How And Why To Use A Jump Rope Workout To Get Fit

Of all the fitness equipment I own; medicine balls, kettlebells, suspension trainers, bands, battling ropes, and sandbags, my jump rope is my favorite.

It’s the least fancy of them all, the simplest to use, and the cheapest to own. For $8 I can get an incredible workout that involves most of the major muscle groups in my body. Here is the one I use personally.

I use it frequently with my clients as well and those who thought a jump rope workout was easy were proved wrong pretty damn quickly.

After almost 18 years as a fitness coach, I can tell you that if you aren’t already using a jump rope as part of your training, you’re missing out on one the best exercises you can do.

Why Jump Rope?

If you haven’t used a jump rope in decades (and many of you haven’t), the first thing that comes to mind might be something like this:

But after spending 5 minutes trying to do it, you realize it’s more like this:

A short jump rope workout is hard. Really fucking hard. So don’t be fooled by images of little girls double dutching and making it look like a kiddie game. Believe me, it will kick your ass! I use it 2-3 times per week in my own routine and it still wipes me out.

The reason is that is forces your mind and body to work together lest you miss and hit yourself with it. If you aren’t familiar with jump rope welts, you will be soon. It also places a high demand on your heart and cardiovascular function and takes concentration and focus.

Here are some other benefits, ALL of which you want:

• Great for endurance and stamina
• Helps burn fat
• Improves muscular endurance
• Improves speed, quickness, and agility
• Increases ankle stability
• Works multiple muscle groups
• Improves athleticism
• Help improve balance and coordination
• Make you focus on proper breathing
• Increases bone density

There are all HUGE benefits, especially for guys pushing 40 and beyond. Also, it burns upwards of 130 calories per 10 minutes, so it’s really efficient as well. It’s actually bout 3 times as efficient as jogging, so for all you guys who are time crunched, this is a great solution.

How To Jump Rope

Don’t feel like a fool if you have either forgotten or never learned how to jump rope. Like with anything, it’s a learned skill and for some, it’s really a challenge. The reason being is that it takes quite a bit of coordination, which many guys don’t possess.

But with some patience and willingness to mark up your shins and back (and the occasional head shot) with red welts, you can learn it. Just a few years ago, I sucked at jumping rope and although I am far from an expert, I can skip rope for upwards of 10 minutes straight and still have enough stamina to hit the weights.

It all comes down to a few basic rules:

1. Find the right length rope. A 9 foot rope is good for guys 5’8-6’2.
2. Practice bouncing on your toes. Coming down with your full weight each time will kill your knees, so try to be as light on your toes as you can. Easier said than done for many though.
3. Keep your hands by your waist and don’t move them. Use small circles, it’s all in the wrists.
4. Maintain a neutral posture.
5. Just focus on the timing, rhythm, your breathing, and landing softly.

And forget all the fancy tricks until you learn the basics or you will end up looking like this:

So to get you started, here are 6 videos that will show you the progression to follow. Just practice each one until you are proficient at it (i.e. you aren’t hitting yourself constantly and you aren’t out of breath after 30 seconds).

Regular Jumps

In/Outs

High Knees

1 Foot Alternating

Criss Cross

Double Unders (yea I was tired by then…)

None of these are terribly difficult, but resist the urge to try some more advanced jumps. Remember, the rope hurts like a mf’er, so be warned.

How To Add a Jump Rope Workout To Your Current Program

First off, if you’re not doing some sort of HIIT/interval/circuit style training to supplement your weight training, you need to be. Weight training is critical to your fitness program, but so is cardio based exercise.

Secondly, using a jump rope workout is extremely time efficient and burns calories at a very high rate (if done properly). I suggest adding 1-2 sessions per week to get started and work up from there.

Just make sure you do some light stretching before hand, use a foam roller on your hamstrings and calves, and possibly even a general warm up first.

Here are a few sample workouts for you to try:

• 30 seconds on/30 seconds off. Do 6 rounds with a 60 second break between rounds.

• 60 seconds on/30 seconds off. Do 8 rounds with a 45 second break between rounds.

• 2 minutes on/30 seconds off. Do 5 rounds with a 45 second break between rounds.

• 100 consecutive jumps. Rest 20 seconds and repeat 10 times. To make this more fun, start over if you miss one…

Keep in mind that this can be a high impact exercise (depending on how hard you land) and can take a toll on your knees and ankles. Therefore, I don’t recommend jumping rope for those with past/present lower body/back injuries, severe imbalances, or anyone with heart conditions or issues.

And if you’re significantly overweight or obese, it’s best to stick to low impact/non weight bearing exercises for now. Things like the elliptical, rowing machine, swimming, or stationary bike will do just fine.

Also, try to avoid any non giving surfaces like concrete and instead try to use a hardwood floor, artificial turf, rubber flooring, or a track. You’ll thank me.

Beast Mode Jump Rope Workouts

But if you’re anything like me, you’ll get bored quickly and want to do some high flying, fancy trick shit that looks and sounds bad ass (that rope whipping around your head at 60 mph is a pretty cool sound)!

The following workouts are not for the faint of heart and will take a great deal of practice (among other things). At least they’re fun to watch..

This is a video I found a few years ago and Ross Enamait is a beast! I still watch it for motivation although I can’t even come close to the speed and ability he has. Actually, I’m not even sure he’s holding a rope as it’s moving too fast to see!!

And just for fun, watch this dude and prepare for your head to explode!!

One last thing: While jumping rope is an awesome tool for your health and fitness related goals, make sure you incorporate other types of cardio based training as well. Mix things up. Run hills, sprints, drag heavy tires, or push sleds.

And oh yes, have fun with it! If you hate jumping rope, don’t do it. There are plenty of other great exercises you can use instead!