WHY SYNTHETIC ICE TRAINING?
For years, athletic trainers have praised the results of resistance training in all sports. For hockey specific training, skills coaches, power skating instructors, and goalie coaches have used various methods to produce resistance training on and off the ice. For on-ice training, resistance has been produced by dragging weight sleds or oversized tires or other players, by pushing goal nets or other players, by wearing weight vests or ankle weights, parachutes, or bungee cords. If it can be pushed or pulled to create resistance on the ice, it has been used. Included in off-ice training are slide boards, skating machines, and the like. With synthetic ice, the resistance training is built right into the “ice,” since the surface itself provides much more friction than real ice making skaters work much harder. You don’t need to alter your play at all by dragging, pulling, pushing, or wearing anything at all. You simply wear your normal hockey gear, skate, have fun, work on skills and the r
