Best Agility Exercises to Try for Speed, Performance, and More

Your basic forward rush through the ladder is a great warm-up for agility ladder drills, but it also enhances coordination and foot speed.

Simply run through the ladder with high knees, making sure to touch down in each space. Alternate right foot and left foot as you move, and keep on the balls of your feet to stay nimble.

“This isn’t steady-state cardio,” says Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1. “Aim to get through the ladder as fast as possible, rest between sets, and give each round a full effort.”

The side shuffle is perfect for court sports like basketball, tennis, and volleyball since the side to side movement mirrors what you’ll be doing while on defense or need to be ready to react. 

It’s also helpful for improving knee and ankle stability, helping decrease your risk of injury.

Crouch down to lower your center of gravity, then step one foot at a time into the next space of the ladder. You’ll only have one foot in a space at a time, but each foot will “visit” each space before you’re through.

Go all the way down, leading with your right leg, then come back, leading with the left.

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This version of the lateral shuffle has you getting those knees high.

“Incorporating high knees during the lateral shuffle improves agility, coordination, and footwork,” says Amanda, “It also activates your core and elevates your heart rate, producing a cardio stimulus and enhancing your VO₂ max.”

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Plus, studies show³ that side hops improve knee stability and overall function, which contributes to a reduced risk of injury.

Running backwards seems bizarre, but studies show it’s a beneficial practice that improves balance, posture, and proprioception⁴.

Start with your back to the ladder and backpedal, one foot at a time, backwards while keeping those knees as high as possible.

Place a plyo box on the floor in front of you, then explosively jump into the air. Aim to land on top of the box with both feet and your knees bent. Once you’re on top, stand up completely and bring your hips forward to full extension before counting the rep. Then, jump or step back down.

“I recommend stepping down after each repetition,” says Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1. “It’s more gentle on your joints, and helps you conserve energy during the set. You’ll need that energy to really explode off the floor and build explosive power, because that’s more important than the dismount.”

Goodness, do you really have to jump over the box for this one? Actually, no. 

While completely clearing the plyo box is an impressive feat of athleticism, the standard box jump-over movement involves jumping on then off the box to the other side.

Unlike standard box jumps, which require fully extending your hips at the top of the movement, you can remain crouched on top of the box as you dismount, making it a much quicker movement by comparison with less risk dreaded shin-scrapes.

“A trick to cycle reps for this one is to turn 180 degrees during your dismount,” says Amanda. “That way, you’re already facing the box once you land instead of facing the opposite direction.”

Moving side to side, as you do during the lateral shuffle, is also beneficial practice during plyometric training drills, but there’s a greater risk of injury when jumping sideways. If you don’t totally clear the edge of the box, you could be in for a nasty fall.

To mitigate the risk, convert your box jump to a step-over by simply standing with the plyo box at your side, stepping up with your closest foot, following with your other foot, and stepping down on the other side. Then, step back over the other way so you wind up back at your starting position.

“Tuck jumps are a simple bodyweight movement that improves agility, increase explosive power, and target muscles like the quads, hip flexors, and core muscles,” says Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1. “They’re a great agility training exercise, but they’re a good warm-up for strength training programs, too.”

To perform the tuck jump, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly, and launch yourself from the floor into the highest jump you can muster.

Tuck your knees into your chest in midair and, if possible, grab them with your arms briefly before coming down, landing gracefully, and cycling right into the next rep.

Training camps often use an athlete’s broad jump performance as an indicator of their overall athletic ability, but broad jumps can also improve power, coordination, and cardiovascular fitness. 

They also build lower body muscles, including the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves, and studies show that muscle activation from plyometric jump training⁶ can contribute to hypertrophy.

To perform a broad jump, squat and jump as far forward as possible, landing in the squat position.

Shuttle runs vary depending on the preferences of the individual, athlete, coach, or personal trainer who’s programming them into the workout, but generally all shuttle runs involve running back and forth between two markers.

Variables that need to be set before starting include the distance between the markers, the desired total number of reps or drill time limit, and the general pacing.

Starting from a track stance, race to the first marker, keeping your center of gravity low, and touch the floor with both hands once you reach it. Turn back towards the starting position, then spring forward and race back to the first marker.

Lather, rinse, and repeat.

As the name suggests, linear running drills involve sprinting in a straight line. This could be as simple as simply getting into a track stance and taking off after a three count, but there are ways to keep it interesting, including:

• Falling forward into a sprint to assist with initial acceleration
• Placing cones at increasingly further distances to mirror increasing stride length
• Starting from a lateral position
• Starting from a half-kneeling lateral position
• Starting from a prone position

And, of course, don’t forget about the dreaded hill sprint. Most runners loathe hill sprints, but studies show they significantly increase straight-line and maximal sprint speeds⁷, translating to enhanced sport performance.

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“The cone drill can be a tricky one,” says Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1, “but it’s a lower-body builder that also improves your balance and ability to change directions on the fly.”

Here’s how to perform the cone drill:

1. Set down three cones, approximately five yards apart, in an L shape.
2. Choose your starting side, then sprint to the middle cone and touch it.
3. Sprint back to the start and touch the cone.
4. Now, sprint back towards the middle cone, this time passing along the inside of the L and heading towards the third cone.
5. Run around the third cone, weaving back to the inside of the middle cone, and head all the way back to your starting position.
6. Repeat the drill starting from the third cone this time.