Most Effective Lateral Speed Exercises | Victory Ropes Lateral Doubles

The Victory Ropes Lateral Doubles is a great plyometric exercise to increase speed and agility in athletes. By utilizing resistance with short lateral bursts athletes can utilize this speed exercise to increase agility and top end speed. Even though this speed exercise requires athletes to move side to side, it still requires the athletes to activate and use many of the same muscles which are used in forward running. One of the biggest advantages athletes will gain from performing this speed exercise is the advancement in agility. Moving through resisted lateral motions will help train the athletes to quickly stop, change direction, and get back to full speed quicker than before they implemented the Victory Ropes Lateral Doubles into their training routine.

Adding a partner to this speed exercise drill makes this a great plyometric exercise to incorporate into a small group, team settings, or for anyone utilizing the Victory Ropes in an interval or circuit style training session.

Setting Up The Speed Exercise

To execute the Victory Ropes Lateral Doubles athletes will need 2 Victory Ropes, plus 4 Speed and Agility Cones. Athletes will place two of the Speed and Agility Cones 35 feet apart then place one Speed and Agility Cone approximately 6-8 feet inside of each of the Speed and Agility Cones. Since athletes will be using two Victory Ropes which are looped together the maximum distance the pair of Victory Ropes can stretch is 40 feet. Athletes should place the first two Speed and Agility Cones 35 feet apart so the Victory Ropes are not being pulled to their maximum distance. This will ensure the athletes receive adequate amounts of resistance during the speed exercise.

Once athletes have the 4 Speed and Agility Cones in place they will prepare their Victory Ropes. At each end of the Victory Ropes there is an anchor strap. These anchor straps can be utilized around athletes feet, arms, or midsection to create unique and challenging speed exercises. For the Victory Ropes Lateral Doubles athletes will connect the Victory Ropes by looping one Victory Rope through the opposite ropes anchor strap, loop one end of that same Victory Rope through one of its anchor straps, and pull tight. This will connect the two Victory Ropes. To securely attach the connected Victory Ropes to the athletes simply feed the midsection of both Victory Ropes through their available anchor strap creating a loop for the athletes to place around their waists.

Increase Agility And Quickness With This Victory Ropes Speed Exercise

To execute the Victory Ropes speed exercise athletes will place Speed and Agility Cones at a proper distance and secure the Victory Ropes around their waist. Athletes will begin the speed exercise by positioning themselves at the two inside Speed and Agility Cones, both athletes will be facing the same direction. After a verbal cue is given athletes will simultaneously and explosively move laterally toward their outside Speed and Agility Cone. Athletes will explosively shuffle between these two Speed and Agility Cones for 15-18 seconds before resting for 40-90 seconds. Athletes should perform 4-6 sets of the Victory Ropes Lateral Doubles.

As athletes work through this speed exercise drill it is important they practice proper body positioning and movements to achieve maximum muscle activation in the glutes, thighs, and core. During the Victory Ropes speed exercise drill athletes need to focus on keeping their chest, hips, and eyes all facing forward as much as possible as they go through these explosive lateral movements. Proper body positioning will keep the athletes body in a much better position to be quick and powerful, allowing athletes to enhance athletic skills which will be used during competition. The added resistance given by the opposite athlete performing the speed exercise allows for greater muscle stimulation as athletes go through the Victory Ropes drill at different speeds and provide greater resistance to the athletes at different points throughout the speed exercise.

What athletes are wearing on their feet is a seemingly small, but important factor when setting up this speed exercise. Athletes who are wearing improper footwear can have setbacks ranging from slipping throughout the speed exercise to rolling an ankle as athletes transition from one direction to the other. Appropriate footwear will not only make this speed exercise more effective but can also help to keep athletes safe and avoid any setbacks due to injury.

Increase Training Intensity With These Advanced Speed Exercises

To continue to improve lateral and overall speed athletes need to find additional speed exercises which challenge the body in different ways. The Kbands Speed Skaters is a great speed exercise drill to add to the Victory Ropes Lateral Doubles. While the Victory Ropes Lateral Doubles will challenge lateral speed and quickness the Kbands Speed Skaters will challenge an athletes ability to be powerful and explosive laterally. The combined benefits of these two speed exercises will translate into tremendous gains in lateral and vertical speed, agility, and quickness. By performing drills which challenge the muscles to constantly produce quick force, such as in the Victory Ropes Lateral Doubles, and also isolating each leg and forcing each individual leg to be explosive, as in the Kbands Speed Skaters, athletes will achieve an extremely high level of muscle activation. This increased muscle activation in the hips, legs, and abdomen will help translate into increases in athletic top end speed, agility, and explosive power.

Athletes can find many other great speed exercises which can be used in addition to the Victory Ropes Lateral Doubles in the Plyometrics Training Section. Utilizing speed exercises, which also incorporate Kbands Leg Resistance Bands, will help athletes increase tension on the muscle of the legs and hips. Utilizing resisted and unresisted sets with the Kbands will help athletes optimize their training and take their athletic performance to a new level.