How often do NHL players lift weights?
Noah Mitchell
Published Jan 23, 2026
To maintain performance without overtraining, three to four weight training workouts per week is ideal.
Do NHL players lift weights?
MYTH: Hockey Players Can't Lift Heavy Weights In-Season
Strength and power were a side-effect. Bodybuilding methods to gain muscle size are traditionally based on a high volume of exercises and inducing muscle fatigue. In the off-season, they were grinding to build muscle and strength.
Is weightlifting good for hockey?
Deadlifts are a great weight training workout for hockey speed. Adding this ice hockey gym workout to your ice hockey workout routine will increase strength in your legs and core.
How many times a week should a hockey player workout?
Your workouts should last two hours, minimum, to be effective. You can get strong and jacked by training only 20 minutes, 2-3 times per week. You should split the body in parts and have a leg day, chest day, back day and arm day
How often do hockey players workout?
Get The Most Out Of Hockey Workout Frequency
Lifting weights three times per week is often enough if you work out every muscle group. In fact, if you spend more than half an hour per session in the weight room, you are likely doing something wrong. Always give yourself at least one day to recover after lifting weights.
41 related questions foundDo NHL teams practice everyday?
NHL Players have two distinct types of work days: practice days and game days. Each involves a combination of training, mental preparation, on-ice work with the team and medical treatment when necessary. Game days are much busier, so most of the community outreach and public relations work is done on practice days.
How long should hockey workouts be?
This means as hockey players we want to focus on lower body explosiveness, total body power, overall conditioning, lower body mobility, and more. How Long Should A Hockey Workout Last? Usually, the ideal hockey workout would last between 1 hour and 1.5 hours.
Are squats good for hockey players?
Hockey players usually have tight hips from skating, squatting can help increase hip mobility by going to full-depth. Increased vertical jump/sprint speed aka explosiveness: we know vertical jumps and sprints all require aspects of power.
Does hockey build muscle?
The intensity and volume of hockey is often adequate for breaking down the muscle fibers and thus causing an increase in leg and hip muscle size in novice and average players.
How do you get big hockey legs?
What Are The Best Leg Exercises For Hockey Players? The best leg exercises for hockey players include variations of split squats, jumping exercises, sprints, squats, and deadlifts.
How can I improve my speed in hockey?
Six keys to improve skating speed & efficiency
- Longer skating strides = wider strides. ...
- For acceleration, nothing compares to short off-ice sprints. ...
- Less equipment means faster skating practice. ...
- Strength workouts must incorporate explosive movement of your body, not just slow strength alone. ...
- Practice skating on your own.
Is running good for hockey players?
From a performance perspective, running long distance does not serve purpose to hockey players after they have achieved the required aerobic base for hockey. The old saying of “more is not better” really applies well here. Hockey players should never go long distance even when performing aerobic work.
What muscles do hockey players use the most?
The primary muscles you use in hockey are located in your lower-body and core. Muscles like the quadriceps, adductors, glutes, and hamstrings drive your every stride on the ice. Core muscles also maintain your skating balance and motion.
Do hockey players have big thighs?
To propel themselves around the ice, hockey players tend to have big quads, big thighs and big glutes.
How do hockey players gain weight?
Carbohydrates have a very, very large range of intake because they are based strictly off your current activity levels. But for weight gain, generally 2g per pound of bodyweight on training days is a good start point and 0.5-1g per pound of body weight on non-training days is ideal.
How do hockey players strengthen their legs?
5 Single-Leg Strength Exercises Hockey Players Should Be Doing
- Front Rack Split Squat. In our training system, we treat this lift like any other big barbell movement. ...
- Front-Foot Elevated Split Squat. ...
- One-Leg DB Romanian Deadlift with Rack Hold. ...
- Band-Resisted One-Leg Valslide Leg Curl. ...
- One-Leg Glute Bridge off Bench.
Should hockey players deadlift?
Squats and Deadlifts
Bilateral barbell variations of Squats and Deadlifts should be a staple in any hockey player's off-ice regimen. Barbell Squats and Trap Bar Deadlifts are our most common leg strength exercises, but we rotate between several variations of each.
Are lunges good for hockey?
Through using a variety of lunge-based exercises, hockey players can develop strength, stability and flexibility in their hamstrings, quadriceps and glutes – all vital muscle groups for top level performances.
Do NHL players workout after games?
Postgame workouts are common for the Capitals and across the NHL as players look to finish each day having pushed their bodies to a certain limit.
Do hockey players get days off?
The players simply do not stop for eight months. There are no days off, no weekends, and certainly no vacations. The players are either traveling, or on the ice every day. On game days, they skate twice!
What do NHL players do after game?
Every player uses the intermission as an opportunity to rehydrate, either with water or a sports drink. That way, they'll feel refreshed and reenergized for the rest of the game and can continue giving their all out on the ice. Some players will also eat something during their break to help refuel.
At what age do hockey players get scouted?
These are 14- and 15-year-old kids who have a lot of growing up to do. In the Ontario League, where kids are drafted at age 15, scouts often start taking note of them when they are 14 and come back to see them the next year.