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A summer visit with Logan Couture |
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A summer visit with Logan Couture
While on summer vacation last month I took a day and made the lengthy drive to London Ontario, the home of Sharks forward Logan Couture. Even though his days are filled with off-season workouts he didn’t mind me popping in to see how a rookie of the year candidate spends his down time after a heart breaking loss in the conference finals.
Logan returned to the gym after taking four weeks off at the end of the Sharks playoff run to let the body and mind heal. He came away from the year fairly unscathed as far as injuries go, but even still he was easing back into his workouts. His workouts took place Jeff Van Damme’s gym which from the outside looked like an old garage, but once you stepped inside you knew you were in no ordinary facility.
Van Damme calls it the Training Station and it’s not a place where you get a free month’s membership when you sign up for a year. Inside it is one on one training. From what I could gather Jeff’s theory is to train a professional athlete properly there can be no distractions from others, for the athlete or the trainer. We were the only three people in the gym and the focus was on the task at hand. Van Damme had synthetic ice put in for those who want to strap on their skates and work on their shot. The Training Station is set up for hockey players. Jeff is a personal trainer and he trains all types of athletes but you don’t have to be in his quarters for long before you realize what sport drives his passion. Jeff has a number of Couture jerseys in his gym going back to his days in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) where he wore number 89 with the Ottawa 67’s.
Upon my visit Couture was just easing back into workouts and wasn’t pushing anything too hard. Having said that, not pushing it too hard for Logan is wearing a forty-five pound vest and leaping from ground level up a few feet to a plateau and then back down again. Ten reps of that, a break and then back at it again was enough to make me sweat simply by watching.
Van Damme also trains LA Kings Drew Doughty and the Sharks 2011 sixth round draft pick Dylan Demelo among others.
When I asked Couture what his off-season goals were as far as the body was concerned he had this response
“I want to be more explosive and stronger in the legs, more speed and quickness. Majority of the strength in hockey I find is in the legs. When you are in the corner you can push off guys as much as you want with your arms but it’s all your lower body and your core. Just being able to hold guys off and protect the puck is key. I still do upper body twice a week but the lower body and core strength is important.”
“Upper body is mostly muscles you are going to use in hockey. There are no bicep curls. It is a lot of forearm work and they will be burning after the workout.”
Question: What do you do for your cardio vascular system?
“Cardio is done six days a week. I ride before and after all my workouts and two days a week I do strictly cardio. I do sprints with a friend. We do eight laps of the track, but we sprint the lengths and walk the widths.”
Question: How did you decide when to get back in the gym?
“I took four weeks off. Mentally and physically I needed a break. I ran sometimes and came in here for bike rides when I got restless but no weights. It is such a long year playing over a hundred games. It was tough when the season ended. As a hockey player you are accustomed to being on a schedule. You get used to waking up and going to the rink for practice, then the season ends and you wake up with nothing to do.”
Question: Did you get a chance to say good bye to players who are no longer with the team?
“Everyone was so devastated and disappointed with the loss. Some guys went home and some went to Vegas. I didn’t see Nick Wallin, I didn’t see Scotty Nichol. I saw Jamal (Mayers) for a day. Seto went to Hawaii and Heater went to Vegas.”
Question: What was your reaction when you heard about the moves made by GM Wilson?
“I’m excited to add those two players. Brent Burns is one of the top ten defensemen in the league. Dan Boyle is also in that grouping, to have two of the top defensemen in the league on your team and on the same power play unit …well it’s pretty sick. I like the moves; I think we are going to be a better team because of it. I’m excited for this year.”
Question: Do you believe the team is stronger with the additions made considering who you lost?
“I believe so. That’s my personal opinion, we won’t know until next season but right now I think we are better because of those trades.”
As I waited for Logan to change and hit the showers Jeff Van Damme’s next appointment came in and started his routine. He commented on the maturity of Logan and how well grounded he was for a young man who has enjoyed so much success at a young age. London Ontario is no San Jose, but with an estimated population of 350,000 plus there is plenty of opportunity to find trouble but according to this old timer Couture’s name is never mentioned in a negative way and keeps his nose clean. When you are twenty-two years young and earning a seven digit income it is not easy keeping your nose clean but Logan Couture isn’t your everyday pro athlete.
He knows that success doesn’t come easy which is why he hits the gym hard. His nights out are week-ends only, during the week it is business as usual. His disposition by the way he handles the demands of being a young professional in the spotlight remind me of a young Steve Yzerman and his even keel when dealing with the press shows reflections of Wayne Gretzky.
Couture also hasn’t forgotten those who helped get him to where he is. He bought a new Range Rover for his parents and was staying close to home at their request. I tried to lure him to the lake for big meals and plenty of beer but he was on house duty making sure his little brother didn’t throw another party like the ones he did when Logan’s parents came to San Jose to see their eldest son play. Pretty impressive considering the temperature topped out at over 100% Fahrenheit plus humidity.
Join me for part two of a summer visit with Logan Couture where we talk about the chemistry he has with Ryan Clowe, the defeat to Vancouver and how he dealt with coming up short for the Calder trophy.
Keep your sticks on the ice,
Cam Gore
San Jose Sharks Blogger • 
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