Video: Speed, Conditioning and Agility at Once

by Rashad Devoe | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online

In the January issue of Lacrosse Magazine ("This, That and the Other," page 64), strength and conditioning coach Rashad Devoe shares three drills that simultaneously traing speed, agility and conditioning. Here's the video. See text below.

For more from Devoe Human Performance, visit www.devoehp.com.

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We take players that are not athletic and train them to be athletic. In reality, only about 5 percent of athletes are the so-called “natural athletes” coaches covet. The rest have to work.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that speed, agility and conditioning are the same. They are not.

If I said, “Man, that kid has speed. He can run a 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds,” does this mean he is quick? Does this mean he is in condition?

No, it means he can run straight ahead fast.

But what if his 4.6-second 40-yard dash time turns into a 5.0 after his first shift, 5.6 after his second shift and 6.0 after his third shift? This means he is not in condition and cannot keep up his level as a game goes on.

Does he get in and out of his dodges quickly? Can he transition from sprint to backpedal quickly? Can he run sideways, drop step and recover quickly? If not, then we need to work on his agility.
Speed, agility, and conditioning are different, but here are three drills that help train them all at once.

8-Cone Drill

This is one of my favorites. We use it at least twice a week with our team.

•    Set up four cones 5-8 yards apart in a straight line.
•    Take four more cones and place them 10 yards directly across from the first set of cones.
•    Plant and cut inside the cones, then outside the cones.

You can do a lot of creative things here, such as roll dodge at each cone or shuffle then drop step. This is a great drill, as it allows you to simulate game-specific movements.

Colgate Agility

Another Devoe Human Performance favorite:

•    Set up two cones 10 yards apart.
•    Sprint from the first cone to the second.
•    Shuffle back to the starting point.
•    Turn and sprint again.
•    Shuffle back facing the opposite direction, backpedal and sprint back to the starting line.

By the time the drill is over, you will have sprinted 60 yards.  It forces you to train movements and transitions. If you can transition your body to move in the direction you want quicker than your opponent, then you will dominate.

4-Cone Drill

The third drill is yet another favorite and provides for a free range of movements.

•    Set up four cones 8-10 yards apart in a box.
•    Sprint, backpedal, shuffle, carioca, skip or sideways run around the cones.

Let your imagination go wild. For example, you can:
•    Sprint, sprint, sprint, sprint.
•    Backpedal, sprint, shuffle, sprint.
•    Shuffle, sprint, backpedal, carioca.

These are just a few sample sequences. Have fun with it, and remember to work on the transition from each movement. Be crisp, precise and efficient on all of your transitions.