Warm-Up, 1 of 9. Straight from the Hockey IQ book appendix.
From the locker room: I used to stand around in the hallway before practice scrolling until the coach came. Warm-Up A takes four minutes and my first shift stopped feeling like my warm-up shift.
When: Before an off-ice workout, or before practice if you have a hallway and your bag. Also the one to learn first.
What you need: Your hockey bag. That’s it.
2 rounds:
- 50 ft Bear Hug Carry (hockey bag)
- 8 Bag Deadlifts (neutral spine, stand tall)
- 6 Air Squats (no bag)
- 6 Burpees Over Bag (step or hop)
Focus:
- Hug the bag tight → engage your core
- Slow, controlled squats
- Burpees smooth, not rushed
Why it works: The carry switches on your core and grip, the deadlifts wake up your hips and hamstrings (the skating muscles), the squats groove the pattern, and the burpees get your heart rate up without gassing you. Four minutes and you’re warm, not tired.
Don’t: Round your back on the deadlift. Stand tall at the top. If the bag is heavy today, that’s fine; the bag is whatever weight the bag is.
Every warm-up and stretch routine here is in the back of the Hockey IQ book, with the full 9-week hockey-bag program. Back to Warm-Up.
FIND. A. WAY.
