Agility Ladder Drills for Better Conditioning

Incorporating the agility ladder into your workout routine will help raise your heart rate and give you an insane cardio workout. The beauty of using your own bodyweight for agility ladder training is that you won’t risk losing any of your hard-earned muscle — just fat. Many sports incorporate agility training as a staple in their workout programs. Better yet, agility ladder drills help improve your coordination, agility and speed.

Perform the following exercises in a timed circuit. The goal is to ensure that your body does not touch any part of the ladder while performing each exercise. As your overall conditioning improves, you can increase the time.

Running High Knees

Start by standing inside the first square of the ladder, with one leg up and bent at a 90-degree angle. In every square, you will land with your opposite leg up and bent at a 90-degree angle. This is a fast exercise because it’s meant to be a running motion.    

In-and-Out Jump Squat

Start with both feet standing inside one square of the ladder. Jump up and forward, landing into a squat with your legs outside of the next ladder square in front of you. Repeat this same movement all the way down to the end of the ladder.   

Forward Diagonal Shuffle

Start crouched down with one leg inside one square of the ladder and the other leg outside the square. Shuffle from side to side moving forward, each time placing the opposite leg inside the square of the ladder in front of you while your other leg is outside the square. Repeat all the way down to the end of the ladder.    

Lateral Plank Walk

Start with your body sideways in a plank position. Place each hand inside its own square of the ladder. Lift one hand up and place it inside the following square so both hands are now inside one square. Continue this move all the way down the ladder.