Agility Ladders are an excellent tool for increasing speed and quickness essential for athletes in sports such as basketball, football and soccer, to name just a few. Although this piece of equipment is most known for increasing foot speed and agility, it can also be used to increase upper-body speed, strength and hand-eye coordination. Having quick hands is just as important to an athlete’s success due to the fact most sports require catching, throwing or handling a ball or other piece of equipment. That is why athletes should use an agility ladder to not only train their lower body, but their upper body as well to develop all-around speed and agility. Here are 16 Upper Body Agility Ladder Exercises to increase strength and agility.

1. Lateral Traveling Push Ups

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with one hand in a square of the ladder and the other hand in the square adjacent to it.
• Explosively push up and laterally move each hand into the next two boxes continuously until you get to the end of the ladder.
• Repeat the movement in reverse back to starting point.

2. Lateral Traveling Two-Hand In and Outs

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both hands on the floor together outside a square that is right in front of you.
• Quickly lift both hands off the floor and move them forward into the square in front of you.
• Tap your hands inside the square and then reverse the movement outside the square directly adjacent to the one you just had your hands in.
• Continuously repeat the movement until you reach the end of the ladder, then reverse the movement back to starting point.

3. Lateral Traveling Two Arm Walks

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both hands on the floor together inside the first square.
• Quickly laterally hop, lifting both hands off the floor to the next square adjacent to the starting square.
• Perform continuously until you reach the end of the ladder, then reverse the movement back to starting point.

4. Lateral Traveling Alternating In and Out Shuffles

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both hands on the floor together outside a square that is right in front of you.
• Quickly lift both hands off the floor simultaneously and move them forward into the square in front of you.
• Tap your hands inside the square and then reverse the movement outside the square directly adjacent to the one you just had your hands in.
• Continuously repeat the movement until you reach the end of the ladder, then reverse the movement back to starting point.

5. Stationary In and Outs

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both hands on the floor with the right hand outside the square on the right, and the left outside the square on the left.
• Quickly alternate lifting one hand and placing it in the square next to it.
• Continuously repeat the movement for 30-60 seconds.

6. Stationary Separate Hand Shuffles

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both hands on the floor, with one hand in one square, and one in the square adjacent to it.
• Simultaneously lift both hands to the right placing them in the next square, then reverse the movement continues as quickly as you can with good form.
• Continuously repeat the movement for 30-60 seconds.

7. Lateral Stationery Shuffle Push-Ups

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both hands on the floor with the right hand inside the square, and the left outside the square.
• Quickly explode up moving the right hand out of the square and the left into the square making sure to bend your elbows and lower your chest to the floor.
• Immediately reverse the movement back to starting point. Continuously repeat the movement for 30-60 seconds.

8. Lateral Traveling Alternating In and Outs

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both hands on the floor together outside a square that is right in front of you.
• Quickly lift one hand off the floor and move it forward into the square in front of you quickly followed by the other hand.
• Tap your hands inside the square and then reverse the movement outside the square directly adjacent to the one you just had your hands in.
• Continuously repeat the movement until you reach the end of the ladder, then reverse the movement back to starting point.

9. Lateral Traveling Alternating Walks

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both hands on the floor with one hand in one square, and the other in the square adjacent to it.
• Quickly lift one hand off the floor and move it laterally into the square next to it quickly followed by the other hand.
• Continuously repeat the movement until you reach the end of the ladder, then reverse the movement back to starting point.

10. Stationary Alternating Forward/Back Shuffles

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both hands on the floor with one hand in one square, and the other in the square directly in front of it.
• Quickly lift both hands off the floor and switch the hand positions simultaneously.
• Continuously repeat the movement for 30-60 seconds.

11. Forward/Reverse Traveling Cross Arm Push Ups

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both feet on an individual slider spread apart outside the ladder and both hands on the floor each outside the square.
• Quickly explode up and forward, placing both hands in the square crossing the arms.
• Quickly repeat the movement uncrossing the arms and placing them outside the square in front of you.
• Continuously repeat the movement switching which arm is crossed in front until you reach the end of the ladder.
• Take a break if you need to, then reverse the movement back to starting point.

12. Forward/Reverse Traveling Alternating In and Outs

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both feet on an individual slider spread apart outside the ladder and both hands on the floor each outside the square.
• Quickly lift one hand and place it in the square in front of you followed by the other hand.
• Quickly lift the first hand and place it outside the square in front of you followed by the other hand.
• Continuously repeat the movement until you reach the end of the ladder.
• Take a break if you need to, then reverse the movement back to starting point.

13. Forward/Reverse Traveling In and Out Jumping Jack Push Ups

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both feet and both hands on the floor, each outside the square.
• Quickly explode up and forward, placing both hands and feet inside a square.
• Explode back up, moving forward and separate both hands and feet outside a square.
• Continuously repeat the movement until you reach the end of the ladder.
• Take a break if you need to, then reverse the movement back to starting point.

14. Forward/Reverse Traveling Explosive In and Out Push Ups

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both feet on an individual slider spread apart outside the ladder and both hands on the floor each outside the square.
  Quickly explode up and forward, placing both hands inside the square in front of you.
• Explode back up moving forward and separate both hands outside the square.
• Continuously repeat the movement until you reach the end of the ladder.
• Take a break if you need to, then reverse the movement back to starting point.

15. Forward/Reverse Traveling Two Arm Push Ups

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both feet on an individual slider spread apart outside the ladder and both hands on the floor inside the square in front of you.
• Quickly explode up and forward, placing both hands inside the square in front of you, making sure to bend your elbows and lower your chest to the floor.
• Continuously repeat the movement until you reach the end of the ladder.
• Take a break if you need to, then reverse the movement back to starting point.

16. Forward/Reverse Traveling Walks

• Get into a standard push-up position with your butt down, back straight and core engaged.
• Start with both feet on an individual slider spread apart outside the ladder and both hands on the floor outside the square in front of you.
• Quickly alternate lifting one hand and placing it in the square in front of you moving forward.
• Continuously repeat the movement until you reach the end of the ladder.
• Take a break if you need to, then reverse the movement back to starting point.

Photo Credit: THESABRINA/iStock

READ MORE:

• Edge Out the Competition: Agility Ladder Footwork Drills
• Don’t Trash Your Speed Ladder: How to Get the Most Out of This Much-Maligned Training Tool
• Why the Speed Ladder Alone Won’t Get You Faster