Friday, September 19, 2008
Training Camp begins
Both the Oilers and Flames reported to work today, for a day of testing before on-ice practices begin tomorrow. Not surprisingly, there is a contrast in styles between the two clubs.
The Sutter club is decidedly more old school, with shuttle runs through the Saddledome concourse, calisthenics on the front lawn, standing broad jumps and the like. Chad Moreau's "fitness" program for the Oil, on the other hand, is more focused on bicep curls in front of a mirror, blasting through the burn, riding the zone, overshooting the extreme, maxing the envelope, and so on.
While it's still nearly 3 weeks until the regular season opens in North America, the time seems likely to fly by. The Oilers play their first preseason game on Monday the 22nd, and their first televised game on Thursday the 25th; for the Flames, those dates are Tuesday the 23rd and Wednesday the 24th (vs. the Coyotes in Winnipeg).
It would appear to be just about, as the Mandelbaums would say, Go Time.
The Sutter club is decidedly more old school, with shuttle runs through the Saddledome concourse, calisthenics on the front lawn, standing broad jumps and the like. Chad Moreau's "fitness" program for the Oil, on the other hand, is more focused on bicep curls in front of a mirror, blasting through the burn, riding the zone, overshooting the extreme, maxing the envelope, and so on.
While it's still nearly 3 weeks until the regular season opens in North America, the time seems likely to fly by. The Oilers play their first preseason game on Monday the 22nd, and their first televised game on Thursday the 25th; for the Flames, those dates are Tuesday the 23rd and Wednesday the 24th (vs. the Coyotes in Winnipeg).
It would appear to be just about, as the Mandelbaums would say, Go Time.
# posted by Matt @ 10:22 am 
Comments:
I did notice the difference in training camp appeals. You're running cuz you're team's old and needs to get back any semblance of stamina. Our team is just too damn young to actually have any muscle yet.
Why is Team Sutter doing shuttle runs? Are they being too cheap to do a proper bike test to find actual VO2(max)? Or are they just being assholes, because shuttle runs fucking suck?
As for Team Mandelbaum, I've met some guys who lift competitively, and their regimes would make you cry. Not only are they heavy, but they can actually be kind of complicated. I'm interested in the details of how Moreau et. al. make up a program, and what such a thing would look like, if for nothing other than "professional" curiosity.
Meh, if Sutter was truly old school the players would all be working off twenty pounds of fat left over from a summer of drinking beer.
Ahh, the good old days when players had summer jobs and smoked cigarettes between periods.
Thanks for that CoF photo! I'm well over 500 viewings, and I still can't get enough of it.
I was particularly pleased to see it as an option on my recent Air Canada flight -- Olympic theme and whatnot.
Yeah, Chariots of Fire is a wonderful movie--one that is about (amongst other things) Sam Mussabini, the man who first brought professional training methods to competitive track. So it's a badly misappropriated artistic symbol for plucky, old-fashioned, school-tie athletic preparation.
Haha awesome idea for those pictures, and an awesome comparison.
I bumped into Pissani about a week ago and the guy looked jacked compared to last year. Hopefully a lot of them showed up to camp like this and can turn some heads this year.
Bertuzzi at Flames training camp (2008).
"The reading when Todd Bertuzzi stood atop the scale was 226 lb. It’s been a few years since the Calgary Flames forward played at that weight.
“Uhh, I think in midget or pee wee,” he said. “I had a good year then, so ...”
New city. New team.
New Bertuzzi? At least physically."
—Calgary Sun
Bertuzzi at Ducks training camp(2007).
"Physically, there has been a dramatic change. Carlyle said Bertuzzi has shed more than 20 pounds, going from 245-250 pounds to about 230, and his skating has reflected that. Bertuzzi said shedding the extra baggage, at least physically, was a no-brainer.
"I think it was just a matter of time," Bertuzzi said. "I think after you go through a year of having surgery and having back problems, I think maybe carrying the 245 and 250 around maybe took its toll on it. So I thought I'd try a new route and see if I can stay healthy. Knock on wood, it's actually been a blessing.
"If anything, I think it's better; I'm more mobile. Let's face it -- the league is getting quicker and quicker. These kids coming up are faster and faster -- and big. I think you either change with the times or you get lost in the shuffle."
—ESPN
Hmmm
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I did notice the difference in training camp appeals. You're running cuz you're team's old and needs to get back any semblance of stamina. Our team is just too damn young to actually have any muscle yet.
Why is Team Sutter doing shuttle runs? Are they being too cheap to do a proper bike test to find actual VO2(max)? Or are they just being assholes, because shuttle runs fucking suck?
As for Team Mandelbaum, I've met some guys who lift competitively, and their regimes would make you cry. Not only are they heavy, but they can actually be kind of complicated. I'm interested in the details of how Moreau et. al. make up a program, and what such a thing would look like, if for nothing other than "professional" curiosity.
Meh, if Sutter was truly old school the players would all be working off twenty pounds of fat left over from a summer of drinking beer.
Ahh, the good old days when players had summer jobs and smoked cigarettes between periods.
Thanks for that CoF photo! I'm well over 500 viewings, and I still can't get enough of it.
I was particularly pleased to see it as an option on my recent Air Canada flight -- Olympic theme and whatnot.
Yeah, Chariots of Fire is a wonderful movie--one that is about (amongst other things) Sam Mussabini, the man who first brought professional training methods to competitive track. So it's a badly misappropriated artistic symbol for plucky, old-fashioned, school-tie athletic preparation.
Haha awesome idea for those pictures, and an awesome comparison.
I bumped into Pissani about a week ago and the guy looked jacked compared to last year. Hopefully a lot of them showed up to camp like this and can turn some heads this year.
Bertuzzi at Flames training camp (2008).
"The reading when Todd Bertuzzi stood atop the scale was 226 lb. It’s been a few years since the Calgary Flames forward played at that weight.
“Uhh, I think in midget or pee wee,” he said. “I had a good year then, so ...”
New city. New team.
New Bertuzzi? At least physically."
—Calgary Sun
Bertuzzi at Ducks training camp(2007).
"Physically, there has been a dramatic change. Carlyle said Bertuzzi has shed more than 20 pounds, going from 245-250 pounds to about 230, and his skating has reflected that. Bertuzzi said shedding the extra baggage, at least physically, was a no-brainer.
"I think it was just a matter of time," Bertuzzi said. "I think after you go through a year of having surgery and having back problems, I think maybe carrying the 245 and 250 around maybe took its toll on it. So I thought I'd try a new route and see if I can stay healthy. Knock on wood, it's actually been a blessing.
"If anything, I think it's better; I'm more mobile. Let's face it -- the league is getting quicker and quicker. These kids coming up are faster and faster -- and big. I think you either change with the times or you get lost in the shuffle."
—ESPN
Hmmm
# posted by 
: September 20, 2008 11:25 am
: September 20, 2008 11:25 am Post a Comment
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