How to use Agility Ladder


  • Also Known As: Ladder, gym ladder
  • Target: Lower body / compact body
  • Resources needed: Skills ladder
  • Level: Medium to Advanced


The speed ladder is not a specific task. It is a piece of equipment that can be used to perform a wide range of strength tests. This fast movement raises your heart rate, challenges your balance and coordination, and can improve your athletic speed and performance.


Benefits

Agility ladder drills are often part of some form of strength training, which includes SARQ training and HIFT training. Each type of training offers significant benefits.


SARQ training

SARQ stands for speed, speed, performance, and speed. The SARQ exercise was traditionally performed by professional soldiers and athletes. But in recent years, SARQ exercises have become very popular in gyms across the country. Classes draw different participants at different levels of eligibility. The benefits of SARQ training are extensive.


Increases participation: SARQ-type programs enhance engagement (mechanically and / or with other participants) during exercise, helping to alleviate loneliness and speed up the workout. Most people who have ever tried this exercise will tell you that time passes when you join your teammates. In fact, studies have shown that this type of exercise promotes adherence to an exercise program.1


Improves athletic performance: Athletes in many different sports and disciplines benefit from professional training exercises. Agility exercises are often included in athletic programs such as volleyball, soccer, and soccer to improve efficiency.2 Rapid movement mimics the skills needed during competition.


Advanced ADL: You do not have to be an athlete to reap the benefits. In an article by the American Council on Exercise, fitness expert Pete McCall notes that SARQ tests improve the performance of bodybuilders' awareness at all levels. As a result, day-to-day activities (ADLs) can be safer and easier to perform.


In fact, research has documented the benefits of agility training in older adults, finding that it can help reduce the risk of falls. As part of a community-based study, older adults performed tests that included piercing with a quick ladder. Other exercises included activities with low and high barriers, cone agility drills, swiss ball, wobble disc, and foam roller exercises.


Researchers noted significant benefits in training, mobility, and strength following a 12-week training program. The authors of the study also concluded that skills training helped the participant to process visual information better in order to be more effective in overcoming challenges.3


Increased mental functioning: Exercising the level of agility requires quick thinking and responsive behavior, a practice called neuromuscular training. Regularly doing these exercises may improve mental performance.


In a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, researchers examined skills training in military personnel. Their research study compared 41 people who were trained in speed or traditional training procedures over a six-week period. At the end of the study, the researchers examined a few measures of physical activity and brain function. They found that skill training not only improved physical fitness but also improved visual acuity, listening skills, and working memory.4


The American Council on Exercise also promotes the benefits of neuromuscular training for improved performance. They include a quick ladder exercise in their list of top mental awareness exercises.5


HIFT training

Ladder drills are often included in high strength training (HIFT). HIFT emphasizes active movement, which involves many joints and uses both aerobic exercise and muscle strengthening. For example, a quick ladder run may be associated with movements like a bear crawling or a slam in a medicine ball.


HIFT training can be modified at any fitness level and result in greater muscle mass than repeated aerobic exercise, thereby improving heart endurance, strength, and flexibility.


According to the authors of the study, "vigorous active training is a form of exercise that emphasizes active, combined exercises that can be altered at any fitness level and result in greater muscle employment than regular exercise."


Other benefits of HIFT include improved oxygen utilization, reduced body fat, improved bone mineral content, improved cardiovascular endurance, and improved athletic performance (including speed, speed, strength, and stamina).


Step by Step Instructions

Before you can try this for any job, you should be in good health. Always seek the guidance of your healthcare provider if you are new to exercise or when you return to exercise after an injury. You can also work with a fitness trainer to get form tips and exercise tips.


There are many different exercises you can do using a speed ladder. It is important to learn to drill one basic foot ladder first before moving on to more advanced drills.


Single-Foot Agility Drill

To prepare for exercise, start at the bottom of the device with an agility ladder placed on the floor in front of you. Practice moving slowly and carefully before increasing your speed and stamina. Start with good posture with slightly bent knees and relaxed shoulders. Let your arms fall to your sides and move naturally throughout the drill.


  • Get into the first square with your right foot, put your foot down quickly and remove your weight from that foot.
  • Enter the second square with the left foot. Quickly put your foot down and move your weight on that foot.