How to get that extra "jump" during hockey games ?

[koh19]

You know, the kind of feeling when your legs are on fire and you go up and down the ice without even noticing it, the feeling when it seems like you've just taken amphetamines (no druggie), the feeling when you feel like you can go coast to coast and deke everybody on the way you're so focused and energized. I only get that feeling about 2-3 times a season. How do you guys manage to get it every single game? I tried stretching, sprinting before the game, taking smelling salts, banging my head against the boards,....

How do you do it? How do you get that extra edge?

 

[Crosbyfan]

You know, the kind of feeling when your legs are on fire and you go up and down the ice without even noticing it, the feeling when it seems like you've just taken amphetamines (no druggie), the feeling when you feel like you can go coast to coast and deke everybody on the way you're so focused and energized. I only get that feeling about 2-3 times a season. How do you guys manage to get it every single game? I tried stretching, sprinting before the game, taking smelling salts, banging my head against the boards,....

How do you do it? How do you get that extra edge?

I used to get it by playing against Peewees. Now I get it by playing against Atoms, though I prefer total beginner adults; their bigger and I feel better about myself when I go around them. Foreign students are a good bet, especially if they come from hot countries. They seem to admire my skills more.

 

[cptjeff]

The right food the day of the game, good conditioning, A general good day.

 

[densetsu]

Sleep, eat properly, and be in shape.

Also, Red Bull.

 

[koh19]

ok. So I usually have pasta and some chicken about 2-3 hours before the game. Is that ok? I sleep about 8-9 hours so that fine. And concerning Red Bull, I read somewhere that it can be very bad for you (makes your blood "sticky" and thick). What else can I take?

 

[cptjeff]

B complex vitamins are a lot better for you then red bull- and in terms of getting the smooth fast feeling are a lot better. Red Bull and Caffeine and stimulants in general will make you a lot more jumpy and you'll crash midway through the second period.

Pasta and chicken is good, but more ideal in my mind would be a chicken salad. Protein in the morning, eggs or whatnot, protein and carbs in the afternoon, and lots of green veggies right before the game.

Protein is long term energy- it takes time for the body to process and is best consumed a good bit prior. Carbs are more short term, and vegetables help provide quick energy- not just in terms of processing, but also help your speed.

Red Bull and stimulants really don't help much. Gatoraide before and during the game provides a much more beneficial effect- it has sugars and such in it that give short term energy, and salts that will keep you drinking it. I recommend buying the powder, it's a lot cheaper then the liquid form.

 

[koh19]

B complex vitamins are a lot better for you then red bull- and in terms of getting the smooth fast feeling are a lot better. Red Bull and Caffeine and stimulants in general will make you a lot more jumpy and you'll crash midway through the second period.

Pasta and chicken is good, but more ideal in my mind would be a chicken salad. Protein in the morning, eggs or whatnot, protein and carbs in the afternoon, and lots of green veggies right before the game.

Protein is long term energy- it takes time for the body to process and is best consumed a good bit prior. Carbs are more short term, and vegetables help provide quick energy- not just in terms of processing, but also help your speed.

Red Bull and stimulants really don't help much. Gatoraide before and during the game provides a much more beneficial effect- it has sugars and such in it that give short term energy, and salts that will keep you drinking it. I recommend buying the powder, it's a lot cheaper then the liquid form.

thanks a lot! Any more tips? Is it good to stretch before the game (I've heard many people say it's bad for ya)? Should I stretch off-ice or on-ice?

 

[noobman]

thanks a lot! Any more tips? Is it good to stretch before the game (I've heard many people say it's bad for ya)? Should I stretch off-ice or on-ice?

Well the nutrition aspect has pretty much been covered. What you eat and WHEN you eat will be critical to your play.

You should stretch before a game. Some people will tell you that stretching is bad, but they're referring specifically to "static" stretching. Dynamic stretching is fine, and TBH the benefits of static stretching outweigh the repercussions. I would explain it, but you'll learn a lot more from looking it up.

A high-intensity pre-game warmup helps me get into the game. I sort of "hop" onto the ice from the mat outside the rink and proceed to sprint to the bench. I drop off my backup stick, and then do some quick laps with some pivots, backwards skating, and quick stops in between. The idea is that you're exploding out of the gate from the second your blade touches the ice. I find that if I skate slowly during the warmup I'll need a full period before I'm skating at full speed. With a strong warmup I'm ready to go on the first shift.

I know a lot of guys that drink Red Bull before our games. They start off on fire but they crash towards the end, and they're usually dead in the dressing room.

I don't even drink Gatorade unless I'm playing in a tournament or a long shinny session (over 2hrs).


Drinking lots of water throughout the day helps too. When I do everything properly I don't drink much water at all during the game.

 

[deanosaur]

Flying V!

 

[Backstrom #19]

You gotta love the game. It comes naturally.

 

[nikebauer]

I used to get it by playing against Peewees. Now I get it by playing against Atoms, though I prefer total beginner adults; their bigger and I feel better about myself when I go around them. Foreign students are a good bet, especially if they come from hot countries. They seem to admire my skills more.

+1. playing against beginners definitely make me feel a good jump

 

[Harv]

Get one of the guys on the other team to say they had sex with your mother, that'll get you going.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Get one of the guys on the other team to say they had sex with your mother, that'll get you going.

Especially if you know it's true!

(doesn't work as well if you are playing against your dad though)

 

[the_speedster]

I shouldn't give away my secret but... talk to this guy

shh... now keep this just between you and me okay?

Trust me you'll be flying all over the place!
.
.
.
.
of course you just might try to eat a mother****er or two but what the hell!

 

[The Tikkanen]

Driving to the rink I have 3/4 of a Powerade, need the vitamin B, mixed with Twin Labs Endurance Fuel and XXyience NOX-CG3 or EAS Betagen. Lately I've started taking my multi vitamins before I leave the house even if I've taken them that morning. At 35 I need all the help I can get. I've also been lifting weights for 45 minutes before games, nothing too strenuos just enough to where I feel explosive and look good in my performance layers when I'm changing.

 

[NYRSinceBirth]

Bump a line?

 

[Grave77digger]

Ya meth... obviously

 

[nullterm]

I've noticed a big pasta lunch for an evening game is a big booster.

I used to have an energy drink in the locker room. For a few games it gave me a mental boost, but then I also notice either the crash or sometimes it doesn't sit well with me. So I started to steer away from those.

Now I just stick with water and occasionally a sports drink.

 

[NDiesel]

What I like doing is throw a nice hit or get hit the first shift, I usually gives me that extra "jump".

 

[Gallick]

For me, I have to start big and fast in order to keep it up the whole game. A previous post mentioned a good warm-up; this is huge, as are the first couple of shifts for me. If I make an extra effort to skate like the wind for the warm-up and the first couple of shifts, it seems to stay with me for the remainder of the game without too much effort.

 

[frito]

The next time you have one of those games, look back closely to what you did that day and the prior and try to replicate it.

 

[Wooty]

One thing I notice about pro athletes and their games is that they warm up a lot longer then amateur ice hockey players do.

In baseball they are in the field shagging balls and hitting.
In basketball they are on the floor shooting and stretching.
In football they are on the field stretching, running throwing etc.
in the NHL, the warmup is 20 minutes plus whatever they do off the ice to get ready (stationary bikes)

Not only that but they are warming up well before the games using bikes or weights. They often have therapy as well.

You may want to try jogging or biking a little before the game on your own.

 

[nullterm]

Get the blood pumping in the pre-game warmup. Usually do a full out couple of laps around your end. Or some sprint-stop-sprint-stop drill. And as others have said, a good hard first shift, make or take some contact.

 

[KillerCanuk]

consume lots of water throught the day, have medium to small portioned meals, as explained b4. I have a noxplode b4 the game gives me good endurance no crash. A good jog about an hour before with light stretching, maybe lift some weights. Then a good strong warm up and on ice stretching. But everyones different. duplicate ur preperation after a good game!

 

[ChemiseBleuHonnete]

You know, the kind of feeling when your legs are on fire and you go up and down the ice without even noticing it, the feeling when it seems like you've just taken amphetamines (no druggie), the feeling when you feel like you can go coast to coast and deke everybody on the way you're so focused and energized. I only get that feeling about 2-3 times a season. How do you guys manage to get it every single game? I tried stretching, sprinting before the game, taking smelling salts, banging my head against the boards,....

How do you do it? How do you get that extra edge?

Never do that... Although gradual warm-up up to the level of the playing level is a good idea, in short bursts, nothing too long.

I would suggest to train your anaerobic capacity instead of doing the regular cardio. It'll improve your playing level by leaps and bounds. By the way, when you have this "feeling", you can't do anything to get an extra gear. It's not your central nervous system that fails, so all the motivation, salts, banging your head or whatever, all this crap won't work. You need to rest. By the way, eating better will help a lot. Oatmeal or pasta before a hockey game is a good idea, Gatorade during the game is also very good.

As for training your anaerobic capacity... Well go for short intervals of 45 seconds of heavy cardio (you have to go all out, give everything), like sprinting or stationnary bike with heavy resistance, then rest for 5 minutes... Repeat for a few bouts. Gradually increase the number of repetitions (like 5 bouts for the first work-out up to I dunno the max you can do). Increse the intensity too (more resistane or more speed), and the duration of your repetitions (45 seconds up to 1 min 15 sec if you can...)