If you could only do one thing to train off the ice, I would recommend hill sprints.
They develop leg strength, power and endurance, cardio, core strength, and mental strength.
They’re simple. Find a hill, run up it. Walk down, rest as long as you need, do it again.
If you only did this all summer, 3x a week, you would absolutely enter the new season a much better athlete.
Now of course, I recommend all kinds of exercises and workouts. But sometimes we are overwhelmed with all the things we want to do, and we need to get back to the basics.
Having one goal in mind can be really helpful. Find a good hill, and try to run up more than you did last workout. It’s also a good workout to do with a friend.
There are two main ways you can do hill sprints:
- Short hill, for speed and power. Long rest periods, not too many reps. This is a good way to build up your speed and power. I would say a hill that takes you about 10 seconds to get to the top, maybe for 6-8 reps. Depends on your ability.
- A longer hill, one that maybe takes you 30 seconds or longer. The goal here is to improve your conditioning and leg endurance. This will also build your leg strength and power, but not as much as a shorter hill because you’re not going as fast since it’s a shorter distance.
Remember - when in doubt with your training, find a hill and sprint up it. You’ll be glad you did.
Here’s an article about Jerry Rice’s hill training that should motivate you. https://www.stack.com/a/jerry-rices-legendary-hill-training/