Wednesday, 15. July 2026 |
Summer practice
With temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius outside and not much cooler inside, the Red Bulls are usually pushing themselves to their physical limits when they complete their training regimen three times a week in the weight room of the Salzburg ice arena. Countless kilometers and hours on the ergometer alternate with bike rides, in addition to strength training sessions. Legs, abs and back, upper body, and mobility exercises are all part of the routine. Most players also complete separate programs to address individual weaknesses and optimize their physical preparation for the new season. We took a look around the ice arena during training and watched the players in action:
How our professionals train in the summer | With interviews
Veteran Peter Schneider is in his sixth week of training and is on the right track: “I feel improvements every week. I train differently than before, I know my body much better now, and I know what I need. After so long, I've also developed a certain level of fitness that you accumulate over the years, and maybe I don't have to work quite as hard as I did when I was younger. But I have to work harder on other things. It's simply a matter of finding the right balance and knowing what's important to me.”
Thomas Raffl, the 40-year-old captain of the Red Bulls, probably has more experience than anyone else. And yet, this model athlete is also looking forward to the ice hockey season: “Yes, especially after a long summer, the anticipation is huge. Four weeks still means continuing with summer training and enjoying the time. I'm driven by ambition and the validation I've received over many years. I'm 40 now, I can still give it my all, and I haven't lost any of my edge. That's what counts for me.”
1/8
2/8
3/8
4/8
5/8
6/8
7/8
8/8
Impressions from the gym
Summer training is being managed and supervised not only by Michael Tschernkowitsch but also by the new Performance Coach, Gregor Grutschnig, who was previously responsible for the juniors at the Red Bull Ice Hockey Academy and is now working with the professionals. The experienced coach is enjoying his new role and is pleased with the players' commitment: "We're all on the same level here. The needs are different, but that's to be expected with each individual career path. You have to address certain things specifically. But fundamentally, resilience and strength are important to us. The focus is on gradually building specific speed, maximum strength, and the best possible transfer of that power to the ice."
If you'd like to know exactly what Bulgarian split squats are, check out the video. Gregor explains that it's probably the exercise the players dislike the most. And speaking of summer: the upper body is also important, of course! But less for aesthetic reasons, says the conditioning coach: "We're talking about impact protection and a certain toughness to withstand physical contact. A beach body is more of a positive side effect."
Mit Video
Sweating it out on the skatemill for the upcoming season// TRAINING
Red Bulls' Schedule until CHL Opener// PRE-SEASON PROGRAM
Mit Video
U21 Development Camp: Focusing on the Next Step// RED BULL ICEHOCKEY ACADEMY