How to Add Old-School Speed and Agility Drills to Your Military Fitness Training

The military’s need for speed and agility has proven helpful for various tasks, especially among ground fighters. Current tactical fitness tests have evolved from 1.5- to three-mile timed runs to shuttle runs, zigzag runs and obstacle courses done at full speed with multiple changes of direction. While the cardio endurance tests will always have a steady-paced running component, the following workout is designed to make running workouts more intense, faster and with agility:

Warm up with the Squat/Run Half Pyramid (1-10) with 100-meter jogs in-between:

• Jog 100 meters, one squat
• Jog 100 meters, two squats
• Jog 100 meters, three squats
• Keep going to 10 squats and mix dynamic stretches as needed during any of the 100-meter jogs.

Maintain running endurance with the following goal-pace drill with 400-meter run sets. Goal pace is defined as the mile pace you are striving to achieve. For instance, if you are at a seven-minute pace per mile and are working to get to a six-minute mile, this workout will require you to run 400 meters (a quarter-mile) at 1:30. Rest by walking 100 meters, then repeat.

Repeat six times.

• Run 400 meters at goal pace.
• Walk 100 meters.

Add running speed with the following workout that includes running 100 meters fast, then running it slow. Set a goal to complete the 100/100 in 45-60 seconds, but build up to full speed on this section’s first 100 meters (fast). Follow each set with 10 air squats.

Repeat 10 times.

• Run 100 meters fast/100 meters slow.
• Squats 10

The following is an essential speed and agility drill taken from football practices in the 1980s. It creates a box of four directions to run in. You will always face the same direction regardless of the section of the box you are running (face forward). After each box run, do 10 explosive jumps of lunges or squats.

Repeat five times.

• Box drills 4 x 20 (sprint, sidestep, back step, crossover)
• Squat-jump 10 or lunge-jump 5/leg

Top off the workout with a steady run of the bleachers, stairs or hill for 10 minutes.

Cooldown: You will finish the same way you started, in reverse, with the 10-1 squat reverse pyramid: 10 squats, stretch legs; nine squats, stretch legs … down to one squat. Hold each stretch for 10-15 seconds.

This mix of workouts can be arranged as you wish, but with this arrangement, you will be adequately warmed up for the sprints and agility drills. These faster runs, directional changes and different running methods can be challenging if you are not sufficiently prepared to do them. If you have not done sprints and agility drills in some time, it is advised not to put 100% into these speed drills as much as your ego tries to persuade you otherwise. Pulled hamstrings, sprained ankles and injured Achilles tendons are typical injuries unprepared people experience when running faster and with explosive starts and stops.

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