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Last week we gave you a few different strength workouts that could alternated during a week and that require minimal or no equipment during these interesting times when most of us don’t have access to our local ice rinks or workout facilities.

Today we have an interval running workout that you can add into what we introduced last week. Remember that hockey is more of a fast-twitch, anaerobic sport than an aerobic one. That means that you need to be able to push yourself and go as hard as possible for short bursts that most times last between 30 seconds and 75 seconds before taking a break that can last three or four minutes at times.

Mixing cardio with strength training is important for any athlete in training, but you want to make sure that all of your training correlates to the sport you play in terms of the muscles you are using and building and the type of cardiovascular fitness you are developing.

Exercises and programs that build power and explosiveness are key for hockey players, and any cardio training should focus on simulating the type of conditioning you need to play hockey, not to become a long-distance runner.

Running a mile or a mile and a half mixed in with your speed and strength workouts is fine. Many teams will ask you to run 1.5 miles as part of your fitness test. You can choose to do that any day of the week – on days you do strength training or on your “off” days – and that is great. But you definitely want to build in some interval running, sprit and hill workouts as well. Tougher incline or hill work can be added once your base is built several weeks into your off-season program.

For now, in addition to running a mile or 1.5 miles a couple occasionally, you might want to mix in this type of interval running program:

Hockey Interval Running Workout

Start with a total workout time of 25 minutes. You can increase the overall time or add hills or an incline as your fitness level improves. And when getting started, you can shorten each sequence to suit your fitness level as well.

If the workout ends up being 15 or 20 minutes at first, that’s fine. You can build up to this. For parents or non-hockey playing siblings this is a great fat-burning workout, too. It's also to extend your rest times in between intervals at the beginning as well, escpecially if it helps you complete the workout.

Perform a dynamic warm-up as outlined in Weekly Workout #1. Then ease into your running warm-up with a couple of slower intervals. 

• Slow-paced jog – 1 minute
• Normal-paced walk – 30 seconds
• Slow-paced job – 1 minute
• Normal-paced walk – 30 seconds

3 minutes total running warm-up

• Run at the fastest pace you can maintain – 1 minute
• Slow-to-normal-paced walk – 1 minute
• Run at the fastest pace you can maintain – 1 minute
• Slow-to-normal-paced walk – 1 minute
• Run at the fastest pace you can maintain – 1 minute
• Slow-to-normal-paced walk – 30 seconds
• Run at the fastest pace you can maintain – 1 minute
• Slow-to-normal-paced walk – 30 seconds

1-minute run sequence = 7 minutes

• Run at the fastest pace you can maintain – 45 seconds
• Slow-to-normal-paced walk – 45 seconds
• Run at the fastest pace you can maintain – 45 seconds
• Slow-to-normal-paced walk – 45 seconds
• Run at the fastest pace you can maintain – 45 seconds
• Slow-to-normal-paced walk – 30 seconds
• Run at the fastest pace you can maintain – 45 seconds
• Slow-to-normal-paced walk – 30 seconds

45- second run sequence = 5 minutes

• Run at the fastest pace you can maintain – 30 seconds
• Slow-to-normal-paced walk – 30 seconds
• Run at the fastest pace you can maintain – 30 seconds
• Slow-to-normal-paced walk – 45 seconds
• Run at the fastest pace you can maintain – 30 seconds
• Slow-to-normal-paced walk – 45 seconds
• Run at the fastest pace you can maintain – 30 seconds
• Slow-to-normal-paced walk – 1 minute

30- second run sequence = 6 minutes

• SPRINT – 20 seconds
• Slow walk – 30 seconds
• SPRINT – 20 seconds
• Slow walk – 45
• SPRINT – 15 seconds
• Slow walk – 45 seconds
• SPRINT – 15 seconds
• Slow walk – 50 seconds

SPRINT sequence = 4 minutes   

Slow walk/cool down/stretch = 5 minutes