His role was reduced last year when Giovani Bernard was added

CALGARY - Core strength is a sledge hockey players money maker. Scarpe Scontate Outlet . When Canadas players go into the gym, they expect to leave with their stomach muscles aching.If you go to where your muscles literally cant go any more, youll make real big gains, says forward Greg Westlake. You want to fail every time. Part of being an elite athlete versus a weekend warrior is pushing yourself to failure.Back and arm strength matters in a sport where hockey players propel themselves on sledges using two picks, but the hard, about-face turn when the puck changes possession requires a powerful trunk to re-direct the sledge.So those battle-rope drills so popular on sports drink commercials now are part of the sledge teams dryland training routine. From their wheelchairs or on their prosthetic legs, they whip the ropes above their heads and yank them down.Another drill is using one arm to pull a rope attached to a heavy chain while in a push-up position, and then switching to the other arm.One of the best things right now is theres a big trend for the battle ropes, Westlake says. We have real heavy ones.The most important muscle groups in terms of just power would be your back, triceps and your core. Your whole upper body is important because you need the balance and you dont want to get injured.The Canadian sledge team has two titles to defend in 2015. Canada will compete Feb. 1-7 in the World Sledge Hockey Challenge in Leduc, Alta., followed by the world championship April 24 to May 2 in Buffalo, N.Y.The Canadians won bronze at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia.At a training camp in Calgary this week, strength and conditioning coach Chris Osmond put the 19 players from Summerside, P.E.I., to Quesnel, B.C., team through circuit training at Canada Olympic Park.It was Osmonds first time working with the national team. He wanted to send each athlete home knowing exactly what muscle groups require attention.The big thing is core, upper-body strength, upper-body power, Osmond said.But before the athletes even got to the power part of their workout, they spent a lot of time stretching out their upper bodies. The wheelchair athletes put strain on their shoulders just wheeling around in daily life.So the first piece of equipment forward Billy Bridges grabs at the gym is a foam roller to roll out his shoulder and back muscles. The second item hell pick up is an elastic rope to loosen up his rotator cuffs.It seems like every day is a battle for posture and getting your back realigned, Bridges says. Theres so much strain on your shoulders that if you dont keep those strong, were not going to have much longevity in this sport.As in able-bodied hockey, the sledge player needs the aerobic fitness to quickly recover from one shift to the next. Westlake, a 28-year-old from Oakville, Ont., is an advocate of lean muscle mass.Its a cardio-based sport. Youve got to be in shape to play, he says. Weve had guys who have made this team who are muscle-bound ... and maybe their cardio isnt up to par. Maybe theyre too heavy and its hard to pull yourself.Youve got to find the weight that works for you and then youve got to build off that. Get as strong as you can at the lightest weight you can be.Adds Osmond: Sledge hockey is no different from able-bodied hockey. Sure youre using your anaerobic system, but thats all driven by your aerobic system. You need a big engine. If you cant keep it going, then youre not going to be an impact player for your team.Bridges is bulkier than Westlake, which the 30-year-old from Summerside says fits his power forward game.When I was first on the team, I was 14 and 95 pounds and that was fine, he said. There was hitting, but we werent moving that fast. Now people are joining this sport at a younger age and training hard at a young age, so we have guys like Ben Delaney pushing the boundaries of whats possible.With me, I like being big. I play a big game and I feel the stronger I can be, the harder it is to knock me off the puck.Bridges plays wheelchair tennis and Westlake kayaks as cross-training for sledge hockey.Both are veterans of the national sledge team having won Paralympic gold in 2006. They say competing at that level requires three to five sessions a week in the gym in addition to almost daily on-ice practices.The athletes are getting better, the technology is improving and the sport is becoming more competitive, Westlake says.Just because its team sport, its hard to quantify how good everybody is. Its so much faster and so much better than it was 10 years ago. Im finally at that point where young guys are coming in and pushing me. Theyre fast and fit and its a really fun thing to be a part of. Air Max 270 Outlet .C. - Nick Merkley and Damon Severson each had a goal and two assists as the Kelowna Rockets downed the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds 6-3 on Saturday in Western Hockey League playoff action. Air Max 95 Outlet . Green-Ellis was Cincinnatis leading rusher each of the last two seasons. His role was reduced last year when Giovani Bernard was added to the backfield. Green-Ellis ran for 756 yards and a career-low 3. https://www.scontatescarpeoutlet.it/scontate-air-max-95-outlet-c3066.html .com) - SirDominic Pointer posted career highs of 24 points and seven steals to lead No. NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Davis isnt saying if he feels snubbed by being left off the All-Star roster. Hes making his statement on the court. Davis continued his torrid play by scoring 24 points and grabbing eight rebounds to lead the New Orleans Pelicans to an 88-79 victory over Chicago on Saturday night. He also blocked six shots, bringing his total to 21 in his past three games. For the third consecutive game he scored at least 22 points and blocked six shots. The Pelicans said he is the first player to do that since November 1990, when Patrick Ewing did it in four consecutive games for the New York Knicks. "Im not trying to prove anything," said Davis, who set a franchise record with at least four blocked shots in six consecutive games. "Everybody knows what I can do and what Im capable of. Stuff happens and I cant control that." Davis punctuated his performance with a monster jam early in the third quarter, an effort worthy of the Slam Dunk Contest that will be held as part of All-Star weekend in New Orleans. He played Saturday nursing a finger injury that kept him out of one game. While Davis didnt want to address the All-Star game snub, Pelicans coach Monty Williams wasnt so reluctant. "You want to be recognized as one of the best," Williams said. "When you play as well as he has, he can say what he wants. He wants it. We all know he deserves it." Tyreke Evans added 11 points for the Pelicans, who have won four of their past five. D.J. Augustin led the Bulls with 23 points in his return to his hometown. He was 8 of 17 from the field and handed out seven assists. Taj Gibson added 17 points and Joakim Noah had 14 points and 16 rebounds for Chicago. Noah has 10 or more rebounds in 18 straight games, the longest streak of his career. Carlos Boozer was held to four points, tying his lowest point total of the year. He had scored in double figures in his past 12 games. "I think (family and friends in attendance) will be happy for me, but Im not happy that we didnt get the win," said Augustin, who attended a local high school until Hurricane Katrina forced him to finish his senior year in Texas. "Im just going to be happy to see them and give them a hug and a kiss. Air Max 95 Uomo Saldi. " Davis dominance effectively shut down the middle for the cold-shooting Bulls, forcing them to rely on their outside offensive and creating fast-break opportunities for the Pelicans. Chicago shot 38.6 per cent from the field, making 27 of 70 attempts. The Bulls were 3 of 16 on 3-point attempts and 22 of 33 on free throw attempts. They also committed 17 turnovers. "We were coming from behind most of the time," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We got away from the basket in the missed free throws and we just turned the ball over. " The Pelicans dominated in the paint, outscoring the Bulls 50-34. New Orleans led 50-39 at the half and 71-57 after three quarters. The Pelicans led by as many as 16 in the fourth quarter and maintained a double-digit lead until the final minute. The Bulls were held to 18 points in each of the second and third quarters. "We went out there and played really tough," Pelicans centre Jeff Withey said. "Theyre a great team and theyre physical. We matched their physicality. We just made it really hard to score." The Pelicans raced to a 50-39 halftime lead behind Davis nine points and three rebounds. Augustin scored 17 points in the half on 5-of-8 shooting, but as a team Chicago was 12 of 31, including 2 of 7 on 3-pointers. The Pelicans outscored Chicago 10-2 on fast-break points and 26-12 in the paint. The Pelicans took control in the opening minutes of the second quarter, going on a 12-2 run to take a 35-23 lead with 7:20 remaining. At one point Chicago committed three of its seven first-half turnovers on consecutive possessions, which New Orleans turned into seven unanswered points. The Pelicans led by 13 on three occasions. Eric Gordon scored the Pelicans first seven points but failed to score the rest of the half and finished with nine points on 4-of-15 shooting. NOTES: Players wore red-and-white warm-up shirts in honour of Black History Month, which is celebrated during February. ... Davis ended January with 51 blocks, more than three teams had combined. Davis sat out the Pelicans last game with a finger injury. ... The Pelicans blocked 14 shots and have blocked at least 10 shots in three of their past four games. ' ' '