Have You Ever Actually Tried to Workout by Jumping Rope?
Seriously…most people have just played around with a jump rope back in Elementary School. A lot of people think of jumping rope as more of a game or a kid's toy…the ironic thing is that it is actually an extremely effective form of exercise. Almost every person I know could easily walk at a brisk pace for 15 minutes, but I bet less than 1% of the population could jump rope for that long.
So What Muscle Groups Does Jumping Rope Target?
The answer is just about every muscle in the body. I think it works muscles that rarely get used. After my first time jumping rope, I was sore in many muscle groups…especially in the calf muscles and abs. In fact, if you are really trying to get ripped abs, jumping rope will help big-time. Your core really gets worked hard since your abs have to contract to stabilize your entire body as it propels through the air.
Jumping Rope Helps Release Your Fat Burning Hormone (HGH).
HGH is a hormone that your body releases naturally, which burns body fat like crazy. Increasing your natural level of HGH in your body is your quickest route to burning body fat. Unfortunately, low intensity cardio won't assist your body in releasing HGH. The proven way to increase HGH is to alternate high intensity cardio for 30 seconds followed by 30-60 seconds of rest…this is called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
Tips On Purchasing a Jump Rope
For about $15, you can get a "Speed Rope" at most sporting good stores. They are basically plastic ropes without the beads…make sure it is "adjustable" as well. This is extremely important!
How to Get The Correct Adjustment on Your Jump Rope
- Place Your Jump Rope on the Ground
- Stand on the Midpoint of the Rope (an equal distance between the handles)
- Grasp the Handles and Pull them to Your Chest While Standing on the Rope
- The Top of the Handles Should Reach About 6 Inches Below the Collar Bone (not as high as the collar bone or as low as the upper abs…If in doubt, go a bit too long and shorten the rope a bit as you get more experienced)
Learning the Skill of Jumping Rope, Your First Two Weeks of the Program
Most beginners "double bounce" in between rotations. This actually allows them to rest their core a bit as well as their calf muscles in between rotations and means that they have a low level of core fitness. You will want to jump cleanly in between each rotation and keep the abs and core tight.
Your arms should barely move when you jump rope. The rotation of the rope should come from wrist movement. If you want to increase the speed of the rotations, simply increase the tightness of the circles that your wrist is making (this will make more sense when you start jumping rope). The goal of your first two weeks of jumping rope is to eventually work up to a point where you can jump rope for 5 minutes solid without having to stop and start again. This means that if you have to stop because the rope hits your feet, you have to start again from zero. You also want to be able to jump rope alternating feet, so it looks like you are running while jumping rope.
Here is a Video With A Guy With Serious Jump Roping Skills
Note: The music he has chosen is super-corny! Don't tell me I didn't warn ya…LOL!
My Favorite 15 Minute Jump Rope Workout
- Stand in front of a clock or timer of some sort
- Jump Rope for 3 minutes to warm up
- Rest for 30 seconds
- Jump rope as quickly as possible for 60 seconds
- Rest for 30 seconds
- Jump Rope as quickly as possible for 60 seconds
- Rest for 30 seconds
- Repeat this alternating pattern for 15-20 minutes
Note: There are a bunch of things you can do to customize this…you can do the whole workout using the "running in place" method of jumping, you can learn how to spin the rope twice for every one jump, etc…as you get really advanced you will find that you will be able to spin that rope at blazing speed and that 60 minute sprint will be extremely intense. Also, if you want to take advantage of the fast heart rate and burn even more body fat, hit a treadmill or exercise bike for 20-30 minutes after your jump rope workout.
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