Supplement Your Training with Agility Work

If I were to inform you that there is one method you could employ in your training routine to advance performance in all areas, you would at the very least give your attention. Truth is that the majority of the fitness industry has done a great job at disclosing all available training styles to guarantee results.

However, for whatever reason, agility training still takes a backseat even though real-world evidence and research are there to support its inclusion for literally anyone involved in fitness. First, let us look at some basic terminology to kick things off.

What is agility training?

Depending on who you are studying or referencing, the general definition of agility work will certainly vary, and it is unfortunate and unnecessary. Since there isn’t a universal term and appreciation for the word, that alone can make things difficult for people to understand, and keep them from appreciating what the style of training can do for their progress in the gym. Agility and quickness are pretty synonymous with change of direction training. All of the aforementioned involves performing various movements in all available planes of motion, at self-adjusted speeds and levels of effort. In other words, agility training can be defined as simply satisfying movement in all directions through various exercises.

Here are some baseline examples of agility training exercises:

*Slideboard Training

*Reactive Tag and Chase Games

*Cone Drill variations (i.e. L-Drill, Pro agility shuttle runs, Illinois Drill)

What can agility training do for you?

A better question might be, what can’t agility training do for you? Agility work literally can help improve every area of fitness and address key skills that you might be neglecting that may be hindering you in some shape or form. For example, research has clearly shown a correlation between agility scores, vertical jump performance, and sprinting speed.

Detractors what most likely comment: “Well I’m not an athlete so agility would not work for me.” Fair concern, but agility work as mentioned before can transcend into every type of training goal. For example, when it comes to fat loss endeavors, just about everyone can appreciate that burning as many calories as fast as possible is the ultimate goal to arrive at your desired physique sooner rather than later.

Fortunately for you, agility training involves tremendously high metabolic disturbances and causes you to burn calories and fat at a very high rate. It doesn’t matter what level of client or athlete you happen to be, you can easily select suitable variations to accommodate your current skill level and goals and create the right intensity. Here is a progressive list of agility exercises that you can plug into your workouts today:

Novice Level:

*Slideboard

*Resistance Band Shuffles

*Ramp Shuffles

*Low-Level Movement Circuits

*Heiden’s

Intermediate Level :

*1-2 Stick

*Cone-T-Drill

*Box Drill

*Swing Plant Practice

*Banded Agility Circuits