What the research says

A 30-meter sprint measured on the ice, the gap between high and low caliber

Acceleration phase

15%gap

This is the beginning of the sprint, and this is where almost all of the gap lives. A player training top speed is training the half of the race that matters least.

Steady state

7%gap

Once they are up to speed, the two groups look far more alike. On a hockey shift, that phase rarely lasts more than two or three seconds anyway.

Full sprint

12%gap

This is the only number a single stopwatch gives you, and it is the one that hides the most: it reports 12% without ever saying which part of the race produced it.

The first step is won forward, not upward

On an instrumented treadmill and then over 100 meters, what separates runners is not the total amount of force applied to the ground, it is the share of that force directed forward. The ratio of forces correlated with performance, the total force did not. Two players who push equally hard do not accelerate the same way if one pushes down and the other pushes ahead.

Morin, Edouard, Samozino, 2011, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 43(9), 1680-1688

The start is a question of cadence, not of raw strength

A comparison of skating starts between high and low calibre skaters found similar leg strength profiles in both groups. What differed was technique: the high calibre skaters accelerated their centre of mass more on every step, got more horizontal traction as a result, spent less time in double support and turned their steps over faster. The authors conclude that technique explains the velocity gap, not strength.

Renaud, Robbins, Dixon, Shell, Turcotte, Pearsall, 2017, Sports Engineering

Acceleration is what separates skaters, not top speed

Over a 30-meter sprint measured on the ice, high-caliber players were 12% faster than low-caliber players overall. The gap was not spread evenly: 15% over the acceleration phase against 7% over the steady-state phase. Twice the gap at the start than at top speed. That is exactly where this program works.

Buckeridge, LeVangie, Stetter, Nigg, Nigg, 2015, PLOS ONE, e0127324

Short off-ice sprints track on-ice speed

Thirty-six players aged 15 to 22 went through an off-ice battery, 30-meter sprint, vertical jump, broad jump, triple hop, lateral shuttle, then a 35-meter sprint and a cornering test on the ice. The explosive tests, sprints and horizontal jumps, are the ones that stand out. In younger players, the standing long jump and the 30-meter sprint are the variables that come back most often in the models that predict on-ice sprinting.

Farlinger, Kruisselbrink, Fowles, 2007, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 21(3), 915-922 · Rice et al., 2024, Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 6, 1418713

Eight weeks are enough to move a stopwatch

A randomized trial in 24 players aged 14 to 18 ran eight weeks of sprints, overground or on the ice. Every group improved its 9.14-meter sprint by 3%, its 36.58-meter sprint by 4%, its 30-meter top speed by 9% and its broad jump by 21%. The resisted sprint groups gained roughly 12% in isometric mid-thigh pull force, and the on-ice group 22% in theoretical maximal horizontal force.

Dietze-Hermosa, Montalvo, Gonzalez, Briggs, Dorgo, 2025, Journal of Human Kinetics

Safe plyometric dosing for teenage athletes

Systematic reviews in youth athletes recommend starting at 50 to 60 ground contacts per session and not exceeding 80 to 120, with 3 to 4 exercises, 2 to 4 sets and 72 hours between two plyometric sessions. A meta-analysis sorted by maturity reports small to moderate gains in linear sprinting, horizontal jumping and the reactive strength index both before and after peak height velocity, for a total dose of 600 to 1000 jumps. This program stays inside those limits, 51 contacts on day A and 90 on day C.

Bedoya, Miltenberger, Lopez, 2015, JSCR · Ramirez-Campillo et al., 2023, Sports Medicine Open 9, 23

Warm-up, 5 minutes

The same five movements before every session, in this order. The two build-up sprints at the end are not an extra: without them, the first real sprint of the session would be the first of the day.

É1

Butt-kick jog

2 x 15 meters

A slow jog, the heel touching the glute on every step, the knee staying under the hip. Stay on the front of the foot, without crushing the heel into the ground.

Key pointIt wakes up the hamstrings before you ask them to go fast. A cold hamstring is the muscle that pulls most often on the first real sprint of the day.

É2

High knees

2 x 15 meters

The knee rises to hip height, the foot comes back down right under the body, the trunk stays tall. Fast turnover, short distance.

Key pointA foot that lands in front of the body brakes. A foot that lands under the body pushes. That is the same difference as between a player who shuffles at the start and a player who goes.

É3

Walking lunge with a torso rotation

6 per leg

Long step forward, back knee toward the floor, then rotate the torso toward the front leg. Keep walking, one step then the other.

Key pointIt opens the hip on the back side. A tight hip shortens the stride before the first step is even taken, and it is the hip flexor that decides that, not the glute.

É4

A-skips

2 x 15 meters

A small hop on one foot while the opposite knee rises to hip height, then the foot comes down firmly under the hip. Arms follow along, elbows at 90 degrees.

Key pointAll the bounce comes from the ankle, not the knee. This is the movement that teaches a short ground contact, the thing that separates a sharp start from a soft one.

É5

Two build-up sprints over 10 m

2 x 10 meters

The first at roughly 70% of your speed, the second at 90%. Walk back, 45 seconds between the two.

Key pointA nervous system that has not seen speed yet today will not give it on the first real sprint. These two runs do not tire you out, they open the door.

Day A · Starts and linear plyometrics

30 minutes51 ground contacts2 to 3 min rest on the sprints

Warm-up5 min

Start block9 min

Bounding block8 min

Superset8 min

Speed block, always first

Standing-start sprint

3 x 10 meters

Standing start, front foot on the line, weight already on the ball of the foot. Go without rocking backward first, and land the first step under your hip rather than in front of it. Walk 2 to 3 minutes back.

Key pointOver 10 meters, everything happens in the first four steps. Get filmed from the side: your torso has to stay leaning forward through the fourth step. If it stands up on the second, you are running instead of accelerating.

Linked broad jumps

3 x 3

Three broad jumps in a row, without stopping between the jumps, arms swinging back before every take-off. Only the third landing is stuck, for a full 3 seconds.

Key pointThis is the off-ice test that tracks on-ice speed best in young players. Chase distance forward, not height: a high jump is a wasted jump for a hockey player.

Alternate-leg bounding

3 x 6 contacts

An exaggerated run: on every contact, push as far forward as you can and let yourself have a flight phase. Six contacts, three per leg, then walk back.

Key pointPush far, not high. If you go up, you lose the flight time forward. Bounding is the off-ice version of the skate push, straightened into a line.

Strength block, as a superset, 60 sec rest

Weighted push-ups

3 x 8superset with A5

A plate or a loaded backpack on the upper back. Body in one line from the heels to the shoulders, chest coming down to two fists off the floor, a crisp push back up.

Key pointThe first step also happens in the arms. An arm that pulls hard backward gives the opposite leg something to push against, and that only works if the shoulder holds.

Side plank

3 x 30 sec per sidesuperset with A4

Elbow under the shoulder, body in a straight line from head to heels, hip high. No tipping the pelvis forward, no twisting.

Key pointLeg strength leaks away if the trunk folds. A pelvis that drops on one side with every step is push going sideways instead of forward.

Day B · Strength, hips and posterior chain

30 minutesno plyometrics90 sec rest on the squat

Warm-up5 min

Squat10 min

Superset10 min

Back, core5 min

Main block

Trap bar or goblet squat, heavy and controlled

4 x 5

A trap bar if the gym has one, otherwise a single dumbbell held against the chest. Two seconds down to parallel or below, heels down, back up as fast as you can. Two or three reps in reserve on every set.

Key pointSpeed of intent matters more than the load. Push the floor as if you were leaving on a sprint, even on the heaviest set. A rep that is slow on purpose does not train the first step.

Superset, 60 sec rest between rounds

Dumbbell reverse lunge

3 x 8 per legsuperset with B3

Dumbbells at your sides, a long step backward, the back knee grazing the floor, torso leaning slightly forward. Come back by driving through the front heel. If you have a bench, put the back foot on it and do the Bulgarian version.

Key pointSkating is a one-leg sport, and the start even more so. If one leg gives out two reps before the other, you just found what limits your first step.

Hip thrust

3 x 10superset with B2

Upper back against a bench, feet flat, a bar or a dumbbell on the hips with a pad. Rise until the body forms a line from shoulder to knee, hold for 1 second at the top, come down without letting the hips touch the floor.

Key pointTuck the ribs and squeeze the glutes at the top. If you rise by arching the low back, the spine is doing the work instead of the hip, and the hip is exactly what pushes you forward.

Session finisher, 5 minutes

Horizontal row

3 x 10

Seated at a low cable, or bent over with a dumbbell. Chest tall, pull the elbows along the ribs, a one-second pause when the hands reach the stomach, a slow return.

Key pointThe upper back is what holds the chest when the arm pulls backward in a sprint. Without it, the shoulder rolls forward and the arm gives the leg nothing.

Anti-rotation Pallof press

2 x 10 per side

Standing side-on to the cable, feet shoulder width, knees bent. Press the handle straight out in front of you and refuse the rotation. Return slowly.

Key pointEvery sprint step tries to twist you. What you train here is not a movement, it is a refusal.

Day C · Lateral plyometrics and reactivity

30 minutes90 ground contactsrest 60 to 90 sec

Warm-up5 min

Lateral block10 min

Reactivity7 min

Superset8 min

Plyometric block, always first

Reactive skater bound

3 x 5 per side

A lateral jump from one leg to the other, but without stopping this time: the instant the foot touches, you go back the other way. The ground contact has to be short, the hips stay low between the bounds.

Key pointThis is the off-ice movement closest to a skate push. Count out loud: if you have time to say a full word between the contact and the next push, your contact is too long.

Lateral sprint, crossover start

3 x 5 meters per side

Low position, facing forward. On the signal, the foot opposite the direction crosses in front and you sprint 5 meters sideways. Walk back, alternate sides on every rep.

Key pointThe first move is a crossover, not a side step. On the ice, the first push after a change of direction starts exactly like that, and the player who opens the foot first loses half a second.

Reactive drop jump, small box

3 x 5

A 12-inch box, no more. Step off into the air, land on two feet and jump straight back up immediately. Always step back down, never jump down.

Key pointEvery rep counts as two ground contacts, the landing and the take-off, so five reps are ten contacts. If you have to sink deep to go again, the box is too high: lower it, never raise it.

Strength block, as a superset, 60 sec rest

Lat pulldown

3 x 8superset with C5

Chest tall, pull the elbows toward the ribs rather than pulling with the arms. A one-second pause at the bottom of every rep, a controlled return.

Key pointA wide back holds the chest open when the body is leaning in acceleration. It is what lets you breathe in a position you would otherwise hold badly.

Lateral lunge

3 x 8 per sidesuperset with C4

A long step to the side, all the weight onto the leg that moves, the other one staying straight. Hips back, chest tall, then push the floor to come back to the middle.

Key pointIt is the adductor of the straight leg that works, and the groin is one of the most common overuse injuries in hockey. This drill is as much prevention as it is strength.

Progression over 12 weeks

Period	Goal	What changes
Weeks 1 to 3	Learn to leave	Sprints at 10 meters, short bounds, drop jumps from a 12-inch box, light loads on day B. Every third broad jump landing is stuck. About 50 contacts per plyometric session, and all the attention on the first four steps.
Weeks 4 to 7	Add load	Sprints out to 15 meters, one extra set of bounding, trap bar at 5 x 5 with 2 reps still in reserve, a heavier hip thrust. About 75 contacts per plyometric session. The 10-meter sprint gets timed in week 6.
Weeks 8 to 12	Reactivity	Shorter ground contacts everywhere, combinations such as a drop jump followed immediately by a 10-meter sprint, lateral sprints out to 8 meters. Maximum 100 contacts per session. The start should have become a reflex rather than a decision.
In season	Maintenance	Two sessions a week, one set less on every plyometric drill. Keep the sprints intact, they cost little and they are what maintains the speed. Keep day B intact too, strength is what protects against injuries.

The rules you do not break

Surface

Grass, a track, rubber matting or a gym floor. Never plyometrics or sprints on bare concrete.

Order

Always sprints and plyometrics before strength, never after. The nervous system has to be fresh.

Rest

Two to three minutes between sprints, 60 to 90 seconds between plyometric sets. A sprint run out of breath is not a sprint any more, it is cardio.

Distance

Nothing beyond 20 meters in this program. Hockey is played in short accelerations, and long running tires you out without adding anything to the first step.

Growth

With a growing player, never a maximum on the squat or the hip thrust. Two or three reps in reserve on every set.

Pain

Knee, Achilles or hamstring pain that lasts more than 48 hours, pull the sprints and the plyometrics and keep day B.

Measuring progress

Test	What is measured	Target
10-meter sprint	Timed on a phone, two full attempts 3 minutes apart, keep the better one, standing start always off the same foot and always the same shoes	A gain in the order of 3%, roughly five hundredths on a two-second time. That is the figure observed after eight weeks of sprinting in players aged 14 to 18.
Standing broad jump	Distance from the start line to the nearest heel on landing, in inches, a stuck landing required for the attempt to count	The eight-week randomized trial saw the broad jump rise by 21% in players aged 14 to 18. Chase your own progression, not somebody else's number.
Skater bound, distance	Three linked lateral bounds, measuring the total distance covered sideways, once to the left and once to the right	No more than a 5% gap between left and right. A bigger gap is a weak side before it is a record to beat.

The gym sheet

One page to print and fold into the bag. The three days, in order, with the doses.

First step and speed

12 weeks · 3 sessions of 30 min

Warm-up, before every sessionButt-kick jog 2 x 15 meters · High knees 2 x 15 meters · Walking lunge with a torso rotation 6 per leg · A-skips 2 x 15 meters · Two build-up sprints over 10 m 2 x 10 meters

AStarts and linear plyometrics

Standing-start sprint3 x 10 meters
Linked broad jumps3 x 3
Alternate-leg bounding3 x 6 contacts
Weighted push-ups3 x 8
Side plank3 x 30 sec per side

30 minutes · 51 ground contacts · 2 to 3 min rest on the sprints

BStrength, hips and posterior chain

Trap bar or goblet squat, heavy and controlled4 x 5
Dumbbell reverse lunge3 x 8 per leg
Hip thrust3 x 10
Horizontal row3 x 10
Anti-rotation Pallof press2 x 10 per side

30 minutes · no plyometrics · 90 sec rest on the squat

CLateral plyometrics and reactivity

Reactive skater bound3 x 5 per side
Lateral sprint, crossover start3 x 5 meters per side
Reactive drop jump, small box3 x 5
Lat pulldown3 x 8
Lateral lunge3 x 8 per side

30 minutes · 90 ground contacts · rest 60 to 90 sec

SurfaceGrass, a track, rubber matting or a gym floor. Never plyometrics or sprints on bare concrete.OrderAlways sprints and plyometrics before strength, never after. The nervous system has to be fresh.RestTwo to three minutes between sprints, 60 to 90 seconds between plyometric sets. A sprint run out of breath is not a sprint any more, it is cardio.DistanceNothing beyond 20 meters in this program. Hockey is played in short accelerations, and long running tires you out without adding anything to the first step.GrowthWith a growing player, never a maximum on the squat or the hip thrust. Two or three reps in reserve on every set.PainKnee, Achilles or hamstring pain that lasts more than 48 hours, pull the sprints and the plyometrics and keep day B.

References

Every number on this page comes from one of these sources. The links lead to the original text.

Morin JB, Edouard P, Samozino P (2011)
Technical ability of force application as a determinant factor of sprint performance
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 43(9), 1680-1688
The source of the central finding of this program: it is the forward orientation of the force, not its total amount, that tracks sprint performance.
Read it
Renaud P, Robbins S, Dixon P, Shell J, Turcotte R, Pearsall D (2017)
Ice hockey skate starts, a comparison of high and low calibre skaters
Sports Engineering
A comparison of skating starts: the source of the shorter double support, the higher cadence and the leg strength profiles that were nonetheless similar across calibres.
Read it
Buckeridge E, LeVangie M, Stetter B, Nigg S, Nigg B (2015)
An on-ice measurement approach to analyse the biomechanics of ice hockey skating
PLOS ONE, 10, e0127324
A 30-meter sprint measured on the ice: the source of the 12%, 15% and 7% gaps between calibres, and of the primacy of the acceleration phase.
Read it
Farlinger C, Kruisselbrink L, Fowles J (2007)
Relationships to skating performance in competitive hockey players
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 21(3), 915-922
An off-ice battery on 36 players aged 15 to 22 set against a 35-meter on-ice sprint: it supports the choice of short sprints and horizontal jumps.
Read it
Dietze-Hermosa M, Montalvo S, Gonzalez M, Briggs M, Dorgo S (2025)
Resisted sprint training improves overground sprint, jump, and isometric mid-thigh pull kinetics and kinematics in male youth ice hockey players, a randomized control trial
Journal of Human Kinetics
An eight-week randomized trial in 24 players aged 14 to 18: the source of every progression percentage quoted in the tracking tests.
Read it
Bedoya A, Miltenberger M, Lopez R (2015)
Plyometric training effects on athletic performance in youth soccer athletes, a systematic review
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Systematic review in youth athletes: the source of the ground contact, set and frequency limits respected on days A and C.
Read it

This program is not medical advice. If joint pain persists, see a physiotherapist or a kinesiologist before continuing.

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