5 rope exercises to add to your workouts

1. Boxing jumping

This exercise is just made for long cardio sessions. Unlike regular jumping rope, in boxing you constantly shift your body weight from foot to foot and can work longer.

You will spend 300-400 kcal in half an hour of training and increase your endurance even faster than running. In this case, you do not even have to leave the house, and even more so to look for an acceptable route.

To master the movement, first perform the approach exercise - jumping from side to side without a rope.

After jumping to the side, you land on one foot, and place the other on the pad next to it. Then do the same on the other side. Do this exercise until the movement is comfortable and you start to do it freely and without hesitation.

Then try it with a rope. Jump to the side, spinning the rope under your feet, and land on one leg, and place the other side by side. Repeat the same on the other side.

When you master the movement, put your legs narrower and jump from side to side almost in place, slightly lifting off the ground.

It can take a long time before boxing jumps become a comfortable movement. But once you master the motor pattern, you can jump in this way for much longer than just on two legs.

2. Running with a high hip lift

This exercise puts a serious strain on the hip flexors, raises the heart rate quickly, forces the body to burn more calories and adapt to high-intensity work. It can be done in multiple sets with rest in between, or as part of an intense interval training session. Even 20-30 seconds of such jumps will challenge your endurance.

Try regular running in place to get started. Jump over the rope and land on one leg. Leave the other foot in the air next to the ankle of the supporting leg. When landing, gently bend your knee, and leave your foot on the pad - do not put your heel on the floor.

When you feel comfortable running and you stop stumbling over the rope, just lift your knees higher. Ideally, up to the parallel of the thigh with the floor.

Practice the movement at a medium pace first, and then increase the intensity. A brisk run with high thighs is ideal for Tabata workouts and other high-intensity intervals.

3. Cross rope

This exercise strengthens not only the legs, but also the muscles of the chest, arms and shoulders. During these jumps, you develop coordination and look like a real pro.

First, learn how to properly hold your hands without the rope. Stand in front of a mirror to make it easier to track the correct technique. Lower and relax your shoulders, bring your shoulder blades together, place your elbows close to your body - 15–30 cm from your hips. Then cross your arms in front of you and extend your wrists out to the sides as far as you can.

Try to bring the brushes as far out of the body as possible. This will help you make a good loop with the rope - wide enough for your body to fit into it without any problems. Also, make sure that when crossing the arms, the hands remain at the same level as in the starting position. If you pick them up, the rope will hit your feet.

Then take the rope. Make one normal jump, and on the second, cross your arms as it passes over your head.

First, take a few single jumps, stopping each time you cross your arms. When you get used to this movement, try it several times in a row.

After jumping into a loop, do not stop, but roll the rope again. When it passes over your head, spread your arms to the starting position.

Practice at a slow pace, and as you get used to it, speed up.

4. Rolling the rope backward

Backward jumps are a great opportunity to feel like a beginner again, even if you jump rope perfectly and do cross and doubles easily. This exercise improves coordination and slightly shifts the load on the muscles, which is beneficial for the harmonious development of the body.

Try doing the exercise without jumping to get started, just to feel the movement of your hands and the position of the rope. Roll it back while lifting on your toes. When the rope lands behind the body, try to catch it - press your feet to the floor, dropping on your heels.

Then practice rotating the rope backward so that your wrists get used to this movement. Grasp both handles in one hand and rotate your wrist back.

Try to rotate the rope with only your wrist - this is how your hands should move while jumping. Perform this movement in equal amounts for both hands. When it feels comfortable, try the first jump back.

Start with a rope in front of your feet, roll it back and jump over. Do one jump at a time, trying to keep your hands in the correct position - below, next to the hips - and twist with your wrists, and not with your whole arm.

Increase the number of jumps in a row as you get used to.

Once you have mastered this movement, you can try different types of jumps with a roll back: running - normal and with a high hip, "legs together - legs apart" and even a cross.

5. Double jumps

This exercise perfectly builds endurance, quickly raises the heart rate, increases the load on the muscles of the shoulder girdle compared to single jumps and spends more calories.

Before you start learning double jumps, make sure you are good at singles. You must perform 200 single jumps per set, without stumbling and with good technique. This article will help you test your technique.

First, try to perform a bunch of three single jumps and one double.

When you have done 50 such ligaments without hesitation, proceed to the next progression - two single and one double. Also bring it up to 50 consecutive reps and try one single and one double.

When this also works out without hesitation, proceed to performing doubles in a row. Start with two times and, if you succeed, move on to three. Don't go after quantity. The main thing is to accustom the body to the correct form.

Follow your technique and avoid mistakes common to beginners.

1. Keep the chassis level. Many beginners do something like a crease so they don't hurt their legs. This spoils the form and wastes a lot of energy. Keep your body straight, as if you were jumping singles.

2. Do not tuck your legs. This spoils the form, throws off the rhythm and postpones the development of the skill. The knees are only slightly bent, as during single jumps.

3. Relax your arms and use only your wrists. If your shoulders are burning while jumping, you are doing doubles wrong. Relax your arms, bend your elbows slightly and keep your hands down at hip level. Twist your wrists, and try to relieve the rest of your arm from tension.

4. Practice regularly. Probably the most important thing in mastering doubles is to train them regularly, every day. It is often said that doubles should be “jumped”, and it really is.

Do them before and after a workout, during a break from work or watching TV shows, in the morning as a charge - at any free time. Only in this way can you firmly consolidate the skill and perform the exercise without hesitation.