It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of steady state cardio. If you really enjoy the monotony of pounding the pavement, then sure go ahead and run. But unless your goal is to run a marathon, steady state cardio is doing you no favors. If you want a great cardio workout that is going to torch calories, improve your cardio and provide fun, then I suggest agility cone drills.
If fat loss is your goal then HIIT (high intensity interval training) is where it’s at. Intervals are my favorite form of cardio as I get a lot of bang for my buck. Disclaimer: I received a complimentary set of Profect Sports agility cones. This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.
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What is agility training?
Whether you’re just looking for a more challenging cardio workout, or you want to work on SAQ (speed, agility and quickness) for sports. Then agility cone drills can help. But what is speed, agility and quickness training?
- Speed – the ability to move in a direction as fast as possible. Think changing stride length, and number of strides.
- Agility – your ability to accelerate, decelerate, stabilize and change direction while maintaining proper posture.
- Quickness – reacting and changing to body position in all planes of motion
Agility training can be an important part of fitness routine if you play sports like football, soccer, tennis or basketball. There are many ways to encompass agility training from speed ladders, cones, squares, lines or hurdles.
Why do agility cone drills?
When people think of fitness they generally think of cardio, weights or flexibility. There are other forms of fitness though. As previously mentioned there is speed, agility and quickness. But also mobility, mental, balance, power and more. Now we know what SAQ training, is why is is beneficial?
- Increases movement skills
- Improves body awareness
- Decreases risk of injury
- Uses more muscles than steady state cardio
- Increase calorie burn with shorter duration workouts
- It adds variety and interest – It’s fun!
- Great for kids!
It’s great if you play sports like tennis, basketball, or football, as SAQ can help improve your game. If you want to improve your PR on a race then agility cone drills can help you work on stride length, direction changes and speed.
5 Agility Cone Drills
So, you got a set of agility cones, now what? Let’s talk about 5 ways to use those cones, improve your cardio and get you a workout that’s going to torch calories. It’s important to note that these drills should be done with rest intervals. So do one drill, rest for 30 seconds and repeat. The idea is that you go AS FAST AS POSSIBLE while maintaining proper form and posture during the exercises. Movements include sprinting, back pedaling, side shuffle, and carioca.
5-10-5 Drill
The first drill is a simple and easy one, called the 5-10-5. This drill only requires 3 cones ,placed in a line. Each cone needs to be 5 yards apart.
Start at the middle cone and sprint to the left cone (5 yards). Then to the far right (10 yards), and back to the start cone (5 yards). You can run, sprint, side shuffle or carioca the 10 yards. Rest, and repeat. This time going to the right cone first.
T-drill
Setting up similar to the 5-10-5 drill, simply add one more cone for a “T” shape. Keeping 5 yards between each cone. Start this time at the bottom of your “T”, and sprint to the top center.
Just as with the 5-10-5, side shuffle 5 yards to the left, then carioca 10 yards to the far right, side shuffle 5 yards to the center cone, and back pedal 5 yards to the start. Rest and repeat this time sprinting forward then shuffling to the right cone first.
Box Drill
Super easy set up for the box drill. Take four cones and place them to form the corners of a square. Have approximately 10 yards between each cone. Starting at the bottom side shuffle to the right, sprint forward to the top of the box. Side shuffle to the left, and back pedal to the start.
Once back at the start you have options. You can rest here, then repeat in reverse order. Or immediately reverse everything sprinting forward, shuffle right, back pedal and shuffle left. Resting once you’ve done both directions.
Zig Zag drill
This zig zag drill is a little more involved, and requires more cones. Set the cones in 5 foot intervals along 2 parallel lines that are 10 yards apart. How many cones you use is entirely up to you.
The idea is to move laterally from cone to cone in a zigzag diagonal fashion. I like the following:
- spring
- back pedal
- side shuffle
- side shuffle
- carioca
- carioca
- sprint
- backpedal
Upon reaching the last cone you have options: You can rest, reverse the zig zag working backwards, or spring around the start ready to begin again. The latter version works well if you have a workout buddy who you can tag.
Quick Tidy Drill
This is a drill I used to do with the kids when I taught fitness camps. Place ALL the cones in square or circle and stand in the center. Call out a color and sprint as fast as you can to that color cone and bring it back to the center (and stack it). If you have group of kids you can choose to call individuals.
This works mental fitness, quickness, speed and agility. But, it also tidies all the the cones away simply and quickly, with no complaining. I’ve done a few different variations of this with larger groups of kids (20+) and it’s always fun.
If it’s just you on your own, then set out 10-20 cones. Set a timer at 45-60 second intervals. Hold a plank or squat and when the timer sounds, go! Grab a cone and bring it back. Then reset into your plank/squat. It’s killer.
Profect Sports Agility Cones
The folks at Profect Sports sent me a complimentary set of their agility cones to try. After using cheap dollar store cones for a while, the Profect set get an enthusiastic two thumbs up from me. The cones come with their own stand, a bag and in a variety of colors. There are 50 cones in this set, which means you can get a heck of a workout!
This bumper set also makes them great for fitness coaches like me. One thing I really liked about this set is they are durable. A few of my other cones broke when a client accidentally stepped on them. The Profect agility cones folded, then popped right back into shape. Very durable!
If you want a fun way to workout outdoors, that is a break from your usual cardio HIIT then I highly recommend agility cones. Along with agility ladder workouts they are a great way to add a little something different to your fitness routine. If you have a budding sports star in your family, these are a must for fitness training. Plus if you have kids, agility cones are a great fun way to spent an hour at the park.
Questions
- Have you used agility cones in a workout?
- What’s your favorite way to get in cardio?
- Do you like to workout outdoors?
Vegan Cuts beauty box subscription – two years on
Leslie Hernandez
This is actually pretty cool and a great idea to stay motivated. Thanks for sharing this will look into it 😉
Di Hickman
Makes a fun change from boring running
Brittany
Ooh I would love this! I’m trying to get healthy and I think it would help if it were fun too. This looks like a hard but really fun challenge! I would definitely be motivated!
Di Hickman
Definitely motivating.
Rachel
Drill training seems so fun! I think that cardio does get mundane for a lot of people but for me it’s the one thing that lets me really get into my head.
Di Hickman
I love to lift for that reason
Angela Ricardo Bethea
Wow this sounds absolutely awesome! Thanks for sharing about HIIT (high intensity interval training) After my pregnancy, I’ll definitely consider this to help me on my weight loss goal.
Di Hickman
I’m hoping to upload the video soon too
Dawn McAlexander
This actually looks like a lot of fun! I think I could actually get on board with these agility cones. It would be tough at first, but I think I could like it in the end.
Di Hickman
You’ll get better the more you practice
Glenda
Wow this is a neat way to stay fit. I would like to try this out because I tend to get bored easily doing the same workout.
Di Hickman
me too, variety is key!
Cassie Tucker
This is a great idea for a cardio workout. I have seen athletes using agility cones for pregame warm ups but never thought about using them for my own workout!
Di Hickman
Girl train like an athlete to look like an athlete!
Charotte
I love these types of drills! We do them a lot for netball and it really helps with speed and fast feet which is ideal!
Di Hickman
Yes I’ve done them for netball too!
Heather
I have never used agility cones – but I do set up some amazing courses for my kids to do with them 🙂 These look awesome – especially coming with 50!
Di Hickman
yep it’s a bumper pack for sure! Great for kids!
Heather
I love how you mix up your workouts everyday! I’m sure your success is coming because in part, your workouts are so fun!
Di Hickman
Yeah I have to change things up so I don’t get bored
Donah @ SJB
I think, there is no boring outdoor cardio activity so far but this one is more fun! And you could do it with your kids or with your dogs. Cool idea!
Di Hickman
The kids love it… dogs not so much
Nicole Shillings
This looks like a great work out! My boyfriend and I have been talking about adding more cardio into our routine.
Di Hickman
these are a great way to do cardio
Tabitha Shakespeare
Oh I remember doing these in high school and I hated them! But they totally work and keep you in great shape!
Di Hickman
Hahaha I loved them, yes we were all in shape then right!
Jalisa Harris
I’ve never heard of these, but I would definitely use these in my workouts especially now. I
m working really hard to lose weight. Next year I want to start expanding my family but want to be in decent shape so I can keep working out throughout my pregnancy.
Di Hickman
So many resources online now for fit pregnancies. Good luck
Jeanine
Wow it looks like fun and quite the burn. Something I know I’d love to try out sometime! This looks great!
Di Hickman
It is fun, and yes burns!
Cindy Ingalls
This looks like so much fun. I often get bored with my workouts and am always looking to try something new.
Di Hickman
No boredom here!
Journa Ramirez
I love this! It makes exercise easier and more effective. Hope I can get one for myself soon!
Di Hickman
they are fun!
Pam
I am not a fan of running, but I would love to work out outdoors! This looks fun and great for fat burining! Thanks for sharing.
Di Hickman
It’s a great fat burner!
Rachel
Great post to read. I don’t really do much exercising so I can’t answer your questions. I would love to start and need to find some energy first.
Di Hickman
Start slow. Tell yourself you’re gonna walk for 5 minutes and that’s it. Do that and add 1 minute a day.
Jessica Joachim
This looks like a great workout! It seems really intense and fun at the same time! I like working out outside in my yard so I might have to add this into the routine.
Di Hickman
Me too, I just needed more space for the camera 😉
Rhian Westbury
I’ve never heard of this before but it sounds intriguing, a bit like interval training x
Di Hickman
same concept. Little bit cheaper than a gym membership or buying your own bike 🙂
Brand with BigFitFam
agility training can be so much fun, especially if you can find someone to do them with! Great job, this is def something more people need to try!
Di Hickman
Oh for sure, teamwork makes it more interesting
Cassie
I’m definitely going to give this a go soon! Just gotta get some cones first haha! Love a good workout!
Di Hickman
No cones? Use sweaters, boxes, empty cans/bottles
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh
This reminds me so much of PE class from elementary and middle school. Not that that’s a bad thing! I was never over weight in those days, because of those daily classes. I have just now gotten back into working out, and I’m currently in that cardio phase, this is a great change of pace.
Di Hickman
Right! And we never felt like it was “working out” because we were competitive and having fun.
Janel
Thank you for including the visual guide on how to do this work out. I certainly need to do a work out like this so that I could burn some fat .
Di Hickman
Find something fun, do it often!