RopeSport: The Ultimate Jump Rope Workout

Introduction

Like so many millions of people, my first memories of jumping rope are as a kid on the local school playground. I remember it being a fun but short-lived experience, something I stopped doing by about the sixth grade. A lot of years would pass before I picked up a jump rope again.

In high school I played a number of sports, including basketball, ice hockey, and tennis. At that time the only training I did was specific conditioning exercises for the individual sport I was playing. Working out for general fitness and a healthy lifestyle wasn’t part of the equation. During my college years I began to visit the gym fairly often. A typical workout would consist of playing a little pickup basketball, running a few times around an indoor track, and lifting a few weights. I still wasn’t particularly serious or knowledgeable about fitness or nutrition.

After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, I moved to Los Angeles, where everyone seemed to be working out. Due to the Hollywood entertainment industry’s emphasis on looking good, the gym business was flourishing. It was at that time that I got serious about my own training; twenty years later I still spend a lot of my waking hours in the gym. Since I’ve been living in Los Angeles, a number of workouts have gained popularity, including aerobics, step, cardio boxing, spinning, yoga, and boot camp. At one time or another I’ve tried every one of these workouts and found all of them to be beneficial to some degree. In fact, it’s my strongly held belief that whatever workout that’s safe and motivates you to exercise on a regular basis is a very good thing. It was during this period that I rediscovered jumping rope.

I am now in my forties and feel almost as healthy and strong as I did twenty years ago. During this twenty-year period I’ve also been able to maintain a consistent weight of 160 to 170 pounds. Equally as important, although I work out very intensely I have experienced no significant injuries. In fact, in some ways I am actually in better shape than I was twenty years ago. How have I been able to accomplish this? There is one simple answer: by doing the RopeSport jump rope workout on a regular basis.

Although I believe there are numerous workouts that are physically beneficial, I am convinced that the RopeSport jump rope program is far and away the most beneficial workout in existence. It is also the most fun. Minute for minute, there is simply no comparison.

By the time you finish this book I think you’ll agree that the RopeSport jump rope program is absolutely phenomenal. Most importantly, you’ll have learned the tools to begin your own RopeSport workout program. I guarantee you won’t regret it.

About RopeSport

RopeSport LLC is a company dedicated to the sport of jumping rope: exercise that’s fun, fat-blasting, and accessible to everyone. The name RopeSport also describes the style of jumping rope—a freestyle form that combines traditional jumping rope with music, dance, and natural body movements. People around the world love to jump rope. It’s not only entertaining, but it’s also one of the most effective ways to lose weight and get fit. That’s why many elite fitness professionals, athletes, coaches, and trainers will tell you that RopeSport is one of the best cardiovascular cross-training workouts in existence.

Through the use of an easy-to-follow, step-by-step teaching method I developed after years of working with thousands of beginning jumpers, almost anyone can learn to jump rope in only a few workouts.

RopeSport has been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers, as well as on a number of nationally known television shows. Our résumé includes appearances on The Today Show and The View, and features in Cosmopolitan, the New York Times, Shape, Men’s Health, GQ, Mademoiselle, Men’s Fitness, the Los Angeles Times, Self, and the Washington Post, to name a few.

RopeSport’s goal is to teach millions of people throughout the world how to jump rope. We currently market a line of premium-quality jump ropes, award-winning workout DVDs, music CDs, and jumping mats. While the descriptions of the jumping techniques contained in this book are clear, watching our DVDs will make the instructions that much easier to follow—I’d highly recommend it. For more information on RopeSport products or educational services, please visit www.ropesport.com.

Welcome to Jumping Rope

When you think of jumping rope there are very possibly two images that come to mind. First, you might think of boxers: well-conditioned athletes who use jumping rope as an indispensable part of their training routines. Second, maybe you think of kids jumping rope on the local school playground, something that millions of us (including me) did when we were younger.

What might not come to mind is that virtually anyone—including you—can become a proficient jump-roper in only a few workouts. Let me say it again in case there’s any doubt: you can and will learn to jump rope in just a few short workouts.

The main obstacle to learning how to jump rope is that there has never been a detailed, easy-to-follow teaching method available to the general public—at least until now. Instead, most people are given a rope (a lousy one at that) and told to go ahead and jump, with no further instruction. As a result, beginners often use an enormous amount of excess, unnecessary energy and become extremely winded in the matter of a few minutes. Additionally, they continue to get tangled in the rope, commonly referred to as missing. Unfortunately, this frustrating experience causes far too many people, even those in good physical condition, to simply give up.

Well, no more.

After years of teaching thousands of people to jump rope, I’ve developed a unique, step-by-step teaching method that allows people of all shapes and sizes to become proficient jumpers in only a few workouts. In a nutshell, RopeSport utilizes the time-tested training principles of active rest, interval training, and modifications (these terms are explained later) so that almost anyone—regardless of their current level of physical condition—can learn to jump rope.

Success Story

Norman Eichel, 70,

Real estate consultant

The RopeSport program is an amazingly easy way to stay in shape. I can’t think of a better exercise program that’s more fun than jumping rope. Last year I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and it helped get me ready for the climb.

About six years ago I got a new aortic valve, and my doctor wanted me to start exercising. He suggested jumping rope as one good way to get in shape and to take care of my ticker. It’s fun. It’s like dancing, that’s why it’s fun. There’s music, you’re free-flowing, and you’re expressing yourself physically and emotionally. It’s freedom of expression.

I think one of the fortunate events of my life was meeting Marty Winkler, who got me started in this whole thing. So as a mentor and a teacher, I owe him a great deal.

A good analogy is swimming. Virtually anyone can learn how to swim if they receive some good basic instruction. However, if you’re just thrown into a pool with no instruction whatsoever, call the paramedics. The same is true for jumping rope.

If you’re trying to find an effective, fun way to burn tons of calories and tone your entire body, you need look no further than RopeSport.

Who Can Jump?

Everyone!

Over the years I’ve taught thousands of people to jump rope. Many of these same people came into class the first time wondering if they’d be able to successfully complete a one-hour jump rope class. They quickly found that the answer was a resounding yes. Whether you’re age seven or seventy, in great shape or not, after finishing this book you will have all the information you need to become a proficient jumper in only a few workouts.

Men and Women

Maybe men identify with the image of a boxer who really knows how to work a rope. Maybe women have fond memories of jumping with their friends at school. Maybe it’s because jumping rope burns an incredible amount of calories and fat in a short period of time. Whatever the reason, both sexes love to jump rope equally, something that’s highly unusual when compared to many other workouts that appeal primarily to men or women, but definitely not both.

Kids

Kids absolutely love to jump rope! With childhood obesity and diabetes at virtually epidemic levels, RopeSport can make a major difference in the health and wellness of millions of kids throughout the world. Over the years I have done numerous demonstrations for K-12 schools, Parks and Recreation programs, and others, and the enthusiasm that RopeSport generates in these environments is a sight to behold. As far too many parents know, it can be an extraordinarily difficult task to get their kids up from in front of the television or computer. Jumping rope is simple and safe, an exercise that kids of all athletic abilities can participate in. It can be practiced individually or in a group, and it’s so incredibly fun that kids find it self-motivational. The RopeSport style of jumping is heavily influenced by music and dance, and I’ve often described it as MTV with a jump rope. The speed, sound, and power of the rope also make it visually dynamic, something that kids find really cool.

Recreational and Competitive Athletes

Many world-class athletes use RopeSport as an integral part of their training and believe it’s an important reason for their success. From recreational soccer to competitive athletics, the skills that jumping rope develops will enhance athletic performance in almost any sport. In terms of staying in top physical condition all year round, it’s hard to imagine a more beneficial exercise than jumping rope on a regular basis. That’s why professional boxers swear by it.

Seniors and Sedentary Individuals

As it’s traditionally been taught, jumping rope can be a strenuous activity. However, because RopeSport’s unique teaching method utilizes a variety of easier modifications and equipment options, virtually anyone can participate—including senior citizens and sedentary individuals—and still enjoy its many benefits.

How to Use This Book

The way to use this book most effectively is to first read the whole book from beginning to end before you start jumping. Then go back and read it again. This time, however, when you get to a section of the book that gives you specific jumping instructions, pick up your jump rope and practice what’s discussed in that section before you go on to the next section. Don’t spend too much time on any particular jump or move if you’re finding it difficult—just continue to a different jump without getting frustrated. Later on in your workout, or during your next workout, you can go back to whatever jump you found challenging.

As a general rule, I recommend practicing any individual jump for a maximum of 5 to 10 minutes before moving on to something else. If you approach your workouts this way, you’ll learn most jumps within a few practice sessions. After you’ve learned just a few of the many jumps and techniques taught in this book you’ll be ready to put together an effective, beneficial workout (see chapter 8, RopeSport Fundamentals). From that point on, while you continue to work out regularly you’ll gradually add more jumps and progress to lengthier, more difficult workouts.

Part I

JUMP START

An Introduction to RopeSport

Chapter 1

The Top-10 Benefits of Jumping Rope

Many leading experts, including coaches, trainers, strength and conditioning experts, competitive athletes, and fitness professionals, believe that minute for minute, jumping rope is one of the most beneficial exercises a person can participate in. It is an unparalleled cardiovascular workout that will tone and strengthen your entire body.

Here are the top-10 reasons to jump.

1. Jumping Rope Burns up to a Thousand Calories an Hour

Because you’re utilizing all the major muscle groups of your entire body, both upper and lower, you will burn an incredible amount of fat during your RopeSport workout—up to a thousand calories an hour! That’s more calories than virtually any other exercise in existence and something that makes RopeSport truly unique. Even a 15-to-20-minute workout will burn lots of fat and help improve your overall fitness level.

2. Jumping Rope Will Tone Your Entire Body

Jumping rope is a fantastic exercise for shaping all the major muscle groups of the lower and upper body. Beginning with the lower body, jumping rope will do wonders for your calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes (your butt). What you may not realize, however, is how the constant turning motion of the rope will also shape and tone the entire upper body, including your chest, back, deltoids (shoulders), forearms, biceps, and triceps. In fact, when just beginning your RopeSport jump rope program, you might be surprised at just how great an upper-body workout you’re going to get. If you’re trying to develop long, lean cut muscles from head to toe—the kind of body most people are looking for—the RopeSport workout is just what the doctor ordered.

3. Jumping Rope Is Easy to Learn

Throughout the years that I’ve taught thousands of people to jump rope, probably the single most frequent objection I’ve heard is It’s just too hard or You have to be in great shape to jump rope. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, through the use of an innovative teaching technique based on what I call Resting Moves and the Three-Step Breakdown (see pages 36–37, 38–39), virtually anyone can become a proficient jumper in only a few workouts. I’ve taught students from seven to seventy years old, from weekend warriors to professional athletes. The constant emphasis to go at your own pace with specific and easy-to-follow techniques for modifying your workout allows beginning jumpers, as well as people who might not be in the best of shape, to have a successful and beneficial experience almost immediately. And because you’ll get it right from the start, you’ll have a lot of motivation to stick with the RopeSport program. Time and again I’ve seen people who had some doubt about their own ability become great jumpers in a matter of a few weeks. As an instructor, nothing could be more rewarding, and it’s one of the main reasons I still love teaching after all these years.

4. Jumping Rope Will Make You a Better Athlete

Professional boxers, arguably the most well-conditioned athletes in the world, have used jumping rope as an indispensable part of their training routines for many years. Elite athletes from a variety of sports, including tennis, basketball, golf, volleyball, skiing, and football, credit at least part of their success to jumping on a regular basis. The primary reason for this is that jumping rope will lead to improvements in agility, hand-eye-foot coordination, explosiveness, vertical-jumping ability, hand and foot speed, fluidity of movement, and timing. These skills are essential to maximizing performance in almost any sport you can think of. You’ll float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.

Success Story

Roy Werner, 48, Actor

What I’ve found is that the calorie-burning aspect of the RopeSport program is fantastic. It’s helped me lean up and keeps me sharp. Working in television and film, you have a lot of downtime on the set. With RopeSport I just throw my rope into my suitcase and work out in my hotel room or right on the set. When I’m jumping in class you see everybody having a good time; everybody is a team and we all push each other and have a blast.

5. Jumping Rope Is Extremely Portable and Inexpensive

All you need to begin your RopeSport workout is a jump rope and a 4-by-6-foot area to jump in. A room in the house, a gym, a backyard, and a park are all ideal for your RopeSport workout. And jumping rope is perfect for traveling—just throw a rope in your suitcase and you’ve got the greatest portable workout in existence.

You can start your RopeSport workout with just one inexpensive item—a jump rope. In comparison to other