2938: Enhance Your Jump Rope Workout Routine by Ross Enamait of Ross Training on Athletic Conditioning

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Health Daily. Enhance Your Jump Rope Workout Routine by Ross Enamait of RossTraining.com and I'm your host and narrator, Dr. Neal. Hey there, happy middle of the week Wednesday and welcome back to Optimal Health Daily where I read some of the best health and fitness blogs to you, usually with a little bit of my commentary at the end.

[00:00:20] Now, it's the middle of the week like I said, we may be struggling to make it through these last couple of days, so I like to provide you with a little bit of inspiration each and every Wednesday. So with that, here we go. Quote, Determine that a thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way. Abraham Lincoln. Now, before I get to today's post, I want to mention that today's topic is something that intimidates a lot of people.

[00:00:49] So, I thought today's quote was perfect and I'll explain more of that during my commentary at the end. And with that, let's get right to today's post and start optimizing your life. Enhance Your Jump Rope Workout Routine by Ross Enamait of RossTraining.com If you're at all familiar with me, you know that I'm a huge fan of jumping rope. The jump rope has long been one of my favorite conditioning tools.

[00:01:17] The benefits of jumping rope are undeniable. It's one of the few exercises that will not only enhance fitness, but also develop attributes such as agility, coordination, footwork, and quickness. The jump rope is also inexpensive and convenient. You can skip rope almost anywhere. Yet while the rope can be used in tight quarters, there are also benefits to skipping in an open area that allows you to move in various directions. Moving within your jump rope workout routine

[00:01:47] Recently, I posted a short video to Instagram demonstrating how you can include movement within your jump rope workout routine. Unfortunately, Instagram only allows 15 second clips. So, I'll use this entry to expand upon the topic. First, you can view the brief demonstration in this post. Notice how I continue to move while I skip. I'm never stationary for more than a second or two. This style of rope work is clearly much different from many of today's popular double-unders for time workouts.

[00:02:17] Rather than perform a single turning style repeatedly, I'm constantly moving and varying the rope's action. As for the benefits of moving front, back, and side to side, there are several. From a conditioning standpoint, it won't take long for you to notice the difference. The lower body challenge is certainly unique. When you actively move while skipping, you aren't just stepping over the rope. You are also pushing off the ground to promote locomotion.

[00:02:43] And whenever you run out of room, you must push back to reverse directions. This holds true whether you're moving front to back or side to side. Furthermore, movement also adds a unique element to the coordination and agility challenge. You can't just haphazardly move while skipping. Instead, you must be conscious of the rope with each step that you take. The faster you move, the more conscious and responsive you must be. In addition, not a replacement.

[00:03:11] Considering the benefits of moving while you skip, some might assume that you should always be moving when jumping rope. That's not entirely true, however. There are certainly jump rope workout routines that can be performed without movement. Short, high-speed intervals are a prime example. For instance, if you are performing a 30 or 60 second interval, movement could actually detract from your overall turning speed. During an all-out interval, you should eliminate distractions and focus on maximal rope speed.

[00:03:40] Basically, sprint in place as fast as you can. The fact that movement can be a useful addition doesn't negate the benefits of the fast-paced interval. Therefore, it's not a case of better or worse, but rather apples to oranges. Both variations are useful for different reasons. During the interval workout, I'm still challenging myself to work as hard as I can. My focus is on rope speed instead of movement. Furthermore, you won't always have room to move.

[00:04:09] That doesn't mean you should abandon your jump rope training. Make the most of wherever you are. You can skip rope almost anywhere. When to add movement. A better way to include movement when skipping is during longer intervals or extended rope routines. Two examples include the following. Jump rope workout routine number one. Jump rope for six three-minute rounds with 30 to 60 seconds of rest between rounds.

[00:04:37] Jump rope workout routine number two. Jump rope continuously for 20 minutes. These two examples are quite common with athletes such as boxers. For instance, after finishing a sparring session, a boxer will often skip rope. If the boxer is skipping for three-minute rounds, that's an ideal time to include movement and vary the intensity. The jump rope workout can be performed in a way that mimics the demands of an actual round.

[00:05:03] You'll move front, back, and side to side with occasional fast speed bursts. The same can be said of a longer, continuous session. If you skip rope for 20 minutes, you should naturally move and vary the intensity throughout the session. Doing so will not only prevent boredom, but also provide numerous fitness benefits. The varied intensity will in many ways mimic a running session. You'll speed up and slow down as needed. Historical examples.

[00:05:30] Adding movement to a jump rope workout is everything but new. A few classic examples can be found in the video in this post. At around the 1 minute and 20 second mark, you'll see the legendary Jack Dempsey moving in various directions while skipping rope inside of the ring. And shortly after the 2 minute mark, you'll see another legendary heavyweight include movement with his routine. Rocky Marciano can be seen moving in multiple directions with various steps. Final thoughts.

[00:05:59] In summary, there's no denying that I am a huge fan of the jump rope. You'll be hard pressed to find another tool that is so inexpensive, effective, and versatile. Jumping rope is truly an exercise that you will never outgrow. You can always work harder, longer, or with new variations. Adding movement to an existing jump rope workout routine is a prime example. Moving while skipping will not only spice up your session, but also provide benefits that can't be replicated with any other tool.

[00:06:27] You just listened to the post titled, Enhanced Your Jump Rope Workout Routine, by Ross Enemite of RossTraining.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Oikos presents 15 seconds of strength. Here we go. Steve's got a trunk full of groceries and no one to help him. Oh, that's tough, Jim. Looks like a five-trip load at least. He grabs the first bag. The second. Bob, it looks like he's trying to do it all one trip. He shimmies the door open, steps over the dog.

[00:06:56] Oh, and he stumbles. Oh, right into the kitchen without missing a beat. Jim, now that's a man who eats his protein-packed Oikos. With 15 grams of complete protein in each cup, Oikos Triple Zero can help build strength for every day. Oikos. Stronger makes everything better. Dr. Neil for my commentary. Ross mentioned he has a bunch of jump roping videos that I'll probably leave you in awe. You can find those in this post, which I have linked in this episode's description, or he also posts them on Instagram.

[00:07:25] You can find him at RossTraining. Something that stops most people from even attempting to jump rope is that they feel they're not coordinated enough. And I get it. When you first try jumping rope, it's frustrating. Your timing is off, or you may not jump high enough, or both. So you end up using up all of your patience instead of getting in a good cardiovascular workout. But there is a solution. I've mentioned this on the show before. Try an invisible jump rope.

[00:07:52] Now, this is definitely not a substitute for the real thing, but it will still get your heart pumping. And it's great if you're just starting out and find you get frustrated easily with using a real jump rope. So the move is just like jumping rope. Start by holding each hand on either side of your body at about hip height. Now imagine in each hand, you're holding jump rope handles. Now begin to rotate your wrists, just like you would if you were actually holding a jump rope.

[00:08:22] Then start to gently hop up and down, landing softly each time. Imagine you're timing your hops with the movement of your wrists as if that invisible rope is real. Try doing this for a full minute. I bet if you haven't done this before, you'll feel fatigued even before that minute is up. And as you get more familiar with this, add in some movement just like Ross mentioned. Once you start increasing your time, you can start invisible jump roping all over the house.

[00:08:51] Eventually, put a real jump rope in your hands. Now the coordination may not magically be there right away, but I bet your body's gonna adapt pretty quickly. So just like Abraham Lincoln said at the beginning of the show, determine that a thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way. And incorporating some invisible jump rope may be the way to find yourself becoming more coordinated when using a real jump rope. All right, that does it for today.

[00:09:20] I hope you have a great rest of your day, and I'll see you back here on tomorrow's show where your optimal life awaits.