Agility is a skill related fitness component that is crucial for combat task performance. Find out how agility affects your performance and how you can improve your agility through a series of training exercises.
Agility is defined as having to change direction (COD) while maintaining balance in an efficient and effective manner. While we are familiar with the COD in a forward and back manner, such as during the IPPT shuttle run, the Basic Movement Drills, Laterals (Figure 1A), highlighted that COD can also include side to side (lateral) movement.
Another direction of movement can come from upwards (recovering from prone) and downwards (ducking) as well. The current bulletin will show case the redesigned combat obstacles and the Agility Drills of the Vocation Related Exercise currently introduced to train on those different movement directions.
The training principle of specificity meant that the person have to train in a manner that matches the objective. It is therefore easy to see why there is a need to include training with the different movement directions in the increasingly complex and urbanised battlefield.
Studies1 showed that after specific training for straight line sprinting, the subjects were able to run faster in a straight line but had no significant improvements on how rapidly the person can change direction laterally. Those who trained with methods focused on improving lateral COD improved how rapidly they could change direction laterally, but experienced little improvement to their sprint timing in a straight line. In other words, improvements in straight line sprinting has limited transfer to agility performance involving rapid COD and visa versa.
1 Brughelli, M., Cronin, J., Levin, G., & Chaouachi, A. (2008). Understanding Change of Direction Ability in Sport. Sports Med, 38 (12), 1045-1063.
Sheppard, J.M. & Young, W.B. (2006). Agility literature review: Classifications, training and testing. Journal of Sports Science, 24(9), 919-932.
In the redesigned combat obstacles, the Stepping Stones (Figure 1B) trains balance as well as agility. The Dodging Panel (Figure 1C) trains the soldier specifically in the lateral movement aspect of agility.
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
Figure 1D
The Rubble (Figure 1D) require the soldier to vault over and duck under obstacles, training them on the upwards and downwards movements.
Agility Drills are included in the Vocation Related Exercise (VRE) for all formations. The drills consist of the exercises In In Out Out Shuffle, Icky Shuffle and Zig-Zag Shuffle. These exercises address the need to train agility for movements in different directions.
In the absence of specialised tools (such as cones or agility ladders), you can perform the drills by utilizing existing boundaries that allow both feet to step into, such as large floor tiles. To help you visualise the execution of those exercises, we shall use floor tiles as an example.
The first agility exercise is the In In Out Out Shuffle (Figure 1E).
Figure 1E
Start by standing straight outside the first unshaded tile (red foot prints). Bring the right foot into the unshaded tile boundary (number 1). Next, bring your left foot into the same boundary (number 2). Bring your right foot followed by left foot out one after another, recovering to the starting position outside the adjacent shaded second tile (numbers 3 followed by 4). Continue with the action moving side ways into the subsequent tiles (numbers 5 to 10).
For Icky Shuffle (Figure 1F), start off at the left side of the unshaded tile (red foot prints).
Figure 1F
Bring your right foot into the unshaded tile boundary (number 1). Next, shift your left foot in the same boundary (number 2) and move your right foot out in one swift movement (number 3). Move your left foot up to the adjacent shaded tile (number 4). Shift your right foot in the shaded tile (number 5) and move your left foot out in one swift movement (number 6). Continue with the action moving to subsequent tiles (numbers 7 to 12).
For Zig-Zag Shuffle (Figure 1G), start off at the first marker (red foot prints). Shuffle laterally for three strides (as a guide) at a 45 degree angle towards your right side tile. Next, shift your weight and balance towards the left and shuffle laterally at a 45 degree angle to your left side. Upon reaching the subsequent left tile, switch direction again and continue with the exercise until the end marker (grey foot prints).
Agility training should not be confined within a forward and back movement but include other movement directions such as side to side (lateral) and upwards and downward COD. The Stepping Stones, Dodging Panel and Rubble in the redesigned combat obstacles, and the Agility Drills in the VRE address the need to train agility for movements in different directions. With the diagrammatic explanation we hope to help you visualize better those exercises and encourage you to implement them as part of your daily unit training programmes.