Jump Rope Anyone?

Infi-del

Infi-del

Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
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I was at the gym the other night and there was a jump rope laying on one of the racks. I picked it up and started messing with it. I'm a big guy and my buddy didn't think I could jump rope. I haven't tried since I was a kid but I gave it a shot. He was impressed to see so much mass moving the way it was LOL. Anyway, I did it for about 3 minutes and I was wasted. I had no idea how much of a workout it is. And two days later my abs are sore. I think I'm gonna work up to about an hour of jump rope three times a week. Any of you guys jump rope for cardio? Any tips, workouts, pointers, advise on a good rope? Appreciate it.
 
I was doing it for a while, but my knee started to swell. But be careful, it can be alot of impact on the knees.

If you can get up to an hour you will have a lot less mass to be moving around.

Good luck.
 
Yup jump rode couple times a week. Just jump a few inches up.= less stress on the knees. I use it for warmup 10min and at the end off my workouts @20min for my cardio on those days.
 
One good way to warm up the muscles before stretching. As far as an hour 3x per week goes, I think there are much better ways to get and keep the heart rate up for calorie burning cardio. Treadmill, stationary bike, and stair stepper to name a few.
 
Jumping rope is a great way to build up ankles and calf muscles. I developed the "15 minute workout" using a jump rope. I'm lucky enough to get a break at work which last 15 minutes. It is a circuit training exercise. Feel free to insert your own numbers based on your current level. Jump rope 300 times, 25 pushups (knuckles or fingertips if possible), 30 situps, repeat x 3.

It is a great way to hit a lot of muscle groups in less than 15 minutes. Obviously increase the numbers as needed. You should start to really feel it by the third set.

Also it is quite useful for travelers as all you need is a plastic jump rope and a small space and 15 minutes. :) ...no special shoes or other equipment....
 
dttomcat said:
One good way to warm up the muscles before stretching. As far as an hour 3x per week goes, I think there are much better ways to get and keep the heart rate up for calorie burning cardio. Treadmill, stationary bike, and stair stepper to name a few.
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eh I do the eliptical and tread mill for about an hour on alternating days. Just a few minutes of jump rope killed me. I can't imagine they're harder on you than this. And I quit using the bike cause its calorie to minute ratio was terrible. I can burn twice the calories on the eliptical in one hour than I can on the bike. The plus to the bike was that it was easy on my knees. But it wasn't a good enough workout. I do use the stair stepper but man I hate that thing. It' SOOOOOO boring that it's hard to keep interested in it.
 
Hi Infa-Del, I've been jumping rope since the mid 70's. I got started because I boxed featherweight and they told me I had to. I found jumping in front of a full length mirror very helpful to maintain proper form & posture. I used to jump to the music of " MIDNIGHT EXPRESS". its a movie. More important than how long you jump is how much you vary your routine,for example alternating feet, moving around while jumping, double jumping,etc.As far as what kind of rope its up to you. I like a wooden handled leather rope with ball bearing swivels, but then again its what I got used to. Have fun with it, Andy.
 
Infi-del said:
eh I do the eliptical and tread mill for about an hour on alternating days. Just a few minutes of jump rope killed me. I can't imagine they're harder on you than this. And I quit using the bike cause its calorie to minute ratio was terrible. I can burn twice the calories on the eliptical in one hour than I can on the bike. The plus to the bike was that it was easy on my knees. But it wasn't a good enough workout. I do use the stair stepper but man I hate that thing. It' SOOOOOO boring that it's hard to keep interested in it.
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My biggest concern is the impact on the knee joints. I guess keeping your feet as close to the ground as possible would minimize this. Another thing is maintaining a steady heart rate at your target pace. I'm thinking the HR would fluctuate much more with the rope than it would on a bike or a treadmill where you can monitor it. Thirdly, I'm wondering if you could get anywhere close to 60 minutes. I have never seen anyone do that. Like you said it is a hell of a workout. Convenience / simplicity is a definite plus for the rope. :cool:
 
Make sure you flat foot when you land or you can end up with some serious compartment syndrome. Take that from an exercise science major. Weighted ropes are awesome btw. The good ones have ball bearings in them at the handle so they can rotate faster.

Infi-del said:
eh I do the eliptical and tread mill for about an hour on alternating days. Just a few minutes of jump rope killed me. I can't imagine they're harder on you than this.
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In exercise science, one of the first principles ever taught is that everything is sport (or exercise) specific. That is why jumping rope killed you so to speak. Having endurance in one activity does not translate well into other activities. I always cringe at the trainers in the gym that get in clients saying they want to to be able to run a mile in X amount of time. What does the trainer do? He puts them on a bike. :facepalm: The only similarity is that both activities are cardio. The difference is to what degree the cardio system is being utilized. One of the best tests of endurance that's not in a lab setting using a spirometer, is the triathalon. Run/bike/swim all back to back.

EDIT: I run a mile in around 7 minutes. I get on my elliptical and it takes me at the best, 14 minutes. Just another illustration of sport specificity.
 
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best = Buddy Lee Rope Master at around $30

suitable inexpensive alternative = any beaded rope you can find at less than $10

I use both of the above. Either works fine, though the Buddy Lee swings a little easier and is much better for crossovers. The beaded one may be better if you are clumsy and/or cheap.
 
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