Repeat Efforts — Shift Simulation
How to Do It
This recreates the work-then-rest rhythm of a real hockey shift, and you can do it entirely on your own. Work for about 40–60 seconds doing controlled, mixed movement — for example a few seconds of brisk skipping or marching, an easy shuttle or change of direction, then some quick (but sub-maximal) feet, and repeat — keeping everything smooth and controlled, with no maximal sprints, sharp cutting, or contact. Then “sit on the bench”: rest about 60–90 seconds, like real bench time between shifts. That is one shift. Repeat for the prescribed number of shifts. Push the work bouts to a strong but controlled effort, and use the rest to recover so every shift stays high quality rather than turning into a sloppy grind.
Why It Works
Mimics the actual work-to-rest demands of hockey shifts, taxing the glycolytic and aerobic systems in the pattern they’re used in a game; trains shift-specific conditioning — the ability to produce repeated ~40–60-second high-intensity efforts and recover between them.
Hockey Transfer
Directly replicates the energy-system demands of game shifts — sustained high-intensity work with bench recovery; the most sport-specific conditioning for building the capacity to perform repeated full-intensity shifts across a game.
Coaching Cues
- "Work the whole shift hard"
- "recover on the bench interval"
- "repeat at game-like intensity"
Common Mistakes
Pacing the shifts (not game-intensity); rest intervals too long or short; form and intensity fading across shifts
Progression / Regression
more shifts, longer work, or shorter bench rest
fewer shifts, shorter work, or longer rest
Primary Muscles
Energy System
Glycolytic / aerobic (mixed)
Put it to work
on the ice.
This exercise is part of a fully periodized 12-week off-ice program — built by a sport scientist who coaches at the national level.
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