Cone Box Drill

Sprint, shuffle, backpedal and shuffle around a square of four cones. A simple way to drill all four locomotion patterns and the transitions between them.

DIFFICULTY
Beginner
EQUIPMENT
Cones
PRIMARY MUSCLES
Quads · Glutes
ALSO WORKS
Hamstrings · Gluteus Medius · Calves · Adductors
HOW TO DO IT
  1. 01Set four cones in a square five to ten yards on each side and start at one corner.
  2. 02Sprint forward along the first side to the next cone.
  3. 03Shuffle laterally along the second side, hips square to the middle of the square.
  4. 04Backpedal along the third side, then shuffle along the fourth back to the start.
  5. 05Rest 60 seconds and run 4 to 6 reps, alternating the direction you travel around the square.
COACHING CUES
  1. 01Chest stays pointed at the middle.
  2. 02Sink the hips before each corner.
  3. 03No stutter steps in the transitions.
COMMON MISTAKES
  1. 01Slowing down gradually into each corner — real change of direction is a hard brake, not a coast.
  2. 02Standing up in the transitions — the moment between two patterns is where you are slowest, so it needs the lowest hips.
  3. 03Always running clockwise — the drill has a strong and a weak direction and only one gets trained.

Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.

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