For the past three months the Irish Women’s National Ice Hockey Team has spent Sundays at the recently opened: Strong Room – Fitness and Wellness Centre, Dundalk.
Under the instruction of Stephen Woods we spent many hours in preparation for the World Women’s Ice Hockey Championship Qualifiers, Izmir, Turkey, December 2012.
Stephen has a background in military and fire fighting fitness, kettle bell lifting, Old School Strongman training and MMA conditioning. His classes focused on strength, mobility, conditioning, flexibility and high intensity training.
With a diverse range of equipment, every training session was unique. Exercises ranged from swinging kettle bells and flipping huge tyres to sprints with sandbags and push-ups. There was even a 5k hill run in the nearby mountains. The classes were challenging and pushed the girls to their limits.
In addition to individual gain, these sessions have also strengthened the team as a whole. While at the Strong Room the team received expert information and assistance in nutritional planning from Annemarie Whelan, this helped the players to optimize their diets.
The women’s team have greatly benefited from their time at the Strong Room and would like to thank all at the Strong Room for their support, especially, Stephen for his time, hard work and motivation.
Final preparations are underway for the upcoming IIHF World Women’s Ice Hockey Championship Qualifiers, which takes place this week in Izmir, Turkey.