A skipping rope – aka jumping rope – is one of the most affordable pieces of workout equipment you can buy, and they’re also one of the simplest to use. You probably already have some experience skipping from your childhood. However, you might not know how effective skipping can be as a cardiovascular workout. You can even replace running with it on days you can’t get outside.
Some of the main benefits of exercising with jump rope include:
- Improved endurance and stamina
- Improved coordination
- It can be used to build full-body workouts
- Strengthens stabilizer muscles
- Increases bone density
Four Skipping Rope Workouts That Will Take Your Cardio To The Next Level
If you’re new to skipping, you need to find the right rope for you. The three main things you should focus on are the jump rope’s length, grip, and weight. A general rule to keep in mind is to choose one that is about three feet longer than your height. Another trick is to trap the grip of the rope between your armpits and check how far the rope is from the ground. The right rope for you should barely touch the ground from that position.
As far as the weight is concerned, start with unweighted ropes and gradually move on to weighted varieties as your experience grows. Also, make sure the grip of the jump rope feels natural to you when selecting one.
1) Full-Body Jump Rope Session
Here’s a jump rope circuit that gives you a full-body workout while pushing your cardiovascular endurance to its limit. Try not to take any breaks while going through the circuit to get the most out of it. Here’s what it looks like:
- Two minutes skipping
- 20 push-ups
- Two minutes skipping
- 40 bodyweight squats
- Two minutes skipping
- 30 floor dips
- Two minutes skipping
- 15 reverse lunges with each leg
- Two minutes skipping
- One minute plank
You can start with only one circuit if you’re new to jumping rope. Feel free to reduce some of the body weight exercises to suit your fitness level. For example, adjust your circuit to fit your experience level if you can barely do ten push-ups. If you haven’t worked out in a while, add 30-second breaks between stations.
2) Basic Jump Rope Drill
This simple jump rope drill will get your blood flowing and your heart pumping in no time. It’s an excellent exercise for days you don’t feel like going for a run, and you can use it to warm up for more strenuous exercise. Here’s how to perform the drill.
- Skip slowly for a minute.
- Skip fast for a minute.
- Skip for 30 seconds with one leg.
- Skip for 30 seconds with your other leg.
- Skip for a minute moving your feet in and out as if you were performing jumping jacks.
- Repeat the exercises three to five times. One circuit is enough when using it for a warm-up.
3) Advanced Skipping Drill
This drill is broken up into three training circuits and involves using more advanced skipping techniques. You only get to rest for about two minutes after each block before moving on to the next. Here’s how to perform this advanced skipping drill:
First Circuit
- Skip for 60 seconds while jumping forward with both feet on each revolution while swinging the rope forward. This is the most basic skipping technique.
- Skip for 60 seconds while jumping side to side on each revolution.
- Skip for 60 seconds, jumping with both feet while swinging the jump rope backward.
- Skip for 60 seconds, jumping only with your right foot. Swing the rope forward.
- Skip for 60 seconds, jumping only with your left foot to finish the first block. Take a two-minute break before moving on to the following circuit.
Second Circuit
- Skip jumping forward for 60 seconds.
- Skip for 60 seconds, alternating between jumping with your right and left feet.
- Skip for 60 seconds, crossing over your feet as you jump on each revolution. Alternate the foot that ends up in front on each jump.
- Skip for 60 seconds, jumping only with your right leg.
- Skip for 60 seconds, jumping only with your left leg.
Third Circuit
- Skip for 60 seconds while jumping forward.
- Skip for 30 seconds while getting two revolutions of the jump rope on each jump (double jump). You’ll need to jump higher than you do on your regular jumps to accomplish that. Don’t worry if you mess up a few times; just keep going for 30 seconds.
- Skip for 60 seconds while swinging the rope backward.
- Skip for 30 seconds while double jumping again.
4) Jump Rope High-Intensity Circuits
Feel free to use weighted ropes for this exercise if you already have experience skipping. Using an unweighted rope is fine as well. The exercise is broken into three circuits that give you a high-intensity, full-body jump rope workout. The workout should take about 16 minutes, so it works for any schedule. If you have a few weighted ropes, use the heaviest for the first circuit and a lighter rope for each following circuit. Here’s what the exercise looks like:
First Circuit
- Skip for 20 seconds jumping with both feet and rest for 40 seconds.
- Perform as many squat jumps as you can in 30 seconds and rest for the same amount of time.
- Skip for another 20 seconds and rest for the same amount of time.
- Perform as many mountain climbers as you can for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds.
- Skip for 20 seconds and rest for 40 seconds.
Second Circuit
- Skip for 20 seconds alternating the foot you jump with. Rest for 10 seconds.
- Perform as many drop squats as you can in 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds.
- Skip for 20 seconds alternating the foot you jump with. Rest for 10 seconds.
- Perform a forearm plank for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds.
- Perform another 20 seconds of alternative foot jumps and rest for 10 seconds.
- Execute as many drop squats as you can in 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds.
- Skip for another 20 seconds alternating the foot you jump with. Take a 10-second break.
Third Circuit
- Perform as many freestyle jumps as you can in 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds.
- Execute as many bodyweight squats as you can in 30 seconds and rest for the same amount of time.
- Perform freestyle jumps for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds.
- Get as many mountain climbers as possible in 30 seconds and rest for the same amount of time.
- Execute as many freestyle jumps as you can and rest for 30 seconds.
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