have to be on the ice to improve their speed. The right off-ice exercises can help young hockey players become stronger, more explosive, and more athletic.

The key is understanding that hockey speed is about more than simply running fast. Players need acceleration, leg power, balance, coordination, lateral movement, and the ability to repeatedly produce explosive efforts.

Here are some of the best types of off-ice workouts youth hockey players can use to develop those qualities.

1. Short-Distance Sprints

Long-distance running can improve general conditioning, but hockey is primarily a game of short, explosive movements.

That makes short sprints extremely valuable.

Try distances such as:

• 5-yard sprints

• 10-yard sprints

• 15-yard sprints

• 20-yard sprints

Players should focus on exploding out of their starting position and reaching maximum speed as quickly as possible.

A simple workout could be:

6-8 sprints of 10-20 yards with plenty of recovery between repetitions.

The goal is quality, not exhaustion. If a player's speed begins dropping significantly, the workout is no longer truly training maximum explosiveness.

2. Hill Sprints

Hill sprints are another excellent way to develop acceleration and leg drive.

Running uphill naturally forces athletes to push harder into the ground while encouraging powerful knee drive.

A player can perform:

5-8 short hill sprints lasting approximately 5-10 seconds each.

Walk back down the hill and recover before the next repetition.

Hill sprints can be especially effective because the movement emphasizes

acceleration rather than simply reaching top running speed.

3. Squat Jumps

Explosive skating starts with the ability to generate force through the legs.

Squat jumps are a simple bodyweight exercise that can help develop that power.

Start in an athletic stance with the feet approximately shoulder-width apart.

Lower into a controlled squat and then explode upward as high as possible.

Land softly, regain balance, and repeat.

Try:

3 sets of 5-8 jumps.

Players should concentrate on producing maximum power on every repetition instead of performing jumps as quickly as possible.

4. Broad Jumps

Broad jumps develop horizontal power, which has an especially strong connection to athletic acceleration.

Instead of jumping straight upward, the athlete attempts to explode forward.

Start with the feet shoulder-width apart, load the hips and knees, swing the arms, and jump forward as far as possible while maintaining control of the landing.

Try:

3 sets of 4-6 jumps.

Players should stick each landing before performing the next repetition.

5. Lateral Bounds

Hockey players rarely move only in straight lines.

Skating requires players to generate force laterally while maintaining balance on one leg. Lateral bounds can help train both qualities.

Push explosively from one leg and jump sideways onto the opposite leg. Stabilize the landing before pushing back in the other direction.

Try:

3 sets of 5 bounds in each direction.

As players improve, they can increase the distance of each jump while still maintaining balance and control.

6. Split Squat Jumps

Split squat jumps are excellent for developing single-leg power.

Begin in a split stance similar to the bottom of a lunge. Explode upward, switch legs in the air, and land with the opposite leg forward.

Try:

2-3 sets of 5 jumps per leg.

Younger players should first demonstrate good balance and basic lunge mechanics before progressing to explosive variations.

7. Skater Jumps

Skater jumps closely resemble the side-to-side movement pattern used during skating.

Start on one leg and explosively jump sideways onto the opposite leg. Continue moving from side to side while maintaining an athletic posture.

The goal is not simply to move quickly. Players should focus on producing a powerful push and controlling each landing.

Try:

3 sets of 6-10 jumps per side.

This exercise helps develop lateral power, balance, coordination, and single-leg stability.

8. Shuttle Runs

Hockey players constantly accelerate, stop, change direction, and accelerate again.

Shuttle runs can help recreate that athletic demand off the ice.

Set up cones approximately 5-10 yards apart. Sprint to one cone, change direction, and accelerate toward the next.

Examples include:

• 5-10-5 shuttle

• T-drills

• Short cone races

• Forward-to-backpedal transitions

• Lateral shuffle-to-sprint drills

Players should concentrate on lowering their center of gravity before changing direction and exploding out of each cut.

9. Single-Leg Strength Exercises

Skating is largely a single-leg activity. Every stride involves one leg generating force while the other prepares for the next push.

Because of this, single-leg strength should be an important part of off-ice hockey training.

Useful exercises include:

• Reverse lunges

• Bulgarian split squats

• Step-ups

• Single-leg squats

• Single-leg glute bridges

Building strength in each leg individually can improve power while also helping players develop better balance and stability.

10. Core Training

A strong core allows players to transfer power efficiently between their upper and lower bodies.

Core strength also helps players maintain their skating posture, absorb contact, protect the puck, and remain balanced while changing direction.

Useful exercises include:

• Planks

• Side planks

• Dead bugs

• Bird dogs

• Pallof presses

• Controlled mountain climbers

Core training for young athletes should focus heavily on stability and body control rather than completing hundreds of repetitions.

Sample Explosiveness and Speed Workout

A simple youth hockey workout could look like this:

Warm-Up

5-10 minutes of dynamic movement including:

• Light jogging

• High knees

• Butt kicks

• Walking lunges

• Leg swings

• Lateral shuffles

Speed

6 x 10-yard sprints

4 x 20-yard sprints

Rest enough between repetitions to maintain maximum effort.

Power

3 x 5 squat jumps

3 x 5 broad jumps

3 x 5 lateral bounds per side

Strength

3 x 8 reverse lunges per leg

3 x 8 step-ups per leg

3 x 10 glute bridges

Core

3 x 20-30 second planks

2 x 20-second side planks per side

Players do not need hour-long workouts to improve. A focused 30-45 minute session performed with high-quality repetitions can be extremely productive.

Quality Is More Important Than Quantity

One of the biggest mistakes young athletes make during speed training is turning every workout into conditioning.

If the goal is explosiveness, players need to perform movements when they are relatively fresh.

A player performing ten great jumps will usually gain more from the exercise than a player performing fifty tired jumps with poor technique.

The same applies to sprinting.

Allow enough recovery between explosive efforts so each sprint, jump, or change-of-direction drill can be performed with speed and proper mechanics.

Strength Helps Create Speed

Young hockey players sometimes think speed training means doing nothing but sprinting.

Strength plays an important role as well.

Every skating stride requires the athlete to apply force into the ice. Developing stronger legs and hips can give players the ability to produce more force during each stride.

Exercises such as squats, lunges, step-ups, split squats, and bridges can help build the foundation required for greater explosiveness.

For younger athletes, bodyweight exercises and proper technique should generally come before adding significant external resistance. More advanced strength training should be age-appropriate and properly supervised.

Don't Forget Recovery

More training is not always better.

Speed and power improve when athletes combine quality training with adequate recovery.

Youth hockey players should make sure they are getting enough:

• Sleep

• Hydration

• Nutrition

• Rest between hard training sessions

Players who constantly perform intense workouts without recovering may actually see their speed and performance decrease.

The Goal: Become a More Explosive Athlete

Off-ice speed training should not attempt to perfectly recreate skating.

The goal is to build a better athlete.

By improving leg strength, acceleration, single-leg power, balance, coordination, and lateral explosiveness off the ice, players can develop physical qualities that transfer into their skating when combined with good on-ice technique.

For youth hockey players, consistency matters far more than performing complicated workouts.

A few focused sessions each week featuring short sprints, jumps, lateral movements, single-leg strength exercises, and core training can go a long way toward helping a player become quicker, stronger, and more explosive when they return to the ice.