The Inferno Interview - The Fitness Factory

So we've decided to do something different with our next interview and this took us onto the team who do the off ice conditioning for the Cardiff Devils.

Fitness Factory Cardiff which is led by Mike Parsons who is a no nonsense guy who is out to do 1 thing, help you. When I walked into the gym to meet the team, I could sense the Devils were in very good hands from seeing the environment they were in, no distractions just a place to get their work done, out and back for the next training session.

It's not one of these gyms with a pool, sauna, just an honest working gym where your there to work and not sit down watching the TV while you cycle for an hour. Very friendly environment to be in and help was always on hand if required. I don't think I've ever met such an enthusiastic person who wants to help this team prepare for a tough season ahead as Mike is.

Players are already in the gym ahead of the main work from June but it shows that the players appreciate this help and the equipment they have available whenever they need to use it.

Inferno (IF)-  When and how did you get involved with the Cardiff Devils?

Mike Parsons - It all came about after training Paul Ragan for the last 3-4 years. Got to know Paul better and he mentioned that he owned the Devils and then it all began from there. Before we(Fitness Factory) took this on, we were shocked to see no official conditioning/fitness coach was involved with the team. 

IF-  Have you worked with a hockey team before or looked at ways in how NHL teams get their players ready for the long season? Or is the training you offer what you feel is right for the team? How does hockey differ to other sports in the approach the players have to take to training?

Mike Parsons - We’ve worked mainly with teams such as Cardiff City, Cardiff Blues but only the last two years we’ve worked with a hockey team despite my best mate being from Edmonton. Youtube is the ideal place to look at how the NHL teams get their players prepared and to develop new training methods ahead of the new pre season and throughout. The way in which hockey teams train their players is very similar in the way rugby teams prepare theirs. It’s all about the whole line change in hockey and the next ruck in rugby- 1 minute shifts. Brought in more machines/training methods in the last few month to cater for the Devils. Same mentality as other sports we like to keep it short and sharp. 45 minutes max sessions and done for the day. 

IF -  How do you go about training the team in terms of getting them in first session to see where they are and what's needed to improve their all round levels of fitness before the season begins?

Mike Parsons - Looking at the way we received the team, there was no nutritional supplements on hand to them so we’ve been talking to a national firm to see if they would like to get involved to offer protein drinks/food for the team as soon as they’re off the ice for recovery. To start the training off when the players come in, we make it fun, keep rotating the work outs not to get them complacent. It maybe fun but the workouts are key to get them ready for when the real work starts around June where we expect them to start hitting peak training levels. At the moment, we will get the players to bulk up and then cut the weight back when we hit the high end of pre season training. 

IF -  Do you set players personal targets throughout the season in terms of body fat/muscle, increase in strength/ endurance work? Do you encourage other types of training for example for some players and if so what compliments pure gym work for hockey players?

Mike Parsons - We try and challenge players to early morning runs on the dunes. It’s mainly conditioning/fitness targets we try and set for the players where we check body fat levels, strength, lots of core work to increase performance etc and then look to develop them and increase these levels the more they train with us. Will re evaluate mid June to see where they’ve developed and where they can improve more ahead of the season. When that 8 week period hits, the training will be no nonsense, just get it done. Most of the players use other forms of training to guide with recovery and help with them long road journeys. Yoga and Pilates are often used by the players and this has benefited them which is great to see and they’re not stuck in the gym 24/7.

IF-  Are you involved with the team throughout the summer and the whole season or do you stop at a certain point? Have the players been given set dietary plans from yourself and your staff members? How important is recovery after games and training and how do you manage this? - Do you take different approaches to different players to get the best out of them?

Mike Parsons - I’m involved all year round but my work is mainly from the 1st week of off season up to Christmas then it changes to focus more of on ice work and less gym as the players should peak from January until end of the season. As I said earlier, after Christmas, this is when the players spend more time with yoga classes and pilates. 

No set dietry plans as such but all players are switched on when it comes to what to eat. Obviously, we can offer help in terms of set plans but at the moment, all players are happy with what they’re doing. Recovery is a big issue for the team, hopefully with some nutritional drinks, even jelly beans or any high sugary sweets will benefit the team at little cost. The main time when this sort of thing is required is for them long haul Saturday road trips with a home game on Sunday so that’s another thing we will be paying more attention to this year.

IF -  Are any of the locals players hitting the factory up already despite the season ending Sunday? If so, will the prowler be out to set the tone of the training for the summer?

Mike Parsons - The Brits are already in, mainly bulking ahead ready for the main work which will begin in June. Phil Hill was even in yesterday before flying to the World Championships this morning. Some of the players are away with GB so will have some recovery time when they’re back and we will get them in and up to the same level as the other boys.

The prowler is very intimidating to the players, especially the new ones coming in from North America, the great thing is, they see it and don’t want to know but oblivious to them, we don’t use it to often. Maybe 3-4 times through the pre season. It’s used when they come in but it’s just to set the tone with the short burst circuits which can relate to a quick shift on the ice. 

IF - How does hockey differ to other sports in the approach the players have to take to training?

Mike Parsons - It’s a tough one to look at. The majority of the training with rugby is 80% off the pitch where as hockey used to be 20% but that has now risen as the team have to be in the best condition for the long season and to prevent injury. When we came in, the players all used different gyms and not the right training required which was best for them, now we’ve got more control, we can show them the best training methods available.

IF -  Are you looking forward to beasting Mike Hicks a few times over the summer?

Mike Parsons - I can’t wait to get Mike Hicks in the gym. Pre contemplation phase for him, he’s seen the gym, he’s agreed to finally take the plunge and realise he will have a tough time when he gets back from the World Championships. Hopefully we can get some videos of him training on youtube to show everyone.

IF -  Who's the best or worst trainer and who's the biggest moaner?

Mike Parsons - Worst trainer since we took over training the Devils has to be Ryan Finnerty. Best trainer and overall most consistent is Phil Hill. Maxi is another one who always trains hard, same as Mark Smith even with the bad shoulder, he still made it in everyday without fail. Can’t forget Stuart Macrae for his work ethic in the gym. Tylor Michel was another great trainer who appreciated what we did for him.

Phil stand out, very focused in and out and back next day. The great thing was had this year was that we had no moaners, heads down, hard grafting ready for the season ahead and we’re looking forward to working with another team of players with this mentality come June. If there is a negative attitude, G will stomp this out straight away and will set the standard required.

IF - How does the Fitness Factory operate? Can anyone join or it strictly for members/sports teams as such? Would Devils fans be able to sign up and get training with you?

Mike Parsons - Gym is fully open for membership, the facility offers mainly gym work, no team to try and sell you membership, no swimming pool just a proper place where you can train and achieve where you want to be with your fitness. We also run boot camps throughout the week, low membership fees from £22, personal training available, anyone can sign up from any standard of fitness. We’ve got around 180 members but your never waiting to use the equipment we have available. Teams that use our facilities are Cardiff Devils, Cardiff City and Cardiff Blues.

You can get more information about the Fitness Factory Cardiff @ www.fitnessfactorycardiff.com or by following us on Twitter @ FFCTraining