Here is your complete guide through the world of jump ropes and speed ropes. It will take you through the benefits of incorporating jump rope exercise in your workout routine and the differences between the different skipping ropes on the market. So make yourself comfortable and let’s begin the journey.
Jump rope training is currently on a rise and becoming more and more popular by the minute. Why is that? When hearing the words jump rope an image of Rocky Balboa might come to mind. Although Rocky might have looked good in that iconic scene, now we know better. Those jump ropes were heavy and awkward and you will be glad to hear that the industry has made great progress in the design of the modern jump ropes.
The popularity of using a jump rope in everyday training has simply exploded in recent years and thus brought the attention back to the classic gym tool. But there are still some gym-goers that are not jet aware of all the advantages of using a speed rope and this type of training.
The skipping rope is one of the oldest training tools ever created. It is the perfect tool for all levels of fitness training – no matter your current abilities. It fits all training goals, whether it’s fat loss, endurance, strength or performance. In this article, we will analyze the benefits of jump rope training and show you why we (and many others) believe that the jump rope should be part of every training program.
The jump rope, speed rope or skipping rope, whatever you call it, is a very versatile and convenient tool. Here is a brief snapshot of some of the benefits of skipping rope that you can benefit from:
IMPROVING YOUR THERMOGENIC CAPACITY
More than a few research studies had shown that rope skipping can be very beneficial to your health. Naturally, it depends on the intensity (i.e. the number of foot taps) but it can help you burn up to 1,400 calories an hour, not bad is it? Ten minutes of speed rope training is approximately equal to a 1.5 km run done in 7.30 minutes.
GAINING MUSCLE MASS
Skipping rope will subconsciously activate various muscle groups. To do your jump rope exercises it is not only crucial to coordinate you should also work on your stability. You must engage many muscle groups to maintain your stability and power. Although jumping rope may seem like an exercise done solely to increase your aerobic capacity, rope jumping can also help you increase your muscle mass.
IMPROVING YOUR CARDIOVASCULAR CAPACITY
Doing jump rope exercises can increase your heart rate up to 2-3 times more than other exercises. Many athletes have completely replaced running with speed rope training, seeing over time that this type of aerobic training offers the same benefits for improving cardiovascular efficiency with less impact on their joints.
DEVELOPING YOUR CONCENTRATION ABILITIES
To successfully jump over the rope it is necessary to combine timing and rhythm. Skipping rope helps with brain development because it engages your right and left brain sphere at the same time. This affects and improves your spatial awareness, reading skills, memory and makes one overall more mentally alert. This combination of physical and mental activity helps develop your cognitive function and will consequently help you during training sessions with other training tools.
IT IS A FUN WAY TO EXERCISE
The fun factor is crucial when it comes to finding a sustainable exercise routine. If you get bored it will be harder to stick to the plan and we all know that when it comes to exercise, consistency is everything. You must be able to follow your routine constantly over time if you want to see real and lasting results. Adding a fun exercise, that makes you smile when you are doing it to your routine will make it stick. Try skipping to the beat of the music, go max speed or do it Rocky Balboa style. Whatever makes it fun for you.
Are you still not sure about using a jump rope in your training? Here are some more benefits:
There is always room for improvement and progress. You can always learn a new skill and have fun doing it. Every exercise is a new adventure.
It gives you the chance to compete with both yourself and with others. With competition, you can turn a boring routine into something fun.
It gives you endless versatility. There are hundreds of ways you can structure a jump rope workout.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF SKIPPING ROPES
The main difference between different types of skipping ropes is in their weight and speed. Many differentiate between Jump Ropes, the basic heavier skipping ropes and Speed Ropes, skipping ropes with lighter strings that allow faster jumping. In Cross-training, for example, one starts with a jump rope, a thicker, heavier rope that offers good feedback to help you “feel” the movement of the string. Remember, you have to coordinate the timing & rhythm of the jump rope with your muscle movements. Once you master this ability you can switch to a lighter, faster rope, Speed Rope.
SKIPPING ROPES GLOSSARY
Speed rope and jump rope, or double under, are terms that not everyone knows. There are so many names used in the sports world to identify a skipping rope and the many exercises you do by using it. Here is a short glossary with the most common terminologies to help you get oriented in this world.
Jump Rope
A term that over has become common use all over the world to indicate ropes composed of a steel wire covered with rubber or as in other cases only in braided steel without coating.
Speed Rope
The speed rope is a fast jump rope. The term fast indicates the presence of bearings that allow for a much more precise timed rotation. Such ropes are especially used in crosstraining gyms and competitions. Used by athletes who already have mastered Jump Rope.
Double Unders
An exercise which consists of performing two complete turns of the string in the temporal space of a single jump. The athlete must make the rope perform a double rotation before his feet touch the floor. There is also a single version of the jump called single unders or the spectacular and difficult triple version called triple unders.
Indice dei contenuti
Conclusion
This article has tried to give you an overview of the world of jump ropes. If you would like to know which one is the best model for your needs, visit our section dedicated to jump and speed ropes. Find the one that will take you from single to double unders or triple…who knows 🙂
