This is the first session of our exclusive Speed Academy.
Research has shown that this eight-step programme will improve your speed and agility.
Follow Mike Antoniades' steps below and you should see the difference in no time.
1. WARM-UP
2. AGILITY DRILL
The agility drill helps to improve your nimbleness on the pitch.
Equipment
You'll need to make an agility ladder to do this drill. This can be made out of 20 sticks or flat cones.
The sticks should be flat about 30cm long. The space between sticks or cones should be 35cm apart.
Try to be light on your feet, running on the balls of your feet while using your arms for balance.
And remember to rest and stretch the hamstrings and calve muscles every 6 runs.
What do I do?
Start at one end of the ladder and do each of the following drills three times, taking a ten second break between each.
Single legs running
Double legs (feet together)
Sideways double legs (facing right)
Sideways double legs (facing left)
Single legs and sprint 10m at end
Sideways left and sprint 10m
Sideways right and sprint 10m
3. FOOTWORK DRILL
This footwork drill will help you to speed up your footwork and speed in a match situation.
Equipment
To do the drill correctly, you need to make a Frappier four square plyometric pattern.
It is made up of two lines of 48 inches forming four squares of 24 inches in each direction.
How do I do the drill?
Begin at box number one and with both feet together jump from box to box as fast as possible.
Try to keep your centre of gravity in the middle of the area and only move the lower part of the body.
Box 1-2 for 20 seconds (s)
Box 1-2-3 for 20 secs
Box 1-3-2 for 20 secs
Box 1-2-3-4 for 20 secs
Now move onto single legs and jump between the numbered areas in a hopping motion.
Box 1-2 for 10s (left and right feet) Box 1-2 for 10s (left and right feet) Box 1-2 for 10s (left and right feet) Box 1-2 for 10s (left and right feet) 4. SPRINT STARTS
Equipment
A friend Four different colour cones/markers What do I do?
You should start off facing the three cones, jogging on the spot.
On the command from a friend (they should either shout blue, red or yellow), sprint to one of the three cones.
Run at 85% to 95% full speed. Rest and stretch your hamstrings, calves, quads after every three runs.
Your friend should shout out the following instructions in any order.
Forward sprint to yellow (x3) Forward sprint to blue (x3) Forward sprint to red (x3) Forward sprint to red (x3 start standing sideways) Forward sprint to yellow (x3 start standing sideways) Forward sprint to blue (x3) start standing sideways 5. WARM DOWN
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