Jump Rope for Weight Loss and Fitness

Jumping or skipping rope is not just for kids and boxers – it’s a fun workout.

Looking for a creative way to add some fun to your workout? Consider adding a staple of boxing training into your workout regimen – jumping rope (also known as skipping rope).

Jumping rope to lose weight, burn fat, and get lean? It’s a great idea. Jumping rope is a fierce calorie burner. How many calories can you burn jumping rope? According to some studies as many as 370 calories in 30 minutes.

We’re going to highlight a great product that can help you meet your fitness goals thanks to it’s calorie burning efficiency – the Crossrope Get Lean Jump Rope Set.

How To Choose The Right Jump Rope For You

All you really need for jumping rope – is a rope. But you’ll find it quite a bit more enjoyable using a proper jump rope.

There are a lot of options available including “speed” ropes, and more.

But when you are ready to get serious and take your training to the next level – the CrossRope Get Lean Set is what we recommend.

CrossRope Get Lean Set

Let’s review what makes the Crossrope Get Lean Set the better choice.

This is a weighted jump rope system. And that’s exactly what you need to get some variety in your training and to keep things interesting. It also helps build strength, as well as cardio endurance.

This set includes two different ropes – which a quick change system to ensure you can easily change back and forth as you wish.

The 1/4 lb Infinity Rope is great for speed – and this is great for calorie burn, but it’s also what you need for advanced moves. The 1/2 lb Infinity Rope is a great cardio workout – and it’s actually easier for beginners to get started with because it moves slower and offers more “feedback” (resistance).

The included Infinity Rope Slim handles have been meticulously designed to deliver the ultimate feel and performance with your light ropes. The quick-change system allows for quick swap between the two light rope options that are included. What makes this rope so much better than the cheap ones? The handles include ceramic ball bearings to provide a smooth, long-lasting rotation on every jump. And while the sleek and durable polyurethane handles designed for high performance, the textured grip provides maximum comfort during workouts.

CrossRope Get Strong Set

1/4 lb and 1/2 lb ropes not enough for you?

They also offer the CrossRope Get Strong Set.

This has monster 1 lb and 2 lb ropes.

These are NOT for beginners. Start with the Get Lean Set instead if you’re not comfortable with jump rope basics.

The handles have the same ceramic ball bearings to provide a smooth, long-lasting rotation on every jump, and the sleek and durable polyurethane handles are designed for high performance. They’ve got the same great textured grip as the Get Lean Set handles, but are beefier.

The Infinity Rope System is a premium jump rope system designed to give you a fun and unique jumping experience. Our system allows you to easily and quickly switch between different weights of ropes to achieve a variety of fitness goals anywhere.

Why You Should Jump Rope for Weight Loss

A 30 minute workout with the jump rope would be a long workout. But rest assured even after you’ve completed just 10 minutes of jumping rope at 120 RPM (about 2 hops per second) – you’ll have gotten the equivalent benefits of 30 minutes of jogging.

You can jump rope just about anywhere – all you need is a rope, and enough overhead clearance so you don’t snag anything on the ceiling.

Jump Rope vs Speed Rope

There is also something called a speed rope.

What’s the ultimate jump rope?

The speed rope is the fastest kind of jump rope.

Isn’t a faster rope harder to work with?

Yes, but it will also let you do more rope tricks and provides a more intense workout.

Unlike the CrossRope line – the ultimate speed ropes are very light – with some ropes just 1.3 oz in weight.

In fact they aren’t ropes at all – they are PVC coated cables. They move through the air with a minimum of resistance and because they are so light-weight you can really turn the rope over fast.

Speed ropes always have outstanding bearing systems as well.

Our recommended speed rope is the Rogue SR-343 Mach Speed Rope.

Basics of Jumping Rope – the Single Jump

Grab a jump rope and let’s get started. We’ll start simple – the basic jump is the single jump. You’ll jump over the rope with feet together, one jump per turn of the rope.

First, the right stance is helpful. Your knees should be slightly bent. And when you jump, you need to do so on the ball of your foot.

Your arms should be down at your side. The movement is all in the wrist and forearms.

1. Starting with the rope behind you. swing it overhead.
2. As the rope approaches your feet, jump an inch or two off floor, giving the rope just enough room to slide under your feet. Stay on the balls of your feet at all times.
3. Continue to “turn” the rope over again – using mostly your wrists – this isn’t an arm workout!

The secret to success? Jump just enough to clear the rope, and not much more! Also remember to keep the knees bent and the elbows close to your body as you turn the rope. Take a break as needed, and focus on technique. Do this for about 3 minutes, and you’ll understand why this is an effective fitness method!

Not having much luck? Make sure your rope is the right length. Too short or too long is a show-stopper.

How long should your jump rope be? Place your foot on the mid-point of the rope, the handles should come up to mid-chest height.

Secondly, as a beginner you might want to use a heavier or slower rope (as pictured above) versus the “speed rope” that we’ll recommend below. You have to start somewhere, and through progression you’ll get farther, faster. So start slow and simple, and work your way up to fast and complex.

More Complicated – the Jog Step

The next increment in complexity is the jog step. In the jog step, you’ll hop on one leg for every turn of the jump rope. Alternate between the left leg and right leg.

This is a step up in intensity because you’ll be jumping with just one leg – and that means double the work for the calves.

The Next Step – the Double-Under

Popular in CrossFit, and other methods is the Double-Under (sometimes abbreviated as DU in CrossFit WODs). What’s that?

Basically, you’ll turn the rope twice under the feet for every jump. You’ll have to jump higher, turn the rope faster, or possibly both – and that’s an increase in intensity.

Not so easy, is it? Here’s a hint – a speed rope can be a huge help here.

There’s another step – turning the rope three times is called a triple under.

And More…

There’s at least two dozen other “rope tricks” you can do, but the methods above will give you a good start.

Best Jump Rope Workout Ideas

All boxing training is done in the cadence of an actual fight – and that means 2 or 3 minute rounds, followed by 1 minute of rest.

Jumping rope also works great with HIIT interval training such as Tabata. What’s Tabata? 20 seconds all out, with 10 secs of rest – and alternate that for a total of 8 rounds (or 4 minutes total).

The FitAtMidlife free workout timer is a great choice for jump rope workouts. Simply set the round length setting to the desired time frame (3 minutes is typical) and the rest length to 1 minute, then click Start.

You can also easily use the built in “Tabata” setting for a short and efficient (but hard) workout.

This fitness timer is free, and works on Windows, Mac, phone, or tablet.

Tie it all together into a workout

Try three or four 3 minute rounds of jumping rope, or alternate between skipping rope and nearly anything else – like push-ups, for example. Single jump, jog step, and double-under – switch it up to keep things fresh and interesting. Start the timer, and work hard and fast for the full 3 minutes. Rest for 1 minute, then repeat. Once you’ve done this a few times, you’ll appreciate the ferocious intensity of boxing training. Now just imagine if a live opponent was in the ring with you!