I love the agility ladder or speed ladder as it is is extremely helpful for athletes. If you are not an athlete it is also just a great warmup to get your heart rate up.
The footwork side, the mental side and the warm-up side are a great combo for anyone looking to work on their quickness, agility and motor skills. Why use the agility ladder? It is great for an athletes neural activation, movement efficiency and motor learning.
It is also a perfect way to start your workout as a warmup to get your heart rate up. The agility ladder or speed ladder is great for just that, speed and agility and here are some great drills to do for beginners to maximize the use of the ladder.
If you are just in the gym and you see the ladder but are nervous, well that is why I am here. Like me you may have been wanting to use the ladder but just didn’t know where to start and that is the genesis of this article.
Thankfully I was lucky enough to work with the VP of athletic performance, Kyle Porter, from the prestigious Center For Athletic Performance & Physical Therapy in Scottsdale, AZ.
He is also the head of performance for the Team USA 6v6 Soccer Team as well as coaches Olympic Development Program soccer teams. With his help I was able to nail down 5 perfect agility ladder drills for beginners. These help speed, motor skills and of course are great for warming up.
Lateral Shuffle Agility Ladder Drill
- Stand sideways at top of the ladder and go side to side back and forth.
- 2 steps through each opening.
- Stay on toes and keep body low.
- Remember to use arms.
Ickey Shuffle with Hesitation Agility Ladder Drill
- Named after NFL player Ickey Woods
- Also named Heisman Shuffle Agility Ladder Drill
- Face up to the ladder to the side.
- 1 foot outside – 2 feet touches separately inside – 1 food outside and hesitate then back across.
- This helps knee stability and neural motor skills.
- This is also great for explosion.
Ickey Shuffle For Speed Agility Ladder Drill
- This the same as above but without the hesitation and you will speed right through it.
2 In – 2 Out Agility Ladder Drill
- Stand facing up the ladder to one side.
- Step two feet in one foot at a time then two out.
- Move forward one ladder every time you go in.
Skiing
- Athletic stance and base.
- Facing up the ladder straddling one side of the ladder.
- Keep toes level side by side.
- Jump up one level and straddle the opposite side of the ladder moving up one level with each jump.
- This is great for athletes who do a lot of cutting.
I can’t stress enough how much I love the agility ladder. It really kicks your butt and can be even more than just a warmup. I will integrate this into a circuit and go through the ladder 3-4 different ways, 30 second break, do arms for a minute, break and back to this. Overall I will do 3-4 sets through and it is one of my favorite and least favorite exercises.
Did you like these, did they help, do you have any favorites? Please share in the comments below.
