Football Agility Training And Speed Workouts

‏Agility training and speed are essential for athletes to have success. If athletes cannot move quick and efficiently in all directions they cannot perform at a high level. Other athletes’ who perform agility training and speed workouts in their workouts will simply run around or right by the athlete will poor agility and speed.

The use of resistance and outside stimuli will help athletes to train their bodies for these multi directional game time situations. The use of Kbands Leg Resistance Bands with football hurdles, Speed and Agility Cones, or Speed and Agility Ladder will greatly affect the amount of power the athlete is able to produce with each movement of the leg. While additional strength training will allow the athletes to build the strength necessary to perform high level skills and movements, the use of Kbands Leg Resistance Bands will help develop the speed and power to quickly and efficiently move the thighs in all different directions.

The use of outside stimuli like the football hurdles, Speed and Agility Cones, or Speed and Agility Ladder will force athletes to think about how their feet and legs are moving. Stepping laterally or linearly over an object like a football hurdle will force athletes to think about getting their knees up and making strong decisive movements with their lower body. Athletes can also move between the football hurdles or through the Speed and Agility Ladder to develop great feet awareness and body control.

Football Hurdle Drill For Explosive Agility

The Kbands Football Hurdle Drill For Explosive Agility requires a set of Kbands Leg Resistance Bands and 11 football hurdles or Speed and Agility Cones. The Football Hurdle Drill For Explosive Agility is broken up into two different agility training exercises.

The first portion of the Football Hurdle Drill For Explosive Agility is called the Hurdle Crossover Drill. For this portion of the agility training athletes will set up 5 of the football hurdles or Speed and Agility Cones in a straight line with 1-2 feet between football hurdles or Speed and Agility Cones.

After all football hurdles or Speed and Agility Cones are set athletes will securely attach the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands just above their knees and line up at one end of the football hurdles or cones. Athletes will begin the Hurdle Crossover Agility Training Drill by driving the outside knee up, and across their body as they work to place this foot between the first two football hurdles or cones. 

Athletes will follow with their back leg and place it between the next two football hurdles or cones. Athletes will continue this crossover pattern, only placing one foot between each set of football hurdles or cones, until they reach the end of the football hurdles or cones. Athletes will place both feet outside of the last football hurdle or cone before again crossing over their outside leg and continuing this crossover pattern back down to the start of the Hurdle Crossover Agility Training Drill. Athletes will go down and back on the football hurdle line 2 times. On their last time down the line of football hurdles athletes will build up and finish each set with a 10 yard sprint out. Complete 6-8 sets of the Hurdle Crossover Agility Training Drill before moving into the second portion of the Football Hurdle Drill For Explosive Agility.

Speed Workouts With Football Hurdles

The second portion of the Football Hurdle Drill For Explosive Agility will require a different football hurdle or Speed and Agility Cone set up. Athletes will make three lines of football hurdles that are 10-12 yards long. The two outside lines will be made up of three football hurdles, placed in a staggered formation, progressing at a 45 degree angle which covers the 10-12 yard distance. The middle line will start at the most inward part of the last football hurdle on the end of the outside lines. Five football hurdles will be placed evenly apart to make up this middle line. Athletes and coaches who are still struggling with understanding the football hurdle set up for the agility training drill can refer to the video for a visual understanding of the agility training drill layout.

After athletes have their football hurdles or cones set up they will start at the outside of one end of the football hurdles or cones and laterally shuffle across and tap their outside foot just to the outside of the opposite side of the football hurdle set up. Athletes will then work their way back across the football hurdle set up gaining ground as they move laterally. Athletes will work all the way to the end of the football hurdle set up.

Complete 6-8 sets of the agility training drill before removing the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands and performing 2 unresisted sets of the agility training drill. During unresisted sets athletes should focus on maximizing their speed and quickness. This will help athletes recruit more fast twitch muscle fibers and gain more speed and agility during games.

Speed Workouts Tips

Whenever athletes are moving laterally it is important for them to use their arms and practice keeping their eyes up. Lateral moves can be challenging for younger athletes but can also be a great tool for teaching them great coordination, balance, and foot work. Any athlete who can excel at those three athletic skills is going to have success in whichever sport they choose.

Athletes who are able to keep their eyes up will be able to make a higher number of plays. It is not so much that athletes who are able to look forward and know where their feet can see more of what is happening, which is true, but it is more about the foot work and natural body awareness that these athletes possess. They are so good at these athletic skills that their body does not have to think to perform at a high level. This leaves the athletes attention open for what is going on around them instead of what is going on with them.