Train Like The Avs: Offseason

Casey Bond is about to start his sixth season as the strength and conditioning coach for the Colorado Avalanche. He has been with the organization since 1999, assisting with training camps and serving as a staff assistant strength and conditioning coach.
Bond earned a bachelor's degree in Corporate and Community Fitness and a minor in Nutrition from North Dakota State University. He continued his education by obtaining a Master of Science in Sports Medicine with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology from Eastern Michigan University in 1999.

Bond discusses some simple, pro-endorsed exercises that Avalanche fans can do at home. These body weight movements can be the foundation for any good workout, and proof that you don't have to be a professional athlete to work out like one.

Torso

Recommended: Classic Plank (30 Seconds for 3-4 sets)

Casey Says:"Nothing new, nothing fancy. Any type of planking with your own body weight in perfect posture. We always coach players to get down into a plank and hold that plank as if you are standing with perfect posture."
Timing:"Timing wise I typically say 30 seconds and then that will get pretty easy for a player so then we'll add a little instability, something to make it a little more difficult for them. I stick with 30 seconds and then I typically do 3-4 sets and make it more challenging as we progress."
Looking for More?:Add instability to your plank position to make it more challenging. "Maybe raise a leg in the air, maybe reach with one arm or move an object."

Legs

Recommended: Lunges (4-8 reps for 3-4 sets per side)

Recommended: Split Squats (4-8 reps for 3-4 sets per side)

Casey Says:"In terms of leg exercises for our players and for anyone at home, I recommend anything single leg. It's so good for overall leg development but is great for knee, ankle and hip stability and overall injury prevention for game day or just day-to-day life."
Looking for More?:As you progress, you can start doing weighted versions of lunges or split squats. You can add dunbells or a barbell to your routine. Maybe even try barbell overhead lunges.

Upper Body

Recommended: Pull-Ups (5-12 reps for 3-4 sets)

Casey Says:"Upper body wise I'm a big fan of pull-ups. I believe everybody should be able to handle their own body weight. Pull-ups done properly provide a great stretch and are an overall great movement."
Looking for More?: Pull-ups can be pretty difficult for some people, but if you're looking for an extra challenge, attach a weight to yourself to give your arms an added workload.

Recommended: Push-Ups (5-12 reps for 3-4 sets)

Casey Says:"It's a simple excercise but a great workout for your upper body if done in a proper manner. It targets your torso, chest, shoulders and triceps."
Looking for More?:"Proper form is key with this excercise. You want to have your torso engaged when pushing away from the ground. If you master that then you can add variations to it. You can add weight, instability (Bosu or stability ball) or counting (pause four seconds at the bottom of every rep or lower yourself down to the ground slowly in a five-second span)."

Keep In Mind

Golden Rule:"Be consistent. Stick to a routine and never wait too long between workouts."
On The Road:"Guys travel during the offseason and they can't get to the gym, but there are plenty of things you can do to not get too far removed from your last workout. Never let not having a gym be an excuse for skipping a workout. If you go to the beach, you can workout at the beach. You can adjust your routine for a hotel or wherever you are."
Off-Limit Food:"Biggest one for me is fried food. It's a killer. There's lots of fads and trends out there, but fried foods are not good for you and do nothing for you."

Images taken from WorkoutLabs.com.