Hockey and Functional Training
Hey all,
I want to share some helpful info on functional training. By functional training I mean training that doesn’t isolate muscles but includes movement patterns instead.
I got into functional training after a major injury during my 4th season of pro hockey. I just concluded my 12th and I credit the training methods Im about to mention for keeping my body healthy enough to keep competing.
I have experimented with a lot of different types of training but the three I have gone the most in depth on, and that have helped the most, are ELDOA, Functional Patterns, and GOATA.
ELDOA - This is all about creating space in the joints and spine. It has some similarities to yoga but with precise movements to target specific muscles. It also uses breath to create space and flow. I found this helpful in targeting the area of my injury (groin) and restoring strength.
Functional Patterns - This is all about making the body move a one unit. There is a heavy emphasis on gait mechanics. The training included a lot of rotation with cables, med balls, and fascia release with lax balls.
GOATA - This was by far my favorite and I found it most beneficial. It focuses on the spiral patterns of muscles and bases movements off of that. It feels primal.
For each of these methods I spent a whole summer doing them in isolation. It included flying to see specialists in the training. So I am pretty familiar with them, please ask questions if you have them. I am happy to help. I also wrote a more detailed piece about my experience with each of these here: Functional Training & Hockey: My Journey