Push-Ups for Hockey: Benefits, Integration, and Training Considerations

Are Push-Ups Good for Hockey?

Yes, push-ups are highly beneficial for hockey players, contributing significantly to upper body strength, core stability, and power transfer crucial for various on-ice actions.

Understanding the Demands of Hockey

Hockey is a dynamic, high-intensity sport that demands a complex interplay of physical attributes. Success on the ice hinges on explosive power, muscular strength (both upper and lower body), anaerobic endurance, agility, balance, and robust core stability. Players constantly engage in actions such as:

• Shooting and Passing: Requires significant upper body strength, power, and precise coordination to flex the stick and propel the puck.
• Checking and Battling for Pucks: Involves substantial pushing and bracing strength to maintain position and gain leverage against opponents.
• Stickhandling: Demands fine motor control, shoulder stability, and endurance in the upper body.
• Skating: While primarily lower body driven, efficient skating relies on core stability to transfer power and maintain balance.

Push-Ups: A Foundational Exercise

The push-up is a fundamental compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets the pushing muscles of the upper body. It is a highly versatile movement, accessible to almost any fitness level, and can be easily modified for progression or regression.

The primary muscles engaged during a traditional push-up include:

• Pectoralis Major: The large chest muscles, responsible for horizontal adduction and flexion of the arm.
• Anterior Deltoids: The front part of the shoulder muscles, assisting in shoulder flexion and pushing movements.
• Triceps Brachii: The muscles on the back of the upper arm, responsible for elbow extension.

Beyond these prime movers, the push-up also heavily recruits several synergistic and stabilizing muscles, making it a highly effective full-body exercise:

• Serratus Anterior: A crucial muscle for scapular (shoulder blade) protraction and stability, often underdeveloped.
• Rotator Cuff Muscles: Deep shoulder muscles that provide stability to the glenohumeral joint.
• Core Musculature: Including the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis, which work isometrically to maintain a rigid torso and prevent sagging.

How Push-Ups Benefit Hockey Players

Integrating push-ups into a hockey training regimen offers a multitude of benefits directly applicable to on-ice performance:

• Enhanced Upper Body Pushing Strength: This is directly transferable to powerful shots (slap shots, wrist shots), effective checks, and maintaining position in puck battles along the boards. Strong pectorals, deltoids, and triceps are essential for generating force through the stick and body.
• Improved Shoulder Stability: The push-up strengthens the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint, including the rotator cuff and serratus anterior. This enhanced stability is crucial for absorbing contact, performing intricate stickhandling maneuvers, and reducing the risk of shoulder injuries common in hockey.
• Robust Core Engagement and Power Transfer: Often overlooked, the push-up is essentially a dynamic plank. Maintaining a rigid body plank throughout the movement significantly strengthens the entire core musculature. A strong core is paramount for hockey players as it acts as the central link for transferring power generated in the lower body (from skating) to the upper body (for shooting, passing, checking). It also improves balance and ability to resist checks.
• Body Control and Proprioception: As a bodyweight exercise, push-ups enhance an athlete's awareness of their body in space (proprioception) and their ability to control their own mass. This body mastery translates to better balance and coordination on the ice.
• Injury Prevention: By strengthening the key muscles of the upper body and core, push-ups contribute to more resilient joints and tissues, potentially reducing the incidence of strains, sprains, and common overuse injuries associated with the repetitive and high-impact nature of hockey.

Integrating Push-Ups into a Hockey Training Program

To maximize the benefits of push-ups for hockey, they should be incorporated strategically and progressively into a well-rounded training plan.

• Progression and Variation:
  • Beginner: Start with incline push-ups (hands on a raised surface) or kneeling push-ups to build foundational strength and master proper form.
  • Standard: Progress to traditional floor push-ups, focusing on a full range of motion (chest to the floor, full elbow extension).
  • Advanced: Incorporate variations such as decline push-ups (feet elevated for increased load), plyometric push-ups (e.g., clapping push-ups) for explosive power, stability ball push-ups for increased core and stability challenge, or weighted push-ups for strength gains. Varying hand positions (wide, narrow, diamond) can also shift emphasis to different muscle groups.
• Programmatic Considerations:
  • Include push-ups as part of a warm-up routine to activate upper body and core muscles.
  • Integrate them into strength training sessions, performing 3-4 sets of 8-15 repetitions depending on the goal (strength, hypertrophy, endurance).
  • For power development, utilize plyometric variations with lower repetitions (3-5 reps) and maximal effort.
  • Crucially, balance push-ups with pulling exercises such as rows (dumbbell rows, barbell rows, cable rows) and pull-ups. This ensures muscular balance around the shoulder joint, preventing imbalances that can lead to poor posture and injury.

Considerations and Limitations

While push-ups are highly valuable, it's important to recognize that they are one component of a comprehensive hockey training program.

• Not a Standalone Solution: Hockey demands full-body strength, power, endurance, and agility. Push-ups alone will not address all these needs. Lower body strength (squats, deadlifts, lunges), rotational power, and sport-specific conditioning are equally vital.
• Muscular Balance: Over-reliance on pushing exercises without adequate pulling exercises can lead to muscular imbalances around the shoulder, potentially contributing to poor posture and increased risk of injury.
• Specificity: While push-ups build general pushing strength, hockey also requires highly specific movements involving the stick and skates. These sport-specific skills must be trained directly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, push-ups are an exceptionally beneficial exercise for hockey players. They effectively develop crucial upper body pushing strength, enhance shoulder stability, and significantly improve core engagement – all attributes directly transferable to improved performance and injury prevention on the ice. When incorporated as part of a balanced, progressive, and comprehensive training program that addresses all facets of athletic development, push-ups stand as a foundational and highly effective tool for any hockey player looking to maximize their potential.