Hockey is one of the most demanding sports around. Keeping your balance while other massive players jostle you on ice takes incredible core strength. If you want to knock that puck in for a goal, you need upper body power and leg speed, as well.

How do the Chicago Blackhawks stay in shape? If you thought the pandemic slowed down their routine, think again. They are hard at work managing healthy diets and hitting the weights. They’re also incorporating less traditional workouts, such as tai chi and yoga. Here are some tips for emulating their example:

1. They’re Rediscovering In-Line Skating

If you thought in-line skating faded in the 1990s, think again. The best way to keep the muscles you need on the ice in peak shape is by emulating the movements used in the arena. While there are significant differences in the stopping techniques used for pavement and ice, the players are still blasting their quads and hamstrings.

They’re also keeping their hip flexors loose and the synovial fluid flowing around their knees. This bodily substance is what makes the knee cartilage flexible and friction-free for smoother movement.

2. They’re Cleaning Up Their Diets

If you are taking a work break due to decreased demand, you might sit on the couch eating ice cream and watching Netflix. However, if you want to get the physique of a pro, you need to take some tips from the Blackhawks players who are cleaning up their diets.

Take sugar, for example. The average person eats at least 360 calories of the sweet stuff per day. This intake results in added pounds around the waist and can spur addiction. Sugary foods increase the amount of available dopamine, a neurotransmitter also implicated in substance abuse. Rats that are fed sugar only occasionally will binge on it whenever it appears.

If you want to eat like a pro, try to reduce or eliminate the amount of sugar and other additives like salt and preservatives in your diet. Focus on plant-based whole foods with complex carbs and add lean proteins to round out your plate.

3. They’re Modifying Weight-Room Workouts

Gyms are gradually reopening across America, but the Blackhawks didn’t hit pause on their workouts during quarantine, anyway. To maintain the sort of power they need on the ice, they’re lifting weights in their living rooms when need be. They’re replacing moves like sled hack squats with dumbbell versions. You can emulate their style by keeping a set of dumbbells behind your couch and performing biceps curls and triceps extensions during commercial breaks.

4. They’re Ditching the Barbells Entirely

You have to train hard to match the physical prowess of National Hockey League (NHL) superstar Patrick Kane — which may mean ditching the dumbbells altogether. Take heart if you lost your job as gyms shuttered. You can work out like this pro by using plyometrics, tai chi, yoga and resistance bands.

Do you have stairs in your home or a front porch stoop? You can perform step-ups or modified box jumps. If you can get anywhere close to perfecting yoga moves like the Taraksvasana, you don’t need to touch another barbell to prove your fitness level.

Get in Your Best Shape by Working Out Like a Pro

If you want to get in shape like the pros, you need to train the way they do. Try incorporating tips from the Chicago Blackhawks into your home fitness routine and reap the rewards with peak performance.