Speed and Agility Training

Speed and Agility Training

Marcus Abrams  //  Marcus Abrams is a trainer for speed and agility.
He also writes a blog about Speed and Agility Training.

Mar 24 / 11:02pm

Speed and Agility Training Using the Agility Ladder

I would heartily recommend giving the agility ladder a prominent place in your speed and agility training program.  Improving agility and footwork can yield the additional benefit of reducing injuries by improving control over the center of gravity while in motion.  It is often a mistake to assume that a promising athlete has mastered basic movement abilities.  Acquiring complex movement skills requires a focused, well planned progressive program that integrates upper, middle, and lower body mechanics.  Using the agility ladder can help accomplish all of this in a comparatively fun and easy part of the training program.

Construct a series of exercises that follow a well thought out progression that move from being simple to more complex as skills are mastered.  Allow the athlete to master skills at a slower pace and then increase the speed of the workout to perfect those skills and apply them in their specific sport.  To begin to develop the agility program, start with just three or four movements in a session.  Make sure those drills address sport specific movements that are identifiable and measurable.  Continue to work on those movements in the following sessions and add new agility ladder drills as you progress at the rate of one or two new drills each time.  Challenge speed only after basic movements and body position have been fully mastered.



A New Twist on Basic Speed and Agility Drills

Taking advantage of terrain adds a new dimension to the potential strength benefits gained from agility ladder exercises.  A simple way to take advantage of terrain is to simply place the agility ladder on a gentle slope.  This results in changing the demands put on specific muscle groups, adds a greater resistance factor and forces the athlete to stay focused on balance when encountering different conditions. When they work up the hill they encounter greater resistance and require more strength for their forward motion.  As they move down the hill they have the help of the hill and must focus more on balance and control.

A simple three or four count drill will now have several variations.  Moving forward up the hill provides more resistance.  Moving backwards back down the hill will make the athlete react to balance and movements at a faster pace than is comfortable because the slope causes them to accelerate.  The effect is reversed by moving up the slope backwards and then coming back down facing forward.

Next, turn the agility ladder ninety degrees so that it runs across the hill instead of up and down.  The athlete now experiences the same resistance and acceleration effects laterally. If their right side faces up the slope, they will get resistance each time they push off with the left foot and extra load on that foot when they move laterally back down the hill.  Again, reversing the direction so that the left side faces up the slope reverses the effects of acceleration and resistance. 

Athletes can develop more complex movement skills using this kind of ladder training.  They will always want to master the movement patterns first while maintaining correct body position.  Then increase the speed requirements as these movement sequences are mastered facing a variety of acceleration/resistance patterns.   Gaining new skills is usually a long and hard process.  The agility ladder is a great tool to add diversity to the training process in a fun and unique way.  Using the ladder will help them to move faster, safer, and better.

A Few Final Tips

A few more things to bear in mind during the speed and agility training drills.

  • Insist that the drill be completed correctly instead of fast.  They should go as fast as they can and still complete the drill without trips or stumbles.  Greater speed comes with greater proficiency.
  • Find the rhythm of the drill. The athlete should focus on the rhythm of their feet.  After they are comfortable and have a consistent rhythm they can improve the pace of the drill.
  • Insist on the correct stance throughout.  Agility ladder drills are not just about the feet.  Arm and upper body movements need to be coordinated with the foot movements.  They will not achieve good results if the entire body is not working as a unit to maintain balance and provide the acceleration and braking needed for rapid direction change. There is no value in having fast feet if the rest of the body is not working in concert with them.
  • If an athlete has problems mastering rhythm, consider word cues. Something as simple as in-in-out, in-in-out or 1-2-3,1-2-3 can help a lot.  Be sure they say it out loud and make their feet land on the cues.

Athletes universally enjoy speed and agility training with an agility ladder.  Results come naturally and the skills are easily identified on the field of play.

1 comment

Apr 04, 2010
Andrew said...
Speed and agility training with an agility ladder? I think it could work, but to tell you the truth I'm to lazy to train this way. I have to confess though, I don't play soccer. I just don't like playing the game. If I did maybe I'd give this agility ladder thing a try.

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