Building the Engine

Last week, we introduced the concept of training zones. We talked about how volume (how much work a player does) and intensity (how hard they're working) combine to create different types of training experiences.

The important takeaway was simple:

Not every practice should have the same goal.

Some practices are designed to build endurance. Some are designed to improve speed and explosiveness. Others are meant to help players recover while continuing to develop skills.

This week, we're taking a closer look at the first of those zones:

High Volume + Low Intensity

Or what we like to call:

The Endurance Zone.

Building Endurance & Capacity

When we think about a "good" practice, we often picture players skating hard, competing hard, and leaving the rink exhausted. But some of the most important development happens during practices that don't feel that way at all.

High volume, low intensity practices are designed to build endurance and capacity. In other words, they're helping players develop the ability to handle more work over time.

These practices are usually longer and filled with movement, but not necessarily maximum effort. In practice, this could look like:

• Flow drills with lots of skating
• Passing and puck control stations
• Team systems work
• Technical skating sessions
• High-repetition drill work
• Conditioning-focused segments

Players are constantly moving, learning, and accumulating work. They're just not emptying the tank every shift. A good way to think about it is this:

A player who can skate hard for one shift is useful.

A player who can skate hard in the first period, the third period, and the third game of a tournament weekend is dangerous.

That's what endurance training is really building. It's not about making players tired. It's about helping them maintain performance when fatigue starts to show up.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR SESSION

What Might An Endurance-Focused Practice Look Like?

A coach might run a 60-minute practice like this:

10 Minutes
Dynamic warmup and edgework

15 Minutes
Flow skating drill with passing progression

10 Minutes
Puck control station work

15 Minutes
Breakout and regroup concepts

10 Minutes
Small-area possession game at a controlled pace

Nobody is sprinting for an hour straight. Nobody is trying to hit top speed every shift.

But players are moving almost the entire time, accumulating a large amount of work while continuing to develop skills and hockey IQ.

That's what makes this an endurance-focused practice. The goal isn't maximum effort.

The goal is accumulating quality work over an extended period of time.