Are you in Canada? Click here to proceed to the HK Canada website.

For all other locations, click here to continue to the HK US website.

Human Kinetics Logo

Purchase Courses or Access Digital Products

If you are looking to purchase online videos, online courses or to access previously purchased digital products please press continue.

Mare Nostrum Logo

Purchase Print Products or eBooks

Human Kinetics print books and eBooks are now distributed by Mare Nostrum, throughout the UK, Europe, Africa and Middle East, delivered to you from their warehouse. Please visit our new UK website to purchase Human Kinetics printed or eBooks.

Feedback Icon Feedback Get $15 Off

Quick leg action and agility exercises

This is an excerpt from Conditioning Young Athletes by Tudor Bompa & Michael Carrera.

Forward Crossover

Focus: quick leg action, agility

  1. Moving left, the right leg crosses in front of the left leg for 10 meters or yards in each direction.
  2. Repeat.



Backward Crossover

Focus: quick leg action, agility

  1. Moving left, the right leg crosses behind the left leg for five to eight meters or yards in each direction.
  2. Repeat.



Carioca

Focus: agility, quick feet

  1. Quickly shuffling sideways facing in one direction, perform 3 to 4 forward crossovers, followed by 3 to 4 backward crossovers. You should cover a distance of 8 to 10 meters sideways, facing one way, forward crossover, backward crossover.
  2. Quickly turn around at the end of the 10-meter distance and repeat the same actions facing the other way.
  3. Complete at least 2 to 3 sets facing both ways.



Foot Touches

Focus: quick footwork, agility

  1. While standing, perform these movements by lifting the feet to meet the hands. touch the left hand to the right heel in front of the body, then the right hand to the left heel in front of the body, then the left hand to the right heel behind the body, then the right hand to the left heel behind the body.
  2. Repeat as quickly as possible.

Note: Simple reaction-time training should be part of most activities the children perform. Reacting to the demands of play will result in a reaction-time training effect.





Go, Go, Go, Stop

Focus: reaction time, acceleration, deceleration

  1. An athlete stands 10 meters or yards ahead of the remaining participants, facing away from the group.
  2. The caller calls out "Go" as many times as he likes and then calls out "Stop."
  3. At "Go," the runners run toward the caller, and at "Stop," they freeze on the spot.
  4. After calling out "Stop," the caller turns to see whether anyone is still moving.
  5. The last person caught moving becomes the caller for the next round.


</>

Save

Learn more about Conditioning Young Athletes.

More Excerpts From Conditioning Young Athletes