Today, I’m excited to share some simple and awesome jump rope workout ideas from Sean. Sean has over 20 years of experience as a practitioner and student of combat sports. Here, he offers some great advice about jumping rope for weight loss and better endurance. Yep, the classic and humble skipping rope can offer a superb full-body workout on its own. Check out Sean’s jump rope workouts, which you can try today! – Elly
When people think of losing weight and doing cardio, the first thing that often comes to mind is running. It’s a mode of exercise that comes to mind, even though there are many other cardio options that may be more suitable or better aligned with a person’s preferences. Running requires a relatively large time commitment for a small calorie loss. While it can be great for conditioning, not everyone has the time or the knee health to run every day.
What a lot of people don’t realize is that there are more efficient ways to get your cardio in. One way is to do a jump rope workout. Jumping rope can be great for both weight loss and endurance training. Let’s cover some benefits of a good jump rope routine, then dive into the workout.
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Benefits of Jump Roping
Jump roping is one of those exercises that can seem intimidating if you’ve never done it, but if it’s something a third-grader can do, then you can too. Here are some good reasons to start skipping rope.
More for Less, Jump Rope for Weight Loss
Is skipping good for weight loss? How many calories does jumping rope burn? The biggest thing people are surprised to hear regarding jump roping to lose weight is that it can actually burn 25% more calories than running.
In fact, a 15-minute jump roping session can burn as many as 300 calories. The exact number will depend on your personal size, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a more time-efficient exercise than running if you’re looking to lose weight. You don’t need to spend a ton of time working out. Mini workouts such as skipping can be very effective.
Jump Rope Exercise Can Be More Fun
If you give jump roping a chance, you will see that there are many different ways to jump rope. Rather than keeping the same pace and style the entire time, you can learn new ways to jump rope and do tricks to keep it entertaining. If your shoulders start getting a bit of a pounding, then use that opportunity to cross the rope across your chest while skipping.
Not only does it make you feel cool, but it also rests your shoulders long enough to keep skipping. If you find that your calves are getting tight, then try skipping on one foot at a time, changing between a few bounces, 2-3 bounces on each foot before switching. Jump roping can be made really fun in different ways. Some even dance to a rhythm of whatever music they’re listening to.
You Can Do Your Jump Rope Workout Anywhere
One of the biggest benefits of jump roping is its extreme portability. It’s something you can put into a small bag and take with you wherever you’re going. As long as you have a flat surface, you’re good to go.
[If you’re into “anywhere” workouts, grab my free bodyweight workout download via the button below. There are only 7 exercises, and 3 progression levels for each exercise, so you can choose the one that’s right for you – Elly].
Great for Your Balance
As you can see, jump roping has a ton of benefits, which is why it’s one of the staples of a boxer’s workout routine; however, one of the main reasons boxers skip rope is because it is great for balance, coordination, and foot speed. It can help you be lighter on your feet and have much better balance in all your exercises and in daily life.
Jump Rope for Cardio AND Muscular Endurance
Speaking of boxers, fighters are some of the most well-conditioned athletes on the planet, largely due to their style of training and the requirement for good stamina on the job. A jump rope workout is one of the best ways to build endurance, as it is a total-body workout.
Not only will it help you with cardiovascular endurance, but it will also help you with muscular endurance. Jump roping works your shoulders, glutes, calves, core, and forearms. It touches on parts of your body from top to bottom.
This increase in endurance will help you in all your other exercises by teaching you to maintain a steady pace and keep going with good form even when you’re tired. This can help in and out of the gym. Doing a jump rope workout for endurance can be one of the best things you can do.
The Jump Rope Workout Routine
Now that you’re aware of the jump rope benefits that exist, we’re going to break this up into three different styles of training. You can pick and choose whichever sounds preferable based on the level of challenge you prefer. However, a fair warning, none of these are easy.
The Boxer
In boxing, fighters fight for three minutes and rest for one minute, for a set number of rounds. You will be doing the same thing. Because you’re likely just starting out with a jump rope workout routine, we’ll start you off at the amateur boxer level.
Here is how it will work:
First, you will need to download a free boxing timer on your phone. These are readily available on any app store. Next, grab your rope and set the timer to 3-minute rounds with 1-minute breaks.
As soon as the round begins, begin skipping and continue to do so until the round is over. Don’t let the rope tripping you up make you drag things out. Immediately get back into skipping as soon as you mess up. There shouldn’t be more than 3 seconds between you breaking the beat and getting back into it. Once the round is up, rest for 1 minute, then repeat for 3 more rounds. As you get into better shape, you can add more rounds.
You will be shocked to learn how slowly time moves when you’re jumping rope. Make sure to keep a moderate pace throughout.
The Marathoner
This will likely be the best option for those switching from running, as it requires a steady pace. With this jump rope weight loss workout, you will want to simply set a timer and skip rope until you reach your time.
I recommend doing this in 5-minute increments to give yourself something to push for. You don’t want to stop when your body tells you to; you want to stop when the time tells you to, because the mind tends to trick us into feeling more tired than we are. Depending on the type of shape you’re in, do this for 5, 10, 15, or 20 minutes straight. Much like the first workout, when your feet get tangled, make sure to jump right back into it and not try to buy extra time. That’s cheating, and you’ll only be cheating yourself.
The Punisher
Unlike the comic book hero, the only one you will be punishing with this workout is yourself. This adds an interesting twist to the exercise and can be done in either of the two styles above. You can either do it in rounds or one straight go at it.
However, there is a small but significant caveat added. Every time you mess up, you have to get down and do a set of pushups. If you can do more than 20 pushups in a set, stick to 10 pushups every time you mess up. If you can do less than 20 as your max, then stick to doing 5 every time you mess up. This may not sound like a lot, but it adds up during the duration of the workout. This makes it both a strength training and a cardio workout at the same time. It’s also a great option for an extra boost towards losing weight by jumping rope.
The Best Jump Rope Workout is The One You do Consistently
The best jump rope workout comes down to the jump rope workout you’re willing to sustain over a long period of time. In fact, one study found that jump roping significantly reduced body fat in children over a 10-week period, and the same can be said for adults. I recommend doing this for at least 30 days to gauge your results and see the improvements you’ve made.
Of course, like anything, if you’re looking to jump rope to lose weight, then you will want to make sure you watch what you do in the kitchen. Don’t use the extra workout as an excuse to eat worse.
Give it a go!
Thanks to Sean from Brawl Bros for these jump rope workout ideas. Have you tried any jump rope workouts to lose weight or improve your endurance? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please join in the conversation below!
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