If you want to look like an elite athlete in time to take your shirt off for summer, then you better start training like one. Don’t know where to start? We recruited Ben Prentiss, a strength coach and owner of Prentiss Hockey Performance in Stamford, CT, who trains NHL All-Stars like Jonathan Quick and Eric Staal, to write this full-body workout that can be done with nothing more than sliders—an excellent tool to challenge your muscular stability, balance, and overall athleticism.
“The workout pairs agonist and antagonist muscles together as supersets,” explains Prentiss. “This allows you to train the full body equally without any overcompensations.”
Another benefit: Performing exercises that incorporate movement on an unstable surface forces your body to work harder to keep you balanced. In turn, you burn more calories and become stronger in positions that are more practical and natural than, say, a biceps curl. To finish, you’ll power through three core-focused exercises to jack up your heart rate and strengthen your abs.
Core concepts
A strong core is the centerpiece of top athletes, and though this workout targets your abs plenty already, we consulted Ice Cross Downhill 2016 world champion Cameron Naasz—who glides down a 1,200-meter ice track on skates at 40 mph while battling for space against fellow skaters—for more ways to add core work into your training.
Work unilaterally
To challenge stability, Naasz suggests performing exercises, like box jumps and squats, with just one leg. “If you really get it down, then you can move into one-footed box jumps with a pistol squat at the top of the box. Then you have to jump down on one leg and do another pistol squat. It’s all about progression,” Naasz explains. “Once you get that down, just keep trying new one-legged challenges to improve your stability.”
Use a balance board
“With skating, you have to have the ability to stay under control while working through transitions, so your core is a major factor,” says Naasz, whose sport challenges his core due to constant shifts in his body mechanics. To replicate this, he performs exercises on an uneven surface. “I’ll do squats on balance boards, and I’ll also jump down from boxes on them, trying to land on one leg.” We suggest starting with the former before moving on to the latter.
Jump laterally
In Ice Cross Downhill, Naasz has to fight to stay forward and upright while his opponents bump into him and he makes contact with the boards. To train for this, Naasz works lateral hops into his program. “We tie a string to a squat rack or boxes and stand next to it facing forward. Then we hop over it laterally,” says Naasz, who will also have a teammate lightly push him mid-jump to disrupt his balance. “It’s awkward. You have to fight to stop your body from shifting midair.” To start, practice by hopping laterally over a bench or small box two feet at a time, keeping your torso and head facing forward. Being pushed by friends is optional.
Pro tip
If you don’t want to shell out $15 for sliders, use a pair of (preferably clean) socks on a hardwood floor instead.
