Do Ladder Drills Actually Work To Improve Your Speed
Have you ever seen athletes sprinting through ladder drills? Have you seen them at the park, in the gym, or on a soccer field doing multiple repetitions of foot sequences through a ladder? Athletes of all ages are utilizing ladder training right now to optimize their speed. The question is does it really work? In short, yes ladder drills are a very effective way to increase your foot speed. Take a look at the video below so that you're more familiar with ladder specific training and we will take a deeper look at this topic below.
Ladder Drills Help With Mind-Body Connection
As you can see in the video the athlete is completing step sequences very quickly. One of the biggest attributes ladder drills have toward sprint speed is their ability to improve the mind-body connection. Anytime you ask your body to move, there's a chain reaction throughout your body that occurs. The brain tells each muscle group to fire quickly or stabilize a joint. These intricate movements require constant fluctuation in muscle contraction and eccentric stabilization. By completing rapid movements through a ladder you will increase the amount of repetitions that your brain and muscles have to work together. If you are a newer athlete, then the repetitions will help enhance your body's ability to create specific precise foot strikes on the ground with speed. These movements will then translate to the way your body operates during sport specific movements.
Ladder Drills Help With Body Awareness
Ladder drills also help with body awareness. When you complete ladder drills, you will have to move forwards, backwards, and even side to side. The different foot combinations will challenge your ability to keep your center of gravity while gaining ground. Whether you're moving through the ladder sideways, or forward, you must maintain continuous control of your body. Your center of gravity must be maintained at a high-level during competition. As you progress and become better at each ladder drill it is important that you expand into more advanced movements. Utilize our 1-2-3 Reaction Pro Digital Trainer for more example workouts.
How Often Should You Do Ladder Drills
Ladder drills can be completed everyday as a warm-up. If you're utilizing Kbands to help with muscle recruitment, it is suggested that you do resisted ladder drills every other day. Heavy loads of resistance training always require rest. However, if you're utilizing ladder drills to help get warmed up and increase the mind-body connection before your workout, then use drills like this one everyday. Keep the reps short to prevent overtraining. If you are mixing in rest days, then increase the volume to 4 to 6 different exercises. If you have any other questions please feel free to leave us a comment below and we will be sure to help you achieve your goals.