Train Like A Pro to Strengthen Your Legs

Hockey players can’t get away with being one-dimensional. Every position on the ice demands total-body strength, explosiveness, and endurance. If there’s one training session elite players like Tampa Bay right wing Martin St. Louis can never miss, however, it’s leg day. “He’s got legs that would make bodybuilders jealous,” says St. Louis’ trainer, Ben Prentiss. “Obviously, we don’t train him like a bodybuilder. An athlete’s goal isn’t to have sweeping quadriceps. It’s to be explosive.”

Age hasn’t slowed the 36-year-old St. Louis. The 14-year NHL veteran and onetime league MVP finished second in points scored last year while playing more than 20 minutes a night. His leg routine is the stuff of Internet legend; “Martin St. Louis legs” is one of the most frequently searched topics regarding the right winger. And even after seven years of training St. Louis, Prentiss remains as awestruck as a fan. “You’ve got to see him do a glute-ham raise,” Prentiss says, remarking that St. Louis can hold the move at midrange for as long as he wants. “It’s incredible.”

Prentiss prescribes just four exercises for a typical lower-body workout, but volume and intensity are high, and they finish in less than an hour. “At 36, if we go for more than an hour, his growth hormone will drop and his testosterone will drop,” Prentiss says. “He still trains incredibly hard, but he just trains smarter.”

THE WORKOUT

The following routine mimics St. Louis’ off-season training. He supersets A1 and A2—completing seven rounds before moving on to the B pairing.

A) PAIRING x 7 ROUNDS

A1. Weight-Release Back Squat:

St. Louis completes one rep with a barbell loaded with 325 pounds, plus a pair of loaded weight releasers for a grand total of 395 pounds. When his hips reach parallel, the hooks fall off and he explodes back to the top with 325.

A2 Lateral Hurdle Hops x 8:

Following the squat, he performs eight reps of lateral hops over a 30-inch hurdle.

B) PAIRING x 7 ROUNDS

B1 Prowler/Sled Push:

St. Louis pushes a Prowler loaded with 140 pounds while dragging a weight sled loaded with 115 pounds. He pushes the Prowler for 15 yards, then sprints 25 yards with just the weight sled.

B2 Bear Crawl Sled:

St. Louis pushes a bear crawl sled loaded with 200 from a low position for 40 yards. The following routine mimics St. Louis’ off-season training. He supersets A1 and A2—completing seven rounds before moving on to the B pairing.