By Kiyoshi Momose, CSCS, RSCC – Boston Red Sox
While strength and conditioning coaches are continually looking for the next cutting-edge piece of equipment to give their athletes an advantage over their opponents, most already have a small, inexpensive, old fashioned, simple, and effective, training device tucked away in the corner of the weight room or in the bottom of the traveling equipment box – the jump rope. Jump ropes have been around for decades and while they were originally used for warm-up and conditioning, history has shown them to be effective for 1) improving speed, agility, quickness, and coordination; 2) helping reduce the risk of injury by increasing ankle strength and stability while working in a safe, controlled environment; and 3) increasing aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Players can jump at a steady rate for 20-30 minutes to improve aerobic fitness or jump at a faster rate for shorter periods of time (interval training) to improve anaerobic fitness.
While the jump rope is a very simple tool, there are four steps that you should progress through to minimize the risk of injury and ensure that you are getting the most out of your program.
- Step One (choose the rope): With the number of jump rope options available it can be hard for beginners to determine the best starting rope. Experience indicates that lighter ropes are more difficult for beginners to learn on than heavier ropes. Avoid thin speed ropes and cotton ropes, both are difficult to use. Choose a PVC rope that has a little weight so you can feel exactly where the rope is as it rotates around, which will help you time your jump and learn proper rhythm
- Step Two (determine rope length): Fit the equipment, i.e., make sure that the rope is the right length for your height. To determine correct length step on the rope with one foot, put the handles together and pull them straight up to your shoulder. For beginners, the handles should come up to your shoulder, but no higher than your shoulder. For experienced jumpers, the top of the handles should reach the armpit or below. Rope length is impacted by your jumping form. If you jump with your elbows far away from your ribs, you will need a longer rope until you correct the problem. When in doubt, choose a rope that’s too long rather than one that is too short.
- Step Three (Find a Place to Jump): Find a safe place to jump. Choose a shock absorbent surface like a wood floor, interlocking foam mat, indoor/outdoor track, etc. Avoid jumping on very hard surfaces.
- Step Four (learn the bounce step): The bounce step is the foundation for developing rhythm, form, coordination, and speed. To execute the bounce step, stand with your feet together and the rope behind you. Swing the rope forward over your head, and as the rope approaches your feet, jump over it with both feet. Clear the floor by about two inches and land lightly on the balls of your feet. Jumping rope should be a low-impact activity, so stay close to the floor. Start at a steady pace of approximately one jump every second for one minute, i.e., 60 RPM. As jumping gets easier, increase the rate to two jumps per second, i.e., 120 RPM for one minute. Increase the duration of jumps by 30 to 60 seconds per workout until you reach 5 minutes, or try one or more of the advanced jumps listed below. Jumps start and end on both feet. Hops start and end on one foot.
- Step Five (design the workout): Put together different combinations of the jumps and hops listed below to create a personalized routine. For example, do 60 seconds of bounce steps followed by 20 seconds of high knee runs without rest between exercises. Rest for 30 seconds and do a set of 60-second, hops on each leg followed by 20 consecutive split-jumps. Spend as little time on the ground as possible between jumps and hops. Stay on the balls of your feet, and keep most of your body weight on the instep and big toe. Avoid letting your ankles roll to either side when moving laterally. Focus on jumping and hopping as quickly as possible, not how much distance you can cover.
The jump rope is a versatile piece of training equipment that can be used as a standalone tool or integrated it into other forms of training to achieve greater results. Jumping rope between sets of resistance training exercises, MD ball exercises, or core work can increase the density of your training workout by making more effective use of rest time.
Jump and Hop Options
- Bounce Step: Jump off and land on two feet.
- Single Leg Hops: Hop off one foot for time or specific number of reps and then switch feet.
- High Knee Run: Start by jogging forward and stepping over the rope with one foot at a time and gradually increase speed.
- Boxer’s Skip (R, R, L, L): Jump two times to the right and two times to the left on both feet.
- Split Jumps (scissors): Start with one foot forward and one foot back and alternate moving the feet forward and backward on each jump.
- Lateral Jumps (Side-to-Side Ski Jumps): Jump on both feet side-to-side on each revolution.
- Lateral Hops (Side-to-Side Ski Hops): Hop on one foot side-to-side on each revolution. Hop for a designated duration or number of reps and repeat on the opposite foot.
- Forward and Backward Jumps: Alternate jumping two feet forward and two feet backwards.
- Forward and Backward Hops: Alternate hopping on one foot forward and on the same foot backwards. Repeat on opposite foot.
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Kiyoshi Momose, CSCS, RSCC has been the Major League Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Boston Red Sox since 2015. He has also served as the Latin American Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2001 to 2014.