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T H E E D M O N T O N S U N T h urs d a y , Ma r c h 1 6 , 2006

Mandatory muscles
Oiler winger Ethan Moreau has to stay in top shape
Whether hes on the ice, says the hard-nosed assistant captain who muscling an oppos- weighs about 210 pounds at six-foot-two. ing player off the Plus, his program is catered specifically to the time of puck, skating at full year. You want to peak near the end of the season and gotilt on the forecheck ing into playoffs. Thats when you want to be at your best, or battling for posi- he says. CARY CASTAGNA tion in front of the During the season, he gets in his thrice weekly workouts other teams net, Ed- which sometimes last just 30 minutes each whenever he monton Oilers left- can between games and daily practices. winger Ethan MoEven when he was on the injured list for all of last month, reau knows he has to be at the top of his game physically. Moreau didnt slack off. On crutches, hobbled with a His teams success depends on it. Heck, his livelihood de- sprained right ankle, Moreau simply concentrated on upperpends on it. body exercises. Thats why, like most NHLers these days, the veteran forDuring the off-season, when hes resting up, the Ontario ward works hard off the ice to native scales back his training to keep himself in game shape. one weightlifting session and one track session per week each lastIts all about little percenting about 90 minutes. ages. If you can have an extra one But his off-season workouts or two per cent, then youre a litvary. At the start of the summer, tle bit stronger, you get to that Moreau concentrates on more loose puck in Game 80 or in the volume, less intensity. That gradplayoffs, Moreau, 30, told the Sun in a recent interview at Rexually flip-flops to more intensity, all Place. less volume as the summer draws Its a game of inches. And if to an end, he says. And, of course, you prepare that way and if hell incorporate on-ice work as youre willing to do a little more training camp approaches. than most of the guys, then you As for his diet, Moreau knows should have an advantage. its crucial for pre-game preparaMoreau has the advantage of tion and post-game recovery. But his brother, Chad Moreau, the he doesnt believe in making it Oilers strength and conditioning overly complicated. consultant. Eat tons of fruits and vegetaEven before Chad, 32, began bles, drink lots of water and just providing his expertise to the eliminate bad foods, he says. File photo hockey club, the older sibling was You dont want to get too many seeing to it that Moreau always Ethan Moreau, right, sets up a hip check on bad fats and you dont want to get showed up to training camp in Phoenix Coyotes winger Geoff Sanderson. a lot of simple sugars. Thats it. Its tip-top shape. really simple. Hes very well-conditioned. Hes very fast, very powerful. Moreau also opts for whole grains and doesnt shy away And hes put a lot of time in, Chad praises, adding his from foods laden with complex carbs like pasta and rice on younger brother has followed his training and nutrition ad- game day or the night before. vice to a T for the past five years. Its a routine that brother Chad is hopeful will pay diviMoreau, the Oilers MVP in 2003-04, says its important to dends for Moreau and the rest of the Oil. have a program crafted specifically for the rigours of an NHL The second half of the season, the better-conditioned season. teams like Edmonton should really flourish, Chad says. Its not only what youre doing, its how smart, how pre- Whereas other teams are going to fade a little bit because cise your training is. You dont just go in and do some bench the fatigues going to start wearing them down a little bit presses and sit-ups and get out of there, he explains. quicker than us. Do you have an inspirational story for Keeping Fit? E-mail Cary Castagna at Moreaus regimen, a departure from the typical bodyccastagna@edmsun.com. building routine, focuses on explosive Olympic lifts like the snatch, squat, and clean and jerk. He keeps the weights photo courtesy Andy Devlin, Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club heavy and the reps low. With the goal being power and strength, rather than just Edmonton Oiler Ethan Moreau keeps the weights heavy putting on muscle mass, Moreau also does plyometrics and and the repetitions low during thrice-weekly workouts. sprints at the track. Its specific to the things that I want to get accomplished

EDITOR: Sally Johnston

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FAX: 468-0139 E-MAIL: sjohnston@edmsun.com