Mastering the Bear Crawl Hold for Hockey Players

Most athletes underestimate how powerful this simple position can be. The bear crawl hold might look basic, although when performed correctly, it’s one of the most effective ways to build the foundation every hockey player needs to create a strong, stable core that can handle contact and transfer power through every stride.

Why the Bear Crawl Hold Matters

Every stride and battle starts with a stable core.

If your trunk can’t create stiffness and control, the force from your legs leaks out before it ever reaches the ice — and that means less power in every stride, less balance in every battle, and fewer pucks protected.

Core stability isn’t just about holding a plank. It’s about learning how to brace, breathe, and move as one unit so you can stay strong on the puck, absorb contact, and keep your position even under pressure.

The bear crawl hold is one of the first drills I teach to build that foundation.
It teaches your body to stay solid while everything around you is trying to knock you off balance, which is exactly what happens in a real game.

If you want to protect more pucks, start by training your core to do its job: transfer power, not lose it.

The bear crawl hold trains your body's ability to brace through your entire midsection by teaching your body how to stabilize under pressure so that your strength and speed actually transfer. It’s the difference between gym strength and on-ice strength.

How to Set It Up Correctly

1. Hands under shoulders, knees under hips.
   Keep your toes dug into the ground. This setup locks your body into a strong athletic position.

2. Elevate the knees slightly.
   Just a few inches off the ground until hip height is the same as shoulder height. That small lift forces your core to engage immediately.

3. Maintain a flat back.
   Don’t round your upper back or let your hips drop. You want a straight line from shoulders to hips.

4. Create tension through your body.
   Pull your ribs down, squeeze your glutes, and push gently into the floor. You’re not resting — you’re working to hold this position.

5. Breathe under tension.
   Inhale through your nose, filling your abdomen. Exhale through your mouth with control. This activates your deep core muscles like the transverse abdominis, which creates the stability that we're looking for rather than only relying on superficial abs or lats.

Key Coaching Points

• Muscular stability beats joint stacking.
  Don’t lean on your joints for support. Use your muscles. That’s how you build real strength and control.

• Fatigue exposes form.
  When your back starts to round or your hips lift too high, that’s your cue to reset. Proper form matters more than duration.

• No equipment needed.
  You can do this anywhere — before practice, at home, or in the gym. Consistency is what builds the neural control and endurance that carry over to your game.

Why It’s a Game-Changer for Hockey

Hockey is a contact sport. You’re constantly resisting hits, absorbing impact, and trying to stay balanced while generating force. The bear crawl hold trains your body to stay solid when those unpredictable moments happen, like when you get bumped, change direction, or fight for position along the boards.

By learning to stabilize through your core and breathe under pressure, you’ll skate with more efficiency, absorb contact better, and recover faster.

It’s a simple drill, and when it’s done correctly and with purpose, it becomes a major performance advantage.

The Bottom Line

The bear crawl hold is more than just a core exercise — it’s a hockey movement pattern.
It builds the foundation for power, balance, and control in every stride and every shift.

Train with purpose. Play with confidence. Build strength that actually transfers to the ice.

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

Every kid’s different.
Some blast music. Some tape their stick three times. Some shoot a ball off the garage for an hour.
And that’s fine — routines are good. But if we’re being honest, a lot of players go through the motions without knowing if it’s actually helping.

So let’s talk about what a good pre-game routine looks like — one that’s simple, effective, and sets players up to compete.

Start With This: Move Your Body

Before you even get to the rink, your body should already be awake.

I’m not talking about a full workout, but something:

• Light bike or jog

• Dynamic warm-up in the garage or living room

• Skipping rope, jumping jacks, or stickhandling with intent

Moving your body gets your brain firing too. Showing up cold and expecting to just “get into it” by the second period doesn’t work.

Eat Something That Fuels You

I see kids show up under-fueled all the time. A bagel four hours ago isn’t enough.

60–90 minutes before the game, get a mix of carbs and protein:

It doesn’t have to be perfect — just make sure it’s enough to get through the game feeling strong, not sluggish.

Hydrate (All Day, Not Just Before Warmup)

Chugging water in the dressing room before the game doesn’t make up for not drinking all day.

Best bet: start early and sip often. Add electrolytes if you’re a heavy sweater or playing back-to-back days.

Mentally Dial In

A lot of young players never check in mentally before a game. They scroll TikTok until the coach starts talking.

Here’s something better:

• Visualize your first shift

• Remind yourself what kind of player you want to be today

• Set a simple focus (ex: “Be first to every puck” or “Win battles low”)

That 30 seconds of focus can change how your game starts — and how it goes.

Routines Are Personal — But They Should Have a Purpose

There’s no one-size-fits-all. Some players need to loosen up. Others need to focus. But going through the motions without a reason? That’s not a routine — it’s just habit.

Ask yourself:

• Does this help me feel ready?

• Does this get me in the right mindset?

• Does this get my body going?

If the answer’s yes, keep it. If not, adjust.

Last Thing: Keep It Simple
A routine should help you, not stress you out.
Forget the superstitions. Forget trying to copy someone else’s warm-up.
Find what works for you — and be consistent.

That’s how you build confidence before the puck even drops.

You don’t need to say a word.
Your body’s already doing the talking.

Every time you come to the bench, miss a pass, get benched, or score a goal — your body language is sending a message. And guess what? Coaches, scouts, and teammates are watching it all.

I’ve coached at many different levels, and I can tell you this: your attitude shows up before you ever open your mouth.

The Wrong Kind of Body Language:

• Head down after a mistake

• Slamming your stick

• Shaking your head at a teammate

• Looking disinterested or checked out

• Rolling your eyes when the coach talks

That stuff might seem small in the moment, but over time it tells a story:
This player can’t handle adversity.
This player only plays hard when things go their way.
This player might be tough to coach.

And that matters.

What Coaches Are Looking For:

We’re not expecting you to be a robot. You’re human. Mistakes and emotions are part of the game.
But great players show composure. They show resilience. And they bring energy, even when things aren’t going their way.

• You make a bad play? Head up, skate hard, and get it back next shift.

• You’re tired? Shorten your shift and stay responsible.

• You didn’t get picked for PP or PK? Be the best teammate on the bench.

That’s the stuff coaches talk about after the game.

"Body language is a window into your mindset."
And if your mindset’s in the right place, we’ll see it.

For Parents:

This matters for you too.
The way you respond in the stands — hands in your face, arms in the air, pacing the rink — your kid sees it. Other parents see it. Coaches see it.

You don’t need to be silent or fake, but if you model composure, your kid will learn to do the same. And that will help them way beyond the rink.

Final Thought:

Hockey’s an emotional game. You’re going to feel frustrated sometimes.
But how you carry yourself — especially when things aren’t going well — says a lot about the type of player, teammate, and person you are.

Body language is always talking.
Make sure it’s saying something good.

Click to download the PDF

 

Brad Podiak joins to discuss all things girls hockey development. Brad is the head coach of the Wayzata HS girls hockey team. We cover his background, early playing days, comparing girls and boys hockey, and finally the overall state of girls hockey as he sees it today. Give it a listen!

Click to download the PDF

 

 

Although the shot was a focus, we added it as a backload to working on picking up pucks along the wall. Front loading and backloading is a great to to layer different skills in to increase the cognitive load to be more representative of a game. 

These simple drills can be done before or after practice for Junior and up players who have access to extra ice, and on the ODR for minor Hockey players

 

heres a very simple drill we do almost every session to warm up, get touches or make small postural adjustments on. Players at the higher levels understand the importance of doing the basics well!