Jump Rope
Skipping a rope in rounds, turning it with your wrists and jumping just high enough for it to pass, mostly working your calves.
- Primary muscles
- Calves
- Secondary
- Quads, Forearm flexors, Front delts
- Logged as
- Session: time, plus what the machine shows, such as distance and calories
Loads from YouTube only when you press play. The video is by an independent creator.
Why do it
A jump rope is cheap, portable and gets your heart rate up quickly, and it builds calf endurance and footwork along the way. Rhythm is the skill: once your jumps stay small and even, you can keep going far longer than when you hop high or swing your whole arms. Rounds with short rests work well while you learn, since tripping is part of it. A rope of the wrong length makes everything harder, so size it before you start.
How to do it
Stand on the middle of the rope; the handles should reach about your armpits. Hold them at hip height with your elbows close to your sides.
Turn the rope with your wrists, not your arms, and jump just high enough for it to pass, landing softly on the balls of your feet.
Keep your knees soft and your jumps small and even; the lighter you land, the longer you last.
Work in rounds with short rests; the app runs the round timer. At the end, enter the rounds, and your skips if you counted them.
Common mistakes
Jumping too high
Big jumps waste energy and make every landing harder. Jump just high enough for the rope to pass.
Turning with the arms
Big arm circles slow the rope and tire your shoulders. Keep your elbows close and turn the rope with your wrists.
Landing on flat feet
Landing on your heels jars your knees. Land softly on the balls of your feet with your knees slightly bent.
Rope the wrong length
Stand on the middle of the rope: the handles should reach about your armpits.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
