What are the benefits of jumping rope?
Many people consider jumping rope to be some kind of side exercise from the boxers' arsenal. It's actually a great cardio workout that works better than running in some ways. Jumping rope:
- Increases aerobic capacity three times faster than running. According to the study Comparison of Rope Skipping and Jogging as Methods of Improving Cardiovascular Efficiency of College Men, 10 minutes of jumping and 30 minutes of running equally pump up the body's ability to produce energy using oxygen.
- Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights burns the same amount of calories as running at 10 km/h. In half an hour you can burn 300–444 kcal (with a weight of 56–84 kg).
- Reduces Effects of Weighted Rope Jump Training on Power Performance Tests in Collegians resting and post-exercise heart rate. The heart becomes stronger and pumps out more blood per beat, so it doesn't have to beat as fast to meet the body's needs.
- Increase The Effects of the Rope Jump Training Program in Physical Education Lessons on Strength, Speed and VO2 max in Children VO2max is your body's ability to consume oxygen and use it for its intended purpose.
- Effects of Weighted Rope Jump Training on Power Performance Tests in Collegians increases anaerobic capacity—the body's ability to produce energy when oxygen is no longer available.
- Increases power Effects of Weighted Rope Jump Training on Power Performance Tests in Collegians movements - the ability to exert maximum force in a minimum amount of time.
- Pump up coordination The effects of rope or weighted rope jump training on strength, coordination and proprioception in adolescent female volleyball players. , agility and balance.
- Increases grip strength, keeps forearms, shoulders and chest, calves and thighs, and core muscles toned.
For whom is jumping rope contraindicated?
Let's first talk about contraindications - so as not to return to this issue in the future. There are not many of them. You should not jump rope if:
- the spine is sick;
- the joints of the arms or legs are inflamed;
- internal organs are sick or inflamed;
- high blood pressure.
That's all, there are no other contraindications. Jump rope is unique because it is accessible to most people: young and old, men and women. In general, this is an almost ideal sports equipment that brings many health benefits.
How to choose a jump rope
Pay attention to several important parameters.
Rope material
- Rubber. These cables stretch as you jump, slowing you down.
- PVC. They do not stretch and last a long time. Pay attention to the thickness of the cable - the thinner it is, the faster it will rotate.
- Braided steel. The fastest, they cut through the air, but they hit you hard when you learn to do double jumps.
- Leather. Old school from boxing gyms. Slower than PVC and steel, they wear out quickly. Especially if it is not leather, but leatherette.
Rope exit angle
On the left - the cable comes out straight, on the right - located at an angle of 90 degrees / aliexpress.com
The cable can come out of the handle straight or located at an angle of 90 degrees. The last option is better. During jumps, such a cable will travel a smaller trajectory, which means you will move faster.
Handle weight
There are regular speed jumping ropes and weighted models. The latter have metal rods weighing 160–200 g inserted into the handles. This type of jump rope will slow you down, but will pump you up better. Does the Weighted Rope Jump Training Affect the Motor Skills in Adolescent Female Volleyball Players? grip strength and movement power. For beginners, it is better to buy a regular jump rope or a weighted one, but with the ability to reach the rods.
Rope length
If you buy a jump rope without length adjustment, select it to suit your height directly in the store. Too long will get tangled and hit the floor, reducing speed. Too short - it will hit your legs and break your equipment.
To determine the correct length, step on the middle of the rope with one foot, grab both handles and pull it toward one shoulder. For beginners, it is better to choose a longer option so that the handles reach the shoulder. More advanced athletes can take a shorter rope - up to the middle of the shoulder.
For most people, a jump rope that ends between the top of the shoulder and the armpit works best. If you can't assess your level of training or there aren't many options available, take this one.
Selecting a device
Before you develop a set of exercises, you need to choose the right jump rope. There are several common types for the buyer to choose from:
- Regular. The simplest option is a jump rope with plastic handles and a rubber rope. Their advantages include ease of operation and minimal cost.
- With weights. They are heavier than the standard version, so this solution will not be the best for beginners. This type of equipment should be used after the body adapts to the load. Weighted jump ropes are great for those who are working to increase muscle mass.
- Express. This option is the best for burning fat deposits and losing weight in the shortest possible time. Using the element, you can make the fastest possible jumps, performing up to 4-5 spins in one second.
- Electronic. They are equipped with a calorie counter. It is enough to enter your weight into the digital field, and the device will independently calculate the calories expended during the training process.
When choosing a jump rope, you need to pay attention not only to its functionality. An important selection criterion is the length of the cable
Products are available in lengths of 2.4 m, 2.7 m and 3 m. You can determine the convenient size for you using a simple test. Stand in the middle of the cable and lift the handles up. If they reach your armpits, this is your size. Don’t be afraid to take the product “with a reserve”; making the cable shorter will not be difficult.
How to set up jumping technique
To jump for a long time and develop good speed, you need to follow the correct technique. Otherwise, your arms and calves will quickly become clogged and your workout will turn into torture.
Body and head position
The back and neck should be straight. Direct your gaze forward, do not look at your feet or at the ceiling - this will increase tension in your neck muscles. Straighten and lower your shoulders. The trapezius muscles will already be tense, there is no need to add unnecessary work to them.
Hand position
Keep your elbows close to your body, do not spread them out to the sides. Try not to twist your forearms, but work only with your wrists.
Grip
Wrap the handle with four fingers and press your thumb against the handle close to the cable exit. Don't clutch the pen as your last hope. Hold it firmly, but fairly relaxed.
Leg movements
Don't jump too high. Your feet should lift off the ground by 1½–2 cm—exactly enough to pass the cable. If you jump higher, your legs will quickly get tired and you will have to stop.
How to jump correctly and where to jump
The jumping surface is important for both comfort and shock absorption. It is undesirable to jump (and run too) on hard asphalt. A surface that is too hard will create additional stress on the musculoskeletal system, and will also damage the rope itself - when it hits the asphalt, it quickly wears out and wears out.
At home, you can perform exercises on a wooden floor (laminate, parquet, etc., the coating must have a good level of strength so as not to damage the floor), on medium-hard linoleum. If you have a rubberized coating, as is the case in gyms, this is also a good option. It is also convenient to practice on carpet, but only if it is dense enough.
On a soft carpet, on soft gymnastics mats, the jump rope behaves incorrectly - it can either get tangled, or when it collides with the surface, it can bounce off it, which will cause discomfort and the inability to jump normally. I jump most often on laminate flooring (no damage to the floor has occurred so far).
By the way, many people worry about their neighbors and believe that jumping around at home is annoying the neighbors. In fact, with the correct jumping technique, the noise from such exercises is minimal. For the entire time I have been practicing, I have not received a single complaint, since even in an apartment the noise from such activities is quite moderate. Of course, I still don’t recommend riding at night.
Jumping technique and training tips
- When performing jumps, the body must be straightened. Stand straight without bending your back.
- Grab the handles of the jump rope with your hands, move your arms to the distance of slightly bent arms, your elbows should be slightly pressed to your body, but not too much, you don’t need to restrict movement and group tightly. You don't need to bend your arms too much, but you don't need to practice with straight arms either. Select a comfortable middle position.
- Jump on your toes, not your entire foot. The jump should be easy and not make a lot of noise. If you hear a crash when you jump, then you are jumping incorrectly. The harder you hit your feet on the floor, the greater the stress on your joints. You should feel ease in your movements. There is no need to land on your feet.
- Jumps should not be too high. The lower you jump, the faster your pace will be and the less impact there will be on your spine and joints. Ideally, you should jump no more than 5 cm above the surface - this distance is enough to pass the jump rope.
- When jumping, your legs should be slightly bent at the knees. This again eases the stress on the joints. The knees should seem to spring back.
- The rope should barely touch the floor and not curl on the surface. The impact on the floor should not be too strong. If 10 cm of the rope hits the floor with impacts, it means you are either jumping incorrectly or the rope is too long.
- There is no need to vigorously wave your arms while rotating. Keep your hands in the starting position without significant fluctuations, then the pace will be even and your hands will not get tired.
- Increase the load gradually and exercise only after a warm-up warm-up.
- Adjust the intensity according to your breathing. If you're out of breath, slow down. Breathing should be smooth.
- Don't exercise on a full stomach. Approximately 1.5 hours should pass after eating. Don't eat heavy food before training.
For today, perhaps, that’s all I wanted to tell you. If you have chosen jumping rope for weight loss, keep an eye on subsequent publications. I recommend this type of exercise for effective and quick weight loss.
How to diversify your workouts with a jump rope
Many people think that jumping rope is too monotonous and therefore boring. They just learned one, or at most two, variations of jumps. In fact, there are a lot of ways to jump rope.
You can mix them together, learn tricks, try double and triple jumps, and incorporate a jump rope into circuit training. Below we will look at the most common types of jumps, and then we will show four intense complexes with a jump rope.
Running in place
Run in place, raising your legs slightly off the floor. For every step, turn the rope.
Jumping with legs forward
Jump on your right leg while simultaneously bending your left knee and lifting your foot off the ground. During the second jump, bring your left leg forward. Then repeat the same on the other leg.
Boxing jumps
Boxing jumps develop endurance and help you catch the rhythm needed in the ring. When you catch it and get used to the movement, a minimum of effort is expended - this way you can jump for a long time and not get tired.
Place your feet close to each other, but do not touch them. Jump, leaving the floor low and constantly shifting your weight to one leg or the other.
Boxing jumps with alternating heel and toe
Jump on two legs, then with a jump take one leg back and place it on your toe, with the next jump move it forward and place it on your heel. Do the same on the other leg.
You can alternate every two times: toe, heel, change legs. Or after several: toe, heel, toe, heel, change legs. Jumping is great for developing coordination.
High hip jumps
These are energy-intensive jumps that will help build endurance and burn more calories. Jump from foot to foot and raise your knees high. The higher, the more difficult.
Jumping with alternating legs back and forth
As you jump, move one leg forward and the other back. Land on both feet at the same time, distributing your body weight evenly between the balls of your feet. Change the position of your feet every jump.
Jumping “feet together - feet apart”
Place your feet together. During your first jump, place your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower. During the second, connect them back. Continue jumping, alternating positions.
Jumping from side to side
Place your feet together. Jump from side to side a short distance.
Jumping back and forth
Place your feet together. Jump forward and back a short distance: within half a foot from the original place.
Jumping with crossed legs
During the first jump, spread your feet shoulder-width apart, with the next jump, cross your feet. Alternate positions, placing your right and left foot in front.
Jumping rope backwards
In the starting position, the rope should not be behind you, as in regular jumps, but in front of you. Jump while twisting your wrists back so that the rope rotates in the opposite direction. This is a rather difficult movement, because you have been spinning the rope forward all your life and the body simply does not understand how to do it differently.
It is better to master reverse jumps with a heavier rope so that you can feel it flying behind you. In any case, do not try to jump higher than usual or bend at the hip joint. The movement does not require much effort, but simple habit and practice.
Jumping with crossed arms
During the first jump, cross your arms, during the second, spread them to the sides. The change of hands occurs at the moment when the rope has already passed over the head, but has not yet reached the floor.
To master this movement, first try alternating it with regular jumps. For example, two simple ones, one crossed.
Jumping with side swings
First, you need to practice doing lateral swings without jumping. Take a jump rope, place your hands close to each other and perform a figure eight from side to side with both hands at the same time.
Then try the same with jumping. Jump in place, performing a figure eight with your arms. One jump per swing to the side.
Now you can combine the movement with regular jumps. Jump once on two legs, then do two figure eight jumps and repeat.
Double Jumps
This is a complex element that will take more than one week to master. The idea is that when you jump, you rotate the rope twice instead of once. This requires greater tension in the muscles of the arms and shoulders, and high speed of movements.
It is often said that doubles must be jumped. It took at least six months before I did my first 30 doubles in a row.
I offer my way to learn double. Do two regular jumps and one double jump. Do it 10 times. Then do two regular and two double, again 10 approaches. If in some approach it was not possible to make two doubles in a row, the time does not count, and you start over. When you can make all 10, try two singles and three doubles and so on.
Double Jumps
This exercise perfectly pumps up endurance, quickly raises the heart rate, increases the load on the muscles of the shoulder girdle compared to single jumps and burns more calories.
Before you start learning double jumps, make sure you are good at single jumps. You should perform 200 single jumps per set, without hesitation and with good technique. This article will help you test your technique.
First, try performing a combination of three single jumps and one double.
When you make 50 of these combinations without hesitation, move on to the next progression - two singles and one double. Also build it up to 50 consecutive reps and try one single and one double.
When this happens without any hesitation, start performing doubles in a row. Start with two times and, if successful, move on to three. Don't chase quantity. The main thing is to accustom the body to the correct form.
Follow your technique and avoid mistakes common to beginners.
1. Keep your body straight. Many beginners do something like a fold to avoid hitting their feet. This ruins the shape and wastes a lot of effort. Keep your body straight as if you were doing a single jump.
2. Don't tuck your legs. This spoils the form, throws off the rhythm and delays mastering the skill. The knees bend only slightly, as during single jumps.
3. Relax your hands and work only with your wrists. If your shoulders burn while jumping, you're doing doubles wrong. Relax your arms, bend your elbows slightly and keep your hands down, at hip level. Rotate your wrists and try to relieve tension from the rest of your arm.
4. Practice regularly. Probably the most important thing in mastering doubles is to train them regularly, every day. It is often said that doubles need to be “jumped”, and this is true.
Do them before and after training, during a break from work or watching TV shows, in the morning as exercise - at any free time. This is the only way you can firmly consolidate the skill and perform the exercise without hesitation.
Share your favorite jump rope exercises in the comments. Or hateful, if there are such.
How to use a jump rope in training
There are several ways to incorporate jumping rope into your exercise routine.
Warm-up and cool-down
Boxers often use a jump rope to warm up and cool down. 10-20 minutes of jumping at a calm pace will perfectly warm up the body and prepare it for training.
Cardio
If monotonous cardio doesn't bother you, start with regular jumping jacks on two legs. Perform three sets: 10 minutes of jumping and 1-2 minutes of rest. Don't start fast, keep a steady pace.
After a few workouts, you can reduce the rest time and do two sets of 15 minutes. The next step is 30 minutes of non-stop jumping. If that's too boring for you, move on to high-intensity interval routines with jump rope.
HIIT with jump rope
We have compiled several complexes for different levels of training. All you need is a jump rope and a timer.
Base
Perform the exercise for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds and move on to the next one on the list. After completing the circuit, rest for 1 minute and repeat again. In total, you need to perform 3-5 circles, depending on how you feel. The complex will take 12–20 minutes:
- regular jumping on two legs;
- running in place;
- jumping back and forth;
- jumping from side to side;
- running in place;
- jumping on two legs.
If 10 seconds of rest is not enough and you start to get out of breath, increase it to 20 seconds.
Advanced
30 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest, 3-5 circles, rest between circles - 1 minute. Execution time: 7–12 minutes. The complex includes:
- boxing jumps;
- jumping with alternating legs back and forth;
- jumping with crossed legs;
- jumping with high hip lift.
Mix with calisthenics
20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest, 3-5 circles, rest between circles - 1 minute. Completion time: 15–25 minutes. The complex includes:
- running in place;
- push ups;
- jumping with legs forward;
- air squats;
- jumping back and forth;
- burpee;
- jumping from side to side;
- lowering onto your forearms in a plank or a simple plank.
Difficult
40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest, 3-5 laps. Rest between circles - 2 minutes. The complex will take 18–30 minutes:
- running in place;
- jumping with high hip lift;
- running in place;
- double jumps.
Training Options
In fact, there are many options for how you can create a workout if you have a jump rope. There are different options for jumping, which have an equally good effect on the body. Next, each type and its characteristics will be highlighted.
The first type of jumps is classic. So, everyone jumped in childhood and jumps now. The rope rotates, and the person must simply jump over it at the moment when it appears under his feet.
The second type is jumping with steps. This option is considered the most lightweight because it does not require much effort. As a rule, step jumps are performed at an average pace and are intended as a warm-up.
The third type is inverse. They are performed exactly like the classic ones, but the rope rotates backward, not forward. Used by those who have the necessary experience in classical jumping.
The fourth type is with double scrolling. This jumping option is considered one of the most difficult. It is used, as a rule, by professional athletes or those who are in good athletic shape. It is not recommended for beginners, as there is a risk of injury.
Type five - cross-shaped jumps. Such jumps are considered one of the most difficult, along with double twisting.
It is worth paying attention to them, because they should not be performed without special training.