The Truth About Speed Ladders & Agility Drills

Are speed ladders the best speed training tool? Strength and Conditioning Coach Dane Miller breaks down the Truth About Speed Ladders & Speed Training for athletes.
Sign Up for FREE for 7 Days of our Athlete Strength Training App - Peak Strength 💪
👉 www.peakstreng...
Improve your agility and coordination with our Athlete Agility Program 🔥👀
👉 www.garagestre...
Get Faster for Sports with our Athlete Speed Program 💯🥇🔥
👉 www.garagestre...
#speed #speedtraining #strengthandconditioning
Get FREE Coaching Tips from ME Every Week by joining our Coaches Corner!
👉 www.garagestre...
Get STRONGER w/o WEIGHTS with our POWERLASTIC BANDS - AVAILABLE NOW! 💪
👉 www.garagestre...
Join Our SubReddit and become part of the GS Community 💪
👉 / garagestrength
🚨 Get 10% Off Your Order of Supplements from Earth Fed Muscle with our link 🚨
👉 www.garagestre...
Follow Us On Social Media:
/ garagestrength
/ garagestrengthfarm
/ garagestrength
/ garagestrength

[@GarageStrength]

Sign Up for FREE for 7 Days of our Athlete Strength Training App - Peak Strength 💪 👉 www.peakstrength.app/?YT&Video&APP&SpeedLadders

[@takedown6470]

You hit it right on the nose. Example, when it came to sprinting, I slow, but when it came to cutting and changing directions I was quick. I use to do alot of foot work for wrestling and everyone use to think I was fast but I was not very fast when it came to sprinting . Thanks for the information.

[@GarageStrength]

@@takedown6470 Thanks. Really glad you found it helpful!

[@humbleservant4402]

@@GarageStrength offtopic how do we combine heavy labour work with wrestling and kickboxing ??

[@josephjasson5519]

Speed ladders are not for sprinting speed. They're for the skill of quick small movements, especially useful for soccer dribbling and defending.

[@DavidDsastre]

Exactly, also very good for changing directions, running backwards, running laterally, coming down to a stop, etc. They´re just called speed ladders but they're purpose is to increase footwork agility.

[@The.Ghost.of.Tom.Joad.]

They also work for football and basketball: any sport where you need to change directions fast.

[@KxngSosa]

They are also great for low level ankle plyometrics challenging stability muscles and tendons around the ankle to improve force production and shock absorption and stretch shortening cycle, which can apply to any sport, soccer, basketball, football, mma, wrestling, tennis, ect

[@The.Ghost.of.Tom.Joad.]

@@KxngSosa Yup. I'm 55 and still doing ladders. Mostly because a trainer I hired when my routine got stale told me pretty much that. I was in my '40s, and hadn't done ladder or dot-drill since high school basketball practice. Turns out, they're fun.

[@tanyavargas3748]

Yeah buyi recomend do drills with the ball not with out for footwork that will benefits more that agylity ladder

[@evanfaber7449]

I use the ladder in my athletes programs to train braking mechanics. It’s not the core of our training by any means, but it definitely has its place in developing motor control and learning to absorb force properly. Great video that I could not agree with more!

[@markspeeps]

As an older guy I think the speed ladder is a great way to avoid injuries. Twisting and turning after sixty needs to be addressed and the speed ladder workout improves all of the micro muscles and tendons in the feet. Just my two cents.

[@pinkette]

Definitely. It's what could allow you to save yourself from a trip, fall, and fracture

[@johnnyfox8934]

I just discovered this channel back in December and it’s quickly become one of my favorites. It’s my go-to for insights into connecting strength and speed. Keep up the great work!

[@cvm6854]

I’ve only used them to improve footwork and agility. It for sure improves motor skills but that doesn’t necessarily makes someone fast. I know a lot of people that are fast in a straight line but can’t move their hips or feet in tight spaces and vice versa

[@bdoyle3804]

Phew! I was worried you would say these ladders were completely worthless. Plus I had no clue these ladders were marketed for speed, lol. My physical therapist calls this kind of ladder an agility ladder; the drills I do are to improve my agility, balance, proprioception, and coordination. These drills are definitely not for speed, but to keep me from falling, stumbling, or tripping. I wish the agility ladder improved my speed: if they were for speed, then by now I would at least be able to keep up with my geriatric dog. Alas, he’s still kicking my behind, but he is cute.

[@brucemccullough7277]

The ladders provide me another means of cardio that helps breakdown boredom of doing the same old routines over and over. A great addition to an expansive toolkit when appropriately used.

[@funkrates4778]

Bingo 🎯

[@scottevans9510]

I really use the ladder more for agility

[@Y1L3NG]

I was afraid this video was going to hurt my feelings a bit, but great video.

[@GarageStrength]

Thanks. Glad you liked it!

[@fatZ33]

As a soccer player the ladders are amazing because as you mention it trains agility, you need to be agile to dribble past defenders which is a big skill to have in soccer. Great video btw! 👍

[@adrien2323]

Tyreek Hill loves the ladder. It’s how he gets quick feet. QUICK FEET is necessary in short space areas. Quick feet and top speed are 2 different things.

[@tandavelphick599]

Great video !! I was wondering if that combination was worth the exhaustion. I noticed when adding ladder work to a leg day , it activates my calves a lot . I think a underrated benefit is that it can strength feet , which can make you faster .Mainly through ability to place greater forces on joints /tendons and localized muscles after repeatedly striking with feet . Especially when performing in sand barefoot if you have it .

[@jimsecord4937]

Great video. I use it for warm up. Great way to get focused for a workout

[@jessejess9456]

I believe it’s just a supplement to agility and speed but you would be a fool to ignore all the other muscles and techniques while trying to improve. As time goes by we are learning more about what scientifically works and what isn’t. I had plenty of “speed and conditioning coaches” growing up but never had coaches that went over everything you go over. These kids don’t know how good they have it 😂 “Back in my day we didn’t have Garage strength” Thank you for your knowledge

[@coleheketoa]

I agree. The benefits are often hard to quantify in terms of progress, size and application. But one things for sure every muay Thai gym I've ever trained in, Australia, NZ, Philippines n Thailand the AGILITY LADDERS were staple. None of us had any scientific proof but we intuitively knew it definitely worked with foot n eye coordination, leg speed with nuance of movement when striking and developing endurance to avoid feet fatigue...

[@dragonboy141]

Speed ladders increase your foot speed. In other words it improves how fast you can pick you feet up and put them down.

[@coleheketoa]

Yes especially foot speed for kicking, stance switching etc

[@davidsenay2811]

I never liked them myself. Mainly because you can't go full speed without hitting the ladder and the first couple of times is you just learning that pattern. Which isn't bad since having a rhythm is one of the keys to vertical and sprint training. Is good for measuring specific plyo work and sprint mechanics and I use it for core work in and out and running man's.

[@Jan-uc7uf]

Thank you for this amazing Video

[@GarageStrength]

Nice! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@insuchaway]

They definitely work. I just don't know why I do them. But I do do them.

[@sushi1647]

Agility ladder not speed it makes you agile not speed and maybe coordination and throw some hand eye coordination in there and it’s a great athletic workout.

[@ryanesau8147]

The ladder definitely helps boxers with footwork speed

[@funkrates4778]

Yeah. Big time in boxing. It's a tool to help with directional change, calf muscle development, pendulum stepping, etc.

[@fluntimes]

I remember one of my hockey coaches asking me how speed ladder work made my skating stride more powerful and more efficient. He illustrated this by pointing out a traditional Irish dancer has quick feet!

[@king2ill]

I never looked at speed ladders as a thing to increase overall top end speed I like them for the ability to help players with slower feet just learn to move more quick and explosive and helps with coordination for your feet as well

[@masonsamuels347]

I called them agility ladders

[@busyrand]

Great explainations.... Coach is pretty nimble too! Congratulations to they young man on signing to Penn State.

[@jimmynguyen5387]

I use the ladder for footwork with my tennis players. Especially i when I have too many players and not enough courts for cone drills

[@RightCenterBack321]

Speed ladder is great for warm-up. Nice combo of brisk movement, time under tension, and coordination requiring mental focus.

[@greg_duodu]

you continuosly provide top notch information

[@jackiesee1907]

For me the speed ladder is a good tool to address certain problems, that is seen as a cure all of everything. It has really helped my 9 year old boy in his baseball training. He is quite tall and was very uncoordinated and clunky in his movements prior to the ladder work. While he is still working through that, he has improved tremendously and, as a result of that work he is faster, more agile, and has better control of his body.

[@youngsuit]

i would highly recommend these particularly for athletes that compete against non-americans in their sport, such as tennis or rugby. abroad kids are playing soccer the way we play pickup basketball so their footwork is usually ahead of ours.

[@John-ub1uy]

Its great for your dance floor moves

[@rickyreyes30]

I think you are forgetting about ground contact time. Im using ladders for marathon training and running economy. I don’t need lateral training, but it is necessary for getting your feet to turn over at a high frequency.

[@keithrjackson]

Great video. Mad props for the Big L t-shirt!👊🏿

[@chr1staki]

Did 3 x 30sec sprints on a treadmill this morn for first time in a year or two... already feeling my quads!

[@TCSkiFilms]

Your premise is correct IF you believe they are for speed. Agility Ladder and improving coordination is the only thing I have used it for (skiing and tennis). They do not replace strength training which I would choose over the ladder. There are athletes that are 'clumsy/out of balance' etc. and as soon as they are proficient on the ladder I have fazed it out in favor of strength training.

[@Aaron-fe2ih]

That's why you combine them with sprints

[@hunterwilliams2572]

For me and anyone I train especially football players I use them as a warm up to get the quick twitch muscle fibers active before we sprint or change of direction

[@BHeck24]

Speed ladders are for strengthening tendons and ligaments! And it is a easy way to do it!

[@winbigorplayagain7181]

My dad trains NFL running backs and has never used a speed ladders. He is a top track coach that has had the top sprinter in the nation 2 times in the last 10 years. But he would not say you should not use a ladder, just make sureyou have a plan and a reson. I am pro running back coach, I don't use ladder anymore. I let my others coaches use them, if they are good at teaching it . Most people I watch use ladders are not using there arms, just my pep peeves.

[@coleheketoa]

Doesn't mean anything. All it means is you don't use it. So you can't know it's benefits over the long term...

[@coleholiday]

Agility ladders ‘can’ help improve 1 of aspect of Speed. Which is Stride Frequency. Aside from just the footwork component of it, you’re training your Nervous System to be able to move your arms/legs faster. The other aspect of speed is Stride Length. Which can only be improved by increasing force production, and refining running mechanics.

[@gaddafyrahim4372]

Isnt it called agility ladder tho? Maybe im wrong...

[@DrOrr]

Same deal

[@matthewnapoleon125]

Agility ladders not speed ladders. It's not used to build straight line speed, it's for agility. It's good training mind muscle connection and training the CNS to fire in quick bursts.

[@okoo7385]

Never heard it referred to as a speed ladder only an agility ladder 🤷🏿‍♂️. Which seems to be more of its purpose.

[@eclipsewrecker]

I would go further and say that it’s too far from speed, deceleration, acceleration, and change of direction/agility to be referred to as such; and footwork is specific to the techniques it’s needed for…..maybe it could be referred to as a GPP-coordination ladder……….but what do I know, I just wasted time typing all of that out. I just fell off my soap box

[@dingo6529]

7:00 Joel Seedman 😭

[@StayFKNDangerous]

Speed ladder really help on juke moves

[@CArsonVevo]

Dope Shirt💯

[@jenshansen6253]

Has anyone tried the soccer program? I am close to buying it, because i Think it looks really good, but i would really Like to hear different opinions, if anyone has tried it.

[@The.Ghost.of.Tom.Joad.]

Great vid. You know your stuff. Agility ladders will improve your foot speed. They worked wonders for my daughter, who played soccer in college. However, it took soccer-specific training of that foot speed to improve her ball-handling skills. Same goes for the strength and power work I did for football and basketball: until I learned to use it to leap, block, or box-out, it was worthless.

[@seeslotrun8574]

I hate speed ladders with a passion. Such an absolute waste of time.

[@andressoto3399]

great

[@nathangoode1089]

We always called them agility ladders

[@gggggv6600]

Skip to the 3:00 so you can actually start the video and bypass all the very unnecessary backstory and talking/ego stroking

[@zaneclone]

Agility, perhaps- straight line speed- nah... I'd rather use one as a clothes line ;)

[@carpenter155]

I’ve never heard them called speed ladders only agility ladders because well.. that’s what they do

[@SwoleTown]

I don’t think most people are using agility ladders/drills for speed…

[@Builderdrone]

Come on man it is speed, you practice legwork until muscle memory takes over so your upper body could be doing one thing while your lower body is doing it’s footwork perfectly equaling all around better speed.

[@yxngkillua7700]

You don’t improve velocity from doing agility drills. If we’re talking multidirectional speed and footwork then yes, but speed is down to ground force applied and technique and there’s nothing more to it. Agility ladders do not help with either of these two things.

[@prakashsanadhya]

Amazing and beautiful

[@Iam74YL0R]

Speed ladders aren't for sprinting or for increasing speed. There purpose is best used for teaching quick cycle needed for breaking down and changing direction while remaining balanced. Specifically you are trying to get better control of hip flexors and extensions to be able to contract then quickly through reinforced reps. (When doing short cycle fast movements) They can also help improve those muscles endurance so they do fatigue as quickly. You build up stabilization and breaking when doing single leg hops movements. If you want to get faster in a straight line, you need to lift to improve initial acceleration, improve form to maximize force generation and increase cardiovascular endurance to maintain speed. Not use a speed ladder. If you want to be able to break or change directions better. Lift and use proper ladder drills. TLDR; low body lift should be prioritized but ladder drill can be effective in reinforcing footwork speed need in change of direction movements.

[@billybudd45]

They don't seem like they would be good for sprinting, maybe better for improving side to side ect.

[@MrJ1S]

Great info but... an even better shirt 👕 Big L rest in peace

[@NotoriousFunk]

Speed ladders are probably one of the most used in football training exercises (you call it soccer, it's football!), the focus is agility, there are a lot of combinations with multiple ladders and you can gain even impulse speed, it depend on the exercise. Then for pure speed it's probably not the best tool, ladders are great for impulse and agility,

[@johnjustice8478]

I thought speed ladders would be a good way to climb to the top

[@totallyraw1313]

"Beware of the charlatans", then shoes a video of Joel Seedman 😂

[@jaymondavis6509]

I don’t know why it’s called a speed ladder. I have only ever known to be an agility ladder, because that what it’s for.

[@reef4hmmm]

Where are your arms when demonstrating the ladder? Speed coaches know you need quick arm movements to follow those feet.

[@BeatsByDezea]

Big L t-shirt beats Speed ladder

[@dicktracy762]

They are good for warming up, for a change up in training, for short, quick movements in like basketball, boxing, soccer, etc., for getting the athletes to at least be doing something, and for having fun. The strides are probably too short to develop pure sprint speed.

[@godbless965]

I used it for my kids. Not sure if adults benefit from speed ladder.

[@landongooding7461]

Speed ladders are for quick movements, not actual running speed lol. So awkward that anyone would think this helps with sprinting.

[@lonelymorring4083]

Shirt🔥

[@obamallama2580]

6:00

[@threezysworld8089]

LOL not for speed they're used to train your feet to plant and push out of it at different angles.

[@tadeashudak9092]

I injured myself using speed ladder. Never used it again :)

[@writos168]

How ?

[@johncarroll772]

He tried to climb onto his roof using one.

[@tadeashudak9092]

@@johncarroll772 nice one I pulled my hipflexor in one of the stupid instagram drills

[@cdl34453]

This guy can’t even run a 4.5 40 how the hell can he teach me lmaooooo

[@IlliasAli]

The parents never know shit

[@jamard39701]

They are really agility ladders. You should have some skilled position players to demonstrate instead.

[@mariovilla7329]

Big "L"

[@josephcarter7111]

Speed ladders are great for teaching you how to go nowhere real fast.....

[@truthdefenders-]

So many worthless gimmicks people think are helping them at the gyms.

[@michaellathanjr.4578]

Second 🥈

[@GarageStrength]

You know me too well lol 🥈🥈