People are constantly in pursuit of new and unique ways to add some variety to their workouts. Each week there seems to be a new product on the market or someone hyping the latest craze in fitness. Sometimes you just have to look to the past and take advantage of century old traditions. History has revealed through archaeological digs, pottery and paintings that for thousands of years many different cultures have participated in this as a form of entertainment, particularly for younger children. Many of them utilized slightly different objects, but all held the same common theme: Rope Jumping.
If you're tempted to stop reading because you think that jumping rope is for little girls and you're too macho for that, think again. The routine recommended below was designed for full-contact martial arts fighters, hardly the little girl in pigtails skipping down the sidewalk. If you're able to complete the workout below at a pace of at least 145 rotations per minute for 30 minutes, then we guarantee you will have a new respect for jumping rope. By the way, weren't kids much healthier back in the day when their recreation included exercise focused activities like jumping rope instead of sitting on a couch watching TV or playing video games? That's a subject for another day though. If we go down that rabbit trail in this article we might never get back to the jump rope workout.
GOAL:
The goal is to get you to a point that you can jump continuously for 30 minutes. This will give you an incredible cardiovascular workout that is one of the most demanding physical exertions you will ever experience. If you aren't at that level yet, then beginners should start by jumping for only about 30 seconds and then taking a 30 second break. Do that for about 6 - 10 minutes so you get in 3-5 minutes of jumping. Be patient and start out slowly. Your calves are strong muscles and you'll feel really good and want to keep going but the next morning you'll step to get out of bed and say, "Ughhhh", I overdid it."
Try to work up to a point where you can get one rotation per second. This may take a few weeks but the only way to get better at jumping and become more fluid is to practice, practice, and practice. If the rope hits your feet, just step over as quickly as possible and keep going or you can rotate the rope out next to your body until you can get back into a jumping rhythm and then bring the rope back under your feet without breaking your form. Intermediates should try jumping for 10 - 20 minutes but break it down so that you jump repeatedly for 2 -3 minutes and then take a 1 minute break. Advanced jumpers should attempt to jump the entire 30 minutes.
Once you get comfortable jumping and have enough coordination to go several minutes without stumbling, then it's time to pick up the pace and increase your revolutions per minute. Count your rotations or jumps per minute and keep a log as you progress. Beginners should aim for around 60 jumps per minute. Intermediates should have a steady rhythm of around 120 jumps per minute, and advanced should get at least 145 per minute
ROUTINE:
As with most endurance or cardio exercising, jumping rope can get boring. One of the advantages is that it's versatile enough that you can easily change your environment or routine. You can jump while watching television, you can go outside and move forward while jumping so that you travel around the block, or you can add some different jumps into the workout so that it stays fresh. To keep the routine new and innovative, try changing your style of jump every minute or two and even make up your own variations.
The routine that we recommend is to set a timer or have a clock visible and every one or two minutes change your style of jump. This helps to fight boredom but more importantly works separate muscle groups and ensures a complete full body workout. If you are able to jump for 30 minutes, try starting out with the Trinity for 2 minutes, then jog in place from the 2-4 minute mark, then back to Trinity from 4-6, and on to the Bunny Hop from the 6-8minute mark, back to Trinity, etc... This alternating routine gives you a nice variety and an opportunity to recover from some of the more difficult jumps (i.e. the single leg held out waist high).
Here are some of our suggestions.
Variations:
*Trinity - three single jumps per foot then switch
*Jog in place
*Hop on 2 feet (bunny hop)
*Hop side to side / forward and back
*Hop on one foot
*Single leg with opposite knee up to chest (or as high as possible)
*Single leg with other leg held straight out (waist level or as high as you can)
*Double rotation
*Triple rotation
*Cross over
*Rotate the rope backwards
*Use wrist weights or a weighted rope (use caution with this)
As you can see from the list of variations, there is always something new to try out or an opportunity to be innovative and create your own routine.
CONCLUSION:
This article briefly explains many of the physical benefits of jumping rope, profiles a few different styles of rope, discusses goals and even offers jumping variations to keep your workout fresh. One of the best results from adopting a regular jump rope program is the benefit to your heart. The incredible full body cardio workout strengthens your heart which is a key in helping to combat obesity and heart disease. So do your heart and body a favor, take a note from the past and jump in the future.
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