Jumping Rope

[gudspelr]

I’ve been needing to workout. For a while. For a few years, the body has been changing and while my eating didn’t seem to change, my waist line has. To top it off, this last year I messed up one of my knees and finally had to go to physical therapy for several sessions to get things worked out. My biggest hurdle for working out has been that I basically don’t like working out...

Upon doing research for something that might work, I came upon jumping rope. It’s good cardio and frankly, makes me hurt. It also plays nicely into my somewhat lazy nature when it comes to working out. I can get a pretty good workout in without leaving my house and in a short time frame. I found a jump rope, but sadly it was a little too short... I ended up finding one that would work for me and used it while I waited for a set I ordered. I got the Crossrope ones which were a little spendy, but they’re impressive. It was a set that came with a 1/4 lb rope and a 1 lb rope (interchangeable with one set of handles). I’m a few weeks in and I think it’s aftually going to stick. The heavier rope (not weighted handles) can really hurt, particularly during high intensity intervals. Crossrope makes heavier ropes, too-I might look into getting one as time goes on.

So, if you’re looking for something different, “easy”, no need for a lot of equipment and can travel with you, take a look at using a jump rope. I was surprised at how much variation can be integrated into these work outs. I started mixing in body weight exercises between the sets of jumping and it can leave me pretty whipped at the end. Hopefully this will get the cardio and endurance doing better, lose a few lbs, and maybe a bit more muscle.


Jeremy

 

[fightthenoise]

I’m a big believer in the best workout is the one you’ll do. If you had knee troubles I’m surprised the repeated shock doesn’t bother you, but it sounds like you’re trucking along just fine. Keep getting after it.


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[AdamW]

Been jumping rope myself. I actually enjoy it!

 

[gudspelr]

I’m a big believer in the best workout is the one you’ll do. If you had knee troubles I’m surprised the repeated shock doesn’t bother you, but it sounds like you’re trucking along just fine. Keep getting after it.

I asked the physical therapist about the jumping before starting and he said it would be okay, but to pay attention to how it feels on the knee. If done correctly (bent knees, front half of the feet when landing), it's supposed to be lower impact than running. So far it hasn't caused a problem, so here's to hoping it keeps going well. And I agree on the best workout being the one you actually do. The gym membership, big machine in the basement, workout videos, etc. don't matter if they don't get used. I'm cautiously optimistic .

Jeremy

 

[idcuda]

That's cool - keep after it. I'm going to mix in more jump rope with my running. It's good for you in many ways and, like you mention, the portability is awesome.

 

[gudspelr]

Thanks, idcuda-it’s been going fairly well. I did a couple sets last night of the Tabata interval with the 1 lb rope. It’s only 4 minutes for a set, but wow does it hurt... 20 seconds as hard as you can go followed by 10 seconds of rest. Then back to jumping as hard/fast as you can and continue the interval for 4 minutes. It certainly gets the heart rate up and the heavier rope makes me feel it in my arms, shoulders, and back. Hoping I keep on it and maybe I’ll get to see some results. Of course cutting down on the tasty treats sure would help in the results category....


Jeremy