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IN THE ZONE
A secret warm-up routine that allows you to play on top your game every day.
This warm-up was created from two questions.
1. Sometimes I can stop everything, game feels slow and I feel like I am in the zone controlling everything. How can I do that everytime I am on the ice?
2. My mind and body is having hard time handling pressure (actually it is just adrenaline) in big games when I should be on top of my game. What can I do to fix it and play on top of my game when it counts the most?
This warm-up changed my career and without it I would have not had the success I had. Because of this warm up I was able to perform better on average and compete with goalies who were more talented and better on paper. It is not a magic pill that turns you into NHL goalie but it allows you to get the most out of your current skills level. Your average performance will be better and you will be more consistent when this becomes a habit and normal routine for you.
When do you know that you are in the zone? You can feel it. Imagine being in the eye of the hurricane. There is chaos around you but you are in the middle in the calm.
Salute The Sun movement pattern with deep breathing (two versions)
This is the most important part of the warm-up when you want to get into the zone. This is a modified yoga movement pattern combined with deep breathing through the nose. Only doing this will help you to have better practices.
OPTIONS FOR HOW TO USE THE MOVEMENT PATTERN
OPTION 0:
If this is only stretching you do and you do this 6x total in a day that alone may increase your flexibility.
OPTION 1 - Stand alone warm-up:
If you don’t have much time or motivation for warm-ups doing this even just 3 times will help you to have better practices.
OPTION 2 - Before training:
As part of your warm-up before ice training or gym training do the movement pattern with deep breathing 3-5x. A typical gym warm-up would be some dynamic warm-up movements, dynamic stretching, and 3x the movement pattern.
OPTION 3 - After training:
Do this 3-5x after training every time and you will notice a difference even if you don’t do anything else.
However, I recommend you do some light cardio for 5-15 minutes (Ideally I prefer 10-15min but even 5min is better than nothing) to get lactate moving and then the movement pattern 1-3x with full body stretching.
OPTION 4 - Before games as part of the IN THE ZONE warm-up:
Step 1: At first do coordination drills 5-10min shown in the other video.
Step 2: 3-5x slow version with deep breathing
Step 3: 5-10min jogging with the same breathing pattern and keep your heart rate 85-110. If it goes above 110, walk.
Step 4: Dynamic warm-up with deep breathing. Bring your heart rate up and when deep breathing through the nose is not comfortable anymore bring your heart rate back down by walking slowly or staying still. Most likely you will bring your heart rate up to 130-160 and then you have to bring it back to below 110.
Step 5: Do one time fast version with the dragon breathing.
Step 6: Take 1-2 minutes for meditation and clear your mind.
Step 7: Now you are ready for the on-ice warm-up or for the game if you don’t have ice warm ups.
NOTE ABOUT BREATHING: Depending on how you feel you can start just doing the movement pattern with deep breathing without matching the breathing pattern with the movement pattern as shown in the video.
DRAGON BREATHING: In the second sample where I do the movement pattern fast I use one version of “Dragon Breathing” which means that I breathe 3 seconds in and 3 seconds out through your nose. This is supposed to bring lots of oxygen to your body and make you alert.
Coordination
This is the first part of the IN THE ZONE warm up. I recommend doing some of these drills about 5-10 minutes depending on how you feel before doing the yoga movement pattern.
Idea of the coordination drills is to get your mind and body transition into training/game mode. Especially on the road this is a smooth and gentle way to get yourself going.
Jogging or biking
After you have done coordination and 3-5x salute the sun yoga movement pattern it is time to transition into the zone. This part will put you there and your lunges will get warmed up. Keep the same deep and slow breathing pattern as you did when doing the movement pattern. Your heart rate should stay under 110 (80-110) and anything above 115 is way too high. This should feel really easy and comfortable. Even walking is fine.
Dynamic warm up
Now you start to take your body to higher level and this part will help you to maintain the zone even when you are under stress. You will bring your heart rate up most likely around 140-160 and then you bring it back down. Idea is that nose breathing will start to feel little but uncomfortable but you still don’t have to switch to breathing through the mouth.
Full body stretching finished with fast paces salute the sun pattern and dragon breathing.
Now you are warmed up and it is time to stretch all the muscles to activate them. Make sure you hold a stretch less than 10 seconds. Ideally less than 6 seconds or just bring it slowly to maximum stretch and that’s it. The reason for that is, when you hold a stretch longer than 10 seconds the muscle starts to get “relaxed”. Long static stretching will make muscle weaker and slower (you can lose 5-10% of the max power). That loss of strength and power lasts only a few hours.
I do the full body stretch from top to bottom but I still finish with the neck and shoulder area because that will help you to maintain good posture.
Meditation
used to do longer meditations at home when in high school but with time I switched doing it only couple minutes at the rink when I got better at it. Basically the whole warm up is like a meditation and I felt that doing meditation at home was getting too intense. If you use it to relax for game day nap then it is a different story.
Finishing touches in the locker room (Massage, Tracking, Champion’s Mind)
Here are small but very important details that will help you to play better. Getting yourself ready to play is all about creating good routines and habits through out the week and these are the last finishing touches. If you are tired, had a bad week of practices or whatever, these little thing can be the difference maker that you can still play well. This were part of my warm up later in the career and these will help you too for sure.
After the ice warm up and between periods (Protein shake, relax and refocus with coordination drills, quick arms and self talk)
Later in my career I had a one very ripe banana and protein shake for games. Protein shake had 50g protein, 50g maltodextrine, 5g BCAA or EAA and raw chocolate which had same effect to me as caffeiin. I would drink 1/3 after ice warm up and between periods. Same with the banana. This allowed my body to have immediate energy and helped to stay alert. It also allowed me to recover faster from games.
I also did a short warm up in the locker before going to the ice making sure I was ready for the first shot. If you just sit 15-20 minutes you are not 100% ready for the first shot.
Here is how I did it:
Relax for about 5 minutes.
1/3 of banana and protein shake (you will start to feel it after 10-20 minutes by increased energy).
Start preparing by doing couple basic stretches.
Couple times throw a ball to the wall and catch it.
About 3-4 minutes before going out I would put the mask and gloves on and start talking to myself that it is time to go and I am the best and stepping side to side.
I would be the first one to go on the ice and use the little time there to screpe the ice and do couple butterfly saves and pushed.