Hi there I'm Mike Gales for Everlast Nutrition and in this video we're going
to learn how to jump rope like a pro. Skipping is a great exercise for your
cardio, your muscular endurance and it also works your coordination.
A major drawback is that people make it a lot more difficult than it has to be.
There's no need for you to do any fancy tricks or acrobatics. What you're looking
to do is keep both the rope and your feet moving long enough you to get a
great workout. During this video, I'm going to give you a few quick tips to
help you get that done. First off, you're going to need to choose the right rope.
If it were me I wouldn't choose one of those cord ones because doesn't really
cut through the air. I also don't like a leather ropes as I find that they sting your feet if you miss .
There's no need in the beginning, for fancy ropes with weighted handles
because those are going to tire up your shoulders and your
wrists well before you get your cardio workout in there.
so in the beginning, your best choice is going to be a rubber speed rope and I'm going to use this
speed rope from Everlast. Because the handles aren't bulky, it's extremely
lightweight and it easily cuts through the air to keep my momentum going.
Not only is it the best style of rope, it's also the cheapest under ten bucks.
Alright, pardon the pun and let's jump to tip number one. That's going to be getting momentum.
Jumping rope is all about getting and keeping the momentum of the rope.
I don't know where I learn this technique maybe you is back in grade school somewhere.
But most people do this exact same thing. They step over the rope.
Then they try and swing the rope up over their head to get the rope going.
The problem is that sometimes the Rope gets tangled in between your feet.
Or sometimes you don't get enough momentum swinging it overhead.
Either way, this takes way too long. I'm telling you that happens even to the best
skippers in the world. They misstep and have to reset their momentum.
You don't want to have to repeat this long drawn-out method so there's an easier way of doing this.
What you're going to do is build momentum with the rope by swinging
it from side to side. Then you're going to grasp the rope with
both hands and continue to swing it from side to side. Now at one point instead of
swinging it to the opposite side, you're going to swing it so that the rope aims
towards the center of your body. Then you're going to simultaneously separate
your arms and then jump through and over the rope.
I know it sounds a little bit tricky. Just try it and you're going to see how easy it actually is.
Within no time you're going to get the hang of it.
This way, if you happen to misstep and lose the momentum of the rope, you can use this method.
Then presto, you're right back on track. Not only does this method
get you back on track quickly, it also looks kind of cool.
Let'stake a look at tip number two. Use your wrists. When most people start out,
they tend to over swing the rope. They over use their shoulders and their elbows.
The biceps are far away from their core and they tend to over swing. this will really tire out your shoulders really quick.
Do yourself a favor and don't do this.
Remember that your number-one goal here, is to have a great cardio workout.
Let's zoom in here and take a look at my shoulders elbows and biceps they're not
really moving away from my core all that much. Now look at my wrists.
That is where all the momentum is coming from. My arms stay pretty much against my core.
I use my wrists and my momentum from jumping to keep that rope going.
That will greatly extend your endurance so that you can give your heart a great workout.
let's skip over to tip number three. You only need to jump an inch or so off of the ground.
Far too many people jump way too high off a floor in the beginning.
I've seen people jump six inches to a foot off of the ground trying to clear the rope.
I am about 210 pounds in this video and if i was to continuously jump
a foot off the floor, for 20 minutes then i might be giving my knees a pounding .
A word of caution, if you're over 200 pounds
then be mindful about your weight coming crashing down your knees.
You can limit that impact, improve your speed and your endurance by only jumping off
the floor high enough to clear the rope. You also don't want to be kicking your
legs out to the back like this. In the beginning is going to put extra stress on your legs.
It's also going to increase the chances of your feet getting snagged up in the rope.
Let me zoom into my feet here to show you what I mean.
My feet only go about an inch or so off of the floor. Just high enough to clear the rope.
I also keep the weight on the balls of my feet and I don't lock up my knees either.
My knees are always just slightly bent to keep the pressure off my lower back.
While we're talking about my back,
notice that my back stays relatively straight. I'm not leaning too far forward or too far to the back.
Tip number four, I recommend that you alternate from leg to leg.
There's no doubt that in the beginning it's going to be easier
to get used to the rhythm by jumping off both feet at the same time.
If you're looking to limit like fatigue and extend your cardio workout,
you might want to alternate your weight from foot to foot.
Don't get confused, both feet still must jump off the floor clear the rope at the same time.
Yet I alternate by having most of my weight on one foot. Then use that foot to jump off
the ground and then shift it to the other one.
Alternating my weight from leg to leg will greatly limit fatigue.
It also helps keep the momentum of the rope going.
You could simply shift your weight back and forth from foot to foot like so.
Once you get a little more comfortable, you can keep your weight on the same
foot and use that foot for multiple jumps before switching it over to the
other one.
Finally, that brings us to tip number five. Remember that practice
makes perfect. You want to have fun with it.
There is no point stressing yourself out. If you try implementing these little tips then
you'll be working the rope like a pro in no time. Jjumping rope is a great way
to just destroy some calories. Now you also have a new type of exercise
that you can add to your fitness routine to shake things up a bit.
just be mindful not to jump too high off the floor in the beginning especially if you're over 200 pounds.
Use your wrists to keep your momentum going and don't forget to keep
your arms in close to your core. There is no doubt that eventually you
will get snagged up in the rope but use tip number one to get yourself quickly
back on track. No one will even notice that you missed a step.
This has been Mike Gales for Everlast Nutrition. If you like these videos and please
click below to like a subscribe and as always thank you for tuning in.