Thanks to The Jets Blog.com for posting our video of Hayden Smith’s Combine testing, our video has gotten over 2,500 views in the past couple of days. He is one of the Jets newest players and at 6’7″ 260, Hayden ran a 4.72 40 yard dash, 1.5 10 yard split, and a 4.31 pro-agility.
Thanks to Coach Rob Wessels for trying out our new SkiErg, which we just mounted on the wall. Our members have been loving this new piece of equipment. It is great for athletic training for many sports and is not limited to Cross-Country Skiing. MMA, Stand Up Paddle Boarding, Lacrosse, Surfing, Tennis, Triathalons, Volleyball, you name it, this piece of equipment is extremely functional.
And here’s some pointers on form when using the SkiErg from Concept2′s Greg Hammond:
Check out Cathedral Catholic Football’s strong safety Conner Larkin burning through this football-specific agility circuit. Congrats to Conner for moving up to third on our Leader board with a scorching fast 4.39 pro-agility!!!!
Being able to move faster, more powerfully and for a longer period of time is a simple recipe for success in athletics. One of the best ways to increase your acceleration, anaerobic endurance (short bursts of strength or speed) and lower-body power is through resistance band speed exercises.
Resistance band speed exercises challenge your muscles to develop increased levels of power in natural, athletic movements. When the resistance bands are removed, you will be primed to move faster around the field. Also, resistance band exercises offer an additional challenge over their non-resisted counterparts, improving your conditioning so you can move at max speed even late in a game.
USA Rugby Sevens player Matt Hawkins
At EZIA Human Performance, we use resistance band speed exercises with our athletes, such as USA Rugby player Matt Hawkins, in their power phase, typically starting at around week 12 of a workout program. Perform these exercises one to two times per week. Be sure to rest one to two minutes between sets, due to the high physiological demands of the exercises. These are advanced drills and should only be performed by a highly-conditioned athlete who has experience in the weight room.
10-Yard Acceleration Sprint
This drill will increase your stride length—a critical factor in speed—by increasing the amount of ground you can cover with each stride.
Sets/Reps: 4×2
Resisted Lateral Shuffle
The Resisted Lateral Shuffle is a great drill to develop your movement from side-to-side, which is a critical factor in agility— essential if you want to juke a defender or keep an opponent from getting around you.
Sets/Reps: 2×3 each direction
Resisted Broad Jumps
This exercise is all about lower-body power. It will help you run faster, be more agile and jump higher. It’s particularly beneficial for collision sports because it mimics tackling.
Sets/Reps: 4×10 yards
Resisted Endurance Sprint
Sets/Duration: 4×20-30 seconds
Throughout the NFL Scouting Combine this week, the spotlight will shine brightest on speedsters running sub-4.4s in the marquee event, the 40-Yard Dash. Most scouts and coaches, however, are just as concerned with how those same athletes blaze through the two agility tests: the 5-10-5 Pro Agility and the L-Drill. Sprinters aside, athletes rarely reach their top-end speed during competition. On the other hand, the ability to quickly change directions (agility) applies to almost every sport.
At EZIA Human Performance, we firmly believe that improving athletes’ agility is key to increasing their overall performance. That’s why one of our benchmark tests is the Pro Agility Drill. From Olympic rugby players to aspiring pro surfers, we help all athletes achieve their peak performance by boosting their agility.
Central to our agility training are mini hurdle drills designed to enhance foot speed, lateral movement, “cutting” ability and the fast-twitch muscle fibers essential for explosive movements. Mini hurdle drills emphasize maximum quickness, so we keep the volume low, performing six sets for 30 seconds each exercise. We use three to six hurdles, from four to six inches in height, aligned parallel with each other and placed two to three feet apart, depending on the athlete’s height.
Perform these six speed hurdle drills during your speed workouts to improve agility.
1. Lateral Shuffle
Variations: For an additional challenge, perform the drill moving backward or with your eyes looking up.
2. Lateral High Knees
Variations: For an additional challenge, perform with a resistance band or sled. You’ll need to reposition the resistance band or sled when changing directions.
3. Weave Drill
Variation: For an additional challenge, toss a tennis ball to a partner during drill.
