When developing hockey athletes, strength and power are essential, although they are only part of the equation. True skating speed depends not just on how much force an athlete can produce, it's how quickly they can produce it.

That is where reactive training comes in.

In our program, we progress certain foundational exercises into reactive variations. Three of our primary movements are the reactive box jump, reactive step up, and reactive lateral bound. These drills emphasize rate of force development, ground contact efficiency, and explosive intent.

When you see the word reactive placed before an exercise, the goal is simple, it's to minimize time on the ground and maximize speed of force application.

Understanding Reactivity

A helpful analogy is comparing a bouncy ball to a ball of Play-Doh. Drop both from the same height. The Play-Doh hits the ground and absorbs force slowly, with little rebound. The bouncy ball hits the ground and springs back immediately.

For hockey players, we want the qualities of the bouncy ball.

On the ice, athletes must push hard into the ice, and they must also do it quickly. Producing large amounts of force slowly will not create high-level speed. Skating requires both high force and high rate of force production.

Speed can be simplified to two questions:

• How much force can you produce

• How quickly can you produce it

Reactive drills target the second quality while reinforcing the first.

1. Reactive Box Jump

The box jump is not about how high the box is. It is about how high the athlete’s hips rise off the ground.

Using a box reduces landing stress because the athlete jumps up and then lands on a higher surface. This minimizes the amount of force that must be absorbed compared to jumping and landing back on the floor.

To make the box jump reactive:

• Drop quickly into the loading position

• As soon as you reach that position, explode upward

• Spend as little time on the ground as possible

• Float onto the box and step down under control

The emphasis is on reacting off the ground, not sitting in the bottom position before jumping.

2. Reactive Step Up

The reactive step-up builds explosive single-leg power with minimal equipment.

Instead of slowly pressing through the step, the athlete lightly unloads the working leg, then punches into the ground and drives upward as quickly as possible.

Key coaching points:

• Begin with the foot set on a 6 to 12-inch platform

• Slightly lift and reload the working leg

• Punch into the ground

• Drive upward aggressively

• Land under control and reset

The goal is not grinding strength. The goal is sharp, explosive intent.

3. Reactive Single-Leg Lateral Bound

Skating differs from running because force is applied laterally and slightly behind the body. That makes lateral reactivity critical.

The reactive lateral bound trains that quality.

Execution:

• Balance on one leg

• Lightly preload the working leg

• Punch into the ground

• Drive laterally as quickly as possible

• Stick the landing before resetting

Athletes should focus on full hip extension and clean landings rather than distance alone.

Programming Considerations

Reactive exercises should follow proper progressions. Athletes must demonstrate foundational strength and landing mechanics before emphasizing speed of movement.

Volume should remain moderate to preserve quality. Intent must remain high. Once ground contact time slows down, the purpose of the drill is lost.

Final Thoughts

To become faster on the ice, hockey players must learn to produce force quickly. Reactive variations of foundational movements bridge the gap between strength training and on-ice speed.

By emphasizing minimal ground contact time and explosive intent, these drills help athletes become more elastic, more explosive, and more efficient in their stride.

About the Author

Travis Martell is the founder and head coach of Martell Elite Fitness, specializing in off-ice development for hockey players. 📲 Follow on Instagram: @martell.elite.fitness