Jumping rope is said by some to be the single most inclusive and beneficial form of exercise a person can do! It can be done just about anywhere – alone or in a group – and can easily be incorporated into anyone’s lifestyle. Best of all, it’s exercise that is fun and entertaining.
Here are the major benefits of jumping rope:
Effective
Jumping rope burns up to about 1000 calories-per-hour. It uses muscles in the entire body, helping to develop a long, lean appearance. Most importantly, jumping rope optimizes cardiovascular conditioning and maximizes athletic skills by combining agility, coordination, timing, and endurance. This would be why it’s such an important part of CrossFit!
Easy to Learn
People of all fitness levels and athletic abilities can learn to jump rope. (Believe it or not, it’s TRUE! You CAN learn!) No matter what your ability-level, you can learn at your own pace in a relaxed and comfortable environment.
Fun
Jumping rope is extremely enjoyable (True story!) and can easily become a fitness addiction. Once you become modestly proficient, the natural rhythm of ‘easy jumping’ takes over and hides the fact that you’re actually exercising quite vigorously and working up a good sweat! This is why many athletes – especially professional boxers and other highly-conditioned athletes – are literally able to jump rope for hours on end without appearing to tire physically or mentally.
Portable
When it comes to portability, not many things beat the jump rope. A small jump rope can be carried in a suitcase, briefcase, backpack, or purse anywhere in the world and provide you with the most effective portable workout in existence. For this reason, jumping rope is the perfect exercise for travelers. You can easily incorporate it into a WOD on the road!
As much as we love to hate jumping rope, we can’t deny that it is helpful to our overall fitness. So, keep working on your double unders, and maybe you’ll begin looking forward to seeing them in upcoming WODs!
Today’s Workout:
Buy-In – Hang Squat Clean and Jerk Technique. Hang Squat Clean and Jerk – 6 sets of 3 repetitions, building up to top weight
WOD – “Tabata Karen Mashup”
16 intervals of 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest of:
· Wallball alternated with Ring Rows (8 intervals each)
Cash-Out – if coming on Wednesday, stretch. If not coming Wednesday, 3
sets of 20 double crunch, 3 sets of 10 overhead squats, 3 sets of amrap
pushups.
